With the Kings having lost four of their final six games prior to the all-star break, the timing of this interlude in play could not have been more opportune for this group.
Still, one cannot overlook the uncertainty of how much that rest will benefit Sacramento in the long run, or more specifically, going into the spring months.
Is this roster ready to win a championship?
Not quite, and not even full rest would move the needle much further than that.
Regardless of the fact they decided not to make any moves at the trade deadline, and regardless of the probability that the team will witness a first or second round playoff exit at best this season, the Kings are still building something.
Whatever happens, whether it's an early exit, a play-in demise, or, conversely, some miraculous mini-run that falls short, it'll be another learning experience for the core. Winning a playoff series would be ideal, but there's something to be said about the lessons of heartbreak in any form, which is something head coach Mike Brown has alluded to before.
Furthermore, think about the roster. Of course, there's Fox and Sabonis. There's the highly regarded potential of Keegan Murray. There's the chance Malik Monk could stay around for a while.
Just as vital, yet less noteworthy at the present moment, is the list of less stimulating projects on the roster. That accounts for guys like Keon Ellis, Kessler Edwards, Colby Jones, and even Sasha Vezenkov on account of the fact he's a rookie still adjusting to the league.
Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte, as third-year players, could also be considered that, but they're 25 and 26-years-old respectively, so their status as developmental projects in the eyes of the organization may be more dubious. But Duarte fits the bill a little better.
Why?
Because Ellis, Edwards, Jones, Vezenkov, and Duarte are all guys GM Monte McNair acquired for very little or, in some cases, next to nothing.
Keon Ellis drew the attention of general managers around the league when he earned rotational minutes early on. He's a defender naturally endowed with active hands and a nose for the ball. Honestly, he may be one of the top three or four defenders in terms of who is fun to watch because of his propensity for flocking to the ball.
Offensively, he's been improving his ability bringing the ball up as a 1 while also showing a glimpse of what he can do shooting from three at 37.0% in some considerable time. In fact, Ellis is a career 38.8% three-point shooter in the NBA.
Giving him a standard contract was a no-brainer.
And Ellis, of course, was an undrafted signing that spent the last season and a half on a two-way deal.
Kessler Edwards has reminded some that he has tremendous potential. He's had a tougher time seeing the floor with a little more depth on the wing this season, but when given a chance to guard some tough assignments, he's impressed. And given what he did late last season, that's no surprise. He's got great size and length, his strength is underrated, and he's still only 23.
What's more, Edwards has decreased the rate of his personal fouls per appearance and is shooting a respectable 36.4% from beyond the arc. His defense is more sure fire than his shooting, but he's viewed as being a serious 3-and-D contributor in the next year or two.
As last season's lone deadline pickup, one can't forget Edwards was acquired for the rights to David Michineau.
Who?
Exactly.
Moving along, the rookie Colby Jones hasn't exactly wowed anyone this regular season, but his summer league and preseason showings indicate a fair amount of promise. He's a high-character, high-effort 21-year-old, so he fits with this group as the youngest of the bunch.
He was the featured draft pick for Sacramento in June, but remember he could have been taken at 24 in the first round, but the Kings managed to move Richaun Holmes' contract while still snagging Jones in the second round.
Sasha Vezenkov has predictably shot 38.0% from three in his rookie season in the NBA. The former EuroLeague MVP has held his own defensively; not perfectly by any means, but certainly much better than anticipated. He's got room to grow and adapt, but he's a good player. And when he hasn't been out with his ankle, he's been getting minutes.
Overall, he hasn't necessarily blown anyone away, but there's a chance he may not be close to his NBA ceiling.
Off of that, it's funny to think that as the most intriguing product to come out of Europe at the moment, the Kings acquired his rights two summers ago in exchange for a mid-second round pick.
Duarte is obviously older at 26 and is in his third season. He's had his up's and down's in his career. Plus, he's struggled with injuries, which may be the biggest concern. Even still, he's apparently been a good sport about his role on this Kings team and seems wholly open to establishing himself as a defensive asset.
Sacramento got the former Oregon Duck for two second-round picks. That's a lot more in exchange for him than for anyone listed above, but on account of the way his rookie season went, there's an argument to be made that he may have the highest theoretical ceiling.
In all, though, all these projects reside on a team that has a winning record and a team that, prior to some recent play, held strong in the Western Conference's top-six.
Just as much as Monte McNair has held off from pulling the trigger on a big trade in Mike Brown's short tenure, he's made small almost insignificant moves that have the potential to morph into a true rotational impact player.
Perhaps he's overly conservative in the eyes of some, but McNair certainly hasn't been sitting on his hands.
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McNair does a pretty good job at growing and building the roster with a marginal gains approach. He's a very bright guy, and doesn't believe in selling out or risking the future to get a deal done. I think he's someone who doesn't want to lose a trade, and the worse case scenario for him is a 50/50, break even scenario like the Hali/Domas trade. I have confidence and faith in him being smart and calculated with how he keeps improving the roster. Thanks for the article, another good one...be sure to keep them coming!