On Monday night, during Sacramento’s game against Memphis, sharp-shooting guard Kevin Huerter suffered a shoulder injury and had to leave the game. He sat out the Kings’ Wednesday night showdown due to his injury. Following an MRI, it was revealed that Huerter had suffered a dislocated shoulder and labral tear. A labral tear is a tear in the cup of cartilage that supports the shoulder ball-and-socket joint. The team announced that treatment options are still being evaluated and Huerter will be listed as out for the time being. It is doubtful that he will return to play this season or in the playoffs as labrum tears often require time to heal, with some cases requiring surgery like Ja Morant.
As a result of Huerter’s absence, rookie defensive specialist Keon Ellis started for the Kings on Wednesday night, and this trend is expected to continue for the remainder of the season. Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Malik Monk is also anticipated to see an increase in playing time due to Huerter’s injury. The Kings will feel the absence of Huerter during this crucial playoff race. Currently, Sacramento is the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, which means they would avoid the play-in tournament. However, they are just half a game ahead of both Dallas and Phoenix, who are closely trailing them. Additionally, the Kings are two games behind the No. 5 seed Pelicans, who have been performing well lately and will be tough to catch up to in the standings.
