Zach LaVine’s Preseason Shooting Surge: Can He Carry Kings?

But the point of this article isn't just to point out that LaVine is off to a hot start in two exhibitions, but to question whether or not he can carry the Kings to victory. The most important part of that will be consistency and aggression.

LaVine has a tendency to fade to the background at times, but for the Kings to exceed expectations this season, they'll need him to be more aggressive than ever. That could result in lower shooting percentages, but even if those come down, LaVine upping his volume would do wonders for the Kings.

Sacramento is once again entering the season with a lack of three-point shooters, something that is bound to happen with a team rostering DeMar DeRozan. But with Keegan Murray out to start the season, three-point volume instantly becomes a bigger issue.

The good news is that through the two preseason games, LaVine has already upped his shooting volume from deep. Last season, he shot 7.9 threes per 36 minutes. In the preseason so far, he's shot 11.7 threes per 36 minutes. Again, it's a small sample size, but that's a significant jump for LaVine.

LaVine topped out at 8.2 three-point attempts per game in his career during the 2020-21 season, and shot 7.2 per contest last year with the Kings. For him to legitimately carry the Kings, he might need to approach or surpass double-digit attempts.

That's easier said than done, especially if he's at the top of opponents' scouting reports, but he's the type of scorer who can hit contested shot after contested shot. LaVine has accomplished a lot in his NBA career so far, but there are still questions about whether he can lead a team. History tells us it may not be likely, but for a Kings team on the brink already, it may be their only option if they want to compete in the West.