Sacramento Kings third-year man Skal Labissiere is looking to prove that he belongs in the NBA. He is trying to make those strides as is he has reportedly improved on his training methods this past off-season. Basketball trainer Johnny Stephane, also known as Dribble2Much, recently released footage of his workout with former Kentucky Wildcat.
Labissiere was reportedly pleased with his progress this summer as he looks to earn his spot on the Kings' roster.
“This summer has been my best offseason so far for my whole basketball career,” said Skal Labissiere, as per Kyle Ramos of the Kings' official site.
Once highly touted as a five-star recruit and a potential top pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Labissiere struggled to find his footing – and timing – in his lone season in Kentucky. In 36 games with the Wildcats, he averaged just 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 15.1 minutes of action per game.
As seen with his low rebounding stats, he struggled to get on the boards due to his inability to react quickly to the ball and get in the right spots to get the rebound. This issue was a concern for many scouts across the league. The once supposed-to-be top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft dropped, and he dropped hard, as he was picked 28th overall.
In two seasons with the Kings, Labissiere averaged 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 blocks, and shot just 47.6% from the field. His numbers barely improved from his rookie to sophomore year.
Despite his struggles in his first two years, Skal still possesses the body and skills to be a pretty solid big man in today's NBA. He has a silky smooth release on his jumper. Moreover, his length may help him become solid shot blocker – he averaged 1.6 blocks in college. These give him the potential to be big man who can both stretch the floor, and protect the rim.
With an apparently strong body of work in the summer, Skal looks to prove himself once again.
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