Entering his eighth season in the League, Kosta Koufos signed with Sacramento in hopes to provide depth in the frontcourt while bolstering the team’s defensive presence around the rim. No. 41 has been a reliable 20-minute per game contributor since his early days in the NBA, and while Koufos’ box scores may not always capture the big man’s efforts, his savviness is always on display.
“If you’re rolling to the basket and you’re not getting the ball, you’re still getting other guys open on the wings. Little things like that carry over in the long run.”
In 19 minutes per contest in the 2015-16 campaign (second-most in his career), the Ohio State product averaged totals of 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and just under a block a game. Playing in 78 games during the season, of which 14 were starts, Koufos was just one of eight players in the Association to average above six points and five rebounds while averaging less than 20 minutes per.
During the season, Kosta surpassed double-digit scoring in 22 contests, including a season-high of 19 points against the Phoenix Suns in the team’s second-to-last game of the season.
Key Moment
Koufos tallied five straight games of double-digit scoring in a late-November stretch of play, averaging 13.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, while clicking alongside Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
No. 41 would have another strong stretch of offensive performances to end the season, scoring 10 or more points in seven of the squad’s final 10 games and taking part in several highlight plays with Seth Curry in a season-high 19-point output in Phoenix.
Quotables
Koufos on his mentality during each game: “I’m a professional. Whenever I’m going to play, I’m going to play hard. That’s always been my motto.”
Collison on Koufos after a win versus: Washington: “We just took advantage of their second unit – we’ve got good players off the bench for us that have been playing well all season long. Tonight it was our game where we had it going – 2K (Kosta Koufos) had a good game.
Looking Forward
Koufos, who’s also a member of the Greek National Team, will be aiming for his squad to earn a bid to the Rio de Janeiro Games this August.
Serving as the team’s starting center, No. 41 will have an opportunity to add to his repertoire as Greece’s go-to option for low post scoring.
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