A 6–17 record is bad enough. But that’s not the only reason the Sacramento Kings are in the news right now. Trade rumors have been swirling around Zach LaVine for weeks. Many fans have even wondered if he still fits in Sacramento.
But on Saturday night, LaVine reminded everyone of one thing. That is how special he is. He dropped 42 points in the Kings’ 127–111 win over the Miami Heat. Then he boldly called out his teammates.
Zach LaVine Is Not Happy With His Teammates
LaVine was asked about his explosive performance during the postgame media session. He did not hold back. He said he can play like this every night. But only if he gets more support from the rest of the team.
“I can do that any night if they give me the damn ball enough,” LaVine said, via Cyro Asseo.
In the Kings’ decisive victory over the Miami Heat on December 6, LaVine scored a season-high 42 points, as mentioned earlier. This included 29 points in the first half while shooting 6-of-7 from three-point range. But beneath those impressive numbers was a concerning detail. It was that he recorded only one assist in 36 minutes of play.
The Kings as a team logged 24 assists on 49 made field goals. It is a strong number. Yet LaVine’s offense came mostly from isolation plays and fast-break chances.
This suggested that the ball was not being given to him on a regular basis. Guards DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook handled most of the playmaking, and this may have forced LaVine to operate on his own instead of within a strong team system.
Although it didn’t happen in this game, the overall season numbers tell a slightly different story. LaVine actually has the highest usage rate on the team, which is 24.1%. This means that the ball is in his hands more than anyone else on the roster.
The Kings typically turn to LaVine first when they need to score. So it’s not entirely accurate to say that he doesn’t get the ball frequently. Even though he may sometimes feel ignored.
The Kings stormed out of the gates. It was like they had something to prove, snatching a three-point lead after one and never looking back. Then the second quarter hit, and it was absolute fireworks.
They poured in 38 points, and the crowd roared as Sacramento turned a close game into a 17-point beatdown by halftime. The fourth quarter? Pure dominance. They pushed that lead all the way up to 28 points, which was the biggest of the game. Then the Kings coasted to a sweet 16-point dub.
The victory was important for the Kings’ team. LaVine’s performance, moreover, proved one thing. It was that despite all the trade talk, he could still be a game-changer.
