Dave Joerger made an executive decision on Tuesday. With the minutes piling up and certain players on his roster starting to show signs of both physical and mental fatigue, Sacramento’s head coach decided to rest a few players.
De’Aaron Fox, Nemanja Bjelica and Iman Shumpert will all miss the game in Toronto, leaving the Kings shorthanded against one of the best the Eastern Conference has to offer.
This is the first game this season that Fox will sit out. The sophomore guard is the driving force behind the Kings offense, but his numbers are noticeably down in the month of January.
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The 21-year-old is averaging 14.8 points, 6.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 30.2 minutes per game this month, which are all season lows. He’s shooting just 42 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range over the 11 game stretch.
Like Fox, Bjelica has yet to miss a game this season, but his numbers have fallen off the board in January. The 30-year-old forward is averaging 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.9 minutes.
His shooting numbers have suffered a dramatic did as well. He’s shooting just 38.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from 3-point range, pushing his season shooting averages down to 48.5 percent overall and 41.9 percent from deep.
Shupert, 28, has already tripled his season minute totals from last year when he played just 14 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since turning the new year, Shumpert is 27 percent from the field and 28.1 from 3-point land in his eight starts.
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Yogi Ferrell is scheduled to started in Fox’s place in the backcourt. Rookie Marvin Bagley will pick up his first career start at the four. Super-sub Bogdan Bogdanovic will get the nod at the three.
All three players are expected back in uniform Friday when the Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies for game five of their season-long six game road trip.
With the team having days off on both Wednesday and Thursday, the extra day of rest will give the group a three day break to recharge.
The Raptors are shorthanded as well, missing All-Star Kawhi Leonard (load management), Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) and OG Anunoby (personal).