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Kings Roll into Rip City After Solid Training Camp

After spending the last six days in Southern California working hard and bonding, the Kings will finally get to show off their new-look roster in the preseason opener against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Kings held their 2015 Training Camp at UC San Diego, using the time away from Sacramento to focus on playing basketball and strengthening chemistry on and off of the court.

While in San Diego, the squad was able to get a much better feel for each other, something that is incredibly important for a Kings team that features only five returning players from the 2014-15 campaign.

Head coach George Karl ran the players through drills that emphasized ball movement and communication, two of several key points he spent the camp stressing to his team.

Other areas Coach Karl looked to address were an increased tempo on offense and improvements on defense. To adapt to a higher pace on offense, scrimmages were played using a shortened 18-second shot clock, forcing the players to get set and make decisions more rapidly.

With the team starting to adjust to Coach Karl’s system, they will have their first chance to put it all into motion in Rip City.

Blazers Breakdown

The Kings will battle a team on Monday that also features an array of new faces.

During the offseason, Portland lost four of five starters from last season’s playoff team, with the most notable departures being All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Blazers all-time three-pointers made leader Wes Matthews.

However, Blazers head coach Terry Stotts should have some tools at his disposal - albeit young ones - as he tries to replace Aldridge with the three-pronged attack of Ed Davis, Mason Plumlee and Noah Vonleh, who were all acquired in the offseason.

Last Season

In the 2014-15 campaign, the Kings came out victorious in one of the three contests against the Trail Blazers, defeating Portland on Halloween 103-94. This win would be the first of a five game winning streak for the Kings, a streak that would end up being the longest of the 2014-15 season.

During the 2015-16 regular season, the Kings will again face the Blazers three times, with the first game coming on December 27 at Sleep Train Arena.

Key Matchup

An interesting matchup will be the point guard position, as the Blazers will be sending out All-Star guard Damian Lillard against either Rajon Rondo or Darren Collison, two players who could definitely prove to be a handful for Lillard on both sides of the ball.

Kings-Blazers Connection

DeMarcus Cousins will be facing a former teammate in Mason Plumlee, who played alongside Boogie during their gold medal run in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

While the game will not be televised but will be broadcast on Sports 1140 KHTK. Kings fans can also follow along with the action on Twitter (@SacramentoKings). Tip-off is Monday night at 7 p.m. PDT.


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