Sacramento Kings: Don’t Underestimate Tristan Thompson’s Impact
The Sacramento Kings have consistently been the poster children for ineptitude in the NBA. The franchise has not made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season. That’s the longest drought among any team in the league. While I wouldn’t place my bets on the Kings making it this year, there is a lot more optimism going into this season as opposed to most. Perhaps that’s a lot of fan and local media talk, but there is one element the Kings have this year that could be vital to their chances.
Sometimes the biggest contributions come from players who aren’t going to have the biggest contributions on the court. For Sacramento, they’ve had these guys before. Iman Shumpert played a monumental role in them establishing an identity three seasons ago.
An NBA Champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Shumpert was no stranger to being a motivator and taking on a leadership role. He learned under LeBron James and James Jones, two of the unquestioned best leaders in any NBA locker room of all time. The Kings, looking to find that spark once again, have looked to Shumpert’s Cleveland running mate, Tristan Thompson.
We all know Tristan Thompson outside of the NBA. He’s become just as much of a socialite as his on-again, off-again baby mama, Khloe Kardashian. Thompson makes more headlines off the court than on it. Whether that’s good or bad (mostly bad), Thompson will always give 110% on the court. That’s not an understatement. He is undoubtedly one of the most gifted and tenacious offensive rebounders in the NBA. TT has a high motor and passion for the game. That’s a talent Sacramento can afford to have in their locker room.
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Sacramento has a very small minority of players who’ve seen the postseason (or any real success for that matter) Of those few, Harrison Barnes is the only one who made any real difference to his team’s roster in the postseason. Welcome, Tristan Thompson, who despite his somewhat pedestrian stats, was a glue guy for the Cavaliers. He will look to bring that valuable leadership and drive to Sacramento.
There are a few players who might thrive under his guidance. Richaun Holmes and Neemias Queta are two players the Kings could really expect some great things from with Thompson’s guidance.
Holmes just re-signed with Sacramento after a breakout two seasons with the team. He’s widely considered one of the best rebounders in the NBA. Learning from Thompson, who some will argue, the best offensive rebounder in the NBA, might do wonders for him, not only as a rebounder but by letting him embrace more of that bulldog mentality Tristan has always been known for. Holmes has surpassed Tristan as an offensive threat. There is still a lot Holmes can learn about leadership from Tristan.
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Queta was the Sacramento Kings 2nd round selection. While nobody will call Queta a surefire starter for Sacramento yet, he’s damn near on his way. Queta made a name for himself as a rebounder in college. Once again, he is going to learn from one of the best. The knowledge Thompson can pass on to Queta far exceeds that of any other player on the Kings roster. Mold him with the mindset of being a fierce and aggressive competitor.
It’s not just Queta and Holmes that Thompson can affect. He’s a winning basketball player. For the Kings, they need as many winners on the roster as they can find. Even the aforementioned, Barnes, has been stuck in mediocrity for so long, it’s hard to imagine he’s bringing that same winning vibe to the locker room. Maurice Harkless and Alex Len also have brought some winning mojo with them to Sacramento, but not to the extent of what Tristan Thompson brings. He’s going to give the inexperienced Kings some real firepower and pizzazz. It’s been a long while since that’s been seen in Sacramento.
All NBA rosters should have battle-tested veterans. Even if they don’t contribute to a massive extent on the court, they’ll do so in many other ways. This is what Tristan stated after Kings rookie, Davion Mithcell, ended his first preseason game. (The following is a quote from an Alex Didion article on Yahoo Sports)
“Hell yeah, rook, first game, hell yeah, welcome to the NBA you got it,” Thompson exclaimed as Mitchell was conducting his postgame interview following the 117-106 win over the Phoenix Suns. “No he was great tonight, D-Mitch was great, they tried to pick him up full court, I don’t know what he was thinking but good work tonight.”
That’s Thompson giving encouragement and praise to a valuable piece of the Kings’ future. That will go a long way in giving Mitchell confidence in his game. He’s going to change the culture of the roster just as Shumpert did. Thompson stated the following to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
“It’s a brotherhood and a fraternity, so it’s my job to pay it forward and then when D. Fox and Tyrese and Davion get to my age, they pass it on to the next (generation) and that’s how you keep the league at a high level.”
The SCORES is back in Sacramento.
Image Source: AP Photo/Tony Dejak
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
