Surprise Stat: Dylan Cardwell Is the Kings' Best Player

He leads the team with an on/off-court net rating differential of +14.2, which leads the team by a mile. Precious Achiuwa is a distant second with a +7.4 net rating differential. Breaking down what the stat means, the Kings have a +2.2 net rating when Cardwell is on the court, and a -12.0 rating when he sits. And Cardwell is actually the only Kings player with a positive net rating this season.

In a sea of mediocrity and poor numbers, Cardwell is finding a way to make a positive impact with his defense and energy. He doesn't bring much on offense, averaging just 4.3 points on 47.8% shooting from the field, but he's grabbing 6.1 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game and blocking 1.5 shots per contest.

He's the first true rim protector the Kings have had in ages. He doesn't have to block shots to affect opponents, as he's also shown the ability to contest at the rim with verticality. Yes, he fouls a lot, but he makes his presence felt and forces players to adjust as they attack the rim. It's refreshing to see in Sacramento after years of them struggling to defend the rim.

But it's not just rim defense that Cardwell is bringing. Last night, he got the assignment of guarding LeBron James for stretches and showed he can get out on the perimeter and defend as well.

Due For a Raise

At this point of the season, Cardwell getting converted to a full NBA contract seems like a formality more than a question. He's on a two-way contract and limited to 50 games for the Kings. While he's only played 13 games, according to Basketball Reference, he's suited up for 19 games so far this year.

That leaves him with just 31 games before he runs out of games. And with 42 games left on the schedule, that math isn't mathing. Even if Cardwell did have enough games left to finish out the season on his two-way deal, he deserves to get converted to a full contract following the trade deadline. We'll have to see how the rest of the roster shakes out, but this seems like a when-not-if type of move that's on the horizon.

Doug Christie has talked a lot about establishing a defensive culture and identity. Sacramento is sitting with the 28th-ranked defense in the league, but you can see the vision, especially when Cardwell is on the floor.

Christie appears to love Cardwell, even giving him the surprise start in the 6th game of the season to help defend the length of the Denver Nuggets. Since that first game in November, though, much like his fellow big man Raynaud, he's shown quick improvement through just 13 NBA games.

Only time will tell if the Kings found their front court duo of the future, but one thing seems certain today with numbers to back it up. Dylan Cardwell is an NBA player, and for an undrafted rookie, that's a huge win for the Kings and Scott Perry.

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