All of a sudden, the Sacramento Kings look like a playoff team in the Western Conference again. The Kings have a ton of young talent, and the young guys are starting to grow up in a big way in Sac-Town. San Antonio will take their five-game winning streak into Sacramento on Monday night and try to find a way to slow down the streaking Kings.
The Spurs got off to a very slow start this season, but have bounced back in a big way. San Antonio has improved their record to 32-22 on the season, and they sit in first place in the Southwest Division. Sacramento has gone 16-10 so far at home this season, and come into this game with a record of 27-25. The Kings sit just outside of the playoff race in the Western Conference. San Antonio is a 1.0 point favorite over the Kings in this game.
“Average” Spurs Getting it Done
If you just look at the stats for the Spurs so far this season, you would think that they are just an average team. San Antonio is scoring 112.6 points per game while allowing 110.1, which is just slightly better than league average. The biggest edge that the Spurs have over their opponents is in their head coach, Gregg Popovich. Popovich is getting the job done this season with a new cast of characters, and he will find a way to defend the young and talented Kings team.
DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge have carried the Spurs team on offense this season, and know how to win games on the road. DeRozan leads the Spurs with 21.2 points and 6.2 assists per game and is enjoying his first season in San Antonio. Aldridge got off to a horrible start in his Spurs career but is having a monster season. He has poured in 21.1 points per game and also leads the team with 8.9 rebounds per contest. The Spurs have a ton of other pieces, but DeRozan and Aldridge are their leaders.
Kings Can Score, Don’t Defend
If the Sacramento Kings could figure out how to play some defense, then they very well could sneak into the playoffs in the Western Conference. The Kings are giving up close to 115 points a night, which is near the bottom of the league. Sacramento can score, averaging 113.4 points a game, but their defense is clearly holding them back. It’s hard for young players to focus on both ends of the floor, and that is definitely what is happening with the Kings.
Buddy Hield leads the Kings with 20.5 points per game, but De’Aaron Fox looks like the biggest star on the Sacramento roster. Fox is pouring in 17.5 points and dishing out 7.2 assists per game and is one of the best young point guards in the league. The Kings have had a ton of high draft picks in recent seasons, and it looks like they made some very wise choices. Sacramento will be a handful in the coming years.
Spurs Keep Rolling With Win
Sacramento is one of the toughest places to win in the NBA, but San Antonio has done it year after year. The Kings have the ability to put up a ton of points on offense, but they give it right back on the other end. The Spurs are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and the Kings won’t be able to slow them down. Bet the San Antonio Spurs -1.0 over the Sacramento Kings.
