Preview

Jonathan Bradley

The Kings tip off the 2022-23 season this Wednesday night when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers in their first home tilt of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sacramento enters the matchup with an entirely new coaching staff, two new starters, a top-five draft pick and a roster that features seven new faces from last season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Here are five things every Kings fan should be watching for in the home opener against Portland:&nbsp;

Kings head coach Mike Brown has all but solidified the point guard, small forward and center positions in the starting lineup, with veterans De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis locked in those roles. However, the two-guard and power forward positions have seen an open battle throughout training camp and preseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Coach has been tight lipped about who might get the start in these spots come Wednesday night, and if the Kings first four exhibition games are any indication, the coaching staff is going to have a tough decision on their hands.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Newly acquired guard Kevin Huerter started three of Sacramento’s four preseason games and improved each time on the floor. After going 2-for-5 shooting and scoring just five points in his first preseason game, the former Terrapin scored a combined 24 points over the next two games, shooting 7 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from deep.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another contender for the role is returning guard Terence Davis. Davis, like Huerter, started preseason slowly but picked things up over the next three games. In just 11 minutes of action against the Trail Blazers, TD racked up 14 points on four triples to go with four assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He followed that up with a 12-point outing off the bench against the Suns before dropping 14 points and six assists, again off the bench, against the Lakers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The likely final contender for the starting two-guard spot is Malik Monk, who got the start against the Lakers after ankle soreness prevented Huerter from playing. Monk was solid in the start, putting up 13 points and hitting two of the Kings 20 threes in the win, as he reunited in the in the backcourt with friend and former Kentucky Wildcat teammate Fox for the first time since college.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As far as the power forward position goes, it appears to be another three-man race, this time between KZ Okpala, rookie Keegan Murray and Trey Lyles.&nbsp;

Okpala is familiar with Coach Brown’s defensive philosophy thanks to his time playing on the Nigerian National Team and proved he could be the defensive stopper on the wing this team needs to be successful. He started and ended the preseason the same way: frustrating one of the game’s best players, LeBron James, with his defensive intensity. He also showed off his sneaky athleticism, meeting Pat Beverly at the rim to block a dunk attempt midway through the matchup.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another option for the Kings at the 4 is rookie Keegan Murray, who, despite playing just two games, might have had the most impressive preseason of anyone on the roster. In his preseason debut, Murray tallied a game high 16 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting while adding two steals and six rebounds. He followed that up with another 16 points -- the team high again – against the Trail Blazers, scoring all but one of his points from three-point range.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last but not least, is power forward Trey Lyles, who started 11 games for the Kings last season after arriving via midseason trade. Lyles’ play has fluctuated during the preseason but he showing during the matchup against the Lakers the value he brings to the court. He came off the bench to score 17 points, only behind 21 from Fox, and knocked down a team-high four three-pointers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A difficult decision lies ahead for Brown but if there’s anything we know about the new head coach, it’s whoever is named starter, will have earned it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Keegan Murray has absolutely crushed every “NBA Debut” so far.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In his California Classic debut, Murray finished with 24 points and seven rebounds. In his NBA Summer League debut, tallied 20 points and nine rebounds in a his first matchup against fellow rookie Paolo Banchero. And in his NBA Preseason debut, the Iowa native tallied team-highs in points (16), rebounds (6) and FGM (7).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Murray missed the final two preseason games with a non-COVID related illness, and the team is looking to ease him back into action, so there’s a chance his debut may be delayed beyond opening night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But whenever the rook takes the court for the first time, we can almost guarantee it’ll be worth the wait.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It’s well known that Coach Brown is a defensive minded coach. Defenses he’s led as a head coach have never finished below Top 16 in defensive rating and early indications point to the Kings being&nbsp;good on that end of the court.&nbsp;&nbsp;

During the 2022-23 preseason, the Kings have held all but one opponent to under 100 points and twice forced the Lakers to shoot below 40 percent from the field. They’ve also forced over 20 turnovers in each game this preseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The coaching staff’s emphasis on team defense was put on display with the installation of the new bell in the practice facility. The bell is meant to encourage players to keep making winning plays on the defensive end, whether it be steals, taking charges or simply going vertical to defend the rim.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In addition to the new philosophies Brown and the rest of the coaching staff have introduced, the signing of guys like Okapala and Chima Moneke, Basketball Champions League MVP and defensive player of the year candidate, will only bolster the squad through this season.&nbsp;

De’Aaron Fox has thrived throughout his career as a ball-dominant point guard but that will seemingly evolve in Mike Brown’s offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Brown and the rest of the Kings coaching staff see the point guard through power forward positions as interchangeable, with any one of those guys able to bring the ball up and initiate the offense.&nbsp;

That means, sometimes Fox will bring the ball up, sometimes it’ll be Harrison Barnes, and even Sabonis&nbsp;at times. Either way, fans will get plenty of looks at Fox off the ball in offensive sets this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Look for Fox to be active in DHO’s on the elbow with Sabonis but also serving as the baseline cutter while others work through their progressions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Regardless, Brown’s pace-and-space offensive will see significant movement from players -- and the ball -- in the hopes of finding the best shot available.&nbsp;

The Kings second unit has been giving opponents fits during the preseason. But when you roll out a second five that includes the likes of Lyles, Murray, TD and Monk, guys that can each drop 20 in their sleep, it’s clear why.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Over four preseason games, the Kings bench outscored opponents 281-172. On average, the bench is outscoring foes 70 to 43.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If the Kings bench can maintain that momentum throughout the season, they will be an incredibly tough team to beat.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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5 Things to Watch for in the Kings Season Opener

Kyle Ramos

Following a victory in the home finale, the Sacramento Kings look to finish their road schedule on a high note when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
 
Los Angeles is on the heels of topping the Houston Rockets at home with a decisive 125-96 win. Guards Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford lead the charge for L.A., each contributing 19 points en route to the victory. The Clippers also held the Rockets to just 9-of-40 shooting from behind the arc and just 39 percent from the field overall.
 
During their last visit to L.A., Sacramento completed an 18-point fourth quarter comeback to stun the Clippers, 98-97. The Kings broke off a 22-3 run which was punctuated with a tip-in by Willie Cauley-Stein with 1.8 seconds remaining, sealing the win for Sactown at STAPLES Center.
 
The Kings were boosted in their previous game by career nights by their guards. Buddy Hield tallied a career-high 30 points to propel the Kings to a 129-104 win. Meanwhile, Ty Lawson recorded his first career triple-double, logging 22 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.
 
With the 2016-17 campaign drawing to a close, a win could gather some positive momentum for the Kings heading into the offseason.
 Key Matchup
Following his career-high, Hield is the player to watch as he faces a tough two-way assignment in Clippers guard J.J. Redick. Though Redick’s defensive prowess will be a challenge, Hield’s scoring impact could be a difference maker for the Kings success in this matchup.
 Did You Know?
Sacramento is seeking a third-straight road win against the Clippers and also a split of the season series - something that has not occurred since the 2006-07 season.
 Broadcast Information
The game will be streamed online on NBC Sports California. Fans can also tune into the action on Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Preview: Kings (32-49) at Clippers (50-31)

Jonathan Santiago

Tonight, the Sacramento Kings step onto the Golden 1 Center court for one last time during the 2016-17 season. Their opponent? A young Phoenix Suns team anchored by the talented Devin Booker.

The Suns season ends tonight in Sacramento. With a victory, Phoenix can conclude the year matching a season-long three-game winning streak. Their last game out, the Suns toppled the Mavs, 124-111, thanks to T.J. Warren’s 21 points on a perfect 8-of-8 from the field. Since All-Star Weekend, Warren is one of just five players in the League averaging better than 15 points a game while shooting over 55 percent.

Last time out, Sacramento fell in a barn burner to the Houston Rockets, losing 135-128 on Sunday. Skal Labissiere led the way, finishing with 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Ben McLemore and Ty Lawson also had impressive games. McLemore scored 18 points off the Kings bench while Lawson, who started for the 24th time this season, recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists.

The battle between Buddy Hield and Booker, two of the NBA’s rising talents at shooting guard, will be one to watch. Since joining the Kings, Hield has been a bright spot, averaging roughly 14 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from three-point distance. Booker, meanwhile, is shattering records in just his second year in the NBA. Most notably, the former Kentucky Wildcat became the youngest player in League history to score 70 points when he accomplished the feat against the Boston Celtics on March 24.

In 10 starts this year, Labissiere is averaging 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting a stellar 51.6 percent from the field.

The game will be streamed live on NBC Sports California. Fans can also tune into the action on Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

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Preview: Kings (31-49) vs Suns (24-57)

Today, the Sacramento Kings return to Golden 1 Center to play their second-to-last home game of the season. They have a tall task on their hands facing MVP candidate James Harden and his Houston Rockets.

Sacramento enters the game following a narrow 98-94 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Kings young bigs performed at a high level in their second to last road game of the season. Skal Labissiere led the team in scoring with 19 points while Willie Cauley-Stein filled the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Rookie Georgios Papagiannis recorded his second double double of his career, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Rockets, meanwhile, visit the Capital City for the last time this year en route to their first postseason appearance under coach Mike D’Antoni. James Harden is coming off a 33 point, 12 assist performance Friday against the Pistons. One of the NBA’s top candidates for MVP, Harden has a League leading 62 double doubles this year. The Rockets have won 11 of their last 12 games against Sacramento, including all three matchups this season.

Sacramento’s bigs must keep a close eye on Ryan Anderson. The cagey veteran from El Dorado Hills returned to the Rockets lineup on Friday to score nine points in 13 minutes after missing the last two weeks due to injury. This season against the Kings, Anderson is averaging 20 points while shooting 50 percent from 3-point distance to go along with 5.7 boards per contest.

Since joining the Kings, Buddy Hield is posting a true-shooting percentage of 61.4. In comparison, his TS% was 50.3 percent with the Pelicans.

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Preview: Kings (31-48) vs Rockets (53-26)

Shahbaz Khan

A rarity in the League, the Los Angeles Lakers emerged victorious in San Antonio on Wednesday evening. Led by Tyler Ennis’ 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, Jordan Clarkson’s 17 and Larry Nance Jr.’s 15, L.A. outplayed the 60-18 Spurs for the wire-to-wire win. Los Angeles held San Antonio to 44 percent from the floor while not allowing any scorers to surpass 14 points.

In the teams’ last meeting, Sacramento narrowly escaped a Lakers comeback, winning 97-96. Overall, Sactown is in the midst of a four-game victory streak at STAPLES Center.

The Kings, meanwhile, have won back-to-back outings, moving to four wins in their past six games. Led by the impressive play of Ben McLemore, who shot 5-of-5 from beyond the arc for 22 points, the Kings pulled out a late win at Golden 1 Center. McLemore is averaging 14 points over the team’s past five games, with three games scoring 15 or more during that stretch.

Between Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Skal Labissiere, Georgios Papagiannis, Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield and McLemore, the team’s young prospects will decide the outcome of Friday’s game.

Key Matchup
A rebounding machine as of late, Cauley-Stein will be responsible for limiting fellow Wildcat alum Julius Randle. Should Trill continue his strong play, the team will be poised to finish with a third-straight win.

Did You Know?
Sacramento is in its best stretch all-time versus the Lakers, winning nine of their last 10 matchups.

Broadcast Information
The game will be streamed online on NBC Sports California. Fans can also tune into the action on Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Preview: Kings (31-47) at Lakers (23-55)

Falling in four of their past five games, the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from Playoff contention this weekend, a rarity under head coach Rick Carlisle. Most recently though, Dallas emerged victorious versus the postseason-bound Milwaukee Bucks. Thanks to a 31-point performance by Harrison Barnes, the Mavs edged the Bucks, 109-105.

Versus the Kings this season, the Mavs are 1-1, defeating Sacramento by 20 points in December on their home court.

Dallas has yet to face the new-look Kings, who have secured wins in three of their past five outings. On Saturday, Sacramento comfortably defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves despite a 16-point first quarter deficit. Five scored in double figures, led by Buddy Hield’s career-best-tying 22-point effort.

Playing the first of their final five games of the 2016-17 season, keep an eye on the Kings rookies versus Dallas.

Barnes will likely face off against Kings swingman Garrett Temple, a defensive stopper for Sacramento. Limiting Barnes’ offensive production will be essential for Sactown to emerge victorious.

Online sensation Lil Bub will be in attendance of Tuesday’s matchup between Dallas and Sacramento to takeover Kings social media channels! Stay tuned on all the team’s social accounts for content from the internet-famous cat!

The game will be streamed online on NBC Sports California. Fans can also tune into the action on Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

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Preview: Kings (30-47) vs Mavericks (32-44)

Following impressive play by the trio of Ricky Rubio, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the Timberwolves have reeled off back-to-back wins. Despite the victories, the Wolves are 3-7 in their past 10 games, nearly out of playoff range with time running out on the season.

Rubio though, is in the best offensive stretch of his career during the 10-game span. The sixth-year point guard is boasting averages of 20 points and 10 assists on 50-percent shooting during the last 10, including a career-high 33 points in Minnesota’s win over the Lakers on Thursday. An expert assist man, the Spaniard often finds teammates Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, who both tally over 20 points per contest.

Sactown is hoping to win the season series at 3-1, most recently falling to the Wolves 102-88 in Sacramento.

24 hours removed from a loss at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento looks to build off of the strong performances by its young core of Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein and Georgios Papagiannis, who each scored in double figures. Facing young stars like Towns and Wiggins, the group will need to play at their peak level to limit the duo and earn a win.

Facing the tandem of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins yesterday, Willie Cauley-Stein will have his hands full again versus another Kentucky alum in Karl-Anthony Towns. If Trill is able to limit the Wolves’ center, Sacramento’s winning probability will increase exponentially.

Opponents in 2014 on the college level, Willie Cauley-Stein’s Kentucky Wildcats helped defeat Timberwolves rookie Kris Dunn’s Providence Friars, forcing a career-high 10 turnovers en route to a 20-point victory for Kentucky.

The game will be streamed online on NBCS California. Fans can also tune into the action on Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Preview: Kings (29-47) at Timberwolves (30-44)

Benedict Tagle

Entering tonight’s matchup, the New Orleans Pelicans greet the Kings coming off a close win over the Dallas Mavericks. In a high-scoring affair, the Pelicans left the Smoothie King Center with a three-point victory over the visiting Mavs, 121-118.

In the winning effort, five different players scored in double digits. They were led by Anthony Davis, with a big double-double of 30 points and 13 rebounds. At over 50 percent, he shot well from the field for the Pelicans. Former King DeMarcus Cousins also played a role in the victory, chipping in 29 points and 16 rebounds. The Mavericks also had five double-digit scorers, led by Dirk Nowitzki, but it was not enough to secure a win.

In the first matchup between the Pelicans and Kings since the midseason trade between the two teams, Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, and Tyreke Evans return to New Orleans.

The Kings enter The Big Easy on the heels of a 112-82 loss to the Utah Jazz. Ben McLemore had a strong first half, scoring 17 points in the second quarter. But, the Jazz had six players finish in double-digits, led by Gordon Hayward. McLemore led the Kings with 22.

Davis will keep the young big men of Sacramento busy. Averaging the most points and rebounds per game he has as a professional, Davis is having the best campaign of his NBA career. He enters the matchup with four straight 30-point performances and seven-straight double-doubles.

The Kings will have an opportunity to sweep the season series for the first time since 2003.

The game will be streamed online at CSN California. Fans can also tune into the action on Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.