There’s little suspense when it comes to Sacramento’s starting lineup as the Kings enter the final days of training camp, but there is some intrigue surrounding the second unit, particularly their backup big men.
Kings coach Doug Christie will continue to evaluate the roster, but his rotation seems to be taking shape as the Kings prepare to play the Toronto Raptors in their preseason opener Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Dennis Schroder and Zach LaVine will start in the backcourt with DeMar DeRozan at small forward, Keegan Murray at power forward and Domantas Sabonis at center. Christie has indicated he plans to deploy a 10-man rotation, but it remains to be seen who he will bring off the bench and which of his reserves will be entrusted with significant minutes.
Malik Monk and Keon Ellis will play key roles as reserves. Rookie first-round draft pick Nique Clifford appears to be solidifying himself as a regular rotation player following an impressive performance at the Las Vegas Summer League and a strong showing in training camp.
Coaches and teammates have noted that Clifford, a 6-foot-5 guard who came out of Colorado as the 24th pick in June’s NBA draft, plays with poise and always seems to make the right play. Christie said Clifford could get minutes at point guard, shooting guard and small forward.
“I think (Clifford can play) all the perimeter positions,” Christie said. “Do I see him playing some point guard? Yes, because of his skillset, but he’s also got to be out there with a secondary ballhandler because I was a rookie and I could do all those things, but when you go out there and look in front of you and it’s like Mookie Blaylock, you’re like, ‘Oh, God.’
“So, he’s going to be facing guys, and it’s good for him to face Dennis in practice because that’s about as high a level defender as you’re going to see in the NBA, so that’s what I mean by iron sharpens iron. His skillset says to me he can play all of the perimeter positions.”
The last two spots in the rotation will be reserved for backup big men. Christie could choose to play veteran offseason acquisitions Dario Saric and Drew Eubanks or go young with Isaac Jones and rookie Maxime Raynaud.
If Friday’s scrimmages were any indication, Christie seems to be leaning toward Saric and Eubanks. Starters were wearing black jerseys. The second unit, which included Monk, Ellis, Clifford, Saric and Eubanks, was wearing gray.
Jones and Raynaud were wearing white jerseys along with Devin Carter, Isaiah Stevens and Doug McDermott. Two-way players Daeqwon Plowden and Dylan Cardwell and Exhibit 10 signee Dexter Dennis had blue jerseys.