5 Players to Watch For in Pre-Season

With one game down for the Sacramento Kings 2016 preseason, let us take a look at 5 players you should keep an eye on during the Kings remaining 5 preseason games.

#5. Ty Lawson

The Kings need someone to step up while Darren Collison is suspended, and Lawson seems to be the guy tabbed with that job. Rajon Rondo excelled in his 1 season with Sacramento. Lawson is hoping to do the same but will most likely be the backup PG once Collison is reinstated. Kings fans will want to watch Lawson closely this preseason to see how he fits in with other Kings starters like Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. If he looks good, Kings fans will feel a little better about their current PG situation.

#4. Georgios Papagiannis

Papagiannis did not look good in summer league play. However, as I mentioned in a previous article, Kings fans will need to be patient with Papagiannis and his transition to the speed of an NBA game. Georgios has a lot of experience playing professionally in Greece, but playing overseas is much different than playing in the NBA, and Kings fans will be waiting to watch how he goes up against other NBA big men in the 5 remaining preseason games.

#3. Willie Cauley-Stein

The Kings are crowded with big men. And there's not many minutes to go around. With the aforementioned Papagiannis, as well as Kosta Koufus, and of course DeMarcus Cousins, it will be interesting to see how the Kings strategize their lineups to work all these guys in. Cauley-Stein played well last season and is definitely capable of being a starter if the Kings want to put Cousins at the 4. We will see how the lineups look the rest of the preseason and how Trill fits in. He deserves big minutes, let's see if the Kings give it to him.

#2. Skal Labissiere

Skal was the Kings 3rd and final pick in the 1st round in this years draft, but so far he has looked the most impressive. After a disappointing 1 season at the University of Kentucky, Skal seems like he may be better suited for the NBA game. He has yet to go up against real NBA talent, but this preseason will be a great test for him to see how we compares. He could end up being a steal at pick #28, however the minutes might not be there for him right away. He will have to earn his minutes, but he seems more than capable of doing so.

#1. Ben McLemore

When will the McLemore experiment end? Is this the year the Kings finally move on from him? Or is this the year McLemore finally breaks out as a reliable backup shooting guard? Despite trading away Marco Belinelli, the Kings did beef up the SG position quite a bit, signing guards Arron Afflalo, Garrett Temple, Lamar Patterson, as well as drafting Malachi Richardson. McLemore is on a very short leash, and the Kings have the pieces to push McLemore out of the rotation. As been the case, Ben will get his chance to show he deserves to stick around, but if he doesn't show up soon, it may be the end of McLemore's time in Sacramento.