Kings vs Warriors 2019-2020 Season Preview

We’re taking a look at the upcoming matchups between the Kings and their Western Conference opponents. We kick off our series with the Golden State Warriors.

The Sacramento Kings have been the forgotten franchise in Northern California after the rise of the Golden State Warriors in the middle part of the decade. So forgotten in fact, that there are Warrior “fans” who are not even aware that there is a professional basketball team that plays in Sacramento.

Since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, the Kings have won just 3 of their 24 contest with the Warriors. The uprising of the team from Oakland coincided with some of the most disappointing seasons for Sacramento. The Kings have not only been the little brother of the Golden State Warriors, but a brother that some didn’t even know existed.

Things are changing rapidly with both teams. The Warriors are in an adjustment period after the departure of Kevin Durant and the injury to Klay Thompson. Longtime veterans Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, whose contributions were critical to Golden State’s success, are no longer on the roster.

The Kings did not add a lot of big-name pieces over the summer, but their core is already in place and is now surrounded with complimentary players and veteran depth. Ascension in the standings is likely for Sacramento in the near future.

When Do They Play?

So what will their matchups look like this coming season? The teams play each other four times:

Sun Dec. 15 – 530PM – San Francisco
Mon Jan. 6 – 7PM – Sacramento
Tue Feb 25 – 730PM – San Francisco
Wed Apr 15 – 7PM – Sacramento

The first meeting will be a good test for both teams. For the Kings, it will be their 25th game of the season, which is a large enough sample size to begin to judge a team’s performance. Considering that the early part of Sacramento’s schedule is one of the less difficult stretches, the Kings should look to come in to this game with a winning record.

As for the Warriors, the early part of their season will be judged on their ability to create a positive chemistry between their newcomers as well as their ability to play at a high level without Thompson. The Kings game comes sandwiched in between road games against Utah and Portland, which could cause the Warriors to overlook Sacramento.

The first two matchups with Golden State will be very important for the Kings. Both of the games will be played before Thompson’s scheduled return, giving the Warriors a dent in their armor. Thompson has enjoyed great games against Sacramento in his career.

Their final matchup may be the most important game of the year, as it is the last game of the season for both teams and will likely play a roll in deciding playoff berths and seedings.

Matchup To Watch

One of the more intriguing matchups in this series will be Willie Cauley-Stein against Dewayne Dedmon and Marvin Bagley.

Cauley-Stein’s turbulent departure from the Kings left a bad taste in the mouths of fans, as did his subsequent signing with their Northern California rivals. Dedmon, his replacement, has been talked of as having everything Cauley-Stein didn’t, including dedication as well as a three-point shot.

Cauley-Stein will certainly be looking to make a statement in this game, mostly to prove his critics wrong. The Kings need to be aware of this, because in the nine or ten games per season that Cauley-Stein gives a full effort, he is capable of playing like an All-Star. On his calendar, this game is definitely circled twice.

Predictions

The Kings lost to the Warriors all four times last season, though the combined point differential was just 12 total points. With the Kings being an up-and-coming team, and the Warriors having gone through a bit of a regression, the likely result of this particular matchup is an even 2-2.

However, the homer in us has us winning the first two Thompson-less contests, as well as the final game of the season when the Warriors could potentially be resting their stars.

The Sacramento Kings will go 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors this season.