Kevin Huerter, acquired by the Sacramento Kings via trade during the 2022 offseason, joined The Point Forward podcast with Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner earlier this week to discuss his NBA journey.
Huerter shared some of his background early in the interview, including playing baseball and basketball in high school, where he was teammates with now-MLB players and twins Ian and Ben Anderson.
As their conversation continued, his trade from the Atlanta Hawks to the Kings came up. It was his time to learn that the NBA was a business.
“It’s good to move from Sacramento to Atlanta,” Kevin Huerter said. “Sacramento, it’s pretty easy to lock in here, to become a really good basketball player. In the sixth year of the championship, I think you learn different things along the way. I think for me, routine is everything. Trying to track and be consistent with your lifting, your processing, your recovery, there’s so much that goes unnoticed, but over the course of the season you have to keep track of everything.
It’s been an eventful season for the Kings this year, and Huerter discussed those ebbs and flows. “We have a team that, some nights, I think we can beat anybody,” he said. “And then we lost to the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards at home, both this year. On different nights we can get beat by anyone.
“We beat Denver three times this year,” he continued. “This is the kind of thing that makes no sense. If you ask me today which is the best team in the league I say Denver or the Celtics and we beat one of them three times but like I said we went to the other way and Portland beat us by 20. Detroit beat us, almost beat us twice, and the Wizards beat us. We kind of have to figure out some things here, but we have a talented group that I think can beat anyone, we just have to find a way to be more consistent.
He expressed confidence in the current iteration of the Kings, but “it all has to do with matchups” in the playoffs. His first year with the Kings ended with a playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series, including the final game with Stephen Curry contributing 50 points. “It just proved his greatness in a series,” Huerter said.
With the difference in style between the Hawks and Kings, he has a unique perspective working in both styles. The gap between Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox as players is a notable difference.
“(Young) is just an absolute threat on offense,” Kevin Huerter said. “A guy who can take control of your game and a guy who can break down scouting reports, like De’Aaron when I got here. De’Aaron won the Clutch Player of the Year award last year, all that does for me is solidify his ability to make his shot when he wants to.
“(Fox) is truly amazing,” he continued. “For me, he’s definitely one of the three best point guards in this league. I think defensively, when he’s locked in and he wants to be locked in – his hands and his ability to intercept and tip it when he’s guarding the ball or pressure the ball when he’s in play – I know it’s impossible to do as an NBA player, like an All-Star for 48 minutes of a game, but he can snap his fingers, and he’s the greatest player in this league. When he wants to defend, when he wants to put effort on that side of the ball and really try to lock someone down, he’s incredible. I think the biggest difference is his ability to be elite two-way with the ball.
That’s high praise for Fox from his starting backcourt partner. The Point Forward episode provided a great insight into Huerter’s journey to the NBA, his time in Sacramento, and his mindset as a player.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
Sacramento will finish this tough two-game road trip Friday night when they take on the top seed in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Kings have split the first two matchups against Minnesota this season, with the road teams winning each game thus far. On November 24, Sacramento inflicted their first home defeat on the Wolves thanks to a strong effort from De’Aaron Fox (36 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists).
In the most recent meeting between the two Western opponents, on December 23, Minnesota defeated the Kings by a final of 110-98 at Golden 1 Center.
Be sure to tune in here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all your Kings vs. Kings coverage. Timberwolves, starting at 3:30 p.m. PST on Game night before reporting at 5:00 p.m. PST from Minneapolis.
Upcoming calendar
- Friday March 1st – Sacramento Kings @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 5:00 p.m. PST
- Monday March 4 – Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls – 7:00 p.m. PST
- Wednesday March 6 – Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7:30 p.m. PST
- Thursday March 7 – Sacramento Kings vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 p.m. PST
- Sunday March 10 – Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets – 3:00 p.m. PST
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