Five takeaways from Kings' first five games of season

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Through the first five games of the 2020-21 NBA season, the Kings have been surprisingly competitive. At 3-2, they have been in all but one game in the final quarter and they are much higher in the standings than anyone projected.The Kings have already beaten the Denver Nuggets twice, split a series with the Suns and took the Houston Rockets to the brink on New Year’s Eve.They haven’t played with the pace that was expected or shot the volume of 3-pointers that they did during the preseason, but they’ve played a gritty style and it’s working.There are a few major bright spots early in the year and a few disappointments. It’s a small sample size, but here is a look at the five players that are standing out for the Kings for one reason or another through the first five games of the season.

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1/5

De’Aaron Fox is the lead man in Sacramento and so far, he’s put up solid numbers that are in line with his breakout third season. Through five games, Fox is averaging 20.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

On the plus side, Fox has scored 20 points or more in four of the Kings’ five games. He’s made his way to the free-throw line 6.4 times per game and he’s shooting an improved 75 percent from the stripe so far.

Fox also has blocked five shots early in the season, including a highlight-reel swat that helped the Kings pick up a huge win over the Denver Nuggets in the first game of the season.

On the downside, Fox still is struggling with consistency from behind the 3-point line. He’s shooting 31.9 percent from long range, but he’s had three games where the ball is falling and two where it’s not. He’ll need to find consistency from deep if he hopes to keep teams from collapsing the lane on him.

Fox’s overall field goal percentage is lower than expected as well, but it’s early in the season. One bad shooting game can hamper the percentages greatly.

2/5

Marvin Bagley is trying to make up for lost time, but experience is the ultimate equalizer.

It’s clear that he has an incredible skill set and that he’s worked on his game during the pandemic, but he is forcing the action and it’s led to some early struggles.

Through five games, the 2018 No. 2 overall pick is averaging 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 turnovers in 25 minutes per game as the Kings’ starting power forward. His best offensive game came in the Kings’ 125-115 win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, but Bagley sat the final 18 or so minutes of the game while coach Luke Walton stuck with a lineup that was rolling.

Bagley will be fine. His shooting percentages are well below where you would like, but they were impacted by one rough shooting night. His rebounding numbers have been strong and the Kings clearly need a player with Bagley’s skill if they are going to continue their surprising play.

Patience is always needed with young players, but Bagley and those around him need to take a deep breath and let him settle into a role with the Kings. You can’t make up for lost time by trying to do too much.

3/5

After signing a four-year, $84 million contract with the Kings in the summer of 2019, Harrison Barnes didn’t have the season he was hoping for in Year 1.

As one of the veterans on the Kings’ squad, Barnes has shown a knack for figuring out what his team needs and filling that void from one game to the next. Barnes has taken that skill to different levels through the first five games.

In the opener, Barnes put the team on his back in overtime and carried them to victory. In Game 2, he hit the glass hard and came away with an 11-rebound double-double. In Game 4, the ball movement was stagnant and Barnes set a new career-high with eight assists.

So far, Barnes is averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Both the rebound and assist numbers are well above his career averages. Barnes struggled from long range in the first three games of the season, but he’s knocked down 5-of-11 over the last two games and seems to be back on track.

4/5

Richuan Holmes was a game changer last season for the Kings before a shoulder injury cost him 25 games. Holmes didn’t look like himself in the bubble, but he’s back to being an impact player for Luke Walton’s squad in 2020-21.

Holmes is coming off back-to-back 20 point performances for the Kings and he’s averaging career-bests in points (13.4), rebounds (9.4), assists (1.4), steals (1.4) and field goal percentage (69 percent). The scoring numbers might not hold, but Holmes is proving to be a reliable and efficient player.

Walton has turned to Holmes as one of his closers in the fourth quarater and the 6-foot-10 center has responded. He’s posted an offensive rating of 131 and a defensive rating of 108.

Through five games, Holmes leads all of the Kings’ regulars in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) at 22.3 and true shooting at 72.2 percent. He’s an advanced stats dream and a player the Kings should be working on extending as soon as possible.

5/5

It was considered a draft day coup when Tyrese Haliburton fell to the Kings at the No. 12 overall pick. If the early play of the 20-year-old guard is any indication, the experts may have underestimated just how big of a steal the Kings landed.

Haliburton plays like a seasoned veteran. He’s averaging 10.6 points, 4.4 assists and a steal in 26.8 minutes per game off of the Kings’ bench. He can play on or off the ball. He doesn’t force the action and he has a total of four turnovers in five games. He is not only shooting 50 percent from 3-point range, but he’s already knocked down big shots in big moments of games.

Walton is so confident in his rookie guard that he is already leaving him on the court in crunch time and even running plays for the former Iowa State star in the final moments of games.

It’s only five games into his career, but it appears that the Kings have found another building block for their franchise. It’s so rare to see a rookie play with this type of composure and confidence.

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