It's only been one month since the Sacramento Kings made a potentially franchise altering trade for veteran swingman Zach LaVine, and LaVine's already accomplished something that he never was able to while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves or Chicago Bulls. After a week in which the Kings went 3-0 with wins over Charlotte, Utah and Houston, LaVine is being rewarded for his contributions, having been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 19 of the 2024-25 NBA season.

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LaVine started the week off with what was not just his best performance as a member of the Kings, but arguably the best performance of his 11-year NBA career. Against the Hornets, LaVine went 16-for-19 from the field and 8-for-9 from three-point range, scoring 42 points in a 130-88 win in front of the Kings home crowd. From there, the Kings went on the road and came away with two crucial wins against the Jazz and the Rockets, helping Sacramento keep pace in the crowded Western Conference Playoff picture.

There are plenty of mouths to feed in Sacramento — including LaVine's — but if this group can figure out how to play with each other, there's certainly enough talent that more beams should be lit and the Kings should continue winning games. Where LaVine ultimately falls in the pecking order within a team that also features DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk remains to be seen, but for interim head coach Doug Christie, it's a nice luxury to have a guy like LaVine who could so quickly find his footing with the rest of his ball-dominant teammates.