SACRAMENTO - Developing young talent in the NBA is a tall task. It takes time, patience and a lot of luck. Unfortunately for the Sacramento Kings, they have failed time and time again in their attempts to create NBA stars, despite their perennial lottery standing.

Nine straight seasons without a playoff appearance. Nine straight Top 12 picks. One All-Star, one rookie and one complete unknown is all that remains.

The Kings struck gold with DeMarcus Cousins in 2010 NBA Draft. It hasn’t always been easy, but Cousins’ talent was too great to mess up. He can drop 20 points and 10 rebounds without breaking a sweat most nights.

We won’t know who or what rookie Willie Cauley-Stein is and we probably won’t have any answers for a season or two.

And then there is third-year guard Ben McLemore. At 22-years-old, he has already started 137 of a possible 164 games in his career, and it’s possible he will open the season alongside Rajon Rondo in the starting backcourt.

[HAM: Kings notes: New-look starting five; reduced role for McLemore]

Starting is a big deal for a young player. But it’s very possible that the former Kansas product has been rushed into action. Through the preseason, he appeared overwhelmed and lost. Be it the challenge from all of the new pieces in Sacramento or something more, McLemore has failed to impress. Starting is one thing, but performing is a completely different beast.

“I don’t think we’re unhappy with him,” George Karl told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re unhappy he’s not making shots. We’re unhappy he hasn’t played at a high level. We’re confident he will.”

McLemore looked lost plenty of times during the Kings' 5-1 preseason. He finished the exhibition averaging 6.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 21.3 minutes. He shot a startling 27.8 percent from the field and 25 percent from the field behind the arc.

The St. Louis native took a huge jump from season one to two, but the instability of the Kings franchise may have set him down a dark path. The firing of Michael Malone completely shook the franchise to its core, but for McLemore, the loss of assistant Chris Jent may have even been bigger.

Young players need stability and Jent, now the head coach of the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League, was McLemore’s rock. Known for his work with a young LeBron James, Jent’s departure from the team left a void for both McLemore and 2014 draft pick Nick Stauskas.

Stauskas, now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, found his way down the stretch of the 2014-15 season. McLemore struggled through three head coaches, countless injuries to teammates, and major franchise instability. The damage may have been done.

Known for his incredible work ethic, McLemore spent the offseason refining his game. But the effort has yet to yield the desired results.

Karl points to McLemore’s inexperience or maybe the complexity of his system as a reason for his struggles.

“I think our style is to play random, equal opportunity flow basketball,” Karl said. “And so maybe the veteran guys, the guys that I call savvy - knowing how to get open, when to get open, when to cut, when not to cut, I think that Ben might be below the curve of that.”

Point guard Darren Collison reiterated what his coach said when asked about his starting backcourt mate from last season.

“It’s a free flowing offense,” point guard Darren Collison said. “He has to continue to be aggressive himself.”

Neither Collison, nor Karl are giving up on the seventh overall selection. While Collison pointed to getting McLemore involved earlier in the game, Karl pointed to many things, including a rudimentary issue that may date back to McLemore’s formative years..

“Ben was a high school center,” Karl said. “So all of his decisions he probably made in his first five years of playing basketball were from the inside out. Now he’s playing the game from the outside in and we’re trying to actually speed his decisions up, speed his shot selection up. I can see him struggling there even though athletically, that's the best game for him.”

McLemore possesses elite speed and athleticism. His shot from distance is smooth and his ability to finish on the break draws the crowd to its feet. But confidence is a fickle beast and the talent laden young guard is clearly lacking at this moment.

“I’ve seen 10-year players, 5-year All-Stars lose their confidence,” Karl said. “And that’s because this game is tough. You have to play at a high level on a daily basis and when you don’t play it that way, you second guess yourself. Ben will get a rhythm, he’ll find it out, but hopefully it will be soon.”

Despite the lackluster start, McLemore continues to put in the time and from speaking to him, he has not lost his confidence. He has been watching footage of former NBA guard Rip Hamilton to refine his catch and shoot game and he has been relying heavily on Belinelli to aid him during this adjustment period.

“I’m still young, I’m still learning learning the game,” McLemore said. “(I’m) asking Marco, who’s been in the game a long time. He’s helped me with different spots on the floor. He’s a great guy who can move without the ball and he’s been helping me with that a lot. I’m still learning.”

In addition to Belinelli, McLemore credits former All-Star Rajon Rondo, who has taken him under his wing during camp. In San Diego, Rondo pulled McLemore aside on more than one occasion to work on the finer nuances of the game. It is this type of tutelage that McLemore needs if he is going to succeed this season.

“He’s a big leader that understands the game, a point guard that’s going to feed you and teach you the game,” McLemore added. “A veteran like that you definitely need in this locker room.”

There is no questioning McLemore’s effort or his athleticism. But this isn’t the Kings of old. They are deep at every position and expectations are growing every day. Entering his third season, McLemore has had to fight through a chaotic situation, like a handful of his teammates.

The 2015-16 Sacramento Kings don’t have time to wait for a player to develop. There are hungry veterans lining up to steal minutes and so far, McLemore has left a door open. He’s still part of the rotation, but at some point, the talented young wing is going to have to turn potential into production or risk watching from the sidelines.



