Sacramento Kings must watch game vs Phoenix Suns Dec. 12
By Tyler Watts
On August 14, the NBA released their full season schedule. This article looks at a must watch game between the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns.
The Sacramento Kings’ regular season schedule for the 2017-2018 NBA season released on August 14. That announcement kicked off the intrigue and storylines to follow throughout the season.
We at A Royal Pain are taking a look at the must watch games of the coming campaign. Today, we look at a matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 12. The Suns invade the Golden 1 Center for the first time this season that evening. This game will be game 27 of 82 in the Kings schedule. Let us take a look at the three big storylines to follow in this contest.
Storyline 1: Battle of top 5 rookies
June 22, 2017, was a special night for teams all across the NBA, but the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings planned on taking a giant leap from rebuilding to blossoming into contention. The Suns drafted Josh Jackson with the fourth overall selection, and the Kings followed that with De’Aaron Fox at fifth overall.
Related Story: De'Aaron Fox's depth chart predicition
Jackson projects as a wing that could grow into a lockdown defender. His shooting looked less than stellar in Summer League, but he has versatility and playmaking ability to pair with his defense. Expect Jackson to experience some growing pains as a rookie, but the combination of Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, and Jackson looks like a formidable wing trio for years to come.
Storyline 2: Young power forward matchup
In the 2016 NBA Draft, Phoenix selected Dragen Bender fourth overall and Sacramento chose Marquese Chriss at eight. A draft night trade saw the swap of Chriss for Georgios Papagiannis and Skal Labissiere with the Suns. Those four youngsters will see plenty of action against each other on Dec. 12.
On March 15, Labissiere and Chriss went head to head, and both walked away with tremendous performances. Labissiere had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. Chriss had a more diverse 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, two 3-pointers made and five blocks. Expect these talented bigs to do battle against each other this season as well.
Storyline 3: Hield vs. Booker
My favorite storyline to follow any time Sacramento and Phoenix matchup is Buddy Hield against Devin Booker. Booker is three years younger despite being drafted one season before Hield. Both appear to be growing into knock down shooters and go to scorers on their respective clubs. Who does not like to watch two supremely skilled players go shot for shot against each other?
Shootouts often occur in this type of matchup as both players struggle on the defensive end and have the utmost confidence to keep firing no matter the previous results. Strap in and enjoy the show as Hield and Booker attempt to shoot the other out of the arena.
Final Thoughts
The Phoenix Suns traveling to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Dec. 12 is another contest that you cannot miss on the Kings schedule this season. Both teams have struggled in recent seasons, but appear to have put their draft picks to good use. That could mean both teams are on the rise and this matchup could blossom into a heated rivalry in upcoming seasons. Keep an eye on the progress both these young squads are making this season.
Next: Best remaining available NBA free agents
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 content you need to get ready for upcoming season, so please check back with us often. Thank you for reading.