Alex

Karaban

Between the California Classic and Las Vegas, Sharp has delivered some quality performances for the Kings. Despite the 32-point defeat, the second-round pick’s performance was a bright spot, as he shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. While Alex Karaban (four points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal) has largely struggled since returning from a sprained ankle, Sharp has looked comfortable on both ends of the floor. Given his experience and shooting ability, it would be unsurprising if Sharp cracked the Kings’ rotation as a rookie.

Karaban didn’t play in the California Classic because of an ankle injury, so this was his first summer league game. It’s safe to say that it was a disappointing start to his Kings tenure. He missed all six of his shot attempts, including all four of his three-pointers. He’s an experienced player that should be much better than he was in this game, especially since he likely wasn’t 100 percent healthy.

The 29th overall pick in last month’s draft, Karaban injured his ankle during one of the Kings’ final practices before the California Classic. He sat out all three games, including Monday’s win over the Bucks, and the rookie won’t be available when Sacramento begins play in Las Vegas at the end of the week. Given the timeline, there’s hope that Karaban will be able to play at some point this summer, but that is not guaranteed.

Karaban left college as one of the most accomplished players in the sport’s recent history, having won a school-record 126 games and two national titles while at UConn. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward helped lead the Huskies to their third national title game appearance in four years last season, averaging 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.9 three-pointers per game. While not a jump-off-the-screen athlete, Karaban’s shooting ability and basketball IQ should serve him well in the NBA. Sacramento sent pick 34 and a future second-round pick to move up to 29 to add Karaban to the rotation. He may not provide much value for fantasy managers, but he should be a solid piece for the Kings.