Sacramento Kings: A good start to pre-season is a great sign

The Sacramento Kings are back

The Sacramento Kings‘ expectations on the season are low. The team is expected to be in the race for the least amount of wins with nothing to show for it. No matter the outcome of how many losses they have, it’s certain they will not receive a pick.

When looking back on it, was Rajon Rondo and Marco Belinelli really worth a first round pick?

Last night, however, the Kings won their first preseason game against the Suns 106-102 in Phoenix. The objective on the season is to not look like a gang of geriatrics playing basketball from the 1960s, but instead play an offense that has a quicker pace. Pushing the ball in transition, attacking the basket fluidly, and shooting the 3-ball is what can make this Kings team grow.

And that is exactly what they did.

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They took 25 3’s and made 11, played a faster brand of basketball and went after the basket.

To start the night, the Kings trotted out De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Justin Jackson, Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein. The impact of this lineup was not felt immediately. They started the game 1-for-7 and could not buy a bucket. And for Jackson, it would be the entire night. Trevor Ariza was matched up on Jackson for the majority of the night not letting him have any breathing room to get open or take shots. He has to find ways to stand out because going 0-for-3, two rebounds, and an assist is not enough to be able to say there was an improvement from last season.

Once the Kings got past there rocky start, the offense took off. Fox commanded a rhythm and pace for the minutes he was in. He scanned the floor with intent to pass or lanes to barely slide through to get to the basket every possession. Fox took an encouraging step-back 3 that glued his defender to the floor and also missed one in transition but the attempts are what stood out. He finished the night with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and five assists.

While the offensive side of the ball was a point of emphasis, his night on the defensive end was spectacular. For instance, on two straight possessions, Fox was practically inside the jersey fold of Shaquille Harrison, causing offensive fouls. It was glorious for Fox. His speed alone on defense is his biggest threat.

Cauley-Stein did his thing. He contributed 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds. The rebounds came like they were nothing, especially in the first half. Labissiere came out shooting and stayed aggressive over the majority of the game. On two straight possessions, he found himself easily getting space on crossover combos for easy jumpers. He put on 20 pounds this offseason and it may serve as a factor in a lot of what he does for this season.

The second overall pick, Marvin Bagley, was far from exciting last night but he can build from his first preseason game. He shot 2-for-7 and didn’t really rebound the ball. The Kings cannot use Bagley like Zach Randolph because they are not the same type of player. Creating a ton of space for Bagley to go one-on-one, back to the basket kind of play is not for him. Sticking to jumpers and cutting to the basket can do so much more for him. But he did have the game-sealing block on Deandre Ayton so there’s that.

The most exciting big from last nights competition is Harry Giles. Giles was all over the place- offensively shooting 3’s, mid-range and getting inside the post. This young man deserves to be in the conversation for starting center just by what he can do on the floor.

Giles shows that he can do so much and it may be something to look into. He has vision when has the ball and can run down the floor with no problem. He had 14 points, six rebounds and three assists.

However, there was a problem amongst the bigs. Ayton ate up all of them like barbecue chicken. He was able to extend plays for himself and get to the free throw line the entire game. The emphasis needs to be defense and not to mimic the atrocity that they were last year on that end.

Side note – Deandre Ayton will be the Rookie of the year. Thank you.

One more thing about the bigs. To start the second quarter the Kings had Frank Mason, Labissiere, Bagley, Giles and Cauley-Stein as a lineup. Just put that lineup together in your imagination where no one on the court is between 6-foot and 6-foot-10. Glorious.

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The backup point guard position is up for grabs between Mason and Yogi Ferrell. And after last night, the race may have Ferrell way in the lead. Ferrell was everywhere on the floor making 6-of-9 3’s and maintaining a shooting edge the entire night. He cut well off the ball and found himself getting a couple of easy put-ins at the rim. A new sixth man for the roster?

The Sacramento Kings are finally back after a long offseason. And this season is all about progress for the young guys.

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