Kings vs. Warriors Preseason Preview: By the Numbers

The Sacramento Kings host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night to kick off their 2024 preseason.

Apr 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball in front of Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) in the fourth quarter during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

After a long offseason, NBA basketball is officially back. The Sacramento Kings preseason action gets underway tonight at 7:30 PT at the Golden 1 Center against the Golden State Warriors.

With months of speculation under our belts, we finally get to see what DeMar DeRozan looks like on the court with his new teammates. Anticipation is high after the six-time All-Star received high praise throughout training camp.

Between the Kings starters likely playing just the first half and the injuries to Jordan McLaughlin, Kevin Huerter, and Trey Lyles, we’ll get an extended look at the end of the bench as roster decisions loom.

Issac Jones has received high remarks from coaches and could play a bigger role than anticipated early with Lyles’ injury.

The Warriors, who have played one preseason game already, bring a new look after the departure of Klay Thompson. De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield were all brought in during the offseason to play key roles.

Writing a by-the-numbers preview for the first preseason game is difficult, but if there’s a stat I’m confident in, it’s that there will be a barrage of three-point attempts tonight.

The Kings were third in the league last season with 39.3 three-point attempts per game, and the Warriors were right behind them at 38.9. Golden State got up 48 shots from beyond the arc in their 2024-25 debut against the Los Angeles Clippers.

They made just 11 of the 48 (22.9%) showing some preseason rust, but Stephen Curry alone can make 11 threes on any given night.

The key stats to watch for the Kings tonight will be their offensive rebounds and pace. Offensive boards have been the talk of the town with the Kings emphasizing the new scheme to their offense.

Mike Brown shares that Kings GM Monte McNair was the one who initially wanted the Kings to emphasize the offensive rebounding. pic.twitter.com/eeDrRpC7cY

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) October 8, 2024

The Kings averaged 10.8 offensive rebounds per game last season, which was good for 12th in the league. It’s just a preseason game, but tonight will be an indicator of just how much the players crash the glass and follow the new principles set in place by the coaching staff.

 It’s just the first preseason game, but the energy and excitement is palpable. After missing the playoffs last season, the Kings' quest to return to the postseason begins tonight.

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