Sacramento Kings: Game 42 Preview at Memphis Grizzlies

By Fansided and Tyler Watts/FanSided via A Royal Pain
Published

The Sacramento Kings travel to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on January 20, 2017.  This article provides a preview of that game from a Kings’ perspective.

The Sacramento Kings start an eight-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight.  This is the third of four meetings between the teams this season.  The Kings traveled to Memphis on December 16th and defeated the Grizzlies 96-92.  Below is a highlight video from that game to refresh your memory on the happenings.

Without further ado, below is the preview of tonight’s game between the Sacramento Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Injuries

Sacramento Kings

Rudy Gay suffered one of the worst injuries a basketball player can suffer during Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.  Rudy Gay fully ruptured his left Achilles tendon.  Gay will undergo surgery in the coming days and I hope Rudy makes a full and speedy recovery.

Omri Casspi is listed on the injury report as out with his calf injury.  That further complicates the minutes at the three and the four with both Casspi and Gay out for about the next week at minimum.

Also listed on the injury report is Ty Lawson with his ankle injury.  He is listed as questionable as of this writing.  Lawson missed the last game after testing his ankle in pregame warmups, so it sounds as if Lawson was close to playing on Wednesday and could return tonight.

Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis will be without the services of Brandan Wright tonight.  Wright had surgery on his left ankle in mid-November and he is expected back at some point later this season.

The other two players the Grizzlies could be missing tonight as of this writing are Wade Baldwin and Troy Williams who were both recently demoted to their D-League affiliate.

Stay Alert

Be sure to check twitter or watch the pregame show for an update on Ty Lawson and any other late-breaking information you need to know heading into tonight’s tipoff.

Memphis Grizzlies’ Scouting Report

The Memphis Grizzlies enter tonight’s contest with a record of 25 wins and 19 losses.  The Grizzlies would be the 6th seed in the Western Conference if the playoffs started today.  They are just four games back of hosting a first-round playoff series.

Memphis has lost their last two games and three of their last four entering tonight’s battle against the Kings.

Last time out, the Grizzlies traveled to Washington and were defeated 104-101 by the Wizards.  Below is a highlight video from that game to give you a glimpse at the Grizzlies most recent form.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed Chandler Parsons to a four-year max contract this offseason.  Parsons has not rewarded the Grizzlies so far.  Parsons has played only 18 games this season and is averaging 6.3 points, 1.2 assists, 1.9 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game.  He has managed to only play 17.8 minutes per game so far this season.

Injuries are playing a big factor in the production, but this is a player with a lengthy injury history.  His knees are particularly worrisome and it is worth monitoring going forward if Parsons can get healthy and deliver on the enormous contract he signed this offseason.

What to Watch for?

Unleashing the Boogie

DeMarcus Cousins has his worst career splits against the Memphis Grizzlies.  In 19 games against Memphis in his career, Boogie averages 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.  His second worst scoring average is 18.1 points per game against the Miami Heat.  Clearly, the Grizzlies have done a great job of holding Cousins in check during his career.

With the Rudy Gay injury, the Kings are going to ask more offensively from DeMarcus Cousins.  That means more touches, more shots, more possessions, and more stats.  Tonight’s game may not be a direct reflection of that, but expect to see it going forward.

If you want to see the statistical line I predicted for DeMarcus Cousins or any other Kings’ player in tonight’s contest then check out my predicting the box score column found here.  It is a short read packed with information on tonight’s contest, so it would be greatly appreciated if you took a quick look.  Thank you.

Rotation Shake Ups

More from A Royal Pain

    Coach Joerger loves to shake up the rotations, but tonight he will be forced into it.  With Rudy Gay gone for the season and Omri Casspi out for at least a week, Joerger has a limited selection of threes and fours to choose from.  Expect the return of Ben McLemore to the rotation tonight or potentially the entrance of Malachi Richardson.

    I am hopeful to see Malachi Richardson get some meaningful run.  Richardson can be a spark plug on offense and he has some swagger that he could provide to the team.

    Be on the lookout for what Coach Joerger decides to do and how effective the lineups are tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies.

    Facing a Familiar Foe

    I really enjoy watching when the teams have already met a few times during a season and split the previous meetings.  I am always interested to see the adjustments the coaches make and how each team approaches the familiar foe.

    You would think the Rudy Gay injury throws a monkey wrench into that plan tonight for the Kings, but Mister Gay missed each of the first two meetings against the Grizzlies as well.  Be on the lookout for subtle changes Coach Joerger makes tonight in an attempt to get passed those pesky Grizzlies.

    Summary

    There you have it, my preview of tonight’s contest between the Sacramento Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies.  The Kings need to rebound quickly and not let the Rudy Gay injury weigh them down.  Here is to hoping they come out fired up tonight and steal a victory in Memphis to jumpstart the road trip.

    Be sure to check back to A Royal Pain for postgame content and a plethora of information about the Sacramento Kings this season.  Thank you for reading.