Kings vs. Hawks: Las Vegas Summer League Preview
- Jrue Hoang
- Jul 13, 2016
- 3 min read
Skal vs. the Pelicans (credit: Sacramento Kings)
What: Kings vs. Atlanta Hawks
When: 1 P.M. PT
Where: Cox Pavillion, Las Vegas, NV
How to Watch: NBA TV, ESPN3 (online stream)
Things of Note
- THE KINGS HAVE MADE THE PLAYOFFS. That's right. Postseason play is back in Sacramento. Don't even pay attention to the 0-3 record thus far in Las Vegas and just take in the excitement of NBA Summer League basketball. The Kings enter the tournament as the #23 seed (there are 24 teams in the tournament) and look to make a Cinderella run to recapture the glory days of Summer 2014. It's do or die time. Who's ready for another #VictoryInVegas???
- The Kings arguably played their best game in Vegas on Monday night against New Orleans. Putting aside their 36% field goal percentage, the ball movement wasn't atrocious and their defense looked a lot better. Aside from a stretch in the 3rd quarter when they allowed Pelicans guard Buddy Hield to get loose, the Kings held the Pelicans to 38% field goal shooting. If it wasn't for another epic 3rd quarter collapse in which the Kings scored a whopping 11 points, they most likely would have won the game. But hey, it's just summer league right?
- Skal Labissiere had a strong showing against the Pelicans. The 28th overall pick in last month's draft scored 16 points on 6/14 shooting, knocking down two triples and he also grabbed 6 boards. Heading into the 2016 Draft, the consensus with Skal was that he had major upside but had a long way to go before realizing it. We saw flashes of his potential against New Orleans and it's absolutely tantalizing. Once he adds more weight to his lanky frame, he could be a nightmare for opposing NBA teams on both ends of the floor. For now you should just watch these highlights 50 times in a row, close your eyes and dream about seeing "Skal Labissiere 2024 NBA MVP" in the record books one day.
Player to Watch
If your best play in a basketball game was sticking up for one of your teammates after he committed a hard foul on an opponent, you probably didn't play actual basketball very well in said game. Big George definitely did not have a strong showing on Monday night, going 0/7 from the field and grabbing 6 rebounds while only scoring one point. George has certainly struggled a lot more than he has shined in Vegas and he admits that he's frustrated with his play up to this point. But we have to consider a few factors here: 1. he's never played against even fringe-level NBA players in his life, 2. he just turned 19 years old, 3. he's adapting to playing in a new system just like all of the other Kings, and 4. he literally just turned 19 years old. I know it's hard to do, but if we completely ignore the negatives in George's game right now, we can see advanced footwork and exceptional mobility for a guy of his stature. We should be confident in the organization's ability to mold those skills into an outstanding player one day. But for now, there will be growing pains. Let's just hope Big Papa leaves Vegas on a high note if this is indeed the Kings' last summer league game today.
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