Preview: New-look Kings tip-off regular season vs. T-Wolves

This is not a drill: Sacramento Kings basketball is officially back.

Following a lengthy 188-day offseason tipped off by a loss in the NBA Play-In Tournament, the Kings will play at Golden 1 Center on Thursday night against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1) for their 2024-25 regular season opener.

It was an eventful offseason for Sacramento, as head coach and 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown inked a multi-year extension, Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk re-signed on a $78 million deal, and last but not least, six-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan stunned the free agent landscape by inking a sign-and-trade agreement with the Beam Team.

With star guard De’Aaron Fox eying an All-NBA nod in the penultimate season of his current Kings contract and star center Domantas Sabonis coming off of his second-straight All-NBA season of his own, Sacramento has the talent to make some noise in a loaded Western Conference.

Health, the development of two-way threat Keegan Murray, and the meshing of a star-studded roster that now includes one of the best scorers in NBA history will be critical in determining whether or not this Kings team can get back into the NBA Playoffs.

The 82-game sprint starts tonight at Golden 1 Center.

Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Trey Lyles (groin) have been cleared to play in Thursday’s season opener vs. Minnesota.

Read more:https://t.co/AHj9t84x86 pic.twitter.com/XcYhn3H7bd

— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) October 23, 2024

Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Info

When: 7:00 PM PST

Where: Golden 1 Center  – Sacramento, CA

TV: NBC Sports California, NBA League Pass (for out-of-market viewers)

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 2:00 PM PDT on The Drive Guys

Line: Kings -1.5, O/U 227.5

Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Timberwolves coverage, beginning at 2:00 PM PST on The Drive Guys before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.

No Need For Panic

An 0-5 preseason ruffled some feathers around the Kings fanbase, but I’m here to tell you that it isn’t time to panic. Not even close.

Preseason results rarely translate to the regular season, much like Summer League results seldom directly project a single player’s career trajectory. To each their own, of course, but to many, preseason results aren’t a genuine reason for concern because the games ultimately don’t matter.

Kings head coach Mike Brown is a close-to-the-vest leader. The two-time Coach of the Year award winner relayed to the media that he chose to keep a lot of his playbook and scheming under wraps until the regular season begins.

This was smart, considering that Sacramento played Pacific Division foes like the Golden State Warriors (twice) and Los Angeles Clippers during preseason.

Three-point shooting was the primary concern in preseason, as the Kings shot just 25 percent from downtown over five losses. This was a head-scratching aspect of Sacramento’s exhibition period, especially following back-to-back seasons that saw them shoot 36 percent or better from deep.

first bucket in a Kings jersey for Doug McBuckets 🎯 pic.twitter.com/xuudap463H

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 18, 2024

The Kings were without two key members of their rotation during the preseason. Sharpshooter Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Trey Lyles (groin) were sidelined for all five games. Recently signed forward and noted three-point threat Doug McDermott wasn’t in uniform until Sacramento’s final tune-up game in Los Angeles.

This Kings team has plenty of shooters, and with playmakers like De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk in the fold, players like Huerter, Lyles, McDermott, Keegan Murray, and Keon Ellis will have ample opportunity to prove the preseason woes from deep are overstated.

Minnesota’s defense picked up right where it left off last season by holding the Los Angeles Lakers to five-of-30 (16%) shooting from three-point land in Tuesday’s season-opener, meaning Sacramento will have a tough test in front of them in the opener.

We’ll see if the Kings’ group of three-point threats can break through the T-Wolves’ defense to take pressure off of the paint, where Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert will be looming.

Stop Ant-Man

This what-to-watch-for isn’t rocket science. The Sacramento Kings have to contain Anthony Edwards on Thursday night.

Edwards, one of the faces of the NBA, has torched the Kings in recent years. Over the past two seasons (six games), Edwards holds averages of 27.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent from three-point range.

Those numbers might have been even higher if Edwards didn’t have to depart Minnesota’s most recent game against the Kings, a 124-120 win for Sacramento in OT, at halftime due to the birth of his daughter.

Depending on what Mike Brown decides to do with his starting two-guard spot–all signs point to Kevin Huerter getting the nod if he is medically cleared–Keegan Murray could start the night matched against the two-time All-Star.

Last season, the Timberwolves went 21-8 (.724) in games where Edwards scored 30 or more points. Look at that mark as a number that Sacramento will want to avoid on Thursday night.

Kings vs. Timberwolves Injury Report

Sacramento

• Devin Carter – OUT (left shoulder surgery)
• Orlando Robinson – OUT (left MCL sprain)

Minnesota

• No injuries to report

Notes

• The Kings have lost their past three home games against the Timberwolves. Their most recent win was on February 9, 2022.
• Over the past three seasons (nine games), De’Aaron Fox holds averages of 29.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game on 46% FG and 34% 3PT vs. Minnesota.

Sacramento Kings 2024-25 Schedule

Regular Season

• Thursday, October 24th – vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 7 pm PDT
• Saturday, October 26th – @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7:30 pm PDT
• Monday, October 28th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 7 pm PDT
• Tuesday, October 29th – @ Utah Jazz – 6 pm PDT
• Friday, November 1st – @ Atlanta Hawks – 4 pm PDT

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