SACRAMENTO -- There has been a Willie Cauley-Stein sighting.
After a rough start to the 2016-17 campaign, Sacramento’s first round pick from a season ago looked like a completely different player Tuesday night in the Kings' win over the Pelicans.
Maybe it was the return of Darren Collison that sparked the 23-year-old big. Or maybe is was playing against a fellow Kentucky alum Anthony Davis.
Those are all real factors, but Cauley-Stein pointed to something different.
“I’m tired of not playing, so just going blood when you go in, just going as hard as you can for as long as you can,” Cauley-Stein said.
Cauley-Stein received the dreaded DNP-CD Sunday afternoon in Toronto, his second healthy scratch in nine games this season. He’s averaging just 14.9 minutes per game, down from the 21.4 he saw as a rookie last year.
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“Just trying to figure out where you fit in with our team, we’ve got a lot of vets and I’m still young, so it’s different,” Cauley-Stein said. “You’ve got to try and gain everyone’s trust again with new coaches and new players.”
The eccentric post player has looked timid at times. Through his first five games, Cauley-Stein had grabbed a total of four rebounds. He’s since had back-to-back games of three boards, but that’s not even in the ballpark of where he should be for a player with his size and athleticism.
He’s been looking at the bench, wondering if the coaching staff is going to give him the quick hook or let him play through his early season woes. According to Cauley-Stein, his mindset is changing.
“You can’t play looking over your shoulder wondering, ‘when am I going to come out?,’” an introspective Cauley-Stein told reporters. “That’s what I’ve been doing and today was the change for me. I’m not worried whether I’m going to stay on the floor or not, I’m just going to go hard while I’m in there.”
Cauley-Stein said that he has relied heavily on his family during this tough stretch, including his grandma and his aunts. He has a tight inner circle that is pushing him to succeed.
During the Kings’ win over the Pelicans, Cauley-Stein played just 13 minutes. But he set or tied his season-highs in points with nine, rebounds with three and blocks with three. It’s been a rough start, but it’s a place to build from.
“You can either go the negative route and say ‘f... it, I’m not with this, I’m just going to go into a shell and I’m going to dig myself a deeper hole’ (or) you can say, ‘you know what, I’m going to prove myself that I’m better, I’m going to come out of the hole,’” Cauley-Stein said.
His struggles on the court are real. Joerger has chosen to go with veterans Kosta Koufos and Matt Barnes for major minutes on the frontline alongside Cousins, leaving the lanky, defensive-minded big in a fight for playing time.
“It’s tough, especially for a young player, it’s a learning curve,” DeMarcus Cousins said. “Every player’s been through it. He’s not the first, he won’t be the last. I think he’s got a good group of guys around him that can help him overcome it and it’s just a matter of time.”
He’s not alone in his struggles. Ben McLemore has had plenty of ups and downs in his four seasons in the league and continues to get sporadic minutes. After playing a major role with the Kings last season, veteran Omri Casspi has found playing time sparse as well. It’s a new team, with new coaches and plenty of new faces. Carving a niche in the rotation isn’t easy for anyone.
Cauley-Stein took a step forward on Tuesday. The Kings can use his defensive presence on the court. He has an ability to disrupt the flow of the opponents offense and he can bring something to the offensive end as well.
“Willie is a good pick-and-roll guy, he can cause a lot of havoc by rolling to the rim and using his athleticism and quickness,” Collison said following the win over New Orleans. “If we can open that up for him, he’s going to open up shots for myself and on the weakside as well.”
The Kings as a whole are a work in progress. Joerger and his staff haven’t given up on the former sixth overall selection, but they needed him to have this moment where he gives in to the process and starts playing to his potential every minute he’s on the floor.
It’s one game, but it’s starting point for a valuable young piece to the Kings’ puzzle.
