*Hunker down, get hydrated and tell your loved ones you will see them next spring.*
*Hopefully that’s not your mindset, but people should be warned: The at times seemingly never-ending NBA regular season is at hand.*
*The first handful of games tip off Tuesday, marking the start of the 82-game grind.*
*Thankfully for us, all we have to do is sit back, watch and enjoy. To make sure you’re fully prepared for the 2014-15 campaign, we’ll be rolling out a season outlook for each former Kansas University player who currently calls The Association home.*
Ben McLemore — Sacramento Kings
——–
**6-foot-5 Shooting guard | Second season**
**2013-14 numbers: 82 games | 26.7 minutes | 8.8 points | 2.9 rebounds | 37.6 FG% | 32 3-pt% | 80.4 FT%**
Coming off a rookie season that had both memorable moments (see: a Western Conference Rookie of the Month Award; [dunking over Shaquille O’Neal at All-Star Weekend)][1] and forgettable ones (exhibit A: shooting slumps; exhibit B: temporarily losing his starting spot), Ben McLemore enters Year 2 of his career riding some positive momentum.
• (For whatever it’s worth) The young 2-guard [helped Sacramento win the Las Vegas Sumer League tournament][2].
• He shed the No. 16 Kings jersey he wore during his first year for the more familiar No. 23.
Welcome back. I missed you. #forever23 pic.twitter.com/dMBk2NvDi6
— Ben McLemore (@BenMcLemore) September 11, 2014
• The Kings picked up their team option on his contract for the 2015-16 season.
• McLemore got to travel to China with his team for bonding and shenanigans.
You think I landed this or naw? Lol. #GreatWallFoolin pic.twitter.com/Xk8vQroBf6
— Ben McLemore (@BenMcLemore) October 13, 2014
• He provided at least one example of his improved shot, nailing 3-of-4 from downtown and scoring a preseason-high 22 points versus Brooklyn on Oct. 15.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC5t2h2OFYY
• For the love of all things holy, the guy had a street named after him.
Wake up to find out my hometown renamed the street I stayed on after me. Ben McLemore III Pl Just crazy blessed man. pic.twitter.com/nSHjnUrkHm
— Ben McLemore (@BenMcLemore) October 17, 2014
So, yeah, McLemore is happy about all of those things, and earning a spot as Sacramento’s starting shooting guard — even if that means he’ll have to battle rookie Nik Stauskas for those minutes.
Really, the worst thing he has endured lately was a brutal head-to-head collision with Wayne Ellington in a preseason game a few days ago.
Ben McLemore and Wayne Ellington go down after banging heads https://t.co/9UDnAof4PW
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) October 25, 2014
But he has been cleared to lay in Sacramento’s season opener Wednesday against Golden State.
Now the youngster known for his crazy hops and sweet-looking (if not yet totally effective) stroke can make more plays off the dribble, and he has freedom and confidence to shoot at will when he’s open.
> “This summer I worked really hard on
> the different aspects of my game,”
> McLemore recently told reporters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pJB6wTue2I
If McLemore has indeed made the kind of jump from freshman to sophomore year Sacramento envisions, he should be the team’s best guard — or at least the Kings’ top scoring option in the backcourt, where he teams with Darren Collison, Stauskas, Ramon Sessions and Ray McCallum.
With small forward Rudy Gay and big man DeMarcus Cousins in the frontcourt, the Kings have talented pieces. But… They play in the Western Conference. Last season the Kings (28-54) finished with a better record than just the L.A. Lakers and Utah out West.
Even if the team improves on the court, it might be difficult to claw out of that cellar. The West is just loaded. And a Sactown playoffs appearance sounds like fan fiction.
So what do we expect out of McLemore for the 2014-15 season?
Cameos in the nightly highlight reels with explosive dunks and some hot shooting nights. More importantly, McLemore figures to develop and become more well rounded and effective at the pro level.
While Sacramento should again struggle, this season could go a long way toward determining just how well the rest of McLemore’s career goes.
—
**’Hawks in the NBA 2014-15 season outlooks:**
• [Cole Aldrich — Knicks][3]
• [Darrell Arthur — Nuggets][4]
• [Tarik Black — Rockets][5]
• [Mario Chalmers — Heat][6]
• [Nick Collison — Thunder][7]
• [Joel Embiid — 76ers][8]
• [Drew Gooden — Wizards][9]
• [Xavier Henry — Lakers][10]
• [Kirk Hinrich — Bulls][11]
—
*- [Follow @BentonASmith on Twitter][12]*
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/feb/16/all-hail-the-king-of-dunk-contest-theatr/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/jul/24/ben-mclemore-relishes-nba-hardware/
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/21/season-outlook-cole-aldrich/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/21/2014-15-season-outlook-darrell-arthur/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/22/2014-15-season-outlook-tarik-black/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/22/2014-15-season-outlook-mario-chalmers/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/23/2014-15-season-outlook-nick-collison/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/24/2014-15-season-outlook-joel-embiid/
[9]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/24/2014-15-season-outlook-drew-gooden/
[10]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/27/2014-15-season-outlook-xavier-henry/
[11]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2014/oct/28/2014-15-season-outlook-kirk-hinrich/
[12]: https://twitter.com/BentonASmith
