Three Things to Watch in Kings Preseason Opener vs. Raptors

The Sacramento Kings make their preseason debut tonight against the Toronto Raptors at 7:00 PT

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Isaac Jones (3) before the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings finally play basketball today! After a long offseason filled with rumors around Jonathan Kuminga and Russell Westbrook, we shift our focus from the hypothetical to the actual as the Kings tip off against the Toronto Raptors tonight at 7:00 PT.

With this being our first look at the Kings on the court, there will be a lot to watch for, but here are three keys to pay close attention to for Sacramento's first game together.

Dennis Schröder's Debut

Early indications from training camp are that Dennis Schröder is exactly what this Kings team needed this offseason. He isn't a flashy lead guard, but he does a little bit of everything on the court and brings a veteran presence to not only the locker room but also on the court.

Doug Christie has a clear vision for this team to play hard-nosed defense and get out in transition, and Schröder is the man to lead the charge on the defensive end. He's not known as an all-defensive type of player, but he is known for playing hard and bringing intensity on the court.

On the offensive side of the ball, Schröder doesn't need to average 20 points to be effective, but he should help orchestrate the Kings offense at the point guard position, something they desperately missed at the end of last season.

Schröder is a great pick-and-roll player and tends to make the right plays. If he can do that, along with leading the defensive charge, he could be exactly what this team needs.

The Rookies

Sep 29, 2025; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) during media day at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Sacramento comes into the season with two extremely exciting rookies in Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud. Neither are high draft picks that the team is hanging their hat on to be the next star, but both have the potential to be high-end rotational players at the very least. That's more than anyone can ask for from a late first-round pick and mid-second-round selection.

Clifford especially impressed during Summer League, helping lead the team to the championship game. It will be fun to see how he slots in with the rest of the NBA squad compared to being in the lead role with the exhibition team.

And Raynaud has a clear path to rotational minutes as well (more on that soon). He may find himself behind Drew Eubanks to start the season, but him getting as many minutes as possible would be best for the Kings going forward. After a training camp working with Domantas Sabonis, it will be interesting to see if Raynaud has progressed between Summer League and now.

Backup Power Forward

The Kings don't have many rotational questions heading into the season. There's the backup point guard spot, but they have so many guards they have options to fill that slot. The backup center spot is up in the air, but Eubanks has impressed early in camp.

The biggest spot up in the air still, at least from the outside looking in, is the backup power forward position. The Kings don't have any players with the same skillset as Keegan Murray on the bench. They have Doug McDermott who can shoot the lights out of the ball but lacks the defense that Murray brings.

And they have Isaac Jones, a second-year player who has the potential to have a breakout sophomore season with the opportunity. He's still relatively unproven, but also impressed during Summer League. If he can continue to prove he can hit the three-point shot, he could find snag the backup power forward minutes in a similar role to Trey Lyles.

But tonight will be our first look at who Doug Christie has in mind for that position. Whether it be McDermott, Jones, Dario Saric, Raynaud as a stretch-four with Sabonis, or even DeMar DeRozan as a small-ball four, there are numerous options for one of the biggest question marks left for this Kings squad.