Sacramento Kings: 5 things to look forward to in second half of the season

Sacramento Kings: 5 things to look forward to in second half of season

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 01: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings and Richaun Holmes #22 of the Sacramento Kings react after a score during the fourth quarter an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on February 01, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

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3. Tyrese Haliburton’s ROY campaign

While he has been losing ground to LaMelo Ball as of late, Tyrese Haliburton still has an outside shot at winning the Rookie of the Year award.

Widely considered the steal of the draft, Haliburton has exceeded expectations and has become one of the Kings’ best players. He has been locked into the regular rotation since day one and has been one of the most efficient and clutch rookies so far this season. His unorthodox shooting motion has proved to be a non-issue, and his basketball IQ is off the charts.

But Haliburton will have an uphill battle during the second half of the season if he wants to take home the hardware. Ball, who is currently the heavy favorite, is putting up big numbers and has multiple highlight-reel plays to boot. His name recognition and undying love from the media will help his case tremendously, but there is no denying that LaMelo has been earning the award.

While Ball may have the edge in newspaper box score stats, Haliburton’s efficiency and shooting percentages should also be considered. He is making his long-range shots at almost a seven percent better clip than Ball, and his true shooting percentage is 61.9 compared to Ball’s 55.8. Two other statistics that are working in favor of Haliburton are his far lower usage rate as well as his commanding lead in the assist-to-turnover ratio category.

Halfway through the season, BetOnline.ag has Haliburton at +500, a heavy underdog to Ball’s -700. It will take either a serious drop off Ball’s production or a huge step up in Haliburton’s should the Kings rookie have any chance at the award.

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