Pelicans Vs. Kings; A View From The Other Side
New Orleans, La- The New Orleans Pelicans (27-27) will be hosting the Sacramento Kings (29-22) Sunday evening at the Smoothie King Center. These two teams are heading in opposite directions. The Pelicans have lost nine of their last ten games and are currently 10th in the Western Conference standings.
Sacramento has won six of their last ten games and are positioned 3rd in the West. Terry Kimble from the Pelicans Scoop Podcast spoke with SB Nation's Sactown Royalty writer Jordan White who discusses the King's season up to this point and what a postseason appearance.
Pelicans Scoop: The Kings currently have the longest playoff drought in the NBA at 16 seasons. What would it mean to the organization and fanbase to break that streak this season?
Jordan White: As silly as it sounds, making the playoffs this year would be like winning a championship. Obviously it isn’t anywhere near the same level of accomplishment but people don’t realize what 16 years of “basketball hell” will do to a city.
Not only would it bring an obvious happiness to the organization and the fans, but it would open the team up so much more in the future like the ability to maybe bring in a free-agent or more nationally televised games.
Pelicans Scoop: For those who may not have watched a ton of Kings basketball this year, tell our viewers how special of a player Domantas Sabonis is.
Jordan White: Domantas Sabonis is more special than any casual fan can process. He’s obviously not Nikola Jokic but he’s right there when you think of a player that can do it all. Unlike a lot of bigs that just rebound and score inside, Sabonis can create for others and run an offense.
Sabonis is Sacramento’s best rebounder, best facilitator, best defensive big – though he still needs to improve in that area – and on some nights the best scorer. He leads the league in total rebounds and double-doubles for a reason.
Pelicans Scoop: Harrison Barnes has been invaluable as a veteran leader on this team, but he is an unrestricted free agent this summer. With this being his final season under contract, do you still see a future for him in Sacramento past this year?
Jordan White: As you already said, HB is invaluable for the Kings. Sacramento is a very young team and having a player with not only a lot of experience in the league, but championship experience as well is definitely a major reason for their success so far this year. I can absolutely see a future for him as a King beyond this year.
He’s been arguably the third best player behind Fox and Sabonis this season and is the guy that keeps everyone in check mentally. The only way I see him leaving is in a trade for someone that would provide a major impact to the team.
Mar 2, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dribbles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
Pelicans Scoop: Which player/players have you been most impressed by this season?
Jordan White: The two guys that have impressed me the most Malik Monk and Keegan Murray. For Murray, being the number four pick means you should have an immediate impact on your team. But he’s done better than I thought he might considering he’s in a different role than the rest of the top five picks. Murray wasn’t asked to come in and be the first or second best player on a team. He was asked to fill a hole in the roster and be a great role player that could blossom into a star. He is showing signs of that already with incredible shooting ability, as well as what he has begun to show on the boards and on defense.
Monk on the other and has shown me something I didn’t really know he had. We have all seen his athleticism and crafty scoring ability. What he has shown me this year though is his ability to create for others. This is a big part of why Mike Brown decided he would come off the bench and not Huerter. He is always looking to pass while still being a spark plug to get the energy going on the bench. Every team needs a guy like Monk in the rotation.
Pelicans Scoop: What is the biggest area of concern for this Kings team heading into the latter part of this season and on to the playoffs?
Jordan White: Sacramento’s biggest issue is obvious to anyone that watches them play. Defense, defense and more defense. The Kings’ offense has been elite this year, arguably the best. But that can only get you so far against teams that are elite on both ends of the floor like the Celtics for example. In a playoff series in particular, the defense will be even more important. Once a team has played them once or twice they know how to slow them down or throw them off their game. That’s where a stout defense will help them throw their opponent off as well.
Pelicans Scoop: Give us one thing (matchup/lineup/stat etc...) we should be looking for in Sunday's game versus New Orleans.
Jordan White: The biggest thing to look for in this game is how the Kings will play without Fox for the second straight game. Fox is out due to the birth of his child the other day, so he is with his family as he should be. Without him in their last game against the Indiana Pacers, the Kings lost a game they definitely should have won. Fox has been arguably the best closer in the league this season. When the game was close in the final minutes, Sacramento just looked a little lost and in need of their leader. Definitely pay attention to how Mike Brown and the squad change things up to make up for what they lack without Fox.
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