The Sacramento Kings open up their 2024-25 NBA campaign Thursday night at home hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings had an eventful off-season, acquiring one of the top free agents in DeMar DeRozan. Sacramento has the chance to be a top team in the Western Conference. With the recent news that one of their best three-point shooters, Kevin Huerter, will lace up and start, the Kings are in a great position to establish themselves with several of their top conference counterparts.
Kings Shooting Guard Kevin Huerter Not Only Back, But Will Start Against Minnesota
Kevin Huerter Gives Kings A Boost With Return
Six-year shooting guard Kevin Huerter has fully recovered from his shoulder injury. He sustained the injury in March last season. The 38.2% career three-point specialist will reportedly enter the Kings starting lineup against the Timberwolves, as Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento Sports reported. Huerter spent last season mostly as a starter, making 59 starts compared to five appearances off the bench. It would appear that Kings head coach Mike Brown is fully entrusting a starting role for Huerter. This roster decision should come as no surprise. Despite a somewhat down 2023-24 season, Huerter is one of the hottest shooters in the league and has earned a spot in the starting rotation since coming to Sacramento from Atlanta.
The Kings acquired Huerter in a 2022 trade with the Hawks. Since then, he has shot 40.2 % and 36.1% from three in his two seasons. His long-distance shooting was his specialty entering the league with the Hawks in 2018, and he consistently shot above 35% from deep each season with them. Given his production in Atlanta, the trade was somewhat of a surprise at the time. However, the Kings hit a home run in trading for Huerter, which has worked out nicely for him so far. Sacramento is an offensively gifted team, and Huerter fits right in. He is now healthy and ready for what is likely a more significant role with the team. The Sacramento Kings sharpshooter is primed to get up shots left and right as De’Aaron Fox and DeRozan will draw much of the opponent’s defensive attention.
Trey Lyles Returning From Injury
Nine-year journeyman Trey Lyles will also return from injury Thursday night. In September, Lyles suffered a groin strain that knocked him out of the Kings preseason. With his return and Huerter’s, Brown has a full lineup going into the Timberwolves game, which he addressed at the Kings shoot-around on Wednesday. Brown mentioned that neither player will be on any minutes restriction plan. He was also asked about the matchup against the Timberwolves, quipping about their size sans Karl-Anthony Towns.
“…they’re still big, you know it’s a really really big team. You know, it will take a little bit of time to get used to playing with one another, you could tell, but as bad as they think they might have played, they still had a chance to win it, so they’re a very very formidable opponent, and it starts with their size…”
Brown is certainly correct. Even without Towns, Minnesota is still one of the league’s biggest teams. Rudy Gobert is obviously the most noticeable giant, but Naz Reid, who will replace many of the minutes Towns had this season, is large in his own right at 6-foot-8. The Kings will have a battle on their hands to open their season. The Timberwolves dropped their opener and are not looking to start 0-2. The new-look Kings will have other plans, I’m sure.
