NBA Draft 2019: Analyzing draft selections of the Sacramento Kings
Who has the best chance of making the roster?
Because each of these guys is second-round picks selected at 40 and below, Sacramento may not have much desire to actually keep everyone. Especially when you consider the free agency and roster circumstances. Harrison Barnes has opted out of his deal, giving the Kings some money to work with if they want to bring someone in. But they might have to deal with starting center Willie Cauley-Stein and his reported trade request first.
With so many scenarios going on, it’s likely that the team will use the “draft and stash” method with Marinkovic. He’s under contract with Partizan NIS for next season. They could very well buy him out and bring him to the U.S. but unless he has a realistic shot at making the team, waiting a year could be best for both sides.
As for the other two, it’s a battle between potential and fit. James has been one of the better scorers out on the west coast the last two years but has flown under the radar due to his team struggling. But his inefficiency is a big issue. He shot just 41% from the field overall and 30% from deep on 5.3 attempts. The high number of turnovers is also troubling. However, it can be excused for a lack of a supporting cast, with opponents focusing solely on him each night.
The former Wyoming guard is 6’7 and rebounds well for his size, making him a vying option on the wing. And with Barnes possibly leaving, minutes could be available. But the efficiency and shot selection will have to improve by a good margin in the Summer League to get a roster spot, and there won’t be any excuses available.
As for Guy, he’s most likely to contribute from day one. He’s an undersized shooting guard at 6’2 and 190 pounds but his ability to create shots via ball screens fits well with this crop of Kings. Having him on one side and Buddy Hield on the other on offense could be a dream for DeAaron Fox and a nightmare for opponents.
Besides size the other issue is whether he’ll be able to defend some of the best guards in the world at the NBA level. But he didn’t seem to have too much of an issue while at Virginia in the ACC. Whether it was the future pros at Duke, North Carolina, and others, Guy more than held his own on defense. He might not be a starter or 6th man but I could see the Kings using him for 8-10 minutes a game whenever scoring is needed.
Expect all of them to spend some time in the G League, possibly with G-League affiliate Stockton Kings next season. They have talent but particularly with James, some areas need to be refined.