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Kings Positional Breakdown: SG

Three newcomers and fourth-year Kings guard Ben McLemore round out Sacramento’s depth at the two, with the starting position expected to be in the hands of veteran Arron Afflalo.

ARRON AFFLALO

With his 10th season set to begin, Afflalo comes to Sacramento after playing in 71 games with the New York Knicks in 2015-16. A known scorer, Afflalo averaged a career-high tying rebounding mark in New York while averaging nearly 13 points per contest in addition to two assists.

In just over 20 minutes per game in the team’s preseason, Afflalo tallied 10.5 points while shooting 58 percent from the field.

No. 40 serves as a perimeter threat in Coach Joerger’s offense with a 38.5-percent career mark from long distance. Additionally, the veteran’s ability to exploit smaller matchups with a solid back-to-the-basket game should free up opportunities for DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and others.

BEN MCLEMORE

Praised for his offseason dedication by Coach Joerger, McLemore is aiming for a breakout season in 2016-17. McLemore is coming off a career-high three-point average and is just two seasons removed from an impressive sophomore campaign in which No. 23 started all 82 games while tallying 12 points per contest.

With a full offseason in the books, the Kansas product hopes to first make an impact on the defensive end, where Coach has stated players will earn their minutes.

Consistency and confidence will be key to cementing McLemore’s spot in the rotation this season – areas that the 23-year-old guard has already made strides in since Joerger’s arrival.

“The coaching staff and my teammates are doing a great job with keeping my confidence at a high level and believing in me,” McLemore said recently. “I’m just going out there and playing my game and playing free.”

GARRETT TEMPLE

The versatile guard joins Sactown as a combo guard with skills allowing him to head either spot in the Kings backcourt. Playing in a career-high 80 games with Washington last season, the seven-year veteran is coming off his best year, tallying seven points, two-plus rebounds and nearly two assists in 24-minutes per contest.

No. 17 averaged eight points, three assists and two-plus rebounds in four preseason Kings games. Most impressive was the swingman’s ability to shoot from outside, hitting on 5-of-11 long range attempts.

MALACHI RICHARDSON

A rookie sharpshooter from Syracuse University, Richardson joins the Kings as the 22nd overall draft pick in the 2016 class. Richardson recorded a respectable average of eight points on 54-percent shooting during the preseason. However, expect his minutes during the regular season to be limited due to the team’s depth.

That said, when the team needs a perimeter contribution, No. 5 will likely be among one of the first whose number is called.


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