Cleveland Cavaliers at Sacramento Kings Preview

Cleveland’s bench didn’t look so good, and the team went through several dry spells on offense. Larry Nance Jr. and Darius Garland were playing well, while Jarrett Allen had a number of huge rejections. But, the bench was not very good, and JB Bickerstaff’s minute distribution left a lot to be desired. And yet again, no second-half playing time for Dylan Windler.

The Kings might be getting some reinforcements, with the four players they picked up at the trade deadline coming in. Moe Harkless, Chris Silva, Terence Davis, and Delon Wright could all potentially be joining the team and getting some run. Cory Joseph, who was traded to Detroit, was in the closing lineup for that Piston team against Brooklyn in his debut. Could the case be the same for Delon?

Cavs Seeking a Key Road Win

At 17-28 on the year, it appears that the Cavs have experienced far more lows than highs, with a number of tough contests for them this year. So many winnable games have presented themselves, but the team just did not rise to the occasion. Playing without Collin Sexton is obviously very difficult, but they had no business losing to the version of the Lakers they just went against.

Darius Garland is a tremendous talent and could well be the franchise point guard. But, when Sexton is out, he needs to stay in attack mode and become the clear top option. He has the ability to score and get hot, but he couldn’t do it. His continued development is huge for the future of the Cavaliers, and if he can’t find that rhythm some nights, devastating results will follow.

Matthew Dellavedova is close to a return, and once he can play, they’ll have a tremendous second-unit setup man.

Kings Looking to Follow Up Dominant Performance

Not only did the Kings beat the Cavs in Cleveland on Monday, but they obliterated the Warriors on Thursday night. When Steph Curry doesn’t play, that Dubs team is pretty much as human as any other in the league. They dropped 141 points on them, doubly impressive given that GS has the #3 defense in the NBA.

De’Aaron Fox is continuing to prove his dominance and that he is the future of the team. The Kings had best make sure he’s happy and that he won’t demand a trade at any point. The rest of the starting lineup sans Richaun Holmes leaves a bit to be desired. Buddy Hield is currently the starting small forward, which is bad for the defense.

Holmes has been on a tear of late, while Tyrese Haliburton is looking good as a starter. The fact that he fell into the double-digit was a total blessing for this franchise.