Player #3: Willie Cauley-Stein
For the Kings to have any chance of winning this game, Willie Cauley-Stein and the rest of Sacramento’s big men needs to have a good night. But it starts with Cauley-Stein.
The reason for this is because the Jazz have Rudy Gobert as their starting center. Gobert is a nightmare for any opponent as he will dominate the paint on offense and will deter opponents from scoring in the paint on defense. For the year, he is averaging around 15 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks a game while making almost 70% of his baskets from the floor.
It is essential for Willie to have a good performance on both ends. If the Kings are able to prevent Gobert from being his dominant self, it will skyrocket the purple and white’s chances of winning the game. Offensively, Willie needs to make smart decisions and know when to score on Gobert or pass the ball up to one of his teammates that have a better chance to score. Defensively, he must be physical with the Stifle Tower and be competitive in the rebound battle. If successful, the Kings should have a good chance to come out with the victory.