Things might not all be normal in the Kingdom right now, but this team still has basketball games in front of them that need winning. After dropping what should have been one of their easier games against a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers squad, the Kings now face one of their toughest tests of the season in the 37-9 Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City has lost just three games at homes all season and thrashed the Kings 130-109 in their sole previous matchup this season. Toppling them will be no easy feat.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Saturday, February 1st, 5:00 PM
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
The Thunder might just be the best team in the NBA this season, even though they’re a couple of wins behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the overall #1 seed. Oklahoma City has become turbocharged on both ends of the floor this year, where they’re #1 in defensive rating and #6 in offensive rating. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is probably the only one who could threaten Nikola Jokic for the MVP award at this point, as he’s leading the league in scoring at 32.5 points a game on 52.8% from the field to go with 6 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. Jalen Williams is also having a fantastic year, having been recently named an All-Star for the first time.
This Thunder roster is stacked from top to bottom, possessed with elite top end talent and one of the deepest benches in the league. They’re so deep that they only have two players (SGA & Jalen) that average over 30 minutes a game, and nobody averages 35. They’ve managed to hold onto the best record in the West despite losing arguably their second best player, Chet Holmgren, 10 games into the season. Their 11.9 net rating is 3rd in NBA history to only the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Bulls. That means their average margin of victory is greater even than the Warriors team who won 73 games. In fact, they have yet to lose a game by double digits. How Sam Presti isn’t the highest paid GM in the league or being poached to be the highest paid GM in the league is beyond me.
If the Thunder have any weakness, it’s their relative size and rebounding. For an elite team, they’re only 27th in Defensive Rebounding Rate and 21st in Offensive Rebound Rate. However, they make up for it by not even giving you the opportunity to shoot. Oklahoma City leads the NBA in steals at 11.2 a game. In fact, three of the NBA’s top 6 players in steals per game are on the Thunder (SGA, Jalen and Cason Wallace). The Thunder use those steals to produce a league leading 23.2 points off turnovers, while on the other hand barely turning the ball over themselves (they average the 2nd fewest turnovers in the league).
It’s going to take a near perfect game for the Kings to win this one on the road, and the Kings have been playing anything but perfect basketball as of late. With the trade rumors swirling as well, that has to factor in as a distraction this team doesn’t need right now. But if they hope to make the playoffs, they need to start making up some ground. I’m hoping for a big game from Domantas Sabonis personally, as he took just 6 shots against the 76ers the other day. The Kings need to do a better job of featuring him against smaller teams as a primary offensive weapon. Sabonis also needs to stop passing up open threes (something he did multiple times against Philadelphia) considering he’s one of the team’s best shooters. I’d also like to see Keegan Murray continue to be aggressive in attacking the basket. He’s been getting to the rim with some regularity lately, and he’s also finishing with authority. The Kings guards in particular (Fox, Monk, Ellis) need to watch the careless passes with Oklahoma City’s ballhawks watching, they’ll force you to make plenty of mistakes on your own without factoring in self-inflicted wounds too. It’s going to be tough, but a win tonight would do a lot for morale and momentum going forward.
Prediction
DeMar DeRozan has a throwback game and scores a season-high 42 points, including the game winner over SGA.
Kings 117, Thunder 116
For most of this road trip we’ve wavered;
And the Thunder deserve to be favored
They’re the best in the West—
Far above all the rest.
An upset would surely be savored!
+1 Keep the Thunder in our control!
&ct=g
Fully agree on OKC – easily the top squad on the Western side of things and a challenge for top team in The Association.
How do they do it?
Defense. Heady offense.
Shai is a star, and for me, this season’s MVP over the even better season that the already great Jokic is posting . I believe we’ll see SGA continue higher scoring numbers to help skew the voting to his 1st Michael Jordan trophy over a 4th for The Joker.
Who are their other stars? Jalen Williams, Chet? … the GM and reigning CoY (watch out!!) Mark Daigneault have chess matched an amazing culture of rooks, castles, bishops who play their roles to perfection. Lou Dort is their gut, as much as SGA their heart. Tough tough squad.
It’s a 3 Point League:
14th in attempts, 11 in makes, 17th in 3FG%. Pedestrian numbers for a team that walks over it’s opponents. On the FT side: 29th in FTA, 1st in FT%. That’s surprising!
it’s hard not to predict a large digit loss for Sacramento. Hopefully Coach Christie can find some togetherness and have this team put one together for what may be De’Aaron’s last game as a King.
Light that Beam! Go Kings!
Can Fox come out and set the tone early with his drives and attacking the rim, one freaking time??? He is too passive early on in games.
Take it to the Thunder early. Show everyone why you think you are an all-star/all-nba caliber player.
I doubt that’s the Fox we see.
The last few games, we have seen preseason Fox (same as ASG Fox)— distributing, shooting jumpers, but not really attacking. Basically “don’t get injured” Fox.
if I did sports betting, i’d be hammering the under on his free throw attempts tonight. (But I don’t do sports betting because I’m usually wrong.)
The thing is, he’s been like this for most of the season. There are a few outlier games thrown in there.
Just aloof, passive, etc. Go be the alpha and dominate a game.
I agree, Kings get…thunderstruck!!!
OKC has a handful of injured players. Hopefully the Kings can take advantage. We need Ellis on SGA all night.
Probably another 20 minute game for Ellis. The fans amd stats guys on the internet know how valuable he is. The coaching staff doesn’t seem to know. That’s both Brown and Christie.
Strike the Thunder
Maybe it’s a good idea to sit Fox? I mean, I hate the idea, but if you’re talking to a dozen teams about trading him, it makes sense.
I just want the sh!t show to end. Every darn season it’s something.
Owner being a giant douche. GM not making moves. Coach getting fired. Players having drama.
I agree. I just want to watch a good competitive game with no distractions. I know. North Carolina plays Duke today. Should be a good game with no distractions. GO DUKE!
After hearing Dejounte Murray went down with a season ending achilles rupture, it gave me shivers of what could happen to any team at any moment. What if Dejounte was part of some 4 or 5 team package that was in its final stages of a blockbuster Fox and/or Butler deal. Like I said the other day, we all remember the Kings possibly moving Rudy Gay before the deadline on a lost season only to see him go down with an injury before the deadline.
So yeah, if Monte has the full intention of trading Fox before Thursday, then why play him?
I think the problem is that if you don’t play him, you’re telling all the other GMs that you fully intend to trade Fox and that’ll reduce some of your leverage. Monte needs to be able to say he won’t trade Fox if the right deal doesn’t come around or he’s not going to get a very good deal.
Also, I don’t think they’re set of moving Fox. Why would Vivek want to do dinner with Fox if they’re intent on moving him?
Solid points.
Fox was asked about the dinner. Apparently it’s a rumor that spread on social media that isn’t true.
I see that from earlier today. Gotta love the rumor mill!
Because they are in Oklahoma City and he really likes the Barbecue?
Or maybe to pitch the idea of firing Monte and having someone capable take the reins. You know, like, Anjali.
Fox is going to come out and look passive. We lose this game by 15+.
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