Kings Close The Door On November
Dec 1, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:37 am
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
by Franklin Cartoscelli – Sports 1140 KHTK
Sitting one game under .500, the Sacramento Kings head into December with high hopes.
The first 21 games of the 2018-19 season have certainly been exciting, and something is brewing that the Sacramento fanbase has been waiting, praying, and hoping for over the past 13 years:
Optimism.
The sense of imminent defeat no longer lingers in the air of Golden 1 Center.
Sacramento fans have always been passionate, but this season has seen the benefits of building through the draft begin to pay off.
De’Aaron Fox is an electric player. Willie Cauley-Stein is coming into his own. Marvin Bagley III has gone on a tear of late. Harry Giles has shown impressive stretches in a small sample size of action.
The Sacramento Kings feel as if they can compete with anybody.
That isn’t a feeling that fans, or opponents are used to.
Praise from the likes of Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Gregg Popovich have placed Sacramento higher on opposing team’s watchlists, no longer being looked at as a scheduled win.
Although they hold a three game losing streak heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers, the Kings’ 10-11 start is their best 21 game start since their 11-10 start in 2014-15.
Sacramento has exceeded the expectations of the basketball world, jumping into the (very) early playoff picture, sitting in a tie for the 10th best record in the Western Conference.
While inconsistency rears its head, the Kings will look to close the door on a 5-8 month of November.
In order to move on from the current three game slide, the Kings will need Marvin Bagley III to continue his incredible play. Over his past six games, Bagley III is averaging 16.3 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting at a 54.6% clip.
The move by coach Dave Joerger to give Bagley III more minutes has paid off, although the 2nd overall pick strained his back Thursday against the Clippers.
Bagley III is listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game against Indiana.
He’s Back
Second-year guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has hit stride in his return from a knee injury, and looks 100% healthy. Bogdanovic has lead the Kings in scoring over the past two games, including pouring in a career-high 26 points on Thursday night.
Coach Joerger stated on Thursday night that Bogdanovic will start to see time at point guard, making way for more scenarios with Bogdanovic, Fox, and Buddy Hield on the court together.
Sacramento Scores
The Kings have continued to score the ball well this season, ranking seventh in the league with 114.5 points per game.
Defense has been the glaring issue, as Sacramento ranks 28th in opponent points per game, allowing 117.5 points per game on average.
With the way the Kings push the pace on offense and shoot the ball, even a slight improvement in opponent points per game could mean more tallies in the win column.
The three point line has been kind to Sacramento this season, as they rank third in the league in three-point field goal percentage. This is in thanks to a hot start by Buddy Hield, who is shooting 42% from beyond the three-point line.
Forward Iman Shumpert, who is also having a strong season from three point land, has nicknamed the team the Sacramento Scores.
Fits pretty well, I’d say.
Coming Up
Sacramento closes out their homestand on Saturday when they take on the Victor Oladipo-less Indiana Pacers.
After Saturday, the Kings will begin a stretch that will see them play six of their next eight contests on the road.
The Kings hold a 5-6 record on the road this season.
Catch the Pacers take on the Kings right here on Sports 1140 KHTK, starting with Kings Live Pregame at 6:30pm, followed by tip-off at 7pm.
