Memphis Grizzlies’ Opposing Views: Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have an intriguing blend of veterans and youth. Will the Grizzlies continue to be the superior team as they have the last few years?
After trading DeMarcus Cousins in the middle of last season, the Sacramento Kings stayed busy over the summer. They drafted prospects with high upside in De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Frank Mason III and Harry Giles in the draft. With the signings of George Hill, Vince Carter, and Zach “Ganga” Randolph, the Kings also added veteran leadership.
The Kings and Grizzlies now are in a similar situation (only fitting since they took half the team in free agency). Both teams have intriguing young players who could become stars in the future. They both still have veteran leaders who’ll win games for their teams. However, both teams are somewhat stuck in the middle, with no real chance of contending for a title next season.
The Grizzlies have consistently been the better team for nearly the last decade. With two rosters full of new faces, will that trend continue?
Projected Kings’ Starting Lineup
PG-De’Aaron Fox
SG-George Hill
SF-Justin Jackson (or if Dave Joerger gets his wish, Vince Carter)
PF-Zach Randolph
C-Willie Cauley-Stein
Advantages for the Grizzlies
- Star Power
Marc Gasol and Mike Conley should be at their peak against the Sacramento Kings. The NBA is a star-driven league, and the Conley/Gasol pairing is one of the most dynamic duos in the league. George Hill and De’Aaron Fox simply aren’t on the level of a healthy Mike Conley. None of the Kings’ young bigs can consistently slow down Marc Gasol on either end of the court. All things considered, the Kings simply don’t have anyone of their caliber to take over games down the stretch.
- Playmaking on the Wing
Chandler Parsons and Tyreke Evans provide the Grizzlies with veteran playmaking and scoring on the wing (go ahead and slap a big, fat “IF HEALTHY” sticker on that sentence). The Kings really don’t have anyone that can produce at their level from the wing position. Vince Carter is still a serviceable veteran, and Justin Jackson could turn into a great player. However, they’ll lack what they need to match Memphis in that regard during next season.
Advantages for the Kings
- More Reliable Youth
Sacramento’s young players generally appear more NBA ready than their counterparts on the Grizzlies. Skal Labissiere, Buddy Hield and Willie Cauley-Stein all grew into their roles through the minutes they played last season. They’ve already shown that they can be consistent NBA contributors.
For the most part, this isn’t the case for the young players on the Grizzlies. Wade Baldwin, Jarell Martin and others simply haven’t shown the consistency needed to be solid role players. Teams have to rely on contributions from their youth to win games, and the Kings will be superior to the Grizzlies in this regard.
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Dethroning the Kings
All things considered, the Memphis Grizzlies are a better team than the Sacramento Kings. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are an All-Star combination for which the Kings simply have no answer. They have playmaking and scoring that the Kings really can’t match. Though the Kings will be a solid team next year, the Grizzlies should dominate this matchup.
That doesn’t mean that the Kings will make it easy for them. Zach Randolph will be highly motivated to win in the matchup against his former team, and George Hill is one of the better two-way guards in the league. Their youth will also give the Grizzlies some problems.
As usual, the Grizzlies will have to be at their best to dethrone the Kings next season.