Posted By: Manny Vieites – Cowbell Kingdom
Despite a (3-5) road trip, Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein found success in the mid-season eight game outing. Determined to not fall into the carousel of underachieving Sacramento Kings first round draft picks, Cauley-Stein came to life on the road and gained the trust of his teammates.
During the road trip, Cauley-Stein averaged a season best 9.1 points per game, which is four points above his season average. In almost all previous games this season, Cauley-Stein’s efforts weren’t needed late in games, but he finally saw action in those critical moments.
Coach Dave Joerger used Cauley-Stein deep into the fourth quarter four games during the trip, with two of those games resulting in victories.
Cauley-Stein’s greatest attribution during the road trip was positioning. He looked more comfortable on the court and was able to pick the correct open spot shots.
Specifically in pick and rolls and baseline cuts, Cauley-Stein was able to finish the process around the rim but also off the pass.
Ty Lawson and Cauley-Stein played so well early in the road trip that by the time the Kings arrived in Houston, Mike D’Antoni had set defensive schemes to eliminate the duos newfound chemistry.
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