“I’ll never be a lockdown defender, let’s be honest,” Sasha Vezenkov said after the Kings’ 131-117 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night.
And while he was certainly serious as he sat at the podium, the words did elicit a slight chuckle from the gathered media.
“But I want to be solid. I want to try to help the team and don’t get exposed, and I think I’m improving every game.”
Vezenkov didn’t want to talk about himself though, mentioning that when you give up that many points, everyone has to be better. But the questions kept coming for the 6-foot-8 forward who posted career highs in minutes (24) and points (13) against Los Angeles and has seen his role increase over the last few weeks.
Vezenkov’s potential impact on the offensive end of the floor was never a question; coming off of a season where he averaged nearly 18 points per game and shot 65% from the field and 38% from three, he was a home run to add to the Kings’ fast-paced, free-flowing offensive attack. But the game is different across the pond, and a learning curve was expected for a player who wasn’t exactly recruited for his defensive prowess. “The pace. Every All Star, on any given night, can give you 40 or 50, but some guys from the bench [are] really talented players. So the talent, it’s even more than you see on TV.”
Assimilating to that level of play doesn’t happen overnight, but coach Mike Brown is seeing positive signs 17 games into the season.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Brown said when asked about Vezenkov’s potential. “I continue to see glimpses of playing at a high level, seeing how he can impact the game on both ends of the floor.
“Everything is new. Everything is different,” Vezenkov added. “You have to show to yourself, then your teammates, your coaches, and then to the public [that you can play at this level].”
Vezenkov played 16 minutes in the season opener at Utah, scoring eight points on 50% shooting in the win. He would hit double-digits in scoring the next two games, before a rough start to November saw his role decrease. During a three game losing streak, when the Kings were without De’Aaron Fox, he scored just four total points while shooting 2-12 from the field and having a minimal impact on either end of the floor. That led to his first DNP of the season, an overtime win against Portland, and he would crack double-digits just once over the next eight games, with his second DNP coming in the win over Minnesota.
“The DNP is tough for every player,” he said. “It was hard for me but I had to stay ready. We’re a deep team, we have very good players, I’m just ready. I am not saying it’s easy, but you have to be ready.”
As November came to a close, Vezenkov stayed ready. He played 15 minutes in the comeback win over Golden State, and though he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, he came up big on both ends of the floor in crunch time, including a pair of critical blocks. The next night, despite being “emotionally empty”, as he phrased it, he was a bright spot in the loss to the Clippers, with both his output and his energy on the floor. On a day when his teammates really struggled shooting the ball, especially from deep, he was 5-7 from the floor and 3-5 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and didn’t turn it over.
A work in progress? Certainly. But the progress is being made, game by game.
“It’s going to take time for him to adjust to the league, it’s going to take time for us to adjust to him,” Brown said Wednesday evening. “He’s going to have good games and he may have a bad game here and there. But he is a guy that knows how to play, he wants it really bad, he works his behind off when he’s out there, and obviously he has to be guarded on the offensive end of the floor.
“He does a lot of little things, like rebounding, boxing guys out, trying to be in the right position to help, things that don’t always show up in the stat sheet. That’s what can get him over the hump and more playing time.”
With a packed December in front of the team, including a berth in the in-season tournament Quarter Finals, Vezenkov has the opportunity to not just increase his role, but his impact.
“I am just waiting for my chance, waiting for my opportunity to show that I can help the team.”
Sacramento needs him to take full advantage of that opportunity as it comes.
I disagree
There’s nothing more to say…
First of all, great article Melissa! Keep them coming!
I think Sasha will find his groove. He has the basketball IQ to make plays and impact the game in a positive way. It may sound cliche to compare him to another white Euro, but Nemenja comes to mind. Sasha has a much quicker release and is a more gifted scorer, but the two of them aren’t really know for their defensive skill. Nemanja still found a way to stay on the court through heady play and fundamental skill and I see Sasha making similar progress.
With Lyles out tonight and Keegan still questionable, Sasha could see significant minutes against the Nuggets.
Lyles is available – the i initial report gave him Alex Len’s ankle sprain. I checked with Dr. Google and they claim that this type of injury is NOT contagious. I guess we’ll see.
I took particular note that Keegan was UpgradedToQuestionable.
Sasha, besides his apparent quick hands good BBIQ on defense has to contend with officiating placing him at a rookie status level. e.g. : the blocking foul and flopping call the other night. That was just bizarre. And I believe “rookie” related.
As he adjusts this season and next, he will be officiated differently. It ain’t right, but it can’t be ignored as a factor.
He has shown to be an NBA level contributor. We had hoped for that, but there was no guarantee.
The shooting is good, I am looking forward to/expecting a “display” (a >6 made) before ASG. We’ll see if he’s earned enough time on the court to do that.
I’ve also been impressed at how calmly and smartly he handles the Media
And (I’m pretty sure) he has DPOG!
Thanks for the update on Lyles. That’s good news.
He’s been quietly improving on the defensive side of the floor, and already looking like a better defender than he was billed as being over the summer. At this rate he’s going to firmly plant himself as the 1st guy in off the bench after Monk, sooner rather than later.
He’s gonna be a solid, if unspectacular, player. A really great addition, and he only cost us a second round pick to acquire if I’m not mistaken.
If Vez continues to improve, he’s got a good chance to be an important part of the rotation. If he can work himself into being an average defender, he could eventually be a guy who makes an argument to start.
Semi-related: I think Barnes should still get 25-30 minutes per game, but whether that’s as a starter or not doesn’t matter to me. His steadying influence is vital for a team that’s prone to give up lopsided runs on a regular basis, but testing out Lyles or even Vez as occasional starters doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
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