The unluckiest team in NBA history gets to take on the luckiest team in NBA history tonight as we get our first taste of NBA Cup action this season.
Who: Sacramento Kings (1-7) vs. San Antonio Spurs (6-2).
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When: 7 PM PDT / 10 PM EDT
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
You know, it’s just our luck that the NBA’s new lottery rules went into effect this year right when the Kings were back to being the very bottom of the NBA. It would have been really nice to have it in place the few years before then, because then maybe the Kings might have had a chance at getting someone like Victor Wembanyama. Instead, he went to the Spurs as part of three straight top 5 picks that they received, something that also isn’t allowed under the new rules anymore. Yes, I am a little salty.
Anyway, the Kings face the Spurs tonight as part of NBA Cup action. The Kings and Spurs belong to West Group C which also features the Lakers, Trail Blazers and Warriors. Last year’s NBA Cup Finals actually proved to be an actual NBA Finals preview, as the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 with Jalen Brunson taking the MVP for that game as well.
Wembanyama has been on a bit of a vengeance tear to start this season, and he’s averaging career-highs almost across the board so far: 29 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals. The only thing he’s not particularly doing well so far is shooting from three as he’s only 24% from distance on 6.3 attempts a game. He’s also coming off a game where he had 52 points, 24 rebounds, 8 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals in just 34 minutes. He’s a one man wrecking ball and that’s not even including a fantastic supporting cast featuring former Kings star De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
The Kings have already faced the Spurs once this season and it did not go well. Sacramento lost 130-103 and allowed the Spurs to score 80 points in the first half alone. Julian Champagnie was actually the biggest factor in that one as he made 8 three pointers in the first half alone, most of those coming in the 2nd quarter when he was 6-7 from distance. The Spurs had come into that game struggling from distance, but as usual the Kings were the medicine they needed and they proceeded to make 45.9% of their attempts.
The Kings do have a little bit more size to help out with Wembanyama this time thanks to Dylan Cardwell’s return to action. Cardwell made his season debut in Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, playing 12:45 and totaling 4 points and 6 rebounds. Notably, he was the only Kings player to finish with a positive +/- at a +4.
For the Kings to win tonight it will need to be a total and complete team effort. Darius Acuff will need to be efficient and he needs to have some help with the scoring. The one win the Kings had they actually had a good performance from their bench, but it was back to disappointing against the Lakers. The Kings are still without Maxime Raynaud and Keegan Murray, while the Spurs will be without Tobias Harris, who has yet to play for them this season.
Prediction: Spurs 128, Kings 109
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