Three Keys for the Kings to Follow Against Denver
By Rafe Wong
At the end of the 2013 NBA season, George Karl led the Denver Nuggets to 57 wins, earning the team the third seed in the Western Conference.
More from Kings News
- 3 Ways Chris Duarte improves the Kings chances in 2023-24
- Bleacher Report crazily lists Kings’ All-Star as “most overrated NBA player”
- Kings and Heat fans clash on Twitter to debate All-Star players
- Sacramento Kings’ Chris Duarte playing in 2023 FIBA World Cup
- 3 Young players the Kings must develop, 2 to give up on
Unfortunately, that is all they would earn, as late-season injuries to significant players on their squad resulted in the short-handed Nuggets to an early exit in the first round of the playoffs to the then upstart Golden State Warriors.
That loss not only ended the Denver’s season, but also ended the tenure of George Karl as the Nuggets coach, as he was released from his duties later that offseason despite being awarded the NBA’s Coach of the Year Award.
It has been one and a half seasons since Karl’s departure from Denver, but he is still looking for justice, and for him and the Kings to get the win this afternoon against the nuggets they must follow these three keys.
1) Containing Lawson: The best player on the Denver Nuggets right now is Ty Lawson, and despite Lawson being a small player, he makes up for it with his athleticism. As a result, Ty is successful in using his insane quickness to drive to the hoop creating plays for himself and for others. The offense for the Nuggets primarily runs through Lawson, so if the Kings can successfully contain the former the Tar Heel, there shouldn’t be much problems the Kings will face this afternoon.
2) Reign of “Sir McLemore:” For the Kings to be successful this afternoon, they will also need a big game from second year man Ben McLemore. It’s official now that DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, the Kings offensive first and second option, will finish the rest of the season on injury list. This is huge for McLemore because the Kings are hoping for Ben to become a valuable asset for their team going forward. In these last three games, McLemore is really going to have to be aggressive and thrive as being the first option on this team for both the Kings to win tonight, and for the front office to feel confident about his future with the team.
3) Limit Turnovers: Until it stops being a problem, I’m going to keep addressing the issue of the Kings turning the ball over. For the Kings to win this afternoon, they have to play cleaner basketball than they have in the past. Turnovers not only deteriorate the morale of a team, but it also boost the momentum for their opponents, especially if your opponent is playing on their home court. So again, lets keep turnover rate low tonight Kings.
George Karl’s departure from Denver has still left a bad taste in the coach’s mouth. For Coach Karl to receive some vengeance and for his team to win this afternoon, the three keys from above have to be completed.