The Sacramento Kings will be short-handed again in Las Vegas, and this time three of their five starters are sitting out against the Boston Celtics.
Darius Acuff Jr, Nique Clifford, and Maxime Raynaud are all inactive for the second day of a back-to-back, with the Kings saying the trio is out for rest purposes. Sacramento has dropped its last two Summer League games in blowout fashion to the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets, and now it has to try to stop the skid without three major pieces in the lineup.
The team did not say any of the three are done for the rest of Summer League, only that they will miss today’s matchup. With several teams beginning to shut players down after a few games, it remains to be seen whether Acuff, Clifford, or Raynaud gets another chance to play.
That puts more on Dylan Cardwell, who has already locked down the starting center job in the rotation. He had a rough outing yesterday against the Nets, like much of the roster, and said afterward that he needed to be better. His defense has been the steady part of his Summer League run, but with so many offensive options unavailable tonight, he should have a chance to show more on that end too.
Emanuel Sharp is the likeliest replacement to enter the starting group with Acuff out. He has already done enough to stay in the mix, and the last time Acuff sat, Sharp logged a team-high 28:55. A similar workload would not be a surprise here.
Marquel Sutton should also see a bigger role. The unsigned forward has been quieter in Las Vegas than he was at the California Classic, but he made an impression there and flashed again the last time Clifford and Acuff were out, finishing with 16 points and 8 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.
Sutton has drawn attention in Sacramento, and there is a sense he could be in the running for a two-way contract once Summer League wraps. These games are a chance to show what he can do to the Kings, but also to the rest of the league, and tonight gives him another shot to strengthen that case.
Alex Karaban is still looking for a better night, too. The 29th pick is averaging 1.7 points per game through three contests.
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