After a season-long six game road trip, the Sacramento Kings are finally back home … and look very different than when they left as they’ll now be welcoming Zach LaVine instead of De’Aaron Fox. LaVine is set to make his debut with the Kings tonight as they’ll look to take on the Orlando Magic before heading right back on the road.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Wednesday, February 5th, 7:00 PM PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
The Kings are coming off a disappointing 2-4 road trip but at least managed to end it well, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves despite being shorthanded. The Kings are now back at home, and with reinforcements as well as Zach LaVine and Sidy Cissoko have both joined the squad. LaVine will almost certainly join the starting lineup with Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis, moving Keon Ellis back to the bench. LaVine’s shooting touch (career-high 44.6% from three on 7.3 attempts a game), overall scoring (24.0 points per game) and playmaking (4.5 assists) will be much welcomed as the Kings will need all the weapons they can get against an Orlando squad that plays some very tough defense.
The Magic have been hampered by injuries all season, and tonight is no different as they’ll likely be missing Jalen Suggs and definitely will be without Mo Wagner, but otherwise they’re fairly healthy comparatively. The Magic are mired in a deep slump right now, losers of 4 straight and 9 of their last 10. Orlando hasn’t won consecutive games since before Christmas. A big part of that is their lack of much offensive identity. While the Magic are the 2nd best defensive team in the league, they’re the 2nd worst offensive team and possess a negative net rating as a result. They play at the slowest pace of any team in the league, make the least threes and are third worst in overall FG%. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are both tremendous players, but both of them have been ice cold from three this season (28.7% for Banchero and 30.8% for Wagner). Orlando’s best outside shooter this season has been Mo Wagner, who is now out for the season, and their next best is Gary Harris, who has only made 35.5% of his attempts. It should be noted that the Magic made the least three pointers out of any team in the league last season, but still managed to set a franchise record for three pointers made against the Sacramento Kings the last time they were in Sacramento, when the Kings won 138-135 in double overtime despite Orlando making 25 of 44 three pointers. Malik Monk was instrumental in that game with 37 points off the bench, and now he is a full time starter. Paolo Banchero scored 43 points in that game, including 6 of 9 from distance.
One thing the Magic do extremely well on offense is get to the line. The Magic have the highest free throw attempt rate in the league, and Paolo Banchero is the biggest part of that, getting to the line 7.9 times a game. However, Banchero only shoot 62.7% from the line, so it’s usually a better bet to foul him hard instead of letting him get an easy look at the rim. Franz Wagner is actually Orlando’s leading scorer this season at 24.9 points a game, and he also does a great job at getting to the line with 6 attempts a game, and he makes them at a very high 87.2% clip.
This is a Magic team with a lot of length and size, two factors that have given the Kings trouble in the past. However, we’re also much different than the last times we’ve played them as we now feature DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. LaVine has actually struggled mightily in his two matchups against Orlando this season, scoring 11 points on 2-9 shooting in their first matchup, and then just 8 points on 3-9 shooting in their second. Now that LaVine is with the Kings however, he should be facing far less defensive pressure as the Magic will also have to focus on stopping Sacramento’s other scoring threats instead of mostly focusing on LaVine. In fact, in the lone matchup LaVine had against Orlando last season when DeMar DeRozan was still on the team, LaVine scored 34 points. LaVine and DeRozan obviously have a lot of familiarity with each other, but I will be very interested to see how he fits in with guys like Monk and Sabonis.
The Kings have yet to lose at home since Doug Christie took over as head coach, and tonight would be a bad time to start. The Kings are only one game over .500 and also have another game on the road tomorrow night against the red hot Portland Trailblazers (winners of 9 of their last 10), and only have one more home game after this one before the All-Star Break. The Kings are currently in 8th place in the conference, but tied in games back with the Suns, Warriors and Mavericks. The NBA trade deadline is also tomorrow, so who knows if this roster could change even more before then.
Prediction
Zach LaVine lights LaBeam.
Kings 134, Magic 119
Time is now for at least one more trade;
Finish off the one Monte made.
Tonight it’s the Magic,
But what would be tragic
Is not getting some kind of upgrade!
+1 Zach debuts tonight!
&ct=g
Hope the Kings scrub the Magic
Welcome to Sacramento, Zach. May your stay here be a pleasant one!
Or after a beer or two, Welcome to Zachramento Sach!
Kings next 10:
Orl
Por
NOP
Mavs
NOP
NOP
GSW
CHA
Utah
Hou
Kings are currently tied for 8th – 2.5 GB of #6. Considering that brutal road trip, that’s pretty solid. KD rumors suggest PHX is close to packing it in. LAC and Minnesota can be overtaken (it won’t be easy, but certainly possible). Hell, maybe the Lakers plummet in the immediate aftermath of the Luka trade.
The point is, the Kings are in a position to fight these final 33 games and the next 10 will give them a chance to stack some wins. Gotta take advantage of these games, by which I mean 7-3 should be the goal. If the Kings are 32-27 after these games, the 6 seed may actually be within reach.
I think there are 6 must win games out of those 10.
Orlando: Not playing well as of late. Usually not a good sign for the Kings, plus they are getting Lavine in there for the first time. If the game is close, I could see them leaving Lavine off the court and running a Monk/Ellis/DDR/Keegan/Sabonis lineup for continuity sake.
Warriors: Might look different after the deadline, so that’s a “wait and see” game.
Mavs: not sure if AD will be healthy by then. If not, I think the Kings win. Much tougher game if he is healthy.
Houston: Two tough games against them this season, both Kings wins. I expect that to be a close game.
7-3 would be great!
I’m worried for the Portland game tomorrow. They’ve been on a tear just as good as our recent run, and they’ll have had a day of rest while we’re on the second night straight.
First in defensive rating these last ten games (9-1, with the sole loss against OKC). They can’t be overlooked at the moment.
Portland is smoking red hot, and they’re playing very well top to bottom. They’re the number one defensive team since January. Only two layups in that list are the tanking Utah and Charlotte team.
I can see 8-2, but I’m still sweating those Portland, NOP, and Houston games. Still hoping for the best, 10-0, let’s go!
They ain’t like us!
B-b-b-b-Billups is giving himself a big shot to keep his job.
We shall see if the Kings will actually do anything or load up on cash considerations in the next 24 hours. With the roster constructed as it is today, I still believe our best chance to balance the bench more is have DDR be the 6th man and closer. At his age, is it an ego hit to really come off the bench? It feels like we could count on better overall efficiency with him as the 6th man and Keon starting.
Get a center, get a wing, call it a deadline and just try and roll on through to the end of the season.
I agree on Center and Wing, unless they want Lyles being the stretch 5 coming off the bench. Either way, we desperately need another wing and big.
Come on, Monte, go get Jonas and Kispert from DC.
Kings could easily snag Bobby Portis with the MLE. That would save the Bucks a good amount of luxury tax. He would make a solid backup Center.
Kispert would help with 3pt shooting, but not so much defensively.
Better than having no backup wing at all since really our two wings are Keegan and DDR and then a bunch of guards sliding up or small ball bench lineups.
Yeah, he’s like a younger version of McBuckets. Wouldn’t be the worst acquisition.
I wonder if they think Cissoko can come in and contribute right away (I sure hope not. He needs some work)
Kispert is a horrible defender. Like, really bad. He’s trying, but he doesn’t have the skills nor the understanding on defensive positioning, angles, footwork, anything.
That’s why I don’t think he would be a good fit, and would just be as frustrating as Huerter.
Champagnie has better stats then Kispert and can play defense.
Saddiq Bey? Coming off injury (torn ACL in March last year) but two more years on his contract at 6.6 at 7.
It has been mentioned that we only have Monk and Carter as point guards. Don’t forget Ellis. He played point guard for Alabama and was a starter. Lavine has also played point guard.
I’d be down with Jonas! Would hope for a better wing than Kispert but hey at this point anything helps and he would be an improvement.
Or Jonas and Champagnie.
If we could get Valancuinas I say go for it. There is another player on the Wizards who I think would help at forward and is well down the Wizard’s line. Justin Champagnie IMO will be a really good player and if we could get him a long with Jonas that might be it for now. Any body else have suggestions.
Empty the pick stash for toumani camara.
LaVine time! I excited to see what this looks like.
OT: In this morning’s presser, Monte claimed responsibility for the decision to fire MB. Also:
I’m so glad that he had a great reason and is thus it is not necessary to apologize and take accountability.
With a vest it’s easier to wash your hands in innocence because you won’t get sleeves wet.
He plays his cards close to the vest.
He has no cards left, it seems.
Oh yes he does.
That’s when he’s at his best. Don’t have to do anything.
I didn’t see any up his sleeves.
James Hams questions were great, and Monte wasn’t able to address them head on, which tells you everything you need to know.
Couldn’t hold a presser because they were too busy turning the team around.
Let’s translate….
“Couldn’t hold a presser to explain our coaching failure, because we were too busy fixing roster mistakes.”
I think Lavine will be a more productive scorer with the Kings because the Kings have much better talent than the Bulls. Those Domas/Lavine DHOs and PnR should be lethal. Lavine won’t be the focus for defenses like he was in Chicago. Focus on Lavine, then Monk, DDR, and Sabonis will have good matchups.
I agree. I’m seeing a lot of “The Kings are the 2021 Chicago Bulls” jokes, but the reality is that Bulls team didn’t have nearly the supporting cast that the Kings do. Sabonis is better than Vuc has ever been in his career, Monk/Keegan/Keon is far superior to Colby/Williams/Caruso. Throw in Carter and Lyles, and I like the way the team fits together. Not saying they’re going to win a title, but I think they will be more competitive than the best version of the DDR/Lavine Bulls.
TBD…
2022 Bulls v. Kings
Ball > Monk – thought Monk is making this closer and could change this
Zach == Zach – till proven otherwise, still in prime
DDR >> DDR – 32 year old DDR was Top 10 MVP candidate, 36 year old DDR…
Javonte << Keegan
Vuc < Sabonis – Could be two <<s, but Vuc was pretty good as well
Bench
Ayo, Caruso, Jones, Williams > Ellis, Jones, Len, Lyles
Obviously bench could change before the deadline. I do think the Sabonis DHO will definitely help him though.
And to be clear, I think it’s probably fair that the Kings overall might be better. But it is close and the 2022 Bulls were a pretty good team, even if the East was weaker.
Oh you sweet summer child.
Still tilting at windmills.
Well played. Took the wind out of my sails…
(yes, that also works for windmills)
A 4/5 combo vet with playoff experience AND he came with draft compensation? Must be too tall for Monte.
I’m not going to get worked up on this one. The only good thing for Theis this season is his free throw accuracy.
We can do better.
Yeah. Theis had some very nice years with Boston in particular, but has really fallen off and has only played 600 minutes this year with a -3.3 BPM. And he hasn’t been better than a -1.4 BPM since 2021 and is an undersized (6’8″) 32 year old PF/C who has lost the footspeed he used to have to survive on the perimeter.
I agree. He isn’t a game changer in the slightest. Hell, I would rather have the 10 minutes each game go to Isaac Jones.
I’m just getting preemptively pissed if/when nothing gets done and the Kings simply give Isaac Jones a regular deal. The Kings HAVE to add someone to get to 14 rostered players. I’ve now seen a few tax/apron teams paying teams with space in draft capital to eat minor deals. Theis is an expiring $2M deal. The Thunder didn’t need him, but Presti got himself another pick out of it.
Now, if Monte pulls a rabbit out of his hat in the next 24 hours all will be forgiven, but I’m not expecting it based on recent history.
Sean Cunningham seemed to be fairly optimistic that 2 deals could be happening. I won’t believe it until I see it, though.
Ha, well we have 2 roster spots open so technically something will happen, but question is if it will be an impactful trade or two minor FA signings or some last second marginal role player acquired for a 2nd round pick.
1 game at a time regardless who the Kings playing… The last time we thought about stacking wins was that home stand losing streak before Coach MB got fired lol
Kings about to stay undefeated in the Lavine Era. Let’s go cook!
If the Kings had traded for Kyle Kuzma, it’s ugh!
The Bucks traded for Kyle Kuzma, they did a pretty good trade.
That’s because they lowered the tax burden and gave up a guy who’s body might be done and may not even play this year.
Let’s help the Bucks out more by snagging Portis. They would save a boatload of cash!
I definitely agree with you. That was my reaction when I read the report.
Kuzma is better than the current feet stuck in lead Middleton. Guy can still shoot, but he’s cooked defensively, and he’s not a guarantee to play consistently.
Say what you want about kuzma, but he doesn’t have injury concerns like Middleton.
I agree
Lol.
That shit is funny.
This made me chuckle.
Doesn’t KD know the Dubs are “light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things…”?
Nobody wants to play with Dray
Ready for the Fox – Kings double header tonight.
Go Kings!
Kings just got Jonas for Ciddy and I think a 2nd. Ciddy, sorry I can’t remember how to spell your name, you weren’t here long enough.
Here’s one of the two deals Cunningham must have been referring to:
Been a Kings fan since shortly after moving to Northern California in ’86. Left in ’92 but have still followed them obsessively.
Me and my son traveled down from Missoula Montana to catch this game. It’ll be our first time seeing them Light the Beam in person.
I can’t fully process Chris Paul and DeAaron Fox together in a starting lineup.
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