Athletic writer says Kings need to force Pelicans off three-point line

How do the Kings keep the Pelicans in check Friday? The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson thinks it comes down to three-point shooting.

Sacramento Kings reporter for The Athletic, Hunter Patterson, joined Stiles & Watkins Thursday to talk about the upcoming play-in matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings. They also discussed the Kings’ win over the Golden State Warriors, what the keys to Friday’s game will be, and if this season comes down making the playoffs.

All that and more on Sactown Sports.

“I would definitely try to run them off the 3.1 as much as possible…you can’t have [C.J. McCollum get going],” Hunter Patterson said. “I want to say he hit like seven or eight threes a couple of weeks ago when they played. Trey Murphy is now really comfortable in his role as a three-and-D kind of guy. I expect [Brandon Ingram] to be extremely aggressive without Zion [Williamson]. So my biggest thing, I’d try to run them off the line and get them to get to [the Kings’] second line of defense and hopefully, [Domantas Sabonis] can muster up a little bit of rim protection there. But it’ll definitely be by committee.”

Additional topics discussed include:

• Hunter’s thoughts on the Kings’ win over the Warriors?
• Who stepped up for Sacramento Tuesday? Can they do it again against the Pelicans?
• What are the expectations for Keegan Murray if he makes the playoffs?
• What adjustments should Mike Brown make when they face New Orleans?
• Does a Kings’ win on Friday mean a successful 2023-24 season?
• Who has the best drip amongst the NBA players according to Hunter

Click here to watch and listen to the full interview with Hunter Patterson.

Listen to Stiles & Watkins from 10 – 2 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, right here on Sactown Sports 1140. Subscribe to their podcast here. Thank you for reading sactownsports.com. Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

ESPN projects Sacramento Kings to finish last in Western ConferenceSacramento Kings to honor Rick Adelman with jersey band during 2026-27 seasonKeegan Murray still has a key role to play in Kings’ rebuildDeMar DeRozan Reportedly Agrees To Deal With DenverJerry Reynolds Names His Favorite Free Agent Linked To KingsZach LaVine has a chance to rebuild his value in Sacramento