3 Stock Risers and 1 Stock Faller from Kings 2023 Preseason Action

Despite an 0-4 start to their 2023 preseason campaign, the Sacramento Kings finished strong with a win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The Kings were without G De'Aaron Fox, C Domantas Sabonis, and F Keegan Murray but pulled off the upset as they now head into the regular season with a win.

The preseason is a time for players to prove their worth, especially role players fighting for more opportunities. The Kings have a bench full of talent, as everyone must feel like they deserve regular season minutes, but not everyone will get that.

Multiple Kings players have successfully used the preseason to earn an enhanced role on the team, but others might have hurt from it. Here are three players whose stocks have risen in the preseason and one whose stock has dropped:

Riser: F Keegan Murray

While Murray was expected to take a sophomore leap, he used the preseason to cement himself as a star on this Kings squad. Coming off a record-breaking rookie season, Murray has made a name for himself in the NBA as a premier young talent.

Murray, 23, is developing his game to be a three-level scorer, with improved playmaking ability already evident. The Kings, if everything pans out, should have a young Big Three on their hands with Murray, Fox, and Sabonis.

KEEGAN MURRAY HAMMER 🔨 pic.twitter.com/xzi8MGDwVA
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 19, 2023

The 6'8" forward is already one of the best shooters in the league, but with an expanded game, the Kings offense will become even more lethal.

Murray's best preseason performance was in a loss to the Golden State Warriors, where he dropped 24 points with eight rebounds, shooting 10-18 from the field. If Murray can constantly be aggressive on offense throughout the regular season, his sophomore leap will be even better than expected.

Riser: G Chris Duarte

Despite only playing two full preseason games, G Chris Duarte proved his worth in the Sacramento lineup. After the Kings sent the Indiana Pacers two second-round picks in exchange for Duarte this off-season, many Kings fans were curious as to what role he would play in Sacramento.

Duarte, 26, earned a starting spot for their third game after impressing the coaching staff through the first two games and practices. Kings HC Mike Brown liked what he saw from Duarte, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

In his first start as a King, Duarte suffered a bone bruise in his left knee and would remain out for the rest of the preseason. Duarte is expected to be reevaluated soon, but his return date remains unknown.

Duarte fits nicely within the starting lineup, as he is a fantastic mix of offense and defense next to All-Stars Fox and Sabonis. Expect Duarte to continue to compete for the starting job as the regular season begins.

Riser: G Colby Jones

Second-round rookie G Colby Jones has put on a show for the Kings in the preseason and is quickly becoming a fan-favorite. After four impressive performances, Jones capped off his preseason with a 19-point performance in Thursday's win, draining five threes.

Jones has been tenacious on defense and an impressive playmaker with the ball in his hands. The 21-year-old has impressed Kings fans with his high IQ and confident playstyle but has also continued to impress the coaching staff.

Some awesome showings in the preseason from Sacramento Kings rookie Colby Jones

Continues to showcase the upside to be a versatile asset on both sides of the floor. Going to have the potential to be a really nice piece for the Kings rotation moving forward.

Love the playmaking… pic.twitter.com/vpPoDTyl0q
— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) October 20, 2023

Jones has been one of the most impressive rookies across the league thus far despite being the 34th overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. He has proven his worth in the lineup and has earned his spot in the rotation as the Kings head into the regular season.

Kings fans need to keep an eye on Jones' development, as Kings GM Monte McNair and company might have drafted another gem.

Faller: G Kevin Huerter

Despite coming off a career-best season, G Kevin Huerter is slowly slipping. The three-point specialist shot just 5-22 (22.7%) from deep through five preseason games as his starting spot is up in the air. With Duarte now clear competition to take his spot, Huerter will have to step up to prove himself once again.

In the 2022-23 season, Huerter averaged 15.2 points per game, shooting 40% from deep as a valuable piece for a successful Kings team.

Huerter's starting spot on the line should push him to improve his game, but Duarte's defense might prove more valuable in a Kings lineup that struggles on that side of the ball.

Whether he comes off the bench or not, Huerter needs to improve his game from what we saw in the preseason. Huerter has proven to be one of the best shooters in the league, but after shooting 20% from deep in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Kings fans have begun to question his value.

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and X.

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