National Basketball Association

Sacramento Kings: Game 1 Preview at the Phoenix Suns

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Sacramento Kings travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns on October 26, 2016. This article examines everything Kings fans need to know about tonight’s game.

On October 26, 2016, the Sacramento Kings opening the 2016-2017 regular season with a road tilt against the Phoenix Suns. This is the first of 82 regular season games for the Kings. I won’t speak for you, but I have been waiting for this game for months, so let us jump right into the game preview for the contest.

Injuries

The Sacramento Kings come into the game injury free. They will be without the services of starting point guard, Darren Collison, due to his eight-game domestic violence suspension. Collison’s suspension is a big blow to the Kings. I expect Ty Lawson to play all the minutes he can handle as the team’s only true point guard on the roster.

Phoenix Suns’ Scouting Report

The Phoenix Suns are coming off a 23 win season a year ago, but the future looks bright in Phoenix. The Suns feature one of my favorite players to watch in Devin Booker. Booker is still only 19 years old but looks to be transforming into one of the league’s best scorers. I am excited to see if the Kings can contain Booker in this contest.

The Suns also feature a point guard combo of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight that can cause havoc on the opposition. Ty Lawson will have his hands full guarding these two. Phoenix will play at a fast pace, so this could be a very exciting end to end type game.

What to Watch for?

Defense

As I mentioned, the game will be played at a fast pace with Phoenix trying to use its three guards to dominate the game. It will be interesting to see how Sacramento’s defense holds up. I am hoping for good defensive intensity and a game plan to get the ball out of the hands of Booker, Bledsoe, and Knight.

First of a Back-to-Back

After playing in Phoenix on Wednesday, the Kings travel back home for their home opener on Thursday night. This will not be an easy game as the San Antonio Spurs come to town fresh off their win over the Golden State Warriors. Riding the momentum of that win and catching Sacramento on a back-to-back could cause real problems for the Kings. It will be interesting to see how Coach Joerger plays it tonight knowing that they play tomorrow. Things get even worse as the Kings have five games in seven nights.

DeMarcus Cousins’ Puts on a Show

It is opening night, so I suspect Cousins will be primed for the occasion and puts up a big game. Check out my box score breakdown article to see what I am predicting. I will just say here that it is a big double-double.

Staying Undefeated

The Kings have a great chance to win this game and stay undefeated on the new season. They are going to have to bring it on both ends of the floor and look to exploit the Suns’ mistakes. The Suns turned the ball over more than any team last season according to ESPN. The Kings need to take advantage of those turnovers and that should lead to a Sacramento Kings victory.

Summary

There you have it, everything you need to know to be ready for tonight’s game. It should be a fun and exciting game that I am sure you have all been waiting for. Sit back and enjoy the contest.

Do not forget to check back to A Royal Pain for the game recap and everything you need to know about the Sacramento Kings this season. Thank you for reading.