Kings’ Kevin Huerter Is Due for a Bounce Back Season

After a disappointing 2023-24 season, Kevin Huerter should be set to return to form.

Jan 18, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (9) looks on during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings appear to be done making major moves. That leaves the roster with a player many Kings fans thought would be included in a trade this offseason; Kevin Huerter.

Huerter had a down year last season shooting a career-low 36.1 percent from beyond the arc, but in the 2022-23 season, he hit his threes at a career-high 40.2 percent clip. Looking deeper at his three-point shooting splits gives me hope for this upcoming season.

Last year he shot 34.2 percent on his wide-open threes (3PA’s with six or more feet of room between the shooter and the defender). The year prior was 42.4 percent. That’s an 8.2 percent drop in the best shot a three-point shooter can ask for.

His career Wide-Open 3P% shows a similar drop in production:

• 2018-19: 39.9%
• 2019-20: 43.5%
• 2020-21: 35.5%
• 2021-22: 42.4%
• 2022-23: 42.4%
• 2023-24: 34.2%

Last season stands out as an anomaly, which is good news for Kings fans. Kevin Huerter is a certified threat from beyond the arc with a proven track record, and I don’t think he just forgot how to shoot. If he can get back to anything close to his 2022-23 form, the Kings offense would get a huge boost.

The other aspect of Huerter’s game that often gets overlooked is his game inside the arc. His 2P% took off when he joined the Kings:

• 2018-19: 45.7%
• 2019-20: 45.3%
• 2020-21: 51.0%
• 2021-22: 53.0%
• 2022-23: 60.4%
• 2023-24: 57.1%

On a night where he's just 2-9 from 3, Kevin Huerter drops 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals.

So much more to his game than 3pt shooting. Active as a cutter + on the boards, great touch, good midrange game - really complete offensive player. pic.twitter.com/UV8uiuoRHd

— Skyler (KFR) (@SacFilmRoom) March 26, 2023

Even with his three-point shot not falling at a high rate, Huerter continued to score and contribute in various ways. His ability to score inside is underrated as many view him as just a three-point shooter. He shot 73.0 percent in the Restricted Area last season, a higher mark than De’Aaron Fox (66.8%), Domantas Sabonis (69.7%), and Malik Monk (63.6%).

Huerter isn’t a one-trick pony with his three-point shooting, which also can be seen in his chemistry with Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis shot 58.7 percent on his field goal attempts that came off of passes from Huerter, the highest mark of all the Kings' rotational players.

Time will tell if he stays on the roster as the offseason comes to an end and past the trade deadline, but in the three-point shooting era, having a player of Kevin Huerter’s caliber on the roster is not a bad thing. Especially with the chemistry Huerter and Sabonis have shown over the last two seasons, Heurter remaining in Sacramento may turn out to be a great thing.

---

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!