The Kings have a couple of stars, says Larry Lewis, assistant dismissed



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Of all the changes Western Conference teams have made in recent weeks, it's easy to forget that the Sacramento Kings are one of the NBA's emerging teams.

Led by De Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley and Harry Giles, the Kings won 39 games last season and have a bright future.

But the group of coaches who helped bring these players to where they are will not be able to see the job until the finish line. The Kings fired head coach Dave Joerger after the season and let all his assistants go.

Elston Turner and Larry Lewis, two of these coaches, recently spoke to the Sacramento Bee about their departure and what they leave behind.

"They have a couple of stars," Lewis told The Bee. "I saw a lot of potential in this young grassroots group. These players have a learning curve, but they adapted very, very quickly to what was going on. Do they have a lot to learn? Of course, but at the same time, these guys are for real. I would have loved to participate in this evolution, but their decision is their decision and I am at peace with it. "

Fox and Hield made the biggest jumps of last season. It's clear that the work with Lewis, who was a player development coach, has paid off.

"It was a great experience," Lewis told The Bee. "The players really grew up. They really matured a lot. We had a good season. The team is much improved. The players have improved a lot. That's all history. "

From the first year to the second year, Fox went from 11.6 points per game to 17.3. His shots went from 41.2% to 45.8% and his three-point shots went from 30.7% to 37.1%. These numbers, combined with the highlights he played, allowed him to finish third in the vote of the most improved players in the NBA.

As for Hield, he went from starter status to one that started the 82 games of the Kings this season. He entered the season under the veil of questions, but answered each of them by recording an average of 20.7 points per game, a career high, and achieving a record of 278 points at three points. Kings.

Bagley and Giles, two rookies, have shown they have the potential to make a difference in the NBA.

[[[[RELATED: Barkley: the Kings will not participate in the playoffs]

"You could see the improvement," Turner told The Bee. "A lot of guys got better and Larry was the head of the player development department, so he did an incredible job."

It will now be up to new head coach Luke Walton and his team to help the young Kings' core to continue their development. If they do, Sacramento will be a force in the Western Conference for years to come.

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