Over the last two years, the Sacramento Kings have decided to select two more guards in the NBA Draft to add to their backcourt of De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield. Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell have been two spectacular additions to their squad, but their backcourt rotation has continually been crowded for numerous years already.
Head coach Luke Walton has made the adjustment of starting Fox and Haliburton this season, but it has not reaped its rewards yet so far. Fox and Haliburton have played for a total of 292 minutes this season, but their point differential is a negative 4.2. Both individuals are not superior shooters, while they also flourish when they have the ball on their hands. Last season, Haliburton was playing off the bench, and the Kings were not any better. Thus, here are three reasons on why this backcourt will not work for Sacramento.
Subpar shooting
When Fox is on a burst at full speed, he is arguably the fastest person in the NBA. He has the relentless mentality to finish at the rim despite numerous defenders trying to challenge his shot at the rack. With Fox's style of play, he must have a guard that is a phenomenal shooter like Hield. The dilemma of Walton to pair Hield and Fox is their dismal perimeter defense, which has been heavily exposed already.
Haliburton has been shooting 40.6% from behind the arc in his career, but he is not a high volume three-point shooter. Additionally, Fox is shooting a dismal 32% from rainbow country on 3.5 attempts a game. Thus, Haliburton will unlock his full potential if his role is more of a traditional point guard with the main role of setting up his teammates and scoring an adequate amount of points.
Dismal defensive
With both players on the court, the Kings were dead last in defensive rating last season, but it still has not improved that much this season. They are currently 22nd in the association with 109.3 defensive rating. Moreover, with Fox on the floor their defensive rating decreases to 113.2, which ties them with the New Orleans Pelicans for worst in the league.
Even if Haliburton seems to be reliable defensively because of his athleticism and IQ, the points and shots Fox surrenders as the point guard causes a ton of trouble for Sacramento. Their front court has difficulty to prevent the slashers from converting floaters and layups if their guards do not even try containing them with a straight driving lane to the hoop.
As the Kings try to fix the construction of their lineup, the utmost priority must be their defensive prowess.
Kings' surplus of guards
With Fox and Haliburton having the highest value among their several guards, the Kings front office could try manufacturing a trade to bolster their wings or front court. Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes have been tremendous this season, but those two individuals are basically their only consistent threats aside from their guards.
Trading either Fox or Haliburton does not deplete their backcourt depth because they still have Mitchell and Hield in their second unit. A few rough and rugged defenders that would wreak havoc defensively would be a welcome addition for Walton and his staff.
Along with this, the Kings lack some veteran presence and mentorship that is integral in the development of a young and up-and-coming franchise. For instance, the Phoenix immensely benefitted from the guidance brought by Chris Paul and Jae Crowder to their young core as they reached the finals last season.
Sacramento has still many aspects of their organization to rectify for them to constantly reach playoff-level basketball once again, but they could start by unloading their assets that have similar playing styles. With their value still incredible, the front office must pounce on this opportunity and try rekindling the glory days of Kings basketball.
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