After pointing out and analyzing all of the negative aspects surrounding the Sacramento Kings during the first week of the season, it feels good to finally point out the positives.
The Sacramento Kings are on their first winning streak of this young season during which they have outscored their opponents 215-197. The Kings’ wins have come against an upper-echelon Utah Jazz team and a basement-dwelling Knicks squad. It is time to take a look back at what has been going on right in these last two games.
Rebounding
The Kings’ rebounding has improved over the last two contests, having outrebounded their opponents 87-75. Most of these rebounds have come from Dewayne Dedmon with 15 total rebounds and Richaun Holmes with 12. When the Kings are rebounding, this means that they are getting the necessary stops to win the game. This was the key difference-maker in the win against the Jazz, as opposed to the first game against Utah, in which Sacramento was outrebounded 43-31.
Shooting
The Kings field goal percentage has been solid through these last two games. In the Jazz game, they shot 49% from the field, and duplicated that number in their contest against the Knicks. By comparison, they have shot just 41% in their losses.
The 3rd Quarter
The third quarter has been more consistent throughout the last two games. In the losses, the Kings have relinquished multiple leads during the third quarter, being brutally outscored 158-96. In the two wins, the Kings have outscored opponents 61-53. Sacramento has to continue winning the third quarter, to keep momentum on their side going into the fourth. They need to take warmups seriously when coming out of the locker room as this dictates how the team will perform in the third quarter. Halftime is when the players need to keep themselves hydrated, take care of their bodies, and when shooters need to keep their stroke before the start of the quarter.
Assist/Turnover Ratio
The Kings have had 40 assists to 29 turnovers in the last two games, which is indicative of winning basketball. Sacramento has to continue to try to limit turnovers and value the ball as they still average around 17 turnovers a game. That number has gone down, but the Kings should try to get that number down to between 10-13 turnovers per game. The Kings also need to continue to aim for 30 assists per game as they have come up short in that category so far this season.
Overall Thoughts
The Sacramento Kings’ next games will be the real test on whether the team has woken up, but fans should breathe a sigh of relief after these last two wins. The Kings have shown that they can put the clamps on a Western Conference opponent defensively, and have shown that they can beat the teams that they should beat. The next test is whether Sacramento can keep up the same kind of defensive and offensive effort against quality opponents such as the Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Lakers.
The Kings’ next game will be Wednesday afternoon when they visit the defending champion Toronto Raptors.