Kings coach George Karl suggested Saturday that rookie Willie Cauley-Stein would open the season as the team's starting center.

Kings coach George Karl suggested Saturday that rookie Willie Cauley-Stein rather than Koufos would open the season as the team's starting center, James Ham of CSN Bay Area reports. "I would say right now, Willie's probably going to start," Karl said. "I"m not sure of that yet, but I think that's probably where I'm heading."

Analysis:

Koufos had been a favorite of Karl when the two were in Denver together, but Cauley-Stein's length and athleticism make him a potential terror near the rim for the Kings, which is likely why the coach is leaning toward starting the rookie. For all his gifts, it's not clear if Cauley-Stein can show enough maturity on the offensive end or avoid the foul trouble that often plagues first-year players, giving Koufos a fair chance at gathering plenty of minutes off the bench. Koufos isn't especially flashy, but he did average a 5.2 points on a solid 50.8 percent shooting to go along with 5.3 boards per game while he was with the Grizzlies in 2014-15.