As has been previously established, with Bagley missing 27 of the team’s 36 games, Bogdanovic missing 6 games, and Fox missing half of the total games played, the Sacramento Kings know a thing or two about injuries this season.
Even with these players missing considerable time, can the Kings’ woes be blamed on the absence of these players?
The Kings are 4-14 when Fox suits up, making them 9-9 when he doesn’t play. This is a huge shift from last year as Fox was the gas that made everything go.
With Fox on the court this year, the team’s offensive rating goes up by a minuscule 1.6 points while the team’s defensive rating plummets from their season average of 109.7 to 114.2.
It is certainly hard to be successful in this league when your “star” guard gives the team a net rating of -5.7 when he’s on the floor.
Same goes with Bagley, who has been a massive disappointment this year with Kings fans. In the 9 games the big man has played, the team has gone 2-7.
When Bagley is on the court the team does worse in both offensive and defensive rating. He brings down the offensive rating 8.7 points and raises the defensive rating by 0.6 points giving the team a -12.0 net rating when Bagley’s in the game.
Bogdanovic isn’t as extreme of an example, but even his presence on the court hasn’t exactly elevated the team’s play.
Bogdanovic has many more games under his belt this season than Bagley and Fox, and the team has a 13-17 record when he plays. When Bogi’s playing he actually lowers the teams offensive rating, but at the same time gives the team’s defensive rating a boost.
When looking at overall numbers, the Kings’ average net rating this year is -2.8 and Bogdanovic only brings it down to a -2.4.
The two centerpieces for this rebuild have actually been bringing down the team when they are in the game while their key sixth man seems to make little of a difference when his number is called in. That’s the narrative of this season, not injuries.
Before Kings fans start blaming this season on the injury bug, it’s important to realize that the players who have been hurt this season have either been a detriment to the team or made no difference at all.
Arguably the best lineup the Kings have had this season with ample minutes together is that of Joseph, Hield, Barnes, Bjelica, and Holmes who form a net rating of +2.5 in 260 minutes together.
This isn’t good news for the franchise as their “top young talent” have been injured and when not injured, have struggled.
It seems changes need to be made as Sacramento ceases to solely be the Capital of California, but moreover the Capital of the Pervasive Rebuild.
