The Sacramento Kings recently dealt guards Kevin Martin and Sergio Rodriguez to Houston and New York respectively, which opened the door for point guard Beno Udrih to return to the starting lineup.
Though he struggled from outside the arc last season, Udrih appears to have his confidence back. The Slovenian born lefty is up from 31% to 40% at the 3-point line and is averaging nearly 50% from the field, 84% from the free throw line.
So far Udrih has been effective at the helm and has contributed during his additional minutes. Since the trade his points, assists and rebounds are up. Last week Udrih averaged 14 ppg, topped by an energetic performance against the Mavs in which he racked up 20 points (including four 3-pointers) and six assists.
Udrih is a selective shooter with solid passing skills. He can hit threes and penetrate to the basket to compliment his strong mid-range game. Though the Kings are out of playoff contention, I expect Udrih to be productive in the final stretch and finish strong. He’ll have four opportunities to help his team this week starting Tuesday the ninth when the Kings battle the Blazers in Portland at 10:00 PM ET.
