For NBA teams in a rebuild, it’s a great sign when others recognize the product on the court. For the Sacramento Kings, plagued in mediocrity for years, having multiple players represented at NBA All-Star Weekend is a promising sign for the future.
The Sacramento Kings Are Well Represented At All-Star Weekend
The Sacramento Kings have been devoid of promising talent since their last postseason appearance more than a decade ago. Even when they had talent, it was often a single player whose stats did not translate to team impact. DeMarcus Cousins comes to mind for Kings fans.
The Kings may not have a finished product, but they are ahead of schedule. Sacramento is on the right track to NBA relevance, and the coming weekend in Charlotte serves as a tribute. It is a tribute to the work and development of the Kings’ front office and most importantly, the players.
Young Rising Stars
In the NBA’s current iteration, Friday night starts off with pitting the best young international players against the best of the United States. For the Kings, they have young talent on both sides of the coming Rising Stars challenge.
Bogdan Bogdanovic returns for his second year participating and has proven to be a great international signing for Sacramento. Bogdan has increased his ppg to 15.1 this season, compared to 11.8 from a year ago. Representing the United States is sophomore guard De’Aaron Fox and second overall pick Marvin Bagley III.
Fox’s Skills on Display
Generally, the Kings’ talent on display would conclude by Friday evening, but this year it will continue onto the Saturday showcase. Starting with the Skills Challenge, Fox will have a chance to bring home some hardware back to Sacramento.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo sports reported Fox’s invitation, and he’ll be alongside the likes of rookie sensation Luka Doncic, as was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania. A fun battle between two of the league’s rising guards (who could have been teammates) will be a pleasure to watch.
Buddy From Beyond the Arc
Kings’ owner Vivek Ranadive was once chided for declaring that Buddy Hield could be the “Stephen Curry” for the Sacramento Kings. As is evident by this season, it’s Ranadive that’s having the last laugh.
Hield has consistently improved his three-point percentage since his entering into the NBA. This season, Hield is shooting an efficient 46 percent from behind the arc. On a young team with athleticism and young talent, Hield is the premier deep threat for Sacramento.
To be participating in the three-point contest against some of the best shooters in the game (Stephen Curry, Dirk Nowitzki) is an honor. Hield has a shot of making the shoot-out the best event of Saturday night.
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