Whatever happens over the final five weeks of the regular season, Kings coach Dave Joerger believes something special is happening in Sacramento.

The Kings (31-30) are in playoff contention in March for the first time since they made their last postseason appearance in 2006. They have played some recent games in playoff environments with raucous crowds and critical possessions, and they were expecting more of the same against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento was ninth in the Western Conference going into the game, two games behind the Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, who are both 34-29.

The Kings, who were projected to win fewer than 30 games this season, are at least a year ahead of schedule in their rebuild due to the rapid development of young players such as De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III. Over the past two weeks, they have gone toe to toe with some of the best teams in the NBA, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder and losing by a total of five points to the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks.

“We’re playing hard and we don’t quit,” Joerger said. “What we’re building here, we will reap the rewards of this for many years to come, not many years from now, but going forward. If this is who we are, and I believe it is, we’re a tough out (in a playoff series) and Sacramento is a tough place to play if you’re a visiting team. We’ll keep coming at you.”

One thing Joerger has been most encouraged by is the togetherness his team has demonstrated this season, a trait that was on display when Bagley went down with a sprained left knee in Wednesday’s 141-140 overtime loss to the Bucks. The first one to Bagley’s side was fellow rookie Harry Giles III, whose career was nearly derailed by a series of major knee injuries when he was in high school.

Giles helped Bagley limp off the floor and then went back to work, leading a valiant comeback from a 17-point deficit to help the Kings force overtime.

“We’re a very close group,” Joerger said. “We’ve got good guys. We all get along really well and it’s special because it’s a young group. Sometimes you maybe see that with older guys who have been around each other and their families have grown up together as you spend years together. We have terrific chemistry for a young group.”

Harrison Barnes, one of the newest additions to the team, has been impressed with the maturity, poise and persistence of his young teammates.

“When you look at Denver and Golden State, two of the best teams in the West, and we’re literally one shot away in both games, I think that’s a testament to the fact that we can play with anybody,” Barnes said. “It’s just a matter of us continuing to get better as a group, our continuity and actually closing out games. It’s getting to that point where we can get over the hump.”

Fox believes Sacramento’s future is bright. He said the Kings are determined to end the league’s longest current playoff drought.

“We know where we’re at,” Fox said. “We know the opportunity that we have to end the streak and we’re trying to do everything possible. Everybody’s going out, playing hard and trying to finish the season as strong as we started.”

I feel like the local media is doing more than enough on covering the ongoing drama between the head coach, GM, and ownership group. So rather than cover that, today I’ll be presenting my Opinion on the Sacramento Kings rotation, problems to address, and possible trades to make:

A popular thought among many fans, sportscasters, and radio personalities is that in Sacramento, there is a glaring need at the 3. Justin Jackson has shown flashes of his potential, but has yet to find any real from of consistency at the position. With a surplus of guards and big men, I think the Kings could explore the trade route. Here are a few of my favorite possibilities:

1.) Trade to Brooklyn for Demarre Carol. I really like this idea, because Demarre is a 3 & D guy that is still quick to get up the floor and would provide veteran leadership for the guys. I’ve noticed that Brooklyn is really thin at the Center position, and that the Kings just so happen to have a surplus there. Maybe packaging a trade of Skal Labissiere or Kosta Koufos, and/or Ben McLemore to make this happen would benefit both teams tremendously.

2.). An idea that I know a radio host is a fan of is a trade bringing over Harrison Barnes from Dallas. Barnes is still young enough to be in his prime and can start immediately. He would bring some extra perimeter scoring, allowing guys like Fox and Bogdanovic to slash to the basket more. I think with Dallas’ recent addition of Luka Doncic, this trade could happen for cheaper that it may have in the past. Like Brooklyn, Dallas is lacking in depth behind DJ at the 5, and could use another 2 guard for more depth as well. He thinks the trade may have to include WCS, Shumpert, and/or McLemore/Ferrell (maybe some 2nd round picks???) could be something the Mavericks would like to field.

3.). An idea I’ve heard from a lot of fans that I feel like is gaining more popularity is a trade to Washington to get Otto Porter. The Wizards could seriously use a starting caliber center and Kosta Koufos fits that bill. Packaging him with someone like Frank Mason, Yogi Ferrell, and/or maybe Zach Randolph could be something that could make this a reality?

So, there you have it. 3 opinions (1 of mine, 1 from the fans, and 1 from a sportscaster) about how to address the need at SF. Which one intrigues you the most? Or is there another you’d like to see happen? I’d love to hear from you! Respond back here, or DM me on instagram @guythatdrumsandstuff

During the third quarter, with about, 7:41 remaining, 6-foot-10 Harry Giles checked in to the game. Giles has recently been called back up from the Stockton Kings.

Giles has had limited minutes for the Sacramento team coming in to the New Year’s game. Harry has really been in foul trouble as of late. In fact, he’s been averaging 8.2 personal fouls per 36 minutes.

Looking to mix things up, and taking a gamble on a thus far unproven talent, Coach Joerger turned to Giles. Luckily, Harry didn’t squander this opportunity. He really looked like the player they always wanted him to be.

When asked about Harry’s performance, teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic said, “He changed the game for us and set a couple of great screens. He was tremendous on defense. He changed the whole rhythm of the game. It was great for him and he’s a pretty confident guy. That’s what we want him to do.”

One would expect such high praise from Bogie, since Giles was really the only Kings big, who didn’t get outgunned physically. Giles looked strong, set thunderous screens and really started to turn the tide. In fact, Bogie scored 14/19 of his points while Giles was playing. This was the shining, defining moment of the game for the Kings. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, however.

After Giles left the floor, the Kings wound up collapsing, and losing the game in overtime.

Teammate Buddy Hield said of Giles, “He was the reason we got the lead tonight. And if he keeps doing that and bringing the energy, it’s going to go far. Coach is going to realize it and everybody on the team is realizing it. I’m happy for him.”

Following the game, Coach Joerger was non-committal on what the performance means for Giles’ minutes going forward. He is in a battle for playing time behind Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos, Nemanja Bjelica and Justin Jackson, who has been seeing more time at the four in small ball lineups.

The minutes will get even tighter when Marvin Bagley III returns from injury sometime later in the month.

Giles needs more opportunities, but he also has to show that he can be this type of impact player when he does get minutes.

This season was supposed to be about growth and development for the Kings, but with the team winning, players who step on the court have to help that cause as well. If Giles can show that he is ready and give Joerger quality minutes when called upon, he’ll earn a longer look from the Kings’ coach.

Question of the day:

Who has been the biggest surprise for you so far this season?

For me, it’s been Buddy Hield. He has turned into the player Vivek hoped he would be when he traded away the Kings start player to get him. Luckily, Buddy has been on an absolute offensive tear as of late. Even when the team doesn’t win, he plays great! Looming forward to see what else he has in store!

If it’s a strategy, it isn’t a good one.

The Sacramento Kings recently have made a habit out of falling behind big in the first half. They have the firepower and pace to get back into almost any game, but the wear and tear it puts on the team is enormous.

Over their last six games, the Kings have fallen behind by seven, 36, 22, 19, 19 and 21 points in the first 24 minutes of hoops. The team is a surprising 3-3 over the stretch, though.

A few numbers stand out from this grouping of games. First, the Kings are absolutely being destroyed on the glass, especially in the first half.

During the run, Sacramento is being outrebounded 178-127 (-51) in the first half and 329-263 (-66) overall. That’s an average of 11 rebounds per game, although most of the damage comes before the intermission.

Willie Cauley-Stein leads the Kings with 7.2 rebounds per game over the six games, but that number jumps to 10 boards if you remove the one game where he played just seven minutes in the blowout loss in Minnesota.

The six games correspond with the absence of rookie Marvin Bagley III, who is the Kings’ second-leading rebounder on the season at 6.1 boards in 23.1 minutes per game. Bagley is out with a knee injury, but he should return to action soon.

In addition to the issues on the glass, the 3-point shooting numbers need a longer look. Last season, the Kings ranked third in the NBA in 3-point percentage, knocking down 37.5 percent on 24 attempts per game. The attempts ranked 30th in the league, which the Kings have improved on this season.

So far, the Kings are second in percentage, hitting a spectacular 38.7 percent from deep. They’ve bumped their attempts up to 30 per game, which ranks 20th in the NBA.

Over the last six games, the Kings have hit 28 of 107 3-point attempts during the first half, which equates to just 26.2 percent. They’ve bounced back after the break, hitting 47 of 98 (48 percent) from long range as they claw back into games.

Look no further than the Kings’ leading scorer for your first- and second-half splits. Buddy Hield has shot 27 of 63 (42.9 percent) over the last six games. In the first half, he’s hit 11 of 39 from deep, for 28.2 percent. With the team charging back in the second half, Hield has knocked down 16 of 24 from 3-point land, a ridiculous 66.7 percent clip.

The large volume of missed 3-point attempts in the first half helps explain some of the Kings’ rebounding issues. They also have two or three players running out in transition on almost every possession, which hurts their rebounding numbers as well.

Whether it takes a while to get into the flow of a game or the team needs 24 minutes to stretch its legs, first-half issues have surfaced for the Kings over the last six contests.

How do they remedy the problem? That’s a question for the players and the coaching staff. If they want to compete for a playoff spot deep into the second half, they need to find a way to rebound and hit shots in the first half.

Falling behind big and recovering late isn’t a strategy. It’s a recipe for disaster.

I haven’t written a post in a long time, but last night’s game was enough to bring me out of hibernation.  Here’s a reflection of the game and my thoughts on the season so far.

(some of this content brought to you by nbcsportsbayarea.com)

 

The Sacramento Kings have big shot takers and Bogdan Bogdanovic proved once again to be a big-time shot maker.

After trailing big to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bogdanovic shot the Kings back into the game late. With 4.5 seconds remaining on the clock, the sophomore wing got the inbounds pass, made a move and blew the top off of Golden 1 Center with a game winning 3-pointer.

Here are three takeaways as the Kings found a way to beat the Lakers by a final of 117-116 to improve to 19-16 on the season.

The Shot

With Buddy Hield struggling, Joerger turned to Bogdanovic for much of the fourth quarter. The 26-year-old Serbian was incredible down the stretch, including a haymaker as time expired.

Bogdanovic finished the night with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and was mobbed by his teammates after the win.

Battle at the point

The connection between De’Aaron Fox and Lonzo Ball will likely last throughout their careers. Take No. 2 and No. 5 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, their rivalry dates back to their college days.

Ball got the best of Fox Thursday evening at Golden 1 Center, although it was close. The Lakers starter finished the night with 20 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.  He added nine rebounds and four assists in the loss.

Fox answered with 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, barely missing the triple-double. Fox lost the battle, but with a little help from Bogi, he won the war.

Ball also came down with one of his mysterious “injuries” that he always seems to get when he has to faceoff against Fox… how bizarre.

Killer Kuzma

With Marvin Bagley on the shelf, the Kings lack length at the four. Kyle Kuzma took advantage of the situation, especially in the first half.

Dave Joerger tried Nemanja Bjelica and Justin Jackson on the versatile forward. In the end, Sacramento had no answer.

The Lakers’ big posted 23 of his 34 points in the first half. He added nine rebounds and four assists in the loss.

Bogie Nights

Obviously the big hero of the night was Bogdan Bogdanovic.  But his contributions on the floor go beyond being a clutch scorer.  He also has been a facilitator on offense, snagging a few rebounds, and been a tough defender down the stretch.

The Team Overall

Without Bagley, obviously there is a glaring hole at PF.  But, overall, the team is greatly on track.  With multiple players in double digit scoring last night, the Kings are really a prime example of “share the sugar” on the floor.  The team as a whole, is playing better basketball than they have in a long time, and honestly, is more fun to watch. (it’s been since the Bibby era that it’s been this much fun to watch) They run the floor, don’t back down, and have one immeasurable that has been their greatest ally:  HEART.  Don’t ever tell this team they’re done, because they’ll prove you wrong.  Comeback Kings!!!

 

Question of the Day

This team is a few pieces away from being an even more serious threat in the West.  What is the number 1 need they must fill at this point in the season? (comment here or answer on my Instagram). @guythatdrumsandstuff

 

 

 

Today I’m writing a quarter season review of our beloved Sacramento Kings.  I will be diving more in-depth into things than my last few blog posts.  I’ve decided to do smaller ones more frequently, while saving big ones for milestones or something drastic happening.

Before I dive in, I want to first address the game vs. the Warriors… WHAT A GAME!  Such a heartbreaking loss to that wounded Warriors team.  It was really a matter of physics going in the way of Klay on that last shot attempt, and then going twice against the Kings with the shot stuck in the backboard (causing a jump ball) and the jump ball being swatted away by KD, thus eliminating any comeback hopes the Kings may have had.

All in all, it’s a game that a franchise as young as this one is should be very proud of.  Hield lead all Kings with 24 points.  Bagley had arguably the most impressive outing of his young career with 20 points and 17 rebound off of the bench!  Fox was a point and an assist away from a double-double.  The two-headed monster of Durant and Thompson was all the Warriors needed.  They scored 44 and 31 respectively and the Kings really had no answer on defense for either player.  But, nevertheless, a 1 point loss to the defending champs is something to be proud of.

 

QUARTER SEASON REVIEW:

STATS:

Buddy Hield is currently leading all Kings scorers averaging 18.8 pts/gm.  The top 5 leading scorers are currently:

1.) Hield – 18.8 pts/gm

2.) Fox – 17.5 pts/gm

3.) Cauley-Stein – 14.5 pts/gm

4.) Bogdanovic – 13.9 pts/gm

5.) Bagley – 12.7 pts/gm

(This also looks like a good version of a starting lineup, but that’s a story for a different part of this blog)

Wille Cauley-Stein leads the team in average for rebounds with 8.1.

The top 5 rebounders on the team are:

1.) Cauley-Stein – 8.1

2.) Bagley – 6.7

3.) Hield – 5.6

4.) Bjelica – 5.6

5.) Koufos – 5.4

Overall, this is the area of the game the team needs the most work on (and free throws), because the majority of solid centers usually body-up Willie and he ends up getting shut down on the boards, (see games vs. Miami & Utah)

 

The team leader in 3 point% (on players with multiple attempts is Nemanja Bjelica with .507.

The top 5 3 point percentage leaders are:

1.) Bjelica – .507

2.) Hield –  .451

3.) Shumpert – .402

4.) Williams – .400

5.) Fox – .381

Shump has been coming on strong lately and I sometimes feel while watching them that any 3-point attempt he puts up is going to go in. He’s that hot from the arc.

 

The team leader in assists is De’Aaron Fox with 7.5 a/gm.  This is a huge point of contention with me because of the fact that without Fox on the floor, there’s too much iso ball going on because nobody else really facilitates out there.  See below stats for proof.

Assist leaders are:

1.) Fox – 7.5 a/gm

2.) Mason – 3.2 a/gm

3.) Bogdanovic 2.8 a/gm

4.) Hield – 2.7 a/gm

5.) Cauley-Stein – 2.2 a/gm

So you can see, next to Fox, there’s not a lot of dishing going on out there.  Let’s pray he can stay healthy because he is truly a game-changer for the Kings.

 

LINE-UPS:

Joerger seems to have adopted an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality with the current rotation. More often than not we see a lineup of – Fox, Hield, Shumpert, Bjelica, Cauley-Stein.  This lineup has it’s moments of glory, with Fox and Hield really leading the way with the hope that one of the other guys will get hot as well.  Otherwise they have to rely on the bench.  Versus the Warriors, the bench DOMINATED.  But at a certain point, I think it’s important to make a change that may be better for the team in the long run.

In my opinion, I think having a lineup of Fox, Hield, Bogi, Bagley, and Willie is going to yield the highest results, with a tough defender and sniper coming off the bench first in Iman Shumpert, as well as Bjelica, Giles, Williams, and Mason.  I’d run this 10 man rotation.  I think it will be the highest success as well as the most uptempo.  Then, rotate in Skal and Jackson occasionally to keep fresh legs out there.

TRADES???

Back after about 2 weeks of the season, I called in to the Grant Napear show and mentioned something to them about how I wasn’t sold on Willie and that I think he’s only playing this way since he’s in a contract year and the Kings should trade him.  He and Doug were not fans of that idea at all… Fast forward to today, and everyone on 1140AM was talking about probably trading Willy by the deadline… So, am I still crazy?

I’ve been saying it from the beginning of the season, and I’ll say it again- Time for a trade.  Ideally if the Kings could package a deal with Willie and Justin Jackson, in exchange for a stronger backup PG and a true 3 (like Demarre Carol, or Trevor Ariza) that’d be ideal.  I think it’s time because I highly doubt the Kings will want to pay Willie what he’s asking to stick around next year.  Willy and Justin to Minnesota for Teague and Wiggins??? Maybe I’m dreaming haha.

 

Final Thoughts:

Having a Kings team above .500 is a luxury that we Kings fans haven’t had in a long time.  Take some time and enjoy the little things.  Don’t sweat the losses (there’ll be plenty), and don’t get your hopes up about the playoffs (at least for this season).  Enjoy the fact that this team is better than it’s been in a long, long time.  Know that they are set for the long term goal of becoming a winning franchise, and know the playoffs will definitely come sooner than later.  Personally, I’m looking forward to the ride!

 

Question of the day:

Who would you like to see involved in a trade for Willy?

 

 

What can I say about these Kings??? It has been a LONG time since I have had this much fun watching the Kings. Currently, they’re sitting at 10-8 and have looked super competitive in the games they’ve played (with the exception of 2).

DeAaron Fox is the franchise player that we Kings fans have been waiting for for quite some time. When he’s on, the team is unstoppable. He’s really grown in front of our eyes and has turned into a true floor general! (Not to mention, he’s getting his 2k rating up haha).

Tonight, the Kings play the Warriors. This is the most important matchup of the year. The Warriors are down Curry and Green. Sac has a real chance to take advantage of this wounded Warriors squad! This is the first time since 1979 that these two teams are meeting with both being above .500.

I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen!

Question of the day-

Do you think Fox has what it takes to make the All-star team this year?

Thanks for reading!

I’ve been out on vacation this weekend so I got kind of behind on my writing.  But I’ll do my best to catch up now.

Well, I guess losing to the Kings was the final straw in the Jimmy Butler saga because, lo and behold, he’s GONE!  The Kings were simply too much for Minnesota to handle.

It was a bout against an old team for Nemanja Bjelica who finally was able to overcome his struggles and unless a flurry of 3’s against the Wolves.  The Kings were able to stop a late game comeback and came away with the victory.  121-110.

KAT was an absolute monster out there and all the Kings could do was try and slow him down.  He ended up with 39 points and 19 rebounds.

Cauley-Stein was an offensive force again, scoring 25 points.  Shumpert and Hield contributed 17 and 15 respectively.  For me, the biggest story of the night was DeAaron Fox with 16/10 and NO turnovers.  Impressive! Overall, another solid win for the Kings.

However, all great things must come to an end…

 

The Kings looked out of gas for this one.  They fell behind early and never really bounced back.  As a team, the Lakers shot terrible, but unfortunately for the Kings, they had an even worse night shooting.

The Kings were sluggish (possibly from the smoke from the Camp Fire?) playing in the second game of a back to back, while the Lakers were fresh since they were coming off of rest.

LeBron led his motley crew, scoring a team-high 25 points in 31 mins of playing.

The Kings got a lot of great shots, but really couldn’t get any to fall.  This game was just a result of sluggish play, and bad luck shooting.  Fox, played great, as usual but nobody else really contributed out there.  This was only the second time the Kings were unable to score more than 100 points in a game.  I don’t think this was indicative of how they normally play, I think it was a fluke for the Lakers.  SO, enjoy your moment, LA, because the Kings are coming for you next time!

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Bjelica has been a strong contributor, but Bagley is a stud.  Do you think Bjelica could play the 3 and the Kings could let Bagley start at 4?  Or vice versa?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’d do with the rotation.  Hit me up on here or Instagram @guythatdrumsandstuff

Sacramento traveled to Milwaukee on Sunday to take on a red-hot Bucks team and the ever-so-dangerous “Greek Freak”.

Giannis was really a Freak on both ends of the court, collecting a triple-double in 30 minutes of play with a stat line of 26/15/11.

Late in the game, the Kings were able to match the Bucks in scoring, but had already dug themselves too much of a deficit to overcome.  It was a strong showing for Justin Jackson (finally) who scored 22 for the Kings. Buddy Hield and DeAaron Fox added some valuable scoring as well.  Willie got into foul trouble early, and just wasn’t really able to contribute as many stats as he has usually done.  Everyone who played minutes for the Kings was able to score, but the Bucks were just too much to handle.

 

TAKEAWAYS:

The Kings are 6-4.  NO ONE thought that this is where’d they’d be sitting at this point.  That being said, the toughest portion of their schedule to date falls in November, where they’ll face many powerhouses of the NBA.  If they can finish the next 10 games at 10-10, I’d call that a victory.  I’m not expecting the Kings to make the playoffs or anything, but what I’m finally seeing is that they can beat teams that they’re “supposed” to beat, and that they can stay competitive with most teams, even when vastly outmatched.

This upcoming Toronto game is going to be exciting in that Bogdan Bogdanavic is finally returning.  Arguable their best player from last season should make an immediate impact on the floor.  However, if he’s slow to get back to form, lucky for the Kings, Buddy and Iman are there to hold it down.  This is the piece I’m most excited about!  Can’t wait to watch BB8 in action once more!

 

Question of the day:

The Kings need a SF.  How would you, as a fan, rather see them address this issue?

a.) Trade for one this season (pt. 2 -who would you like to see involved in a trade?)

b.) Try and sign one in the off season (Who would you like them to get?)

c.) Trade for one in the off season (Who would you like to see involved in a trade?)

d.) draft one (Any thoughts on who?)

Let me know your thoughts in the comments or DM me on social media!

Well, here we are again for another blog post about a Kings Win!!! 3 in a row!!! This is something that didn’t happen all last season!  And the team is above .500 and looking Great!  I don’t think anyone could have predicted this start (especially after the preseason blowouts the team was dealt).

I’ll do a quick break down of game 6 & 7, and then share some thoughts as well as the new question of the day!

GAMES!

This new look line up of Fox, Hield, Shumpert, Bjelica and Cauley-Stein is an absolute machine! They score in bunches and really push the pace and spread the floor well.  The Kings do still have a problem in rebounding, (especially against the Heat with Whiteside getting TWENTY FOUR rebounds) and on defense, but this “score more than the other team” strategy is still working.

Against the Wizards, the kings got off to an even start with Washington, but got outscored in the 2nd quarter 34-27 and had a lot of missed opportunities.  I think some guys are passing up easy shots to try and move the ball around a little more (ala Golden State) and I really think that that’s ok as long as they can get it to work well, and the mistakes don’t cost them easy points.  The young Kings have a lot more energy than, and really just out pace a lot of other NBA teams with their speed from baseline to baseline.  Luckily, Sacramento had a strong 4th quarter and secured their comeback victory over Washington.  Bjelica tied with John Wall to lead all scorers with 26 points.  Combine that with his 12 rebounds and you get an impressive double-double.  He shot 6/10 from three-point range and played an impressive 36 minutes.  I think Bjelica has turned into the surprise of the year, contributing in a huge way on both ends of the floor, scoring, dishing, defending, and rebounding.  Willie Cauley-Stein also notched a double-double with 17/11 and Buddy Hield put up 22 pts as well.  Marvin Bagley continues to be a contributer and I cannot wait to see what kind of superstar he develops into.

Against Miami, the Kings got off to a dreadfully slow start, only notching 17 first quarter points.  Although it wasn’t due to lack of effort.  The Kings were creating great shots, but just couldn’t get any to fall.  But, the Kings must have had some of “Michael’s Secret Stuff” between quarters because they hit the offensive gas pedal and outscored Miami in the second and third quarters by a margin of 20 points.  Miami found their touch late in the 4th, but by then it was too late and the Kings took the victory making it their 3rd in a row!!!!

Once again, Bjelica notched important minutes and contributed on both ends, scoring 19 points, 5 assists, and 5 boards.  Cauley-Stein kicked in another amazing double-double performance with 26 points and 13 boards. Bagley looked great, as usual. And, the Kings had a trio of 20+ point scorers in Fox, Hield, and Cauley-Stein.  The whole team really looked great offensively (once the second quarter started).

Two points of concern are the still apparent lack of defense.  It’s getting better, but the kings really didn’t have an answer for Josh Richardson and he responded to the tune of 31 points.  Lucky for the Kings, Miami only had two 20+ scorers (and only four in double digits at all).  Their lax defensive effort was evened out by a dull scoring effort from the Miami Heat offense.  The other big concern was the very obvious pain that DeAaron Fox was in.  He was grimacing and holding his side.  Although he finished the game, he was visibly uncomfortable and faced an upper body injury.  The official ruling is a strained lower back.  He is questionable tonight against Orlando.  If he doesn’t play, this could great a big void in the King’s lineup and offense as a whole.

SO, my question of the day is this:

If Fox has to miss extended time, should the Kings feel pressure to bring Bogie back a little sooner? Or do they have enough pieces to pick up the slack in his absence?

My guess is that we’ll probably see Ben McLemore return to the rotation tonight and see Ferrel start at PG, with Mason and Buddy Hield both rotating into the point, and McLemore, Shumpert, and Jackson having to play the 2 and the 3.  What are your thoughts?

Looking forward to tonight’s game! Thanks for reading!

-David-