After beating up on each other for the last week, the Sacramento Kings finally get a shot to test themselves Monday evening against an opponent in a different uniform. The team left Sacramento Sunday afternoon for Phoenix, where they’ll take on the Suns in their preseason opener at Talking Stick Resort Arena for a 7pm PT tip.
Training camp is officially over. Now it’s time to see what the young Kings have learned. Here are three things to watch as Sacramento debuts their new squad.
De’Aaron Fox, team leader?
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The point guard's rookie season wasn’t all fun and games. He struggled with consistency throughout the year, although he finished on a strong note.
The buzz around the team is that Fox looks like he’s taken a major step in his confidence and ability. He spent the summer getting stronger and working on his jumper, but the real test will be how he runs the team.
General manager Vlade Divac and his group added speed and shooting through free agency and the draft to help space the floor for Fox. Coach Dave Joerger has sworn to push the tempo. Fox is the key ingredient, but he’ll need to show that he’s ready to lead.
Will they run?
NBA
The Kings ranked 30th in the NBA in pace last season, which is something they hope to improve on. In preparation for the season, the team has spent the last week running until they could run no more.
Joerger lost his voice on the second day of camp trying to implore his team to speed up the tempo. The players have all talked about playing faster, not just in transition, but in the half court as well.
The strength of the team is youth, speed and athleticism. Mistakes will be made. Bad shots will be taken. The defense will could be a mess early. But Sacramento has the players to win a track meet, now it’s time to show it.
Marvin Bagley III vs. Deandre Ayton
The two big men will forever be linked to each other. They played in high school basketball together, went first and second overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and on Monday evening, they’ll face off for the first time in an NBA preseason game.
Bagley is facing plenty of competition for minutes with the Kings. Sacramento has seven bigs vying for minutes at either the power forward or center position. It’s unknown if he’ll start or come off the bench early in the season, but he’s going to see plenty of court time.
They may not guard one another full-time, but for stints, it’s likely the pair of bigs will do battle. It’s an early glimpse at what could be a very fun matchup to watch for the next decade or more.