Although they earned a tough win on Monday, it’s clear the Sacramento Kings lost something that night, and that in the form of a potentially season-ending injury to guard Kevin Heurter. It now remains to be seen how the team moves forward, but rest assured, it’s not ideal.
Kevin Heurter ready to be absent for an indefinite period
According to reports Thursday, the Sacramento Kings goaltender Kevin Huerter could be out for a while and possibly even for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Heurter’s injury occurred during the team’s 121-11 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. To that end, Heurter was absent for Wednesday’s 123-89 win over the Toronto Raptors and Thursday’s game against the Washington Wizards, with the team announcing Thursday that, “Imaging confirmed that Huerter suffered a shoulder dislocation and labral tear,” before adding that “treatment options are still being evaluated.”
As it stands, there has been no official word on how long the 25-year-old will be out of the Kings’ lineup, but with less than a month until the end of the season regularly, it is very likely that he will not come back. this season. Indeed, if he had to undergo surgery, the return time would probably be even longer. For perspective, the New York Knicks Julius Randle He dislocated his shoulder in late January and did not require further surgery, but is still unable to play.
What have the Kings lost in Kevin Heurter and how are they doing?
To be fair, in his second season with the Kings, Huerter hasn’t exactly reached the same level of performance as he did in his first. In the 64 games he played, he averaged 10.2 points at 56.4% in 24.4 minutes. Compared to his average of 15.2 points at 61.7% in 29.4 minutes last season, the difference is hard to ignore. That said, he has always been a valuable contributor to the team’s efforts and continues to assist with transfers to Domantas Sabonis are concerned.
Ultimately, even if the duration of his absence remains to be known, it is clear that it will be felt. On the other hand, the Kings can take comfort in the idea that both Monk Malik And Keon Ellis can cover the minutes he would have played. Monk specifically put together a performance through 10 games this month that many are calling worthy of the Sixth Man of the Year award. Averaging 21 points in 29.5 minutes on 57.6% shooting, he is a force to be reckoned with.
As for Ellis, while it’s true his numbers aren’t as prolific, the fact that the Kings converted his two-way contract to a standard contract is a clear indication of the value he represents to the team . Expect to see him more involved now that Hitter is out. “We have to be ready to play without Kev if it’s a long-term thing, and I think everyone has confidence in Keon,” the Kings guard said. De’Aaron Fox told reporters, via the Sacramento Bee. “Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, the minutes he’s put in over the last few games, especially since returning to the rotation, have been tremendous.”
