Six months after the Sacramento Kings ended their dreadful 2025-2026 campaign, tonight is their return to action. And it's important to go in with measured expectations. Improvement will come, just not right away. Fans must be ready for a rough beginning, particularly against the Lakers.
As per usual, the Kings get to start off the season against a tough regional and conference rival. The Lakers have gone through significant changes in the offseason. The departure of LeBron James has put the reins of this storied franchise firmly in the hands of All-Star guard Luka Doncic.
Now building around Doncic, Los Angeles has made significant changes to their roster. They will be looking to establish themselves quickly as a legit contender in the Western Conference. Luckily for the Kings, they get to be the preseason team that the Lakers step up against to make that point.
Kings take on the LakeShow
As of writing, neither side has announced starting lineups or whether any top stars will be sitting out. It remains a preseason game, after all, and not worth risking an injury that could mess up an entire season. The 2025 preseason was where Keegan Murray's woes started last year.
It seems unlikely that Lakers head coach J.J. Redick will put Luka on the court against a basement team like the Kings when there's nothing on the line. There's a lot of risk in that scenario and very little reward. At the same time, he might want to get that new rhythm rolling for his updated roster.
The Kings, on the other hand, need to get their top stars on the floor. Whoever their starters are going to be this season has to take advantage of every second possible before the regular season kicks in. Once that starts, every minute of every game becomes important to this team.
Starting the season off right
Beating the Lakers to start the preseason is a big ask for the Kings. Los Angeles has an overhauled roster, but is helmed by one of the best players in the league and Austin Reaves, the Robin to Doncic's Batman. Even in the worst of times, the Lakers remain a formidable opponent.
Winning isn't the most important thing for the Kings. What they need from tonight's game, not to mention the preseason as a whole, is to establish good habits. Doug Christie presumably has a vision for this continually evolving team. Making that vision a reality starts tonight.
If the Kings lose this game, it's not the end of the season. Expectations are pretty low for Sacramento in 2026-2027. That's why what this team progressing the rebuild as part of tonight's game is more important than anything else. The future starts this preseason appearance and goes from there.
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