Playing just 22 games side-by-side, the Sacramento Kings regular starting five has been outstanding this season.
With DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson manning the paint, Rudy Gay on the wing and the combination of Darren Collison and Ben McLemore in the backcourt, the Kings rank ninth in offensive rating (111.3), first in defensive rating (88.6) and fifth in net rating (+22.7)
“If you look at the last few games, other than that third quarter against Denver, we’ve been making great progress with that group,” said Head Coach Tyrone Corbin.
Those five players have racked up over 300 minutes together on the court − good for eighth in the League − which has allowed them to establish a unique trust between one another.
“Matchups change… but for the most part, we feel like with that traditional lineup, we can match up against most teams,” continued Corbin.
Sacramento has the added luxury of some solid rebounding bigs in its starting five. Big Cuz has routinely ranked amidst the top of every rebounding category, JT regularly flirts with double-digit boards and Rudy Gay is a strong rebounder from his small forward spot.
As a group, the Kings starting unit ranks seventh in rebounding percentage at 54.6 and 14th in defensive glass cleaning (78.9).
“For us, I think now it’s about finding that consistency,” said Thompson. “In two out of the last three games, we’ve played against really good teams and I feel like we (adjusted our playing style). We can’t be hyped for some games and not for others. We have to have that same mentality game-in and game-out.”
The group also holds the 12th spot in the League with an effective field goal percentage of 54.5, while nearly cracking the top-15 in pace (97.21), which ranks the number of possessions a team has per 48 minutes.
“I think they’re really doing a good job communicating with each other and holding each other accountable,” said Corbin.
- No starting lineup has been better defensively than Sacramento’s regular starting five in terms of defensive rating (88.6).
- The Kings regular starting unit holds the 13th spot in the NBA with a true shooting percentage of 58.2.
- Sacramento’s next opponent − the Dallas Mavericks − currently holds the 17th spot in defensive rating (98.3) and the 50th spot offensively (98.0) in terms of starting units.
From Love to Nowitzki
Kings forward Jason Thompson did an admirable job with Kevin Love in the team’s recent win, holding him to 25 points on 21 shots, but now he has another highly skilled opponent to deal with.
Dirk Nowitzki leads the Mavs into Sacramento as the teams partake in a rematch of November’s shootout in which Dallas stormed back from a 24-point deficit to claim a 106-98 win.
“I can’t say enough about how much I respect his understanding, especially where he’s at and his role on this team,” Corbin said of Thompson after practice on Monday.
“He’s done a really good job for us and has made us better because of his versatility and his attention to detail.”
Known for his sharp-shooting reliability over the past decade, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki had an off month to round out 2014. He connected on just 27.8 percent of his threes in December, averaging 17.8 points per game. Historically, it was one of the worst shooting months of his career.
“Dirk is a unique player,” admitted Thompson.
“Sometimes you’re not going to be able to block his shot because of his height, but you have to contest and make it tough for him.”
In five games this month, Dallas’ No. 41 is averaging 18.2 points, shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from the three-point line.
“The game has changed when it comes to (power forwards),” said Thompson. “Just by stretching the floor, making threes and trying to shoot more jump shots − it’s something that you have to adjust to.”
The Kings No. 34 will look to slow down Nowitzki and Co. as the Kings seek their third win at home in the past four games.