Maybe The Sacramento Kings Need To Move On From Willie Cauley-Stein
It’s about time the Sacramento Kings move on from Willie Cauley-Stein. Not only has he been showing little interest in competing, his latest comments prove his motivation isn’t the love of the game. It’s one thing to want to get paid, it’s another to actually suggest you’re worth $100 million. He’s got another thing coming if he wants that much money.
The exact Cauley-Stein quote is up for interpretation. Some believe he’s talking about his drive to become a $100 million player. Others think Cauley-Stein is complaining that he’s not. Here’s the full quote courtesy of the media after the team’s blowout loss to the Thunder.
“They get paid $100 mill to do that, so if they’re not doing that, you’re looking at them differently. “Y’all get paid $100 mill to rebound and block shots. Me looking in on that, that’s big time. You know, Steven’s a helluva player, me playing against him, and he’s doing that, he gets paid $100 mill to do that.”
It seems to be that Cauley-Stein is suggesting he’s not going to give full effort until the money comes in. Let’s be honest, there are a lot of NBA players who only care about money. To say this upfront to the media, when you’re already being accused of being lazy and not giving a shit might not help his chances.
It’d be wise for the Sacramento Kings to try and find a willing trade partner for Cauley-Stein. He’s not going to make this team any better with his lackadaisical attitude and playing style. If you need proof of his lack of effort, look at the team’s two games on December 16th and December 19th.
On those two games, Cauley-Stein allowed both DeAndre Jordan and Steven Adams get 20+ rebounds. That’s two out of the team’s last 3 games he let an opposing center have his way with him. To think he’s got the audacity to request $100 million when other centers are having career rebounding nights when matched up against him. It’s really quite puzzling to think why he’s so insistent on making big money.
To be fair, there are some positives about Willie Cauley-Stein. He’s a very good offensive player. There are times when he comes off the pick and roll and knows exactly when the ball is getting to him. It’s just the effort on the glass, both offensively and defensively, that hurt him. It shows how disinterested he is during the games.
The Sacramento Kings are competing for that final playoff spot in the West. If Willie Cauley-Stein doesn’t start giving a better effort, the team isn’t going to go very far. He’s a big part of the Kings when he wants to be. It’s very simple for him to make the $100 million he covets. If he goes out there and play like the center for a playoff team, there’s no reason why he won’t get paid.
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
