The Sacramento Kings’ surprise season comeback will continue in the first round against the Golden State Warriors. The Kings earned a third seed in a very competitive Western Conference but are still the underdogs against the underperforming Warriors.
Despite this, the historical attack of kings may be too much for the defending champion Warriors. Led by All-Stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, they managed to ignite teams, but they were yet to be tested in the playoffs. There are also some big defensive concerns that need to be addressed if they hope to dethrone Golden State. However, who will start the first game of kings?
Kings’ expected starting lineup vs. Warriors game 1:
- Daron Fox
- Kevin Huerter
- Harrison Barnes
- Keegan Murray
- Domantas Sabonis
The Kings’ starting lineup has remained largely intact through most of the season. In fact, all five of the team’s players have started in at least 75 games this season. This kind of continuity can help balance out the collective youth of the five core players. Small forward Barnes is the oldest of the group and has tournament experience, while Fox and Murray have no playoff experience at all.
That may ultimately not matter with a well-balanced offensive offense and home-court advantage against the Warriors, who have struggled mightily on the road this season. However, they will need to rely on their stars to show up against Golden State, especially Sabonis, who will spend some time guarding two of the Warriors’ best defensemen.
The expected lineup of warriors from the start vs. Kings 1:
- Steve Curry
- Donte Divincenzo
- Clay Thompson
- Draymond Green
- Kevon Looney
The Warriors’ rotation will finally be intact in time to play the Kings in the first round of the Western Playoffs. That’s great timing, but their uneven play has seen them drop to sixth in the conference they won last season.
Until then, Golden State is widely expected to upset the Kings thanks to Curry, Thompson, and other offensive weapons, including Jordan Poole. They will also have All-Star Andrew Wiggins back for the first time in months, though he will come off the bench to start the series.
All in all, even though the rookie Warriors are the favorites in the series, the Kings have been the better team all season. Additionally, they match well with the Warriors when comparing starting lineups.