‘I’ve prepared myself all summer for this.’ Ben McLemore impresses in Kings’ camp
Kings coach Dave Joerger said several players have stood out to him during the team’s first week of training camp.
Point guard De’Aaron Fox is emerging as the team’s leader, center Willie Cauley-Stein looked especially good over the past two days and free agent acquisition Nemanja Bjelica has impressed as a power forward who can create spacing with his perimeter shooting.
Another player who has repeatedly drawn praise from Joerger is Ben McLemore, a sixth-year guard who is beginning his second stint with the Kings after spending last season in Memphis. McLemore said he’s devoted most of the summer to improving his craft.
“My confidence is on high and I want to continue to get better each and every day, help my teammates … and do whatever they want me to do,” McLemore said after Saturday’s practice at Golden 1 Center. “That’s defensive, offensive, whatever the case might be. I’ve prepared myself all summer for this moment, so I’m ready.”
The Kings selected McLemore with the seventh pick in the 2013 draft. He averaged a career-high 12.1 points per game in his second season in Sacramento, but his production and minutes dropped dramatically over the next two seasons.
McLemore went to Memphis as a free agent in 2017. He came back to Sacramento in July in the trade that sent Garrett Temple to the Grizzlies.
McLemore could see extended minutes early in the season due to the absence of second-year guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. McLemore will log minutes at shooting guard and small forward.
McLemore believes his skill set is a good fit for a Kings team that is implementing an up-tempo style this season.
“The style of play they want to play, it fits me perfect, the way I play, the things I do,” McLemore said. “I shoot the ball well, I run the floor, play defense, all those kinds of things. I just want to continue to do what I need to do each and every day to get better and help my teammates get better.”
Decision making
Second-year guard Frank Mason said he’s trying to make better decisions as a ball handler. The 5-foot-11 backup point guard has always had an ability to drive to the basket, but he sometimes does so with abandon, resulting in forced shots or turnovers.
“(Last) year, I got in there and made a couple of wrong decisions, and some games I made the right decisions,” Mason said. “It’s just watching film and making the right reads and the right plays.
“That’s who I am. I can get in the lane at any time, and coach wants us in the lane because it creates rotation on the defensive end. And that’s the goal, to break the defense down, so just keep getting in the lane and keep making the right decision.”
Bogdanovic sighting
Bogdanovic, who returned to the team Friday after undergoing surgery Monday, was seen taking set shots from different spots on the floor following Saturday’s practice. His feet never left the floor, but his shot looked smooth.
“He’s going to try to play faster than he should, and we’re going to try to make him wait longer than he should,” Joerger said