As the Sacramento Kings have been ravaged with numerous COVID-19 cases like most NBA teams, their depth has been severely affected causing them to lose six out of their last eight games. Starting point guard De'Aaron Fox has missed the last four games, while injuries to Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes have forced them to miss numerous matches as well. Despite their absences, one positive silver lining over the past two weeks is the ascension of Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton slid down to 12th overall in last year's draft, but he has exceeded expectations immensely in his first two years in the league. His jump shot was questionable from his college days, but he has that tremendous side step three-pointer that has been swishing through the net this season. Moreover, Haliburton has been the catalyst of their offense without Fox in their lineup. With the trade deadline approaching, it seems appropriate for the Kings to scour some plausible deals for Fox.
3 reasons why Tyrese Haliburton, not De’Aaron Fox, is Kings' PG of the future
Haliburton's defense is so much better
Even with their plethora of coaches, Sacramento has been horrendous defensively for many seasons already. The composition of their roster does not have many talented defenders as well, but the schemes and philosophies have been questionable too. With Haliburton disrupting the floor generals, it is likely for him to wreak havoc because of his long arms and terrific awareness.
Haliburton is fifth in the association in total steals as his anticipation has been admirable this year. Additionally, his all-around game has already been developing at the early juncture of his career, thus it seems highly likely for him to be a defensive force compared to Fox. As Sacramento hopes to continue improving their defense, having Haliburton for the next ten years is an intelligent starting point for the franchise.
Haliburton has a more methodical approach
As an organization is in the process of constituting the individuals for their long term plans, the front office would want mature and selfless players. Thus, Haliburton would fit into this mold because his repertoire has already at been remarkable at such a young age. His connection with the their bigs in Holmes and Chimezie Metu has been phenomenal as his alley-oops has been right on point when defenses collapse on his drives.
Even with his passing abilities, Haliburton also has the assertiveness to create shots for himself. The offense for Sacramento an be stagnant at times because of the lack of shot creators, making it inevitable for Haliburton to manufacture his own points. His unique and multitude amount of moves catches defenses off guard, such as his patented floater and excellent long range marksmanship.
Dealing Fox may address some roster weaknesses
Sacramento has not made the playoffs since 2006 as glaring holes in their organization has continuously increased over the past years. Their lineup is composed of too many guards as this has drastically affected their size and versatility at the wings and big positions. When the Kings put Fox on the trading block, there will be a slew of franchises that would definitely negotiate some enticing offers.
There are teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, or New Orleans Pelicans that are in dire need of a point guard on their squad. Moreover, the Kings could search for massive two-way individuals that could provide some heft to their frontline. Holmes has been the only consistent big man, while having Barnes at the wings is not enough to compete with some of the best in the West who have at least two or three remarkable people at that position.
It is difficult to shop or inquire about certain deals for an incredible player like Fox. However, the ideal scenario of building around Haliburton along with the several pieces that they would receive for Fox would be a brilliant foundation for Sacramento. Pairing Fox and Haliburton together is not a long term solution, but dealing Fox before it is too late could be the move that would catapult the Kings back to playoff contention.
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