Sacramento Kings must watch game vs Boston Celtics March 25

On August 14, the NBA released their full regular season schedule. This article looks at a must watch game between the Sacramento Kings and the Boston Celtics.

The Sacramento Kings know their regular season schedule for the 2017-2018 NBA season after the league’s announcement on Monday. That brings plenty of intrigue and storylines to follow throughout the season.

We at A Royal Pain decided to take a look at each of the must watch games for the coming season. We continue that series with the Boston Celtics visit to Sacramento on March 25. The contest is game 74 of 82 in the Kings schedule. Let us take a look at the three big storylines to follow in that battle.

Storyline 1: Hayward returns to the Golden 1 Center in green and white

Gordon Hayward topped the list of available free agents that changed teams this offseason. He dumped the Jazz after averaging a career high in points, rebounds, assists, and three pointers made that led him to his first All-Star appearance. Now Hayward heads to Boston to play for the historic Celtics and his college coach Brad Stevens.

Hayward dominated the Kings last season by averaging 24.3 points, 2.5 three-pointers made and 7.3 rebounds per game in his four matchups against Sacramento. Things may get worse for the Kings next season as they lack a defensive wing and Hayward is a top ten wing player. The only good news is he may be the number two scoring option next season behind Isaiah Thomas.

Storyline 2: A look at the new king of the East?

The Boston Celtics had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference last season and ultimately fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Is the addition of Gordon Hayward enough to push the Celtics past the Cavs? Only time will tell if that is the case, but let us take a look at the Celtics depth.

Boston did not stop with the addition of Hayward. They added Jayson Tatum with the third overall pick in the draft, Aron Baynes in free agency, and Marcus Morris via trade. Add in overseas stash Ante Zizic, and the Celtics add both a star player and depth for next season. That newly acquired depth should put them in the conversation to win the East. By the time they visit Sacramento, we should have an idea of where they stand.

Storyline 3: IT3 versus Swipa the Fox

I am expecting De’Aaron Fox to have a role that expands as the season progresses. That is not uncommon for a top five rookie selection. By March 25, Fox could easily be the starter and playing in the neighborhood of 30 minutes a night. That means a significant amount of run guarding Isaiah Thomas.

Thomas was a Kings’ draft pick in 2011 and had his coming out party in Sacramento during the 2013-2014 season. Last season, IT3 was third in the NBA in points per game and dominated the fourth quarter.

Fox will have to be on his defensive game to hold Thomas in check. IT3 always circles the Kings on his calendar and will be searching for a huge night, so I am excited to see if Fox is up to the challenge.

Final Thoughts

A second must watch contest for the 2017-2018 season is the night the Boston Celtics visit the Sacramento Kings. This game is your only shot to see the Celtics in Sacramento so be sure to tune in.

The Kings have done well in revamping their roster this offseason. They project to have an interesting mix of youth and leadership. I am excited for the season to start and see how Coach Joerger manages the rotations. Stay tuned for the rest of the must watch games of the upcoming regular season.

Next: Sacramento Kings projected starters for 2017-2018

A Royal Pain has you covered this offseason with all the Sacramento Kings content you desire. We have a ton of draft, free agency and summer league articles up on the site. We will now be focusing on all the information you need to get ready for upcoming season, so please check back with us often. Thank you for reading.

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