The 2020-21 NBA season begins anew for the Kings on Wednesday night. There are plenty of new faces, but the lineup will look similar to what we saw last season.
After a disappointing stretch in the Orlando bubble, Sacramento is looking to get the pace up and rediscover the uptempo offense that made them must-see TV two seasons ago.
The Kings begin their season on the road in Denver against a very good Nuggets team that made it all the way to the Western Conference finals a season ago. The Nuggets have one of the best centers in the game in Nikola Jokic, an up and coming scorer in Jamal Murray and a lanky wing on the rise in Michael Porter Jr.
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With the coronavirus pandemic still an issue, the NBA has shortened the season to 72 games. With the potential for cancelations and postponements throughout the year, each contest has a little extra meaning.
Here are the basics as the Kings open the 2020-21 season.
WHERE TO WATCH
NBC Sports California, 5:30 PM pregame, 6 PM tip off -- this is the first of all 72 Kings games that will be carried this season on NBC Sports California.
NBA
CURRENT LINE
Nuggets by 7.5
PROJECTED LINEUPS
KINGS
PG- De’Aaron Fox
SG - Buddy Hield
SF - Harrison Barnes
PF - Marvin Bagley
C - Richaun Holmes
NUGGETS
PG - Jamal Murray
SG - Gary Harris
SF - Michael Porter Jr.
PF - Paul Millsap
C - Nikola Jokic
INJURY REPORT
Kings: F DaQuan Jeffries (back stiffness) OUT, PF/C Jabari Parker (back soreness) OUT
Nuggets: PF JaMychal Green (calf strain) OUT, F Greg Whittington (knee) OUT
RELATED: GM McNair believes winning will bring talent to Kings
MATCHUP TO WATCH
De'Aaron Fox vs. Jamal Murray
While this pair didn’t play together at Kentucky, they’ve had a long standing relationship and plenty of respect for one another. Fox is the blazing speedster. Murray can heat up in an instant. They’ll defend each other for stretches and both are central to their team’s success.
MATCH UP TO WATCH II
Nikola Jokic vs. Three-Headed Monster
The Joker is one of the most intriguing players in the league. He can beat you with the 3-ball, steal away a rebound for a putback without leaving his feet and his passing skills are somewhere between Vlade Divac and Arvydas Sabonis.
Sacramento will throw different looks at Jokic all night long, beginning with Richaun Holmes. Holmes is undersized, but a lot quicker than Jokic. He’ll try to out-hustle the Serbian big man on both ends of the court.
When Holmes leaves the court, shot-blocker extraordinaire Hassan Whiteside will try his hand. Whiteside can match Jokic’s size in the paint, but he might struggle to defend him on the perimeter.
Lastly, coach Luke Walton will likely give Bagley a shot at slowing the 7-footer. Bagley has the foot speed to beat Jokic up and down the court, but he’s still building the muscle required to keep Denver’s star big out of the paint.
QUOTE
“He’s going to take us for a ride and we’re going to be there fighting together. He’s going to take a hell of a leap this year, I can promise you guys that.” -Cory Joseph on De’Aaron Fox