The 2015-16 campaign was one of both ups and downs for the Kings third-year shooting guard Ben McLemore.
The sophomore guard finished a great 2014-15 campaign in which he saw improvements across the board statistically.
However, with injuries and rotation changes, No. 23 struggled to build on the success from last season. His streak of playing in all 211 career games also came to an end when he was forced to miss time on the court due a wrist injury.
There were bright moments though, as McLemore shot a career-high 36.2 percent from three-point range, while also recording a career-high 1.3 steals per 36 minutes.
Key Moment
Deron Williams of the Dallas Mavericks broke the hearts of Kings fans everywhere when he hit a buzzer-beating three to down Sacramento in double-overtime in January.
McLemore would exact a bit of sweet revenge, however, as he put the Dallas guard on skates during the Kings first win over the Mavs in Dallas since 2003.
Quotables
McLemore on continuing to improve as a player: “I know what I need to do. I’m just trying to figure it out. Last year I figured it out pretty fast. Now I need to get over this hump and push from there,” said McLemore. “Just staying with the same mentality, just going out there, playing free, not thinking, not worrying about making mistakes, Just going out there and playing my game.”
Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones on Ben’s defensive potential: “McLemore’s greatest value might be on defense… McLemore has the size and athleticism to be that player if he plays with confidence and tenacity.” (Via Sacramento Bee)
DeMarcus Cousins on McLemore’s value to the team: “Ben’s a big piece of this team, and we depend on him on a nightly basis. When he’s playing well, the team’s playing well.” (Via Sacramento Bee)
Looking Forward
Though this year may not have gone as planned for No. 23, there is still plenty of reason to be hopeful for taking the next step in the upcoming season.
The 23-year-old guard will have this offseason to further develop his game and round out areas of improvement in preparation for year number four in Sacramento.
There were setbacks this season, but McLemore’s undeniable athleticism and improving shooting stroke from long range will serve as the foundation to make him an even bigger contributor for the Kings in 2016-17.
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