Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Lakers (Game 59 Preview)

The Sacramento Kings will host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow at the Golden 1 Center. This article will highlight the main matchup of the game as well as what the Kings need to do in order to be victorious over their division foe.

The Sacramento Kings will face the Los Angeles Lakers for the third time this season. The Kings won the first contest but were unable to get the job done in the second match.

In this piece, we will examine the top matchup to watch for as well as some final thoughts about tomorrow’s contest.

Cauley-Stein Against Randle

What is the main matchup for tomorrow’s game? The obvious answer would be De’Aaron Fox against Lonzo Ball but it is uncertain whether Fox will play due to suffering pinkeye and the idea of Fox playing gives Ball the chills.

So, I think the pivotal matchup for this game will happen in the paint between Willie Cauley-Stein and Julius Randle.

For Cauley-Stein, he is an athletic big who is versatile on both ends of the court. He mainly does most of his scoring inside the paint but he can have success shooting from the midrange area as well. Defensively, he has the physical tools to guard multiple positions and to become a rim protector in the interior.

For the case of Randle, the former Kentucky Wildcat has been superb going into the All-Star break as he is averaging around 21 points and eight rebounds a game this month. When watching Randle, he is a player who is difficult to guard due to his strength and quickness. Expect him to be a nuisance for the Kings as he can score and rebound effectively around the paint.

Final Thoughts

I think if Trillie Cauley-Stein has a great game on both ends of the floor, it will help the Kings immensely. With his length and athleticism, he has the potential to be a scoring force in the paint while being a weapon around the rim defensively.

I think for the Kings to limit Randle tomorrow they need to play physical defense. They need to try to bump the three-year pro around in the interior and see if he becomes uneasy. Cauley-Stein may not be able to do too much damage towards Randle, but fortunately, Sacramento has bigs with more mass like Zach Randolph and Kosta Koufos on their roster.

Tanking might be ideal for some Kings fans, but when it comes to playing against the Lakers, I think EVERY Kings fan wants to see their team win this matchup. Hopefully, tomorrow is an entertaining night with the purple and white achieving the victory.