What Does the Sacramento Kings Starting Lineup Look Like for the 2021-22 Season?

The Sacramento Kings are coming off a disappointing 2021 season. They finished 2 wins short of a potential place in the play-in tournament. Therefore, they finished 12th seed on the conference table and did not make the playoffs.

However, that does not dispute the fact that this roster has shown tremendous potential. The young leader, De’Aaron Fox has shown sparks of brilliance while consistently carrying the offense for the Kings. The performance of draft pick Davion Mitchell in the Summer League has surprised many around the league. This has sparked some discussions about the excitement of this potential duo.

Therefore, with the talented bench comprising sophomore Tyrese Haliburton and the veteran experience of Tristan Thompson, the Sacramento Kings are looking forward to an exciting start to the upcoming season.

Sacramento Kings: Potential starting line-up

Back-Court

Point Guard: De’Aaron Fox

The athletic point guard has shown his value to the franchise over the past few seasons. He can be a steady 20+ points contributor to the team. He has shown that he has the consistency and leadership qualities to lead a proper offense on the court. However, he has lacked an all-star teammate that he would need to make this a championship-contending roster so far.

But after his all-star snub after his stellar performance last season, will he be driven enough to take this team to the playoffs on his own? Depends on how the role players of the squad perform when Fox is on the bench.

Shooting Guard: Buddy Hield/Tyrese Haliburton

The sharpshooter Buddy Hield has shown his capabilities by winning the 3 point contest in the 2020 season. However, those capabilities are not being used effectively, often on the court. Consequently, Hield converted only 40% from the field and 39% from behind the 3 point line. His field goal percentage and several links to trade rumors have made him a player who might get benched by the Kings this season.

Therefore, the sophomore Tyrese Haliburton is also a potential candidate who could be a part of the starting line-up. Haliburton finished in the top 3 for the race of the Rookie of the Year after his stellar display last season.

Front Court

Small Forward: Harrison Barnes

A former champion with the Warriors in 2015, Barnes contributes a steady 14 to 16 points a game for the Kings. Last season, he averaged the highest number of rebounds in his career. Therefore, the 29-year-old is a solid veteran on this squad, coming into the fourth season of his career at Sacramento.

Power Forward: Marvin Bagley III

The injury-ridden former Number 2 pick in the draft is yet to display his complete potential in the league. However, when healthy, he has made his name permanently on the starting lineup because of his size and offensive potential.

Center: Richaun Holmes

Richaun Holmes has now become a surprisingly fixed name on the starting lineup ever since he drastically improved his rebounding ability combined with field goal percentage from the 2020 season. So much so, that in the last season, he averaged his career bests in points, rebounds, free throw percentage, blocks, and assists.

What does this mean for the Sacramento Kings?

The Kings are not prime candidates to win the Championship next season. However, the young talent on this team has the potential to upset many of the teams that underestimate them. Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox and a rookie Davion Mitchell are the potential future of this franchise. They need to ensure that other than just Fox, Haliburton and Mitchell get enough minutes to develop their game on the court.