Kings mailbag: Luke Walton’s lineup, Marvin Bagley’s health, Richaun Holmes shooting 3s
There are lots of interesting questions in Kings land as Sacramento prepares to begin preseason play.
The Kings will visit the Portland Trail Blazers in Friday’s preseason opener. Marvin Bagley III will be out under COVID-19 protocols and Hassan Whiteside is expected to miss the game with a calf injury, but fans will get their glimpses of rookie first-round draft pick Tyrese Haliburton and other newcomers.
Kings basketball is back and readers have questions about the team’s new direction under general manager Monte McNair. Who will coach Luke Walton put in the starting lineup? Does Jabari Parker have a chance to play? Is Richaun Holmes really going to start shooting 3s?
We’ll discuss all that and more in this week’s Kings mailbag.
Note: Some questions have been edited for length or clarity.
Latest news on Marvin Bagley III
@barrysacks1 asks: How does Bagley look in practice?
Those of us in the media haven’t been allowed to attend practices due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we can’t tell you how Bagley looks, but we can tell you what we’ve heard.
During a Zoom session with reporters Wednesday, Bagley confirmed he missed a few days of individual workouts in Sacramento after testing positive for COVID-19 in Arizona before training camp began. Bagley said he experienced symptoms for three or four days, but he is feeling better now. Bagley has participated in individual workouts this week, but he has been ruled out of Friday’s preseason game as he waits to clear COVID-19 protocols.
Bagley said shooting and playmaking were focal points for him in offseason workouts. He is looking to bounce back after being limited to 13 games last season due to injuries. Walton likes what he has seen when Bagley has been able to get on the floor.
“Every time we’ve had Marvin and he’s been healthy, there’s a lot to be excited about since I’ve been here,” Walton said. “And I know that was only for (13) games, so a lot of what I’m going off is what I see him doing in drills and practice and whatnot, but his shot looks better and he’s motivated from coming out of another disappointing injury in the bubble. He wants to get on that court and go, so it’s exciting (to think about) the possibility of what he can help our team do.”
@stevenross20 asks: Will we ever see Marvin Bagley?
Yes, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what Bagley said after acknowledging he would not play against the Blazers on Friday.
“I feel great, but I’m just following the rules every day, listening to the trainers,” Bagley said. “Whatever they have for me, I’m doing it, and I’m just taking it one day at a time. I should be back very soon.”
Sacramento’s starting lineup
@daraseanby asks: Who will be the Kings’ starting five?
I’m sticking with my previous prediction for now. I believe we’ll see De’Aaron Fox at point guard, Buddy Hield at shooting guard, Harrison Barnes at small forward, Bagley at power forward and Richaun Holmes at center. That won’t be the case on Friday with Bagley being ruled out for the preseason opener, but barring setbacks he could be in the starting lineup when the Kings play their regular-season opener against the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 23.
There’s no doubt about Fox starting at point guard after signing a five-year, $163 million contract extension. Walton hasn’t publicly committed to starting Hield at shooting guard, but we’re penciling him in until Haliburton gives us some basis for comparison. Barnes is the clear choice at small forward.
The power forward and center positions are debatable and offer more flexibility for Walton, who said he wants to see how different groups play together in training camp. There are options here with Bagley, Holmes, Hassan Whiteside, Nemanja Bjelica and Jabari Parker. The center spot could be a particularly difficult decision between Holmes, who brings boundless effort and energy, and Whiteside, who adds incredible rebounding and shot-blocking ability.
Richaun Holmes: 3-point shooter
@Js2001st asks: What is the over/under on 3-point attempts for Richaun Holmes this season?
We’ve seen Holmes launch the long ball before with 152 3-point attempts over his first three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. We’re about to see it again.
Holmes had zero 3-point attempts over the past two seasons with the Phoenix Suns and Kings, but he has been working to bring back that aspect of his game. I remember watching Holmes extend his range to the corner during pregame workouts in the final stages of his recovery from a shoulder injury last season. Now he’s shooting 3s in scrimmages and doing so with confidence.
“For sure and it’s looking good,” Holmes said. “If you’ve got any questions about how it’s looking, you can ask the team.”
Back to your question: How many 3-pointers will Holmes shoot this season? I’ll point to his second season in Philadelphia, when he shot 35.1% from 3-point range on 1.4 attempts per game. He shot a total of 77 3-pointers over 57 games that season.
That seems like a reasonable place to put the over/under. Let’s go with 76½.
How much will Jabari Parker play?
@BIGMIKEADAMS73 asks: Is Jabari Parker going to get significant minutes and a chance to prove he isn’t a bust?
You raise an interesting question, though I’m not sure it’s fair to call Parker a bust. He has an unfortunate history of injuries and a rather questionable commitment to defense, yes, but despite the adversity he has averaged 14.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists over six NBA seasons.
Parker, the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, appeared in the Rising Stars Challenge and scored a career-high 36 points during his second season after recovering from his first ACL tear. In his third season, he averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 36.5% from 3-point range before suffering a second ACL tear.
Parker can play and teammates said he was an early standout in training camp, but having said that I’m still not convinced he will have a full-time role in the rotation. He’s similar to Bjelica in that he can play power forward or small-ball center, and both players are capable passers, but Parker doesn’t spread the floor like Bjelica.
Walton will have a couple of difficult rotation decisions to make before the regular season begins. We won’t really know how those training camp battles are shaping up until we see the Kings play a few games. Whatever happens, Walton wants all of his players to stay ready. He has pointed out repeatedly that everyone will get an opportunity at some point as the team encounters injuries, illnesses and all the other uncertainties in the fog of the pandemic.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
