Road Reaction Postgame Show: Sacramento Kings 116, Milwaukee Bucks 102

The Sacramento Kings begin a seven-game road trip starting tonight in Milwaukee. Will the Kings play down to the level of the Bucks, who have just 12 wins on the season so far? Or, will they come out with the right intensity from the jump?  Join Jonathan Santiago and James Ham for the Road Reaction Postgame Show on Google+ after the game. The show can be watched on the video player embedded below.  You can also join the discussion of tonight’s game by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

What to watch

1. Can the Kings bring consistent effort to the defensive side of the floor?

Defense is one of the areas where Michael Malone would like to see better consistency from his team.  Since last week’s debaucle against the Houston Rockets, the Kings have found ways to compete on the defensive side of the floor.  In their last two games, they have kept opponents below 100 points per contest while limiting their field-goal percentages (44.2 percent) and 3-point percentages (26.8 percent) in the process.  The Kings will give themselves a much better chance to win if they decide to play good defense against the worst team in the NBA.

2. Can the Kings control their turnovers?

Turnovers have been a major issue for the Kings as of late.  Over the course of their last two games, the Kings averaged a whopping 19 turnovers a contest.  Two of the biggest culprits have been two of their best players.  In Monday’s game alone, Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 11 of Sacramento’s 18 total turnovers.  Valuing possessions is another area that coach Malone would like to see his team do a better job of, beginning tonight against the Bucks.

3. The health of Carl Landry

In his first season back in Sacramento, the veteran big man has had an injury-riddled campaign.  He missed all of the preseason plus the Kings’ first 38 games after tearing his left hip flexor in training camp.  Now, he’s suffering from soreness in his right knee, which has sidelined him for the last three games.  He had an MRI on Monday and was able to travel with the team on this seven-game trip, but whether he plays tonight remains up in the air.