Every NBA player goes through rough patches, especially when they play for the Sacramento Kings. After the return of Domantas Sabonis and the rise of Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud seems to have entered one of those periods. But business will pick up for the rookie if he just stays ready.
The quick rise of Raynaud from rookie to starting center has been nothing short of astonishing. He stepped up in a big way after Sabonis' injury, and stayed on the starting five for the vast majority of the big man's two-month absence. It's safe to say Maxime made the most of that time.
He scored in the double-digits through most of December and picked up six double-doubles. On top of that, he became a [regular fixture on the Kia Rookie Ladder](https://aroyalpain.com/maxime-raynaud-december-remember-roty-worthy), topping out for the moment at sixth place. January has been a much different story due to some roster changes.
Raynaud's competition for minutes increases
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Sabonis recently made a return to the Kings' lineup. While he's playing off the bench, he is eating up minutes and touches that used to go to Raynaud. That has definitely cut into the rookie's production. The problem isn't just Sabonis, though.
Fellow rookie [Dylan Cardwell has also emerged](https://aroyalpain.com/dylan-cardwell-becoming-kings-juggernaut-he-hits-career-milestone) as an impressive option at the five. He's a savvy defender, throws down massive dunks, and hypes the crowd with his high-energy celebrations after a great play. Cardwell is also becoming a regular fixture on the court.
On top of that, Precious Achiuwa is also getting more minutes and has generally solid performances. The Kings now have a similar logjam at the five that they have had at the guard positions for a couple of seasons, and Raynaud is the one who is suffering the most. Well, outside of Drew Eubanks.
Raynaud's development is plateauing
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When Sabonis was injured, the main options the Kings had at center were Eubanks and Raynaud. They tried Eubanks, but it didn't work out, so Raynaud got the nod and developed his game incredibly fast because of it. Now that he's fighting for minutes, you can see his numbers declining.
In the Kings' most recent game against the Cavs, he played well under 10 minutes and only tallied one rebound. Cardwell, on the other hand, played nearly 23 minutes with Sabonis on the court for over 30, and they both did great. It's a far cry from where Raynaud was in December.
Things will change. Sabonis is likely to be traded soon, and Cardwell will have to return to the G League eventually. That will put Raynaud back in the thick of it, playing big minutes and collecting impressive numbers. To paraphrase Matt Cardona, Maxime just has to always stay ready.