Can Ben McLemore prove himself in 2014?
By Evan Massey
Will Ben McLemore prove worth of a lottery pick this season?
The Sacramento Kings selected shooting guard Ben McLemore with the seventh-overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but didn’t receive the type of season that they were expecting from him last season. He has the talent to become a very good NBA player, and perhaps even one of the more lethal scorers in the league if he reaches his full potential. Sacramento is hoping to see Ben McLemore prove himself in his second season, and came through as a key piece or them.
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Can Ben McLemore prove himself and take a big step forward this coming season?
Ben McLemore ended up playing in all 82 regular season games with the Kings last season, starting in 55 of those appearances. He averaged 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, but his shooting percentages were low at just 37.6 percent from the floor overall and 32.0 percent from behind the three-point arc. Those numbers were definitely disappointing, but quite a few rookies struggle in their first season in any professional sport.
Despite those struggles Ben McLemore, he still has high expectations for the coming season. The Kings did draft shooting guard Nik Stauskas out of Michigan in the NBA Draft this past year, but Ben McLemore has the experience of his rookie season on him. Both players are going to be working hard to win the shooting guard job, but at this point in time it’s hard to believe that the Kings won’t give Ben McLemore a second chance this year.
That being said, there are many areas that Ben McLemore struggled last season that he will need to figure out. He didn’t adjust well to the speed of the NBA game, and his shooting was poor to say the least. Some of that has to do with the fact that he was young and nervous, but he also seemed to rush his shot even during the stretches where he looked more comfortable.
To make a long story short, there is plenty of time for Ben McLemore to figure things out and begin taking steps forward. The Kings are still confident in Ben McLemore’s ability, and the experience he gained last year will be big for him. Expect to see a much improved version of Ben McLemore this year, and for him to begin showing more of his full potential.
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