The Sacramento Kings come to NOLA for their third matchup against the Pelicans Tuesday. Both games prior gave fans emotional highs and lows with the two teams splitting game one and two. The beginning of Tuesday provided its own center of drama for the Pelicans due to a trade that was, and then wasn’t. Hopefully, tonight serves a little bit of justice with a victory. To learn a little more about the current state of the Kings, we called on our FanSided family A royal pain. Their co-editor Rafe Wong agreed to answer a few questions in what was another fun installment of Outsider’s Perspective. Hope you all enjoy!
1. It’s almost been a year since the DeMarcus Cousins trade shocked the NBA world. Most people proclaimed at the time that the Kings got “fleeced”. What were your feelings then, what are they now? Did the Kings come off better than most gave them credit for?
In all honesty, I was fine with the trade when it happened because even though the Kings are much better if Cousins stayed on the team, the Kings were still not very good. So I think hitting the reset button and starting fresh was a good direction to take.
Right now, I am still behind this notion. The Kings have a lot of young talent with veteran leadership guiding them, so I think the current roster has promise for a bright future. Even though it is unknown how the rebuild will go for Sacramento, it is better than keeping Cousins and having the Kings stay mediocre, in my opinion.
2. The rookie of the year race this season seems like it will come down to Ben Simmons and Donavan Mitchell. Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markakken, and Lonzo Ball have also had their moments. Lost in the shuffle has been Kings rookie De’Aaron Fox. Whether his minutes or production is to blame, he didn’t receive much attention. As of late, however, he’s played much better averaging 14 points and 5 assists on 30 minutes per game. What are your latest feelings about Fox?
I think because the point guard class in the year’s draft was so hyped, there is a sense of disappointment in Fox’s play so far. But when you consider that he is still just 20-years old and a rookie, I think his play has been solid. As the season goes on, he shows more and more flashes of his potential. Hopefully, the team’s coaching staff and veteran leadership are good for the next years to come because I think once Fox is able to put it all together he will be the Kings point guard of the future.
3. I was high on adding veterans Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, and George Hill to the young nucleus in Sacramento. What impact have they made not just on, but off the court for the Kings?
I think their impact off the court has been the biggest benefit so far. For the young guys, I think it is nice to have players that already have shown they can play and are willing to teach them the ropes of being successful. If those veterans were not present, I think the development of the youth would be stalled.
4. What’s the biggest misconception about the Kings?
That the team is not rebuilding the right way because they are signing veteran players. I think if a team has veteran players who are motivated to teaching the young guys how to play the right way, it will benefit the youth in the long run. Way better than just throwing young talent into the fire and having them overwhelmed through the process, in my mind.
5. Outsider Perspective on the Pelicans
The two-headed monster in Cousins and Davis stands out the most. But other than those two players, I do question the lack of depth that the team has. They have Jrue Holiday which is a nice third option, but I think the team is as good as their best two players.
My condolences on the injury of Cousins not only because I am still a fan of him but also because I believe his injury may have cost the Pelicans a postseason berth this season. Unless they make a splash before the trade deadline.
Next: Report: Nikola Mirotic Trade To Pelicans Has “Fallen Apart”
And that’s a wrap for our time with Rafe and the Royal Pain family. Make sure to follow Rafe @rafnation and the Kings @aroyalpain on twitter. You can follow us as always @PelicanDebrief. Special thanks to everyone who enjoys and supports this series, as there will be more to come. Enjoy the game!