We are only a month into the 2020-21 NBA season, and many of the Sacramento Kings faithful are already looking forward to lottery balls and NBA draft content. The beginning of the year has been rocky at best, the team finds themselves in the bottom eight after a hot start that ended up being fool’s gold.
While there have been a handful of solid individual performances so far, the disappointment is heavy for some. Guys who were every-night contributors as recently as last season have fallen out of favor or out of the rotation completely, but players whose names we didn’t even think about until two months ago may be on the path to turning the franchise around.
The following grades are based not only on each player’s performance through the first month of the season but are also reflective of the expectations that were set for them at the beginning of the season. We’re not just giving “A”s to the highest scorer or “F”s to the guys on the bench. There are also five players who went ungraded, as they have either played only garbage time minutes or missed the entire season so far.
The Good for the Sacramento Kings
Harrison Barnes
Grade: A
Barnes has been one of the few pleasant surprises for Sacramento. He is averaging career highs in rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, and free throw attempts, and his scoring output is the best that he’s had as a member of the Kings. All of this despite only a slight increase in his usage percentage, meaning that Barnes is making the most out of the opportunities that come his way.
Tyrese Haliburton
Grade: A+
Tyrese Haliburton is going to win Rookie of the Year.
Widely regarded as the steal of the 2020 NBA Draft, Haliburton has lived up to every bit of hype. The coaching staff entrusted him with big minutes early on, and it has been mostly uphill from there. The jump shot that scouts said wouldn’t translate to the NBA is the one that has made Haliburton into the top 3-point shooting rookie through the first month.
He averages 4.9 assists per game off of the bench to go along with his 11.4 points. His high basketball IQ gives the Kings a serious weapon on both ends of the floor, and the team has performed far better with him on the court. Look for him to continue his high production if/when Sacramento moves some of their veteran pieces.
Richaun Holmes
Grade: B+
Holmes has quickly morphed from an unknown center to one of the best values in the entire league. After a semi-breakout year last season, Holmes has improved his numbers yet again. His 13.6 points are a career-high, and he has spent much of the season as the NBA’s leader in field goal percentage (68.1 percent). Unfortunately for Kings’ faithful, the combination of his affordable contract and undeniable impact, Holmes could be perfect trade bait around the deadline.
Chimezie Metu
Grade: B
The player that has made perhaps the most of his limited opportunities is third-year big man Chimezie Metu. He has been given a handful of minutes lately, averaging ten per game over the last five in the absence of Whiteside. His numbers don’t jump off of the board, as he is putting up just four points per. But his per-36 numbers are outstanding: 19.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.5 blocks.
De’Aaron Fox
Grade: B-
There has been a slight decrease in his overall numbers through the first month of the season, but Fox is still the catalyst for the Kings. He has had some impressive statistical showings, including a career game against the Pelicans recently. But there have been some knocks on his leadership as the Kings continue to flounder in the standings. Many believe that the franchise cornerstone, who just signed a hefty contract, should have the ability to be the alpha male when things go poorly with the team. Accountability is currently missing in the locker room, and it is often the team’s leader who is responsible for keeping everyone in line. It just doesn’t seem like Fox has been doing much of that.