‘That’s love’: Kings fans laud breakout season for team ‘M-V-P’ Richaun Holmes
No one imagined Richaun Holmes would grow up to be the starting center for the Kings when he was a 6-foot-2 guard at Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Ill.
After growing to 6-9, he spent a year at Moraine Valley Community College and transferred to Bowling Green, gradually becoming an All-Mid-American Conference selection and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
Expectations were not high for Holmes after the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the 37th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. One analyst compared him to Craig Brackins, who appeared in 17 games over two seasons with the 76ers, averaging 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds.
“Everybody has a story,” Kings guard Buddy Hield said.
Holmes’ story brought him here to Sacramento, where fans showered him with “M-V-P” chants during a 128-123 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center. Holmes posted 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots, making 7 of 10 field-goal attempts to help the Kings end an eight-game losing streak.
“It was great,” Holmes said. “That’s not something I’ve experienced, so to have the fans get behind me like that, you know that’s love. I appreciate it.”
The feeling is mutual. Kings fans shudder to think where the team would be without Holmes, who could emerge as a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. After averaging 7.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 0.5 blocks over his first four seasons in the NBA, Holmes is averaging career highs of 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals for the Kings. He is also shooting career bests of 66.4 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line.
“He’s been an anchor for us,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “He plays with that passion and fire that I think the Sacramento fan base really gets behind because he just leaves it all out there every time he plays. He’s made a lot of winning plays for us. He’s having a heck of a year so far.”
The Kings signed Holmes to a two-year, $10 million contract in July. He was expected to compete for backup minutes behind Dewayne Dedmon, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal and was considered the team’s biggest free-agent acquisition.
Walton made a bold move when Dedmon struggled at the start of the season, moving Holmes into the starting lineup after four games. Dedmon eventually fell out of the rotation completely and recently requested a trade, but Holmes, the player who came in at a fraction of the cost, has filled the void with his energy, athleticism and extraordinary efficiency.
“Richaun is screening and diving hard from his position,” Hield said. “He’s a very mobile big. He’s able to run the floor and get up and down. He suits us really well. He’s really good.
“I can’t tell you how much he’s meant for this team, him just screening and rolling, and just playing his role. A lot of guys in the league don’t accept their role, but he’s one who accepts his role and he plays it at a very high level.”
Holmes has started 30 of 34 games for the Kings (13-22), who will play host to the New Orleans Pelicans (11-23) on Saturday. Holmes boasts an impressive offensive rating of 134 and a defensive rating of 107. Over the first four years of his career with the 76ers and Phoenix Suns, Holmes posted net ratings of plus-two, plus-11, plus-18 and plus-16 in limited minutes.
This season, Holmes has a net rating of plus-27. Other than DaQuan Jeffries, who has appeared in just two games, the only other player on the roster with a positive rating is Nemanja Bjelica at plus-six.
“Richaun has been huge for us, both offensively and defensively,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “He talks. He brings a lot of energy. He blocks shots. He gets a lot of rebounds. He’s a lob threat. He’s a roll threat. I think every team we play pretty much, there’s a roll gravity. Even if he’s not getting the ball, he’s creating a shot for somebody else.”
Holmes couldn’t have anticipated he would have this kind of a breakout season, but he said he liked the situation in Sacramento when he signed with the Kings.
“I thought it was a good fit. I definitely thought it was a good fit,” Holmes said. “They wanted me here. I wanted to be here, just looking forward to working with the team, whatever role I needed to be in, and it came to the point where I needed to start some games, so I’m just trying to stay consistent and do whatever I can to help the team.”
Kings upcoming schedule
Jan. 4 vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 vs. Golden State, 7 p.m.
Jan. 7 at Phoenix, 6 p.m.
Jan. 10 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 3:51 AM.
