Sacramento Kings look to bounce back at home tonight

I’m not sure what to make of Saturday nights 126-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. After an impressive win against Boston in George Karl’s debut, I expected a better effort in L.A. It was the Kings second game of a back-to-back set, and you could make the case that the Boston win was both physically and emotionally draining, but even if you give the team that excuse, Saturday’s loss was bad. The Clippers ran the Kings off the court, and they didn’t even have Blake Griffin.

You can find our full recap of Saturday night’s loss by Keith Jouganatos here.

The Sacramento Kings are back at home tonight to host the Memphis Grizzlies. At 41-14, the Grizzlies sit at the top Southwest Division, and hold the second best record in the Western Conference. The Kings are 0-2 against Memphis this season, but they haven’t played since November. A lot has changed.

The Grizzlies are legitimate title contenders. Last month’s trade with Boston that sent Jeff Green to Memphis only increased their odds, and a move like that not only confirms that the Grizzlies are contenders, but that they believe they are contenders. A confident team with that much talent is scary.

Is taking a step back in 2023-24 inevitable for the Sacramento Kings?
Is taking a step back in 2023-24 inevitable for the Sacramento Kings?

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  • A Kings win tonight is going to be difficult. DeMarcus Cousins has publicly praised the Marc GasolZack Randolph frontcourt, and why wouldn’t he? The Grizzlies are one of the few teams in the NBA that can take away the Kings biggest advantage, DeMarcus Cousins size and physicality in the paint.

    The Kings’ role players need to step up tonight, and while the bench has improved slightly under Karl (it’s only been two games), the Kings still have depth issues.

    Darren Collison has already been ruled out. He was sent to L.A. yesterday to see a hip specialist, but the Kings haven’t said anything publicly about that visit just yet. It certainly doesn’t sound great. Andre Miller has been a positive addition to the Kings point guard rotation, but Collison was in the middle of a career year, and his contributions are sorely missed. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, because George Karl just hired his offensive guru – Vance Walberg, and when Collison does finally return, it’s going to take him some time to adjust to the Kings new offensive schemes.

    Memphis is going to provide George Karl and the Sacramento Kings with another tough test. How far have they come? What kind of impact is Karl having on the Kings’ focus? Is Karl’s message getting through to the players? Etc. With every passing game, the answer to these questions gets a little clearer.

    As always, check back in to A Royal Pain after tonight’s game for our postgame coverage.

    Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies

    Where: Sleep Train Arena – Sacramento, CA

    When: 7:00 PM Pacific, 10:00 PM Eastern

    Broadcast: Comcast Sportsnet California

    Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM

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