30Q: What can we learn from preseason?

We’re one day away from the Sacramento Kings’ media day, which marks the official start of the 2022-23 NBA season. Training camp begins on Tuesday, September 27th, and the first preseason game will take place on Monday, October 3rd at Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With a revamped coaching staff, led by head coach Mike Brown, and nine new players currently on the squad, preseason will be an intriguing sneak-peak into what to expect. The twenty-man roster will have to be cut down to seventeen and roles will need to be defined as soon as possible.

Here are five things to watch for throughout the course of their four preseason games.

Will Domantas Sabonis and Richaun Holmes play together?

Domantas Sabonis spent a good amount of his time with the Indiana Pacers playing alongside another center in Myles Turner. When Sabonis was acquired, many expected Holmes to be moved this offseason. But Holmes is still in Sactown and it’s hard to imagine him only playing 15 minutes solely as Sabonis’ backup.

The defense could function fine with that duo considering their average to above average mobility at their size. A concern could lie with the offensive spacing. Holmes attempted five total threes last season while Sabonis only threw up 17 in his 15 games with the Kings. For Indiana, Turner being a willing shooter from beyond the arc was essential for his fit with Sabonis.

At the very least, Holmes has shown to be very efficient from the free-throw line extended with his patented push-shot and Sabonis has his moments in the mid-range as well. Factoring in the previous shooting struggles that have surrounded some of the others, mostly notably De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell, it’ll be interesting to see how much Mike Brown looks towards a Sabonis/Holmes pairing.

The third-string point guard battle

With both Quinn Cook and Matthew Dellavedova both on the training camp roster, there is assumedly a battle taking place between the two of them with the victor likely being awarded the third-string point guard opening behind Fox and Mitchell.

Their varying skill sets are clear, with Cook being the superior shooter and Dellavedova supplying a greater defensive presence. Both have spent time in their careers playing under Mike Brown as well.

At 32 years old, Dellavedova’s lateral mobility is something to monitor, as well as how they both mesh with the surrounding pieces during the preseason. It’s easy to overlook the importance of a third-string point guard but if anyone above them in the rotation were to suffer an injury, they could become important in a hurry.

What defensive coverage will Sabonis be in?

When Domantas Sabonis played under Alvin Gentry last season, he was primarily used in a drop-coverage on the defensive end with underwhelming results. Take a fifteen-game sample size with a grain of salt, and of course, the same applies to the four games of preseason that are rapidly approaching, but this will be the first chance we get to see how Mike Brown could prefer to utilize the Lithuanian big-man in pick-and-roll defense.

With his capable foot speed, showing could wield promising results or maybe they even feel comfortable switching him in certain matchups. If there’s anything to take from the defense that Coach Brown contributed to in Golden State it’s that there will be a large variety of coverages used, but Sabonis’ role in that defense as the last line of defense will be crucial.

The frequency of small-ball lineups

With a handful of experienced guards on the roster and only so many minutes available in the backcourt, small-ball lineups are to be expected – but just how often and who is trusted to guard up are the questions.

Kevin Huerter split his time with the Atlanta Hawks at the small forward and shooting guard. Malik Monk is probably too small to play the three. Could Terence Davis give you a handful of minutes in a three-guard set? How much will Davion Mitchell actually play alongside De’Aaron Fox or will he primarily function as his replacement?

This also affects the forwards towards the back of Sacramento’s projected rotation with Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray expected to be ahead of Trey Lyles, KZ Okpala, Chimezie Metu, and even Chima Moneke.

What position(s) will Chima Moneke play?

Chima Moneke, who most recently played for BAXI Manresa in the Spanish Liga ACB league, played the four overseas. His stellar rebounding, finishing, and comfort functioning as a roll-man on offense makes that idea intriguing in the NBA, but his 6’6” frame is notably smaller than your typical four.

His three-point shooting is unproven up to this point, which adds to the positional complication that the coaching staff faces with him. A fan favorite in Spain due to his relentless hustle and fiery spirit, he could fill an interesting role in Sacramento. What that role exactly is, or if he even will make the final cut, is unknown. It’s up to the Kings to figure that out throughout the course of training camp and preseason.