The Sacramento Kings have just 13 games remaining in the 2020-21 NBA season, and with nothing but draft position to play for, they’ll be entering a large chunk of their final contests without team MVP De’Aaron Fox.
Fox has only missed one game this season thus far an 11-point loss to the Orlando Magic, but he’s been playing through a few minor injuries and averaging a team-high 36.5 minutes per game since the All-Star break. That’s a ton of minutes under any circumstance, but coupled with his minor injuries, huge on-court responsibilities, and lack of meaningful games, shutting him down wouldn’t be the worst outcome in the world considering the potential positive draft position impact.
Night 1 without De’Aaron Fox starts at the Chase Center in San Francisco vs. the very-hot Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry’s team has won 7 of their last 10 games, and Curry himself has been averaging 38.5 points over that stretch. Video game numbers.
When: Sunday, April 25th, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
TV: NBCSCA
Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration:
This game doesn’t matter for the Sacramento Kings, and it kinda matters for the Golden State Warriors in their pursuit to lock in a play-in spot. I’ll be very surprised if this is anything other than a comfortable Warriors win, but basketball is strange.
For the Kings, I’m hopeful Fox’s absence will officially, finally signal playing time for the youth. I’ve been preaching it in every post, preview, or podcast for the last month and I will continue preaching until it happens give me minutes for Robert Woodard (when he’s healthy), and give me minutes for Kyle Guy and Jahmi’us Ramsey at guard with Fox out of the equation.
One would expect to see the Kings rely heavily on rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton in these games without Fox. I don’t know where the Rookie of the Year race is leaning right now, and I’m sure it will change again if or when LaMelo Ball returns, but Haliburton is going to get one final stretch to show voters what he can do as the primary ball-handler, so that might be something interesting to watch for, I guess. At this point I’m just searching for any angle or reason as to why someone would willingly watch these Kings games, because as someone who has watched them, I can’t say I’m enjoying myself.
One last thing to keep in mind for tonight: Stephen Curry’s career-high single-game scoring record is 62.
Prediction:
Kings win 112-110 for no logical reason.
Over/under on Wright’s minutes: 38.5.
Haliburton: DNP-CD?
Is Walton going to keep Haliburton on the bench, a.k.a. Sub(stitute) Zero, or will he be allowed to make it Rain as a starter?
https://twitter.com/James_HamNBCS/status/1386052142067163138?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Lose like you mean it Kings. Haliburton go off. Lose, lose, lose.
Bottoming out is the only hope.
Oh, and obligatory F Vivek.
Speaking of movies……I totally forgot the Oscars were today, but I’ve been pretty cut off from movie watching the past year so that might explain why I forgot lol.
Promising Young Woman was worth watching.
Fell asleep at parts of Minari.
If you fell asleep during Minari, I hope no one spiked your drink with something nasty while you dozed off. 😉
Steph was out for the Dubs; we beat them.
Now Fox will not play when we meet them.
Looks like Tyrese will start
Sure that he’ll do his part
But doubt that these Kings can defeat them!
About the injury-excuse:
https://twitter.com/EdKupfer/status/1386335827341500421?s=20
Don’t forget about Kings coaches having to deal with Covid. And the India trip. And dealing with the move from Kansas City.
Not enough practice time, only a dozen assistant coaches, no G league , not enough rain and other teams showing up !
Kings had to play 72 games. Had to travel to other cities to play. Kings were only allowed 15 players on the team.
Any predictions on when Bagley decides to do something?
Never
Free Metu
Dubs + Hot Steph Curry. Kings – De’Aaron Fox.
Next.
Eh, whatever.
I usually like to see a competitive game. But with the minimal rotations, talk of winning habits and all-out ineptitude on display; I’m really wanting to see absolute garbage. Like, absolute dumpster-fire, leave the arena, 50-point blowout trash. Hoping for an 8 point first quarter followed by a 13 point 2nd quarter.
Then I better darn well see some Woodard, Guy, Ramsey, Silva minutes.
Why do I want this?….
I just have the strangest feeling we’re about to go 0-13.
0-13 will be the most intelligent basketball decision they have made in decades.
Time to feature Bagley and pray he does not embarrass himself.
Jahmi’us gets 9 pts in 3 minutes
Why is a player invariably “placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols” and not out due to the protocols? Are they each relocated to some specific place if exposed to Covid, or possibly concussed? It’s dumb language, and I see no reason to perpetuate it.
“Placed in.” Even “assigned to” would make more sense.
Tyrese’s ROY hopes got screwed when Harkless joined the starting lineup so that the Kings could lose more games.
WTF Vox???Kings vs. Warriors game thread: Life without De’Aaron FoxReally???
And here’s a quote from Golden State of Mind Game Preview:
Really lazy
The drama surrounding this team never endsssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Badge Legend