Sacramento Kings: 5 predictions for the 2018-19 season
By Adi Brescic
2. Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley make an all-rookie team
Last season, the Kings only had one rookie make an all-rookie team – Bogdan Bogdanovic.
This years rookie class, much like the year before, is loaded with talent. Luckily for the Kings, they have not one, but TWO quality rookies that have a strong chance to earn a spot on either all-rookie team.
It’s likely they will both come off the bench unless Dave Joerger decides to shake things up with the starting lineup. But not starting the game isn’t necessarily a bad thing for them. Having two athletic, young studs coming off your bench could be fun.
Giles has shown some promising signs as a passer during preseason. His ability to make quick reads out of pick-and-rolls and deliver a nifty pass to an open teammate is impressive for a player with so little experience in the NBA.
He’s also displayed a knack to space the floor and knock down some long-range jumpers.
In five preseason games, Harry Giles is averaging 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks in 21.6 minutes off the bench.
As for Marvin Bagley, well, he was the number two pick in this years draft. So, naturally, expectations will be high.
Unlike Giles who didn’t start in any of the Kings’ preseason contests, Bagley started in four of the six Kings’ preseason games. In those four games, Bagley averaged 13.0 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting .466 percent from the floor.
Of the two, Bagley is probably more likely to earn a starting spot at some point throughout the regular season. He’s more suited to start at four than Giles is to start at the four or five. And that’s not a knock on Giles.
It’s just that Bagley starting at forward over Justin Jackson is more realistic than Giles starting at center over Willie Cauley-Stein.
But, who knows, Dave Joerger had two rookies in the starting lineup last season. Either way, both Giles and Bagley will receive the proper treatment required to succeed in their roles.