SACRAMENTO -- Kings general manager Vlade Divac loaded up at the center spot and Luke Walton has a tough job ahead of him when figuring out who will play and who will sit.
Sacramento chased Dewayne Dedmon to start alongside Marvin Bagley because he could stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting. The veteran shot 38.2 percent from distance, which hopefully will help space the floor for Bagley to work in the post.
Dedmon can launch, but he isn't the only big man on the roster with a history of hitting triples. Richaun Holmes was chained to the basket for the last two seasons, but before that, he showed flashes as a perimeter player as well.
"The last couple of years, it's been a role for me and I buy into my role," Holmes told NBC Sports California. "That's what they wanted me to do - stay around the rim. But shooting is definitely something I can do, it's definitely something I'm looking to showcase."
The idea of Holmes shooting 3-pointers might not be as far-fetched as it sounds. During the 2016-17 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, the 6-foot-10 center knocked down 35.1 percent from deep in 1.4 attempts per game.
He managed to hit a handful of 3-balls from the corner, but most of Holmes' long range shots came from the top of the key as a trailer in the offensive system.
While it's a small sample size, just 77 attempts, it is possible that Holmes could do something similar in limited minutes with the Kings and that might help open minutes for both himself and others.
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Holmes has shown an ability to improve specific parts of his game in the past. He's known for his pick-n-roll game and as an energy big, but he also improved his defensive numbers last season after struggling on that end as a young player.
"I think early on in my career, there was a lot of concern about me on the defensive end and a lot of criticism from that side so that's just something I locked in on," Holmes said. "I want to make sure that I let defense dictate offense and not the other way around."
Walton is going to have a difficult time fitting all three of Dedmon, Holmes and second-year big Harry Giles into the rotation, unless two or more of them can play together in a two-big lineup. In order for that to happen, someone other than Dedmon has to be able to space the floor with their shooting and Holmes might have the ability to be that player.
