Matt George here, the host of the daily Locked On Kings podcast, with your daily Locked On Kings newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Kings and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
After a promising offensive showcase on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns, the Sacramento Kings will begin their 2024 NBA Cup run tonight in an opening night rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season, Sacramento made it out of the group stage, but failed to make it to Las Vegas, paving the way for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2023 Cup Title. Time for Sacramento to correct that.
The Timberwolves have already lost one Cup game against the Portland Trail Blazers, and their start to the season hasn’t exactly gone as plan. The Kings need to be prepared for a potentially desperate, focused T-Wolves squad, looking to improve on their 6-6 record to start the season. Should Sacramento continue to move the ball and hit shots the same way they did against Phoenix, I really like their chances.
Going back to opening night, the Kings allowed a huge 20-7 Timberwolves run in the third quarter, which erased Sacramento’s lead and completely changed the momentum of the game. Now, just 11 games later, the Kings seem to be better at handling runs, overcoming a pair of Phoenix pushes in the 2nd half to win by a comfortable 23 points.
Defensive Adjustments and Team Dynamics
The Kings’ defense, often overshadowed by their offensive exploits, has shown improvement. The team’s ability to respond to the Suns’ runs, particularly in the third and fourth quarters, demonstrated their growing resilience. Kevin Huerter’s defensive efforts, including key steals and deflections, set the tone early, while the team’s overall defensive cohesion was evident in their ability to force turnovers and capitalize on them.
DeMar DeRozan’s integration into the team continues to evolve. While some might view his slow-it-down, isolation style as a negative with how the Kings want to play, it’s clear that his presence is helping Sacramento find a balance between pace and strategy. The team’s ability to adapt and incorporate DeRozan’s style without losing their identity is a promising sign for the season ahead.
The Kings’ bench also deserves recognition for stepping up in the absence of key players like Malik Monk and DeRozan. Their ability to maintain the team’s momentum and contribute significantly to the win speaks volumes about the depth and potential of the roster. This depth will be crucial as the season progresses, especially with the challenges of back-to-back games and a demanding schedule.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Sacramento Kings’ strategies and performances, tune into the Locked On Kings podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Kings Podcast:
- Analysis of the Kings’ defensive strategies and their impact on recent games.
- Discussion on the NBA Cup and its significance for the Kings.
- Insights into De’Aaron Fox’s evolving role and performance metrics.
- Kevin Huerter’s journey and contributions to the team’s success.
- The impact of DeMar DeRozan’s style on the Kings’ offensive dynamics.
I held off on writing about the apparent rash, or rise, of early-season athlete injuries because there’s always some recency bias involved when the subject comes up. Are there really more injuries this year than any other? Do we have the data to support it? Is there a new, underlying cause? Or are injuries due to the same compounding mix of bad luck and the NBA’s 82-game schedule running into a long postseason, running into the offseason, running back into a brand new long regular season and the erosion of bodies this eventually leads to?
A report early this week showed early-season injuries were up 35%, and indeed ESPN’s list of injuries, at a glance, looks like a ferocious Christmas tree, lit up in blazing reds and yellows. A handful of teams (the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Raptors) are cobbling together rosters game-to-game depending on who’s still healthy. TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott ran a draft of the injured list this week and each team reads like an All-Star squad on steroids, and when Abbott printed out the league’s official injury report it was 10 pages long.
Injuries are definitely up — but why?
The Paris Olympics proved extra playing time for a few top-tier stars, but most of them remain healthy. The early season schedule hasn’t served up any more back-to-backs to longer road game stretches, which tend to be more gruelling on athletes, than usual. However, when everything appears to be normal and the bodily price is anything but, perhaps it’s time to examine that “normal”.
The NBA’s current schedule of 82 games was adopted in 1967. Already, I’m sure your brain is picturing black and white basketball, that’s good. When you picture that grainy, glitchy footage, how fast is it going? The reality is that the game used to be a lot slower. Not just in its mechanics (think of an offensive passing sequence, the ball flipping from set of hands to hands at a speed that can be hard to follow), but the athleticism too. Bodies were moving slower. The game was still physical — the trope of players from the 80s and 90s complaining about the “softness” of current athletes is a trope for a reason — but full tilt sprinting, cutting, complex rotations, these weren’t the norm. Given that, the bodily mechanics were different. Guys weren’t stopping on a dime, pivoting hard, having to force their ligaments and muscles and bones into exacting motions with all sorts of volatile force behind them.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Analysis Coach Mike Brown shares insights on what the Kings need from De’Aaron Fox to continue their success. (Sports Illustrated)
Milestone The Sacramento Kings are making NBA history with their impressive shooting stats. This season’s numbers are setting new benchmarks and thrilling fans. (Sports Illustrated)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Replay: Navigating the injury bug
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) holds his leg after a hard following a play against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Paycom Center.|Photo by Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
This week in the fantasy basketball world has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. A major talking point has been Chet Holmgren’s unfortunate injury, which has fantasy managers scrambling for replacements as the Oklahoma City Thunder adjust with potential lineup changes. Keep an eye on players like Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace — who might see increased minutes — and consider them as temporary pickups in deeper leagues.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Kings podcasts.
The Sacramento Kings’ Offense Looked Like 2022 Again! Matt George breaks down the Sacramento Kings victory over the Phoenix Suns, where Sacramento’s offense looked like it did back in the 2022-2023 season when it was the best in the NBA.
3-Pointers: The Nemesis of the Sacramento Kings Matt George reacts to the Sacramento Kings’ 116-96 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where, once again, the Kings struggled to hit shots while their opponents couldn’t miss.
DeMar DeRozan & De’Aaron Fox are the Kings of the Clutch! Matt George reacts to the Sacramento Kings overtime win in Phoenix, where DeMar DeRozan & De’Aaron Fox completely took over the game and led the way to victory. Plus, Kevin Huerter had a huge night, Malik Monk got hurt, and Mike Brown won his 100th game with the Kings.
