Ahead of a matchup against the lowly Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, Sacramento Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter has already been ruled out for the night due to a left shoulder dislocation. James Ham of ESPN 1320 reports that Huerter is not the only Sacramento role player who’ll be MIA. Given that the Kings are jostling for play-in/playoff positioning in a crowded group near the bottom of the Western Conference’s list of postseason hopefuls, missing one of their best shooters for what should be a pretty winnable contest could prove costly.
Kevin Huerter is listed as out with a left shoulder dislocation according to the NBA’s medical report. Trey Lyles is also listed as out with an MCL sprain. Sasha Vezenkov, who has been out of action since February with an ankle injury, is questionable.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) March 19, 2024
Ham notes that big man Trey Lyles will be sidelined due to a sprained MCL. Rookie power forward Sasha Vezenkov is considered merely questionable to suit up due to an ankle injury. This is actually something of an upgrade, given that Vezenkov has been sidelined since February.
Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports that Huerter suffered the injury just two minutes into the team’s eventual 121-111 overtime home win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Huerter got hurt while striving to complete a layup try, when Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (who himself was playing in just his second game following a long injury layoff) hit him on the left arm. Huerter had to be examined by Sacramento’s attendant medical team. He was escorted back to the Kings’ locker room for more examination, and was later ruled out for the rest of the game. Second-year guard Keon Ellis was subbed in for Huerter, and started in his slot to open the contest’s second half.
Kevin Huerter #9 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after getting injured on a play in the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center on March 18, 2024 in Sacramento, California. He would… Kevin Huerter #9 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after getting injured on a play in the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center on March 18, 2024 in Sacramento, California. He would ultimately exit the game.
Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Per Anderson, Sacramento head coach Mike Brown indicated postgame that Ellis will serve as the starter for any games Huerter has to miss. “We started Keon in the second half and he’ll continue to start until Kev gets back and/or we want to go another direction,” Brown said. Ellis finished with five points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field (1-of-2 from long range), seven rebounds, an impressive five blocks, three assists and a steal.
On the year, Huerter is averaging 10.2 points on .443/.361/.766 shooting splits, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across his 64 healthy games (59 starts). His absence could prove detrimental to Sacramento’s chances of avoiding the play-in tournament. At 39-28, the Kings presently occupy the sixth seed in the West. The 23-45 Raptors have lost seven straight games, and would no doubt love to be beaten quickly tomorrow.
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