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Sacramento Kings Game Preview: Versus Maccabi Haifa 10/10/2016

By Tyler Watts

Oct 4, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (left) talks with forward Skal Labissiere (right) during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Honda Center. The Los Angeles Lakers won 103-84. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (left) talks with forward Skal Labissiere (right) during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Honda Center. The Los Angeles Lakers won 103-84. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Maccabi Haifa, the Israeli professional basketball team, head to the Golden 1 Center to take on the Sacramento Kings tonight.  Here is everything you need to know about the game.

Tonight, on October 10, 2016, Maccabi Haifa travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings.  This will be the first game at the new Golden 1 Center for the Kings.  It should be a fun and interesting game against a team the Kings normally would never face.  Let us jump straight into everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

Injuries

The only reported injury is Omri Casspi’s minor hip strain.  Casspi has not yet been ruled out at the time of this writing, but check the last minute pregame updates for more information.  Do not be surprised if he sits out given the preseason nature of this contest.

Maccabi Haifa Scouting Report

Maccabi Haifa finished 3rd last season in the Winner League.  Their returning leader scorer from last season is Will Graves, a former University of North Carolina player.  Graves is a player with a very interesting story that will probably be told throughout tonight’s contest, so keep an ear open for that.

Maccabi Haifa has played five preseason games against NBA competition since 2014.  Their record is 0 and 5 in those games and they have been defeated by an average of 28.4 points in those games according to ESPN.

What to Watch for?

The New Offense

The Kings will continue to implement their new offense.  The turnovers have been high in the first two preseason games (20 and 22 respectively).  I look for the Kings to focus on running their sets, working DeMarcus Cousins in the high post, and limiting turnovers against Maccabi Haifa.

Defensive Intensity

Maccabi Haifa topped out at 85 points in those 5 preseason games we discussed earlier.  I look for the Kings to ratchet up their new defensive focus and attempt to keep Maccabi Haifa’s scoring way down.  The team was held to 59 points in a game against Sacramento in 2014, do they gun for that record?

Every Face

Expect the Kings to get minutes to the entire healthy roster especially if the game gets way out of hand.  We may get a big dose of players we do not normally see, so be prepared for anything Kings fans.

First Win

Odds are good the Sacramento Kings pick up their first win of the 2016-2017 NBA campaign tonight and christen the Golden 1 Center in style in its opening night.

Summary

Expect a fun, wild, and likely win for tonight’s game against Maccabi Haifa.  The Kings will most likely be without the services of Omri Casspi, but the rest of the roster should be available to suit up.  The Kings will look to continue to implement their new offense, continue their new defense-first mentality, and look to get an emphatic win to open the Golden 1 Center.

Next: MCW for McLemore? Who Should the Kings Take?

I am expecting the Kings to come out and dominate tonight.  It should be a fun game to watch with its share of highlight plays and end in a Kings win.  What more can any Kings fan ask for?

Check back for the game review and everything you need to know about the Sacramento Kings at A Royal Pain.  Thank you for reading.

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