Sacramento Kings’ Kevin Heurter out indefinitely after injury. How will the team cope?

Though they got a difficult win on Monday, it’s clear that the Sacramento Kings lost something that night and that was in the form of a potentially season ending injury to guard Kevin Heurter. How the team moves foward now remains to be seen, but rest assured, this is not ideal.

Kevin Heurter set for indefinite absence

According to reports on Thursday, Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter could be out for quite some time and possibly even the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Heurter’s injury occurred during the team’s 121-11 overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. To that end, Heurter was listed as out for Wednesday’s 123-89 win against the Toronto Raptors and Thursday’s game against the Washington Wizards, with the team announcing on Thursday that, “imaging confirmed Huerter suffered a dislocated shoulder and a labral tear,” before adding that “treatment options are still being evaluated.”

As things stand, there has been no official word on how long the 25-year-old will be out of the Kings’ lineup, but with less than a month to go in the regular season, it’s quite likely that he won’t return this season. Indeed, should he require surgery, the timeline for a return will likely be even longer. For perspective, the New York Knicks’ Julius Randle dislocated his shoulder in late January and did not require a subsequent operation, but is still unable to play.

What have the Kings lost in Kevin Heurter and how do they cope?

To be honest, in what is his second season with the Kings, Huerter has not exactly reached the same level of performance that he had in his first. Across the 64 games that he has played, he has averaged 10.2 points on 56.4% in 24.4 minutes. When compared with his average of 15.2 points on 61.7% in 29.4 minutes last season, the difference is hard to ignore. That said, he has still been a valuable contributor to the team’s efforts and continues to chip in where handoffs to Domantas Sabonis are concerned.

Ultimately, while the length of his absence remains to be seen, it is clear that it will be felt. On the other hand, the Kings can take comfort in the idea that both Malik Monk and Keon Ellis can cover the minutes that he would have played. Monk specifically has put in a performance through 10 Games this month that many are calling worthy of a Sixth Man of the Year award. With his average of 21 points in 29.5 minutes on 57.6% shooting, he has been a force to reckon with.

As for Ellis, while it may be true that his numbers aren’t as prolific, the fact that the Kings have converted his two-way contract into a standard one is a clear indication of the value that he holds for the team. Expect to see him more involved now that Heurter is out. “We have to be ready to play without Kev if it is some type of long-term thing, and I think everybody is confident in Keon,” Kings guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters, via the Sacramento Bee. “Whether he starts or comes off the bench, the minutes he’s been providing the last few Games, especially since he’s been back in the rotation, have been great.”