The Sacramento Kings' injury bug was major last season, with multiple key contributors suffering severe injuries. After returning to full health, Zach LaVine is one player looking to bounce back.
The Sacramento Kings are returning some key veteran contributors to the starting lineup, with Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis all missing significant time due to injury last season.
For LaVine, who is set to make nearly $49 million this upcoming year, a hot start would be beneficial for Sacramento's rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. to get acclimated to the NBA.
While Acuff will likely handle the offensive operations, LaVine has shown the ability to shoulder the scoring load in the past.
On Saturday, LaVine set the table for the upcoming season, expressing confidence in what the Kings can do.
"I'm super excited. It's unfortunate that I had the injury last year, even the season we had, we started off very well," LaVine said. "I started off well. But for standards for myself, I have them extremely high so I'm looking forward to this year."
LaVine missed most of the season with a finger injury, appearing in just 39 games in his full first season in Sac Town.
But when available, the 3-time NBA All-Star posted solid numbers, scoring 19.2 points per game on solid 48-39-88 splits.
LaVine's ability to attack the rim and be consistent from long range has made him a versatile scorer over the years, and earned him his lucrative deal.
Now, he will have to live up to his high price tag and help the Kings get out of the basement of the Western Conference.
This offseason, the Kings explored the option of trading LaVine, either straight up or in a sign-and-trade type deal.
However, LaVine declined, expressing confidence in the team's ability to turn it around.
"As a team, we didn’t do what we were supposed to," LaVine said at his end-of-season presser. "Talent-wise, you can put us up against a lot of people. But we just didn't do what we were supposed to."
The biggest question mark for Sacramento is who will pick up the slack on the defensive end, as the backcourt pairing of LaVine and Acuff are skewed offensively.
Pickups like Ben Simmons in free agency and the rookie duo of Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp in the draft should help on that side, but the starting lineup still leaves some major defensive questions.
Nevertheless, having LaVine gearing up for a big bounce-back year is a good sign for Sacramento, who can remain flexible and aggressive as the season goes on.
Both LaVine and Sabonis could improve their value with strong showings, opening up more possibility for potential trades if the team chooses to go younger.
