4 Disastrous Kings ripple effects of the Malik Monk injury
By Elaine Blum
3. The Kings will have to compete in the Play-In Tournament
The Play-In Tournament has certainly added some tension and competitiveness to the end of the regular season. For some teams, it is a huge chance to defy the odds and make the playoffs despite struggling all season long. We just saw the Miami Heat fight their way through the Play-In and go all the way to the NBA Finals.
For other teams, it is a nightmare. The Kings belong in that second category this season. This Play-In Tournament in the West might be the best one we have seen yet. It will feature huge names, like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker, all battling each other in single-elimination games.
The short-handed Kings want no part of that. After losing two games to the Mavericks and losing Malik Monk for the rest of the season, it seems less and less likely with every day that they will escape the Play-In, however.
There are only eight games left in the regular season, and the Kings have a tough schedule remaining. Over that stretch, they will still have to face the Clippers, the Knicks, the Celtics, the Thunder, the Pelicans, and the Suns. The only two games in which the Kings should be the clear favorites are against Brooklyn and Portland.
That means Sacramento will likely have to face Phoenix in the first Play-In game. With Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, the Suns are an offensive juggernaut and desperate to not miss the playoffs. Without Monk, the Kings might very well struggle to keep up with them scoring-wise and the same goes for the Lakers and the Warriors.
The Kings have struggled with Stephen Curry and the Warriors for a while now, and while they have swept the Lakers this season, no one will bet against LeBron James in a single-elimination game with the postseason on the line.
Having to compete in the Play-In Tournament might be the nail in the coffin for the Kings without Monk.