Since the departure of Ron Artest, many Kings fans have wondered as to who would step in at small forward. Eventually, John Salmons was named the starter, which meant Francisco Garcia would come off the bench. It seemed very likely that Garcia would have a shot at cracking the starting rotation after posting solid numbers this past season.
Salmons and Garcia are two players with similar games. The slight difference between them is that Salmons is known more for his man-to-man defense while Garcia is a stronger shooter. They are both solid ball handlers who can create for themselves and teammates. The one glaring difference between the two is Salmons inability to perform off the bench.
As a starter last year Salmons was very productive, posting an average of 17.5 points per game on 49.7% shooting, along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 41 starts. As a sub Salmons' averages took a nosedive, scoring just 7.4 points, grabbing 3.2 rebounds and dishing out 1.6 assists per contest. The most significant difference was his three-point shooting percentage, dropping from 38.1% as a starter to 21.4% off the bench.
Garcia is balanced and brings energy off the bench while Salmons does not. The energy and enthusiasm Garcia brings as a sixth man is important to have. Garcia’s versatility makes him effective as a starter, but even more so as a reserve.
As a backup compared to a starter, Garcia shoots a higher percentage: 46.9% to 44.9% from the field and 39.9% to 37% from behind the arc. He scores more efficiently too, 10.9 points in 23.1 minutes per contest as a reserve, compared to 16.4 points in 36.8 minutes in 20 starts. Garcia is the better option off the bench.
Salmons has proven to be more effective as a starter and Garcia more effective as a bench player. Garcia is arguably more suited to play small forward, considering Salmons is slightly undersized, but with Salmons as the starter and Garcia off the bench, the Kings are more balanced.
Quite frankly it does not matter who starts and comes off the bench, Salmons and Garcia are interchangeable at small forward. As long as Garcia is playing enough and Salmons is starting, the Kings should be just fine.
If Petrie decides to make a change and trade Salmons, Garcia will be named the starter undoubtedly, baring some unbelievable performances from Donte Greene. If Salmons' slow start persists through the beginning of the season, Garcia should see more playing time. When that change may come is hard to tell, but for now, Garcia will come off the bench and Salmons will start.
8 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment
Rory Davis 8 months ago
I think he sound start..The kings would benefit greatly..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MAN!
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Blake Mehigan 8 months ago
Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.
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Josh Swartzendruber 8 months ago
This guy is a genius. He is completely right. Why isnt this guy writing for ESPN. Keep up the great work.
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John Lorge 8 months ago
I think Garcia's game is more like KMart than Soloman's. Either way Garcia is out for a few weeks, so he won't be starting. He should not be starting either, unless JS or KM goes down. When he was on Louisville I always thought he was going to shank somebody on the court, hes a tuff dude.
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Diana Allen 8 months ago
I think Garcia should come off the bench. If Soloman is more productive as a starter why make him come off the bench. It's nice to have that spark and energy guy and if Garcia can bring that that would be great for the Kings.
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Josh B 8 months ago
He should be a bench player, but he'll play just as much as Salmons. Garcia is much better at changing the tempo and he is more versatile as you mentioned.
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Matt Petersen 8 months ago
Salmons is versatile...in a pinch, he could play the one with Kevin Martin and Garcia on the wings...
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Anthony Brooks 8 months ago
Garcia provides a punch off of the bench, where as Salmons struggles off of the bench. It seems like an easy decision to me. Besides, both players are going to get their minutes regardless of who starts or who comes off of the bench. Later in the season, you may see a swap if it turns out that Salmons starts to struggle.
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