What to Watch for Tonight
Score Your Points
In the purest sense, a basketball game is won by scoring more points than your opponent. The Kings are coming off a game where they netted only 85 points on Saturday. That is just not going to cut it in the NBA.
The remedy should be there tonight as the Timberwolves rate 23rd in the NBA in defensive rating.
It will be interesting to see how Sacramento changes it up tonight and if Saturday’s game proves to be a one-off or the first in a trend of difficulty scoring for the Kings. Stay tuned.
Play Buddy
We are two games into the Buddy Hield experiment for the Sacramento Kings. Hield has played well in first two games. He is averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 three-pointers made, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 steals per game. Hield is shooting 55.0% from the field and 100% from the line in those games.
Despite the great numbers, the Kings have only given Buddy Hield 26 minutes in each of those two games.
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The rookie is playing well, so let him play Coach Joerger. Give him 30 plus minutes and let him run free. Hield may reward you and prove he is the asset you believed you were acquiring in the trade. If he is not that asset, the sooner you know the better, so you can move on with him as a piece, not the centerpiece.
Defending Home Court
The Sacramento Kings have been surprisingly poor at home this season. They have just 13 home wins or the third fewest in the Western Conference. They score the 20th most points at home in the NBA and allow the 21st most points.
The Kings have struggled all season at the Golden 1 Center, but tonight is another chance to turn the corner. This week features three winnable home games that would even up Sacramento’s home record and push the team closer to playoff contention (and I know a lot of you think they have no chance after the Cousins trade, but they are just one game out of 8th heading into tonight’s game).