What should Sacramento Kings fans be on the lookout for when their team faces off against the Oklahoma City Thunder this afternoon?
The Sacramento Kings will play their third game of the 2018-2019 season today as they face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Kings are still looking to get their first win of the campaign as they have fallen to the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans in two entertaining games. The Thunder are also looking to earn their first win as they also have a record of 0-2.
With both teams on a mission to get on the win column tonight, what are the three things to look out for if one is a Kings fan? Well, let us dive into it.
Focus On Who Defends Paul George
When looking at the Kings’ roster, their weakest position is at small forward. Paul George, who is currently the Thunder’s best player, happens to play this position. So with that said, who will be matched up against George today?
For the last two games, the Kings have had Buddy Hield starting at the wing spot. Buddy has done his best to make scrappy defensive plays, but he will be overwhelmed by George if he is assigned to defend him for the majority of the game.
In my opinion, the Kings need to throw different players at George throughout the match. Guys like Iman Shumpert, Nemanja Bjelica, and even Justin Jackson need to provide solid defensive minutes for the Kings to limit the Thunder offense.
The Kings have been horrid on the defensive end so far. But if they are able to prevent Paul George from having a great night, it will help the purple and white immensely.
Focus On The Two Blue Devils
After having subpar NBA debuts, Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles rebounded in their second game with solid performances. For Bagley, he was great as he finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Giles was able to score seven points and grab four rebounds.
The Kings are hoping the pair of Bagley and Giles can become focal points for the organization going forward, and today will be a good test to see where they are in their developments.
The Thunder have big men like Steven Adams, Nerlens Noel, and Patrick Patterson who at least one of the three will be on the court at all times. It will be intriguing to see how the Blue Devil duo reacts when playing against the variation of bigs that the Thunder will throw at them today.
Focus On The Franchise Player
The Kings offense has been rolling in their first two games of the year, and De’Aaron Fox is a big reason for it. So far, Fox is averaging 19.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds a game. He has done a great job in pushing the tempo of the offense and getting easy scores, whether it comes from him or his teammates.
Fox has been good so far, but it has only been two games. He will have another difficult challenge tonight as he will go up against the Oklahoma City guards. It is still unknown whether Russell Westbrook will be available today, but the Thunder still have guys like Dennis Schroder and Raymond Felton who can give Fox fits if he is caught slipping. But if Fox continues to push the pace and play like he has this year, he will be fine.