The Sacramento Kings have played solid team basketball in the first three games of the season. They put on a consistent show against the Phoenix Suns on opening night, but fell a little bit short against the San Antonio Spurs in the home opener.
Then they had a sluggish start in their second home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves but took control of the game in the third quarter. Now the real test will come, as they will play five games in seven nights on the road.
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They start off the road trip tonight in Atlanta against a Hawks team that signed Dwight Howard in the offseason. Thus far, Howard has played well. He is averaging 6.5 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in his first two games.
The Hawks as a team have been great defensively, ranking first in the NBA by allowing 85.5 points per game. They have also been unselfish, averaging 29.5 assists per game, which puts them #1 in the NBA.
This will be a dogfight for the Kings, especially since they haven’t been very good in Atlanta for years now. Cousins has averaged 30 points in his first three games, which is really impressive but Sacramento’s defense has been the talk around town.
After being one of the worst defensive teams the past couple of seasons, through the first three games, the Kings are tied at 9th by allowing 99.7 points per game.
Where they have struggled is on the glass. They are dead last at 37.3 rebounds per game. Cousins will need some help from his teammates in that category if they plan on having a successful road trip.
Then they face the Miami Heat on a back-to-back where they have been notoriously bad in that arena. Even though the Heat are not as good as they have been, they are still a threat to win on their home court. Hassan Whiteside is averaging 21.7 points per game and 14.7 rebounds per game. He has definitely improved offensively this season. His jump shot looks a lot smoother than previous seasons and he has taken over the leadership role after the departure of Miami Heat legend, Dwyane Wade.
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On November 3rd they head to Orlando to face a Magic team that has underperformed thus far. But that makes them even more dangerous for the Kings, since the Magic will be looking for their first victory of the season. They are 11th in the league in the rebounding category, which is where they will have an advantage over the Kings.
On November 5th, they face a Bucks team that haven’t played up to their potential as of yet. They are long and athletic. This will not be an easy matchup for the Kings.
Then on November 6th, DeMar DeRozan, who is averaging 36 points a night will be waiting for a tired Kings team, making it that much more difficult to seek out a victory. The Raptors have allowed 92.5 points to their opponents, making them fourth in the NBA.
Predictions:
1: Kings 97 Hawks 95
2: Kings 105 Heat 110
3: Kings 112 Magic 100
4: Kings 100 Bucks 99
5: Kings 89 Raptors 105
I have the Kings going 3-2 on this road trip. Do you agree with me? Let me know and don’t forget to follow Cowbell Kingdom on all social media platforms @Cowbell_Kingdom
(Design created by CK’s Noah Williams)
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