The case for the LA Clippers
The next two possible matchups are not great for the Sacramento Kings, or at least in my opinion, for very different reasons. In this first hypothetical, the Kings would get an LA Clippers team that is boom or bust. This is a team that you can argue hasn’t hit its ceiling this season and one that could be getting Paul George back when this series starts. And if PG and Kawhi Leonard are both healthy, the Clippers are going to have the two best players on the floor every night. And that’s not ideal for the Kings.
What Sacramento would like in a potential matchup with the Clippers is that aside from PG and Kawhi, they have been relatively inconsistent this season. They aren’t great on offense or defense and barely have a positive net rating on the season. The Kings are also 3-1 against the Clippers in the regular season this year.
I don’t love the matchup with the Clippers for the Kings because of how good PG and Kawhi can be on any given night. They can take over a series and LA’s supporting cast is better than the two previous teams mentioned.