SAN JOSE -- The Sacramento Kings are a work in progress, but judging from their 105-96 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, they might be more competitive than the good folks in Vegas think.
Keeping up with the high-scoring Warriors is nearly impossible for most teams, but when the veterans left the game after the first 36 minutes of action, that is exactly what the Kings had done.
It’s preseason. Sacramento’s young players stumbled down the stretch, like a group of rookies tend to do. But that doesn’t mean that an outline of what this team may look like isn’t forming.
“We’re trying to create an identity for ourselves as being a defensive first team,” DeMarcus Cousins said following the game. “It’s starts here. Start building from this moment, try to carry it on to the regular season.”
Sacramento came away with 17 steals as they slashed through the Warriors passing lanes. Cousins and veteran wing Matt Barnes each came away with four steals, but it was a team effort.
“Golden State can hit some bombs on you and it can make you look bad,” coach Dave Joerger said. “We had chances to go away or to quit at different points and we kept fighting and took their punch.”
On the offensive end, the ball moved freely for stretches. The Kings finished the night with 24 assists, but that number would have been higher had they let the veterans play in the fourth. Like the defense, the offense is a work in progress, but in game two of preseason, you are looking for a rough sketch, not precision.
Sports
“I think we’re in a good place,” Cousins said. “I feel we improved from the first game.”
While Cousins said that he believes the defense is ahead of where it should be, there is a lot of room for refinement. “We’ve still got a lot to learn, we’re still making a lot of mistakes, we’re having a lot of breakdowns,” the All-Star center said.
Matt Barnes brings the fire
Usually it’s Cousins who finds himself as the lightning rod for trouble. But he has company in that area this season.
Barnes drew the ire of the Warriors and their fan contingency Thursday night when he went up hard for a block on JaVale McGee. Benches didn’t clear, but the mood in the building instantly changed as players began jawing at one another.
“I just think they forgot that was 36 and they didn’t know I could still jump,” Barnes said of the play in question. “But I grabbed all ball.”
As boos rained down from the crowd, Cousins quickly got off the bench to support his teammate. He then became the target of fans, which Cousins is all too familiar with.
“I love him,” Cousins said. “Matt will be the first to tell you that I’ve been trying to get this dude here for a while now. He’s a true competitor. He leaves it all on the floor. You’ve got to appreciate guys like that.”
The Kings rallied after the foul call, tying the game up at 88-88 in the waning moments of the third. In past years, the Kings faded in these moments, but Barnes appeared to energize the club.
“I think it’s contagious,” Barnes said following the game. “I’m a vocal leader, but also lead by example. So I’m going out there and pressuring people and I think it carries on for the younger guys and everybody.”
“I don’t know how to play any other way,” Barnes added.
Ty Lawson and Garrett Temple get some burn
Darren Collison is suspended the first eight games of the regular season and the Kings have no choice but to develop a contingency plan. This isn’t a theoretical situation or a fire drill. Coach Joerger and his staff need to see what they have in reserves Ty Lawson and Garrett Temple.
It’s a complicated situation. Joerger needs to get Collison up to speed with the new offensive and defensive schemes. He also needs to make sure his starting point guard stays in rhythm, despite the impending layoff. But it’s the NBA and the schedule waits for no one.
Collison was a healthy scratch against Golden State as Lawson and Temple took center stage. Lawson pushed the tempo as the starter, finishing the night with seven points and three assists in 21 minutes of action. He stayed with his man on the defensive end and made quality decisions.
“I know it’s preseason, but just to be able to feel like we belong on the same court (as the Warriors), (we’re) showing everybody that we’re working, that we’re getting better,” Lawson said. “We’re not going to be the same Kings team that we’ve been in the past.”
Joerger continues to praise Lawson in front of the media. The veteran came into Sacramento embattled after a rough 2015-16 season, but he’s getting every shot at a fresh start with the Kings.
“He looked fantastic,” Joerger said. “It’s just a joke...I think it’s just laughable. I’ve heard, ‘oh, has he lost a step’. Maybe he’s gained a step. I mean, the guy is fast.”
Temple had a big night off the bench, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers in 21 minutes with the second unit.
“Garrett’s playing well, I think I’m playing well,” Lawson said. “We both know the offense so I think we’ll be able to hold it down until the big fella gets back.”
The Kings’ early season schedule is brutal, with very few days of rest. Collison will have very little time to work with the team once the season starts. Joerger has no choice but to filter all three guards in for major minutes in different lineups during the preseason schedule.
