When the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans, the majority of discussion surrounding the deal focused on the superstar heading to New Orleans.
As the dust continues to settle, it’s become increasingly clear that Tyreke Evans and Buddy Hield can have substantial impacts of their own. Benedict Tagle of Kings.com recently wrote about what the pair have been accomplishing since arriving in Northern California.
Though just seven games into his second stint with the team that drafted him, Evans has improved upon the numbers he posted with the Pelicans at the start of the year. Evans began the 2016/17 campaign on the shelf and had to slowly play himself back into game shape. Since rejoining Sacramento, however, he’s posted career highs in points, rebounds and blocks per 100 possessions.
Hield, too, has seen his production rise since the trade. Hield’s 14.2 points per game since the trade are 5.6 higher than what he posted in New Orleans and his effective field-goal percentage has ballooned to .636.
There’s more from the Kings today:
- If the postseason was ever truly an option for the post-Rudy Gay injury Kings, it certainly isn’t now. As Noel Harris of the Sacramento Bee outlines, a recent eight-game skid has dropped Sacramento six games behind the eight-seed Nuggets.
- Although injured rookie Malachi Richardson has been putting up shots prior to games, the Kings won’t rush him back unless he’s able to play in a significant number of games, head coach Dave Joeger told the media, including Hector Amezcua of the Sacramento Bee.
- Among the five or six things that Kings coach Dave Joeger would like to see before the end of the season is Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere playing together. Joeger told the Sacramento Bee’s Hector Amezcua and the rest of media that he’ll continue to look to give them the opportunity.
They have a nice young nucleus if they don’t screw it up. Heild, Richardson, Labissiere, Cauley-Stein. Need a PG tho
Young PG
I mean when compared to the other young nuclei around the league they’re really nothing special. Neither has shown all star abilities. Also it’s worth mentioning that there’s a decent chance they don’t get a first round pick from the cousins trade due to the pelicans losses That would be devastating to the Kings
They r letting them play now. So we will have to c. Labissiere had 32 the other night
That pg is likely to come via the draft. With a probable 2 top 10 picks they will have a really good young team. I expect them to draft pg and sf to address the need at pg and find a replacement for Rudy Gay, even if Gay stays for one year to get healthy and try to land a megadeal.