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The Sacramento Kings are now a playoff team. They need all the youth and star power that they could get to sustain the jump from the previous season. A good start would be for them to develop their young guns in the NBA Summer League and they did just that. Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, Jordan Ford, and Mike Daum all proved that they could hoop out in Las Vegas.
Coach Mike Brown is getting a similar team back. The Kings have re-signed Trey Lyles, Alex Len, and Keon Ellis to make a run at the Larry O'Brien trophy come next summer. They only lost Chimezie Metu to the Phoenix Suns. The team is also yet to decide on the futures of Terence Davis, Matthew Dellavedova, PJ Dozier, and Neemias Queta. Nonetheless, the squad was pretty much intact and the young talent they are building may fill up the remaining roles in their roster. The best way they did that was through the NBA Summer League. We'll walk you through what happened in Vegas and what to expect with their young core come next season.
Keegan Murray is head and shoulders above the rest
The California Classic was a good tournament that prepared everyone to head into Las Vegas. However, no one was prepared, not even the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat, for Keegan Murray to pop off. He was terrific on the offensive side of the ball and torched every defender thrown in front of him.
Setting a rookie record of 206 three-pointers made was already nuts for him. He added to that with his performance against the Warriors and Heat. Murray netted 29 points against an out-classed Warriors team. The only thing that stopped him was the minute restriction and allowing other players to see the court. If not, he would have surely scored more.
The thing that stopped him in the game against Golden State? It was swept aside and he left the Heat in the dust. He placed 41 points on the head of Miami en route to a victory. He is a certified bucket and it was unfair to other teams that a legitimate playoff starter was placed against them. Murray is now a playoff-caliber talent.
Keon Ellis is shaping up to be like Kings' Davion Mitchell
A pesky defender that can pickpocket the ball and go up to successfully deny jumpshots? A lot of people may think that those players are in the league like Marcus Smart, Lu Dort, and Davion Mitchell. However, some are in the NBA Summer League fighting for a contract like Keon Ellis.
The young gun was recently signed to a two-way contract. He is starting to prove why he needs to be on Mike Brown's main roster more permanently. Keon Ellis is phenomenal at the defensive side of the ball. He notched two steals and two blocks against the Chicago Bulls. His offense is also terrific as he knocked down seven of his nine shots from the field which rewarded him with 19 points.
Ellis deserves more than to be stuck in the G-League. A guard that defends well will surely help a team that was bottom ten on defensive rating last season.
Jordan Ford and Mike Daum need to be in permanent roster spots
Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Harrison Barnes are all permanent parts of the Kings' rotation. However, teams should not pass up on the opportunity to sign Jordan Ford and Mike Daum. Both players had an impressive NBA Summer League stint with Sacramento and deserve a shot in the NBA.
Mike Daum is an efficient scoring forward that can play make. He notched 22 points while knocking down seven of his twelve shots from the floor. Crashing the boards is also something he excels at. The 6-foot-9 forward had seven rebounds. The most impressive thing in his arsenal is his outside shot. Knocking five shots from outside the arc despite his playstyle is nuts. He could be an under-sized center that could facilitate and bail out broken plays with his three-pointer.
Jordan Ford is a name that most G-League enjoyers know. His stint with the Stockton Kings and Summer League proves that he is ready to make a jump into the NBA. It is still a question whether he can fare in the league because of his height but he has proven otherwise. He had 25 points while knocking down four out of his seven shots from beyond the arc. His playmaking is also pure as he tallied eight assists. A team can definitely use his help.
