The 2017-18 Sacramento Kings season is about development and finding a core to build around. De'Aaron Fox is already showing signs that he is the long-term answer at the point guard position, but the Kings need more than an army of one.
Buddy Hield, Justin Jackson and Willie Cauley-Stein are being given a chance to play rotational minutes early in the season, and flying under the radar is second-year big, Skal Labissiere.
Early in the season, Dave Joerger has relied heavily on veteran Zach Randolph for big minutes at the power forward position, but Labissiere is quietly building momentum. Three games is an extremely small sample size by any standard, but Labissiere is heading in the right direction.
"Whatever coach wants me to do, that's what I'm going to do out there," Labissiere told NBC Sports California's Kayte Christensen after the game. "I'm just going to go out there and play hard and help this team get a win."
In 23.7 minutes per game so far this season, Labissiere is averaging 11 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, .7 steals and .7 blocks. If he were playing starter minutes, those numbers project substantially higher.
Labissiere burst on the scene in Sacramento after the DeMarcus Cousins trade during All-Star weekend last season. Before getting an opportunity in the rotation, he spent plenty of time in Reno and behind the scenes working on his game with the Kings' coaching staff. He played 33 total games during the 2016-17 season, including 26 straight to finish the year.
"I'm still trying to get comfortable, I'm still learning," Labissiere said. "The NBA is still super new to me, I haven't even played a full season yet. As a group, we're still learning each other. I think by mid-year, we'll be fine."
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The 21-year-old Haitian-born big came into the league with a sweet jumper, but he's added more range in year two. He hit his first 3-pointer Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets, but throughout camp you could see him shooting with the guards and there are plenty of sets where he'll get opportunities as the season pushes forward.
In addition to adding the long ball to his arsenal, Labissiere has also worked to improve his playmaking ability. He's averaging 3.7 assists per 36 minutes and that number has a chance to improve as the team's chemistry on the court improves.
"The offense runs through the bigs, so we have to be able to make plays for the guards," Labissiere said. "I've been watching a lot of tape trying to figure out where the help is coming from, where I can pass the ball, who I can pass the ball to. That's one thing I've been working on."
Labissiere still has plenty to learn. He's struggled with turnovers early in the season and he needs to add strength to hold his position in the post. But his offensive game is advanced and it won't be long before the Kings turn to him more and more as a weapon.
Sacramento has plenty of young breakout candidates entering the season, but few have the ceiling of Labissiere. The early returns are promising.
