Sacramento Kings Rookie Shines in NBA Summer League

The Sacramento Kings have had a solid offseason, selecting Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud in the NBA Draft, and both have certainly shined in their early opportunities. As many have heard, Clifford has been one of the summer league’s top players, but the media seems to downplay Raynaud’s success in Las Vegas.

After growing up in Paris, France, Raynaud spent his collegiate career in Palo Alto with the Stanford Cardinal, where he grew into a dominant force over the course of four seasons. In his senior season, Raynaud averaged 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists as Stanford had their first 20 win season in years.

Despite tons of college success, he went overlooked by NBA scouts. Raynaud was projected to go mid to late in the first round, but fell all the way to the 42nd overall pick. At least he got to stay close to home, heading just two hours north to Sacramento.

Raynaud knew that the best way to prove everyone wrong would be to start right away in Summer League. And he showed he can play with the best of those involved in Summer League to be one of the top players in the entire event, starting five of the six games, and nearing helping to lead the Kings to a third Summer League championship.

Raynaud missed one game due to right wrist soreness.

The Kings went 3-0 in the regular season and were entered into a quick four-team tournament to determine a Summer League champion. Sacramento handled the Toronto Raptors in the first game, with Raynaud getting 24 minutes and scoring 12 points and collecting seven rebounds. He shot 6-of-12 from the floor, and the Kings cruised to a 98-88 win into the championship game.

In that final contest, Raynaud started yet again, getting nearly 21 minutes of playing time and putting up nine points and seven rebounds while also adding a steal and two blocks. Despite the Kings losing the contest, when the former Cardinal was on the floor, they had a +4 in the plus-minus department.

Playing in five of the six games, Raynaud averaged nearly 25 minutes per contest, putting up 12.8 points and six rebounds, along with 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and one block. Raynaud has shown early on that he can play in this league, and the expectation is that he will continue to develop and reach new heights as he gets more time on the court with his new teammates.

The one tidbit to keep an eye on once we start getting into preseason and regular season matchups will be how he's incorporated into the offense with the full slate of Kings starters on the roster. He showed out with some guys that are looking to get reps, but how will he be utilized with guys like Domantas Sabonis in the mix as well?