Kings C Maxime Raynaud played just under ten minutes in France's FIBA victory over Slovenia on Thursday. But, he posted an impressive performance.
With the recent projections for the Sacramento Kings being similar or even worst to last year's team performance, many outlets are discounting the depth of the roster.
Second-year big man Maxime Raynaud should be one of the best bench big men in the NBA, backing up 3-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis.
Last season, Raynaud earned All-Rookie Second Team honors, becoming the first second rounder to make a rookie squad since New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones in the 2021-2022 campaign.
This offseason, Raynaud spent a short stint with Sacramento's Summer League team, while playing in the FIBA qualifiers with the French National Team.
On Thursday, Raynaud had a very strong showing against Slovenia, scoring 13 points in less than ten minutes of gameplay.
With elite talents like Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama manning the first two center positions on the depth chart, Raynaud has to make the most of his minutes, which he did.
The former Stanford standout had a very efficient output, making all eight of his free throws and missing just one shot from the field.
Raynaud also knocked down a 3-pointer, which has been a big emphasis from both him and the Kings' coaching staff.
"He had such a strong rookie season for us, even though we didn’t expect him to play as much as he did. We think we can probably play him with Domantas Sabonis some too, because of their skills," a Kings assistant coach told Spotrac's Keith Smith at Summer League. "Also, did you see him stepping out to shoot it more? We think that’ll be part of his game moving forward."
The fourth spot in the starting lineup next to Sabonis, Darius Acuff Jr., Keegan Murray, and Zach LaVine has been debated throughout the offseason, with a potential two-big lineup being in the cards.
If Raynaud can continue to show consistency from the outside, playing him alongside Sabonis becomes more plausible.
But, if the coaching staff opts to bring him off the bench, he should be able to play a very similar role to Sabonis.
After being picked No. 42 overall two drafts ago, Raynaud averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on stellar 57.1-percent shooting, holding down the Kings' front court during Sabonis' absence.
His field goal percentage ranked ninth in the league.
Like Sabonis, Raynaud has the skillset to play on the perimeter, while displaying a semblance of playmaking as well.
For Sacramento, who will have upcoming decisions to make about Sabonis' long-term future with the franchise, developing Raynaud should be a priority.
