Sacramento Kings: 15 greatest scorers in franchise history
Otis Birdsong. player. 84. Scouting Report. SG. (1977-81). 11. Pick Analysis
With the No. 2 overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, the then-Kansas City Kings selected guard Otis Birdsong out of the University of Houston. Selecting him paid immediate dividends for the Kings, as Birdsong scored 15.8 points per game as a rookie.
He took another step forward in his sophomore season, upping his points-per-game average to 21.7, followed by a bump to 22.7 the next season in 1979-80.
After his rookie season, Birdsong made three consecutive NBA All-Star appearances with the Kings. In his fourth and final season with the team, Birdsong averaged 24.6 points per game, narrowly missing out on averaging 25 points per contest.
He helped the Kings reach the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, the same as his NBA All-Star seasons. Birdsong performed well in the playoffs averaging 21, 22, and 15.5 points in the postseason from 1979 to 1981.
What keeps Birdsong from finishing higher on this ranking was his lack of time spent with the team. With only four seasons with the Kings, Birdsong only beats Buddy Hield in longevity with the team. Despite his short stay, Birdsong scored 6,539 points and averaged 21.2 points per game as a King, enough for fifth all time.