The Sacramento rookie is fresh off dropping 25 points, all despite the losing effort from Wednesday.
Maxime Raynaud rose as the talk of Sacramento Kings social media after Wednesday. All after dropping 25 points on the Houston Rockets.
The rookie, who was leading nearby Stanford just last year, erupted for his first 20-point evening in an NBA setting. Houston managed to deliver the 26-point rout at the Toyota Center. Yet Raynaud made baskets that made it look routinely easy for him even against pros.
“We kind of get into a routine,” Raynaud said after the game to reporters. “You know where you have to be, what you have to do. You start to get a little bit more chemistry with the guys you’re on the court with, so I think naturally you’re just improving from that standpoint. Just as a rookie, getting as many reps as you can is what makes you improve, really."
The double major from Stanford then revealed what became "easier" in his scoring output.
“I wouldn’t say the game has slowed down by any means. But I do think it’s a bit easier than it was on the first day of training camp," Raynaud said.
He admitted the events before Wednesday were harder -- as he took his first step into adjusting to the speed of the NBA.
Raynaud, however, made two big adjustments before his epic night. He had to join his Cardinal teams in walking into two changes at Palo Alto: Kyle Smith stepping in as head coach and Stanford putting up the frequent flyer miles as an Atlantic Coast Conference member.
Raynaud, though, rose to NBA Draft intrigue by dominating ACC foes -- and putting up stout production in the shadow of future top pick Cooper Flagg. He went on to reach 20 points or higher in 21 different contests. He became revered at The Farm for scoring 25 in the upset over March Madness representative North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Raynaud's night has now got Doug Christie envisioning lineup changes. He even toyed with the idea of starting him before the 25-point evening.
“It’s a definite, definite thought. I thought about (doing) it tonight. ... I definitely consider it. Going forward, everything’s on the table," Christie said postgame.
Raynaud joined Malik Monk in leading the scoring charge, despite both starting off from the bench. The second round selection is now setting off the belief that Christie will elevate him to starter. As it appears, the game became easier for him after 22 games.