OAKLAND -- The Kings are putting teams around the league on notice. They are young and still developing, but they play hard, they play fast and have plenty of pieces to build around.
Following the Golden State Warriors' narrow win over the Kings, the champs spoke out about Sacramento’s bright future.
“It’s different than what I’m used to and they’re playing the right way,” Klay Thompson told reporters following the game. “Their ability to share the ball, they had 28 assists and only eight turnovers, that’s a great ratio. They seem very composed for a young team as well. They’ve got a bright future. They’ve got a lot of great young pieces. It’s good to see them playing the right way.”
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Thompson, along with All-Star Kevin Durant, helped carry the Warriors to a tight 117-116 victory over the Kings. The duo finished with 75 points combined on 25-of-52 shooting.
Durant complimented multiple young players on the Kings’ roster, but he pointed to De’Aaron Fox’s development first.
“If you hand the ball over to De’Aaron Fox, he will change your franchise,” Durant said. “That is the type of player he is, no-nonsense, come to work type of player. He is going to play for his teammates. He didn’t shoot the ball well tonight, but you can tell he dictates the pace and he made Quinn (Cook) work all night.”
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“They got a nice team,” Durant added. “They just young right now, but they are going to be really good in the future.”
The Kings would love that future to be today, but they are still learning and developing. Wins are important, but the long term growth of the team is what really matters as they try to build for the long haul.