To Move Forward, Sacramento Needs Tyrese Haliburton Lineup
The Monte McNair era in Sacramento has already been a rollercoaster of a ride. Bogdan Bogdanovic has signed elsewhere (after a failed sign and trade), others including Alex Len, Kent Bazemore, and Harry Giles have left the team, and Buddy Hield is seemingly still unhappy. McNair was able to re-sign DeAaron Fox to a max-deal and snag Tyrese Haliburton in the NBA Draft, a player who should start as a rookie.
Fox is the unquestioned leader of the Kings. He’s one of the most underrated stars in the NBA. Part of McNair’s plan in bringing in Haliburton was to have a backcourt similar to that of Portland. You’d have two great ball handlers, both of who the team envisions shooting the ball at an effective clip. This only happens when Haliburton is starting and playing meaningful minutes from the onset of the NBA season.
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Let’s just assume that Buddy Hield finds his way out of Sacramento. As soon as that happens, Haliburton gets the starting role and takes all the minutes from Hield. The backcourt of Fox and Haliburton is already a step-up from what the Kings have had. Hield, while a great 3-point shooter, has a very low basketball IQ. Haliburton has been praised as having some of the smartest instincts in the entire draft class.
It’s not just a high basketball IQ that makes Haliburton such an intriguing player. Yes, he’s not only going to make the right decisions on the court, but he’ll also help take some of the pressure off of Fox. In more than one aspect of his game, Haliburton can take over. He’s a willing passer (evident by his 6.5 assists his Sophomore year at Iowa State) and can shoot the 3-point shot (5.6 attempts his sophomore season)
The shooting is nothing new to Kings fans. They’ve been spoiled by Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield. With Bogdanovic gone, Haliburton has a role to step into. And seemingly with Hield on the outs, we might be seeing a lot more of Haliburton’s shooting ability. However, the passing ability is a more welcome addition.
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Fox is really the team’s only willing passer. Backup PG, Cory Joseph, is mostly known for his defense, and Hield, who does attempt to play PG, has issues bringing the ball up the court. Haliburton gives head coach, Luke Walton, a formidable guard to play in place of Fox in the event of an injury, foul trouble, or change of pace. Of course, Fox and Haliburton will share the court more times than not during their NBA careers.
McNair drafted Haliburton to pair with Fox. The two should play off each other well. Haliburton shot over 50% during his collegiate sophomore season. He’s able to catch and shoot and play off-ball. Haliburton will love to play with Fox, who can play up-tempo and at a high pace. Not to mention Fox is an improving 3-point shooter. Think the Portland TrailBlazers backcourt of C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard. That should give you a real idea of what this new Kings backcourt can do. Two high basketball IQ’s, who complement one another.
The pairing of Fox and Haliburton will mean good things for the Sacramento Kings. They have a chance at being the next great backcourt in the NBA. It’ll be fun to watch how this plays out in the future.
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
