While it could be argued that the Sacramento Kings could benefit from gathering more respect as a collective, it can be said especially about some contributors down their roster. The team sits at 33-23 in the Western Conference, sitting in the middle of the contested playoff picture as the 5th seed. Even without getting any All-Star selections, Sacramento has kept up to speed with some of the best the league has to offer.
A lot of that success can be attributed to the star-studded duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, but they aren't the only two guys showing out down the rotation. Among the leading contributors in Sacramento, Trey Lyles has been a stellar component when he's in the lineup, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report describes Lyles as the "hidden gem" of the Kings this season, noting his impressive ability to shoot beyond the arc as a key factor for his success in Sacramento:
We have to start with the 39.9 percent clip from three. That's a career high, but it's worth remembering that Lyles' ability to space the floor from the frontcourt was a huge reason why he was traded on draft night for Donovan Mitchell. The Denver Nuggets may want that one back, but Lyles' viability as a spacer has been understood for years. That skill is particularly useful on a Kings team that doesn't get stretch from Domantas Sabonis at the 5. Lineups including Lyles, which almost exclusively slot him at power forward, are posting a plus-4.9 net rating overall. The Kings' most-used unit that includes Lyles and Sabonis is an incredible plus-24.3 on the year.
Lyles has remained a solid contributor in the second unit for the Kings this season. In 41 games, he has posted 7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. However, the big man has contributed the most with his efficiency from the outside. His 39.9% is the best he's shot throughout his time in the NBA, and it comes off the most three-point attempts per game (4.0) in his career.
While he hasn't been a starter in any of the games he's appeared in this season, he appears in multiple lineups alongside Sabonis to create a productive frontcourt combination offering an elite combination of size, scoring, rebounding, and playmaking. Even if Lyles doesn't come with the biggest name, the impact shows.
As we begin to eye the postseason ahead, Lyles's size and shot-making ability will only become more impactful in the most important games of the year. With Sabonis or not, Lyles will inevitably play a substantial role in how the rest of the Kings' season plays out.
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