Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl said he would not overreact to Ben McLemore's slow start to the season. Well, on Wednesday he benched his starting shooting guard. From Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee:
- "Darren Collison replaced Ben McLemore to start alongside Rajon Rondo in the Kings’ backcourt. Karl started James Anderson at small forward and moved Rudy Gay to power forward. Willie Cauley-Stein started at center for DeMarcus Cousins, who missed his second consecutive game because of a strained right Achilles’ tendon. Karl said the changes were made to match up defensively with the Suns’ small lineup that features two starting point guards, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. But McLemore’s slow start has given Anderson, a former first-round pick by San Antonio who spent last season playing in Lithuania, a shot at more playing time. ... Karl wants quick decisions and playmaking from guards, areas where McLemore has struggled."
Anderson played 25 minutes against the Suns and scored 15 points, while McLemore scored nine points in 14 minutes off the bench. When Cousins returns to the lineup, Collison will probably move back to the bench, with Anderson shifting over to the shooting guard spot.
