KINGS GAME AT A GLANCE: VS. WARRIORS
THE PARTICULARS
▪ Where: Sleep Train Arena
▪ Time: 7 p.m.
▪ TV/radio: CSNCA, 1140, 950, 680
THREE KEYS
▪ 1. Defend the three: The Warriors swept the Kings 4-0 last season, partly because of the Kings’ inability to defend the three-point line. Leaving Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson open from the perimeter could put the Kings in a hole. This also means the Kings cannot lose either player in transition, where they can score with spot-up threes off penetration into the lane.
▪ 2. Ball security: The Warriors are among the most potent offensive teams in the league. The Kings cannot afford to give up easy points off turnovers. With Thompson and Andre Iguodala, the Warriors can cause problems by getting into passing lanes. The Kings cannot get caught dribbling into trouble or throwing lazy passes.
▪ 3. Attack mode: The Kings can hurt the Warriors’ defense by getting center Andrew Bogut in foul trouble. That means getting the ball to DeMarcus Cousins and allowing him to attack Bogut. If Cousins can get Bogut off the floor, that will create more scoring opportunities at the rim – if the Kings attack and do not settle for jumpers. Cousins and Rudy Gay have to be aggressive, which will open the floor for others if the ball moves from side-to-side.
PROJECTED STARTERS
KINGS
No. | Player | Pos. |
7 | Darren Collison | PG |
23 | Ben McLemore | SG |
8 | Rudy Gay | SF |
34 | Jason Thompson | PF |
15 | DeMarcus Cousins | C |
WARRIORS
No. | Player | Pos. |
30 | Stephen Curry | PG |
11 | Klay Thompson | SG |
40 | Harrison Barnes | SF |
23 | Draymond Green | PF |
12 | Andrew Bogut | C |
Jason Jones
This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 7:09 PM.