3 Questions

3. Can the Kings defense get any stops? We've seen this defense do well at times, really well even, but it's never been for any consistent period of time. Charlotte forced overtime on Monday by scoring a season-high 38 points in the fourth quarter. That's simply unacceptable. The players need to do a better job on that end, and the coaches need to do a better job of setting the players up to succeed with adjustments.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Jerry Reynolds made the point during Monday's broadcast that Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the most athletically gifted player in the NBA, and it's hard to argue against him. He's got the height and length of a center with the quickness of a guard. He's having a hell of a third season, starting to connect more consistently from long range, and using his quickness to get to the rim. This is going to be a very tough matchup for Rudy Gay and whoever else has to guard him. Rudy will have to make him work on the other end, and that means no isolation, which plays into Antetokounmpo's strengths as a defender.

PREDICTION

These predictions typically feature a joke and a guaranteed Kings victory but until the Kings show me they can win a game without DeMarcus Cousins, I'm penciling each such game as an automatic loss. Bucks 109, Kings 98.