Months before playing in his first NBA game, Willie Cauley-Stein’s potential was deemed “revolutionary” by NBA Trainer Idan Ravin. That’s high praise – especially from someone who’s been able to train Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and many more.
That said, while the ceiling seems high for Willie’s future, George Karl and company are curious as to how much the young Center can impact the team this year. The answer seems to be a lot.
Defensive Ability
NBA.com’s John Schuhmann recently reported that in three of the past four seasons, the Kings have allowed the highest amount of fast break points in the league. According to Schuhmann, “League-wide, effective field goal percentage drops more than 10 percentage points after the first six seconds of the shot clock.”
With the addition of Trill, ideally, that statistic should fall for Sacramento. Willie’s unique combination of athleticism and defense is largely what earned him a spot as the sixth pick in the draft. Highlights like this are just one of many examples of his ability to turn an opposing fast break into instant offense…
Equally as important is his ability to navigate pick-and-roll situations with ease. Even in situations when he’s forced to switch onto a smaller guard, Willie has held his own.
At the same time, he’s able to protect the rim – exemplified by his 1.4 blocks per game average this preseason.
A mobile Rookie with three years of college experience under his belt, Cauley-Stein’s impact on the defensive side of the ball should translate well from the collegiate level.
Offensive Game
WCS’ talent certainly isn’t limited to the defensive side of the ball. He’s an excellent pick-and-roll player and as you may have guessed, an excellent court runner. There’s few big men in the NBA that I’d take to beat Willie in a race (DeMarcus Cousins being one of the others).
Paired with a distributor like Rajon Rondo, fans can expect to see many easy buckets like this for #00.
The offensive talent doesn’t stop there, either. Willie’s non-stop motor has paid off in a big way this preseason on the offensive glass – the Kentucky product has averaged nearly three offensive rebounds per game. With an increased pace, WCS will undoubtedly be key in securing even more possessions for the Kings.
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