SACRAMENTO -- On Wednesday afternoon, Richaun Holmes spoke to the media about his impending return. He went through a full contact practice for the first time since sustaining what the Kings continue to call a “right shoulder joint injury” on Jan. 6 against the Golden State Warriors.
“It responded well,” Holmes said of his shoulder. “I feel like it was a good day. My first day going through full contact. We’ll see how it responds tomorrow. For me, I feel good. I feel good, I’m ready to get back out there.”
When the media was allowed into the practice facility on Thursday, the conversation regarding Holmes began to change. Coach Luke Walton said that the team’s starting center was dealing with soreness in the shoulder
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“He did not practice today,” Walton said. “He was a little sore this morning, he did the non-contact portion of practice, which was probably about 20 percent of our practice today. Again, he brings great energy, aggressive. Great having him out there, but we removed him once we got into the contact portion of practice.”
Before the Kings suited up to take on the Miami Heat on Friday, the Kings sent out an update on Holmes, who was listed as questionable throughout the day.
“Kings forward Richaun Holmes, who has missed the last 14 games with an injury to the right shoulder joint, has been integrated into modified team practice this week, portions of which included contact. He is experiencing continued soreness in his shoulder and will remain on his progression towards full-contact basketball activities. His return to game action will be updated as appropriate.”
There is still no word on what the exact injury is to Holmes’s injury, but it appears he is out indefinitely.
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This isn’t the first injury issue the team has struggled through this season. Marvin Bagley has played a total of 13 games with a thumb injury that cost him seven weeks early in the season. He returned to action, but sprained his left foot eight games later.
Bagley initially missed eight games with the foot issue, but he aggravated the same injury four games later. He’s missed a total of seven games coming into Friday and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
De’Aaron Fox missed 17 games with a grade 3 ankle sprain from mid-November to mid-December. Bogdan Bogdanovic sat out 11 games with hamstring, knee and foot issues in the first half of the season as well.
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Overall this season, the Kings have lost 103 games due to injury. A majority of those have hit their main rotational players.
This is the second season for the team’s medical staff of Teena Murray, the club’s Vice President, Health and Performance, and head athletic trainer Joe Resendez.