3 Keys: What The Sacramento Kings Need To Do In Memphis

The Sacramento Kings started the month of January strong but are now in a bit of a funk losing their last three games.

For the Kings to salvage their momentum and find a way to get back into the 8th seed of the Western Conference, a win tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies would be a good place to start.

Defeating the Grizzlies tonight will be a hefty task for the Kings to achieve. Memphis is ranked 5th in Western Conference with a 27-20 record, and are doing it by playing tough and physical basketball.

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In order for Sacramento to end their road trip on a high note against a competitive Grizzlies team they must follow these three keys.

Offensive Support: The Kings are currently ranked 3rd in the league in points scored per game (106.3), but in recent games the offense has been dependent solely on the play of DeMarcus Cousins (and Rajon Rondo from a distributing standpoint). If the Kings continue to play this style of basketball against the Grizzlies they will have trouble scoring in this game.

The Grizzlies are ranked 6th in the league in points allowed per game (98.7), and a couple of their best defensive stoppers are Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, both who will be assigned to guard Cousins this evening (per ESPN).

For the Kings offense to be efficient tonight, they need production from their role players. Players like Ben McLemore, Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, and more will have to find ways tonight to put the ball in the bucket to release some of the burdens that Cousins has been carrying offensively in the last couple of games.

Nov 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) takes a shot over Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

Perimeter Defense: The Kings defense overall has been just awful this season, but the biggest flaw in their dysfunction defense is guarding the perimeter. Right now compared to the rest of the league the Kings have allowed the most three-point shots made per game with 10.5 (per ESPN).

The Grizzlies don’t have anyone on their roster that is considered a “sharpshooter”, but if Sacramento gets mixed up on their defensive rotations and do not close in on shots the Grizzlies are certainly capable of torching the Kings with the long ball.

Limit Turnovers: Seems like this key keeps popping on to these previews right? That’s because the Kings since day one continue to struggle in taking care of the basketball. The Kings are currently listed 28th in the league in ball security averaging 16 turnovers a game.

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Not only do the Kings turn the ball over a great deal, but Memphis is also tied for the third best team in the league in turnovers forced per game with 16.

If the Kings start to get clumsy with the ball and make boneheaded passes on the court, like they have done on a gamely basis, they could be looking at a lot more than 16 turnovers. And that will definitely impact which team controls the momentum throughout tonight’s game.

Final Thoughts: Overall, if the Kings can get production from multiple players outside of DeMarcus Cousins, play adequate defense on the perimeter, and take care of the ball they have a great chance at making tonight’s game competitive.

If a betting man were to look at this matchup, Memphis would probably be the favorite to win, but remember that Sacramento tends to play better in these type of games. The Kings in a weird way have played a lot better against higher competition this season, and if that trend continues this evening the Grizzlies will definitely have a run money for their money.

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Three Keys: What The Sacramento Kings Need To Do In Memphis

By Rafe Wong | Jan 30, 2016

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