The Sacramento Kings are now just four days away from their 2026-27 season opener. After going 0-5 in preseason action, the Kings are now preparing for Wednesday's season opener against the L.A. Clippers at Intuit Dome.
Based on what we saw in preseason, any hype for the upcoming regular season has died down. Now, expectations are as low as ever, but it gives this Kings team a chance to prove everyone wrong. They have the talent to win some games, but we will see how things actually work out.
Let's take a look at what we should expect from the Kings on opening night, with a talented starting lineup and an interesting bench unit:
Starting Lineup
With the emergence of Ben Simmons, the Kings' starting lineup has become obvious.
Starting lineup: Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis
The Kings have a new-look backcourt of Acuff Jr. and LaVine, who have the talent to be one of the league's best offensive guard duos. After what Acuff Jr. showed in preseason, he has the potential to be a Rookie of the Year candidate, leading the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game. And of course, we know what LaVine is capable of when healthy.
At the forward spots, the Kings have a duo of Murray and Simmons, who will be the anchors of this team's defense. If Murray can find his rhythm from deep, he could be a premier two-way talent. If Simmons can stay healthy and confident, he could be the best all-around player on this team.
At center, of course, we have Sabonis. The two-time All-Star is still one of the league's premier big men when healthy, and many fans have already forgotten what he is capable of. This season, Sabonis should get back to being the elite player we saw before last year's injury.
Bench Unit
Assuming the Kings run a 10-man rotation, they might have some tough lineup decisions to make. For opening night, though, we can expect these players to come off the bench.
Second unit: Malik Monk*, Nique Clifford, Alex Karaban, De'Andre Hunter, Precious Achiuwa
With both Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell injured, the Kings' frontcourt rotation takes a bit of a hit. Fortunately, Achiuwa can fill in as the team's backup center, and we can expect him to be a bright spot for this second unit.
In the guard spots, we have Monk and Clifford, although we have to monitor this. Monk did not play at all in preseason as he manages ankle soreness, and there is even some skepticism that there is more going on behind the scenes. If Monk does not suit up on opening night, we should expect Clifford to take on the backup point guard responsibilities, with Emanuel Sharp filling in alongside him.
At forward, rookie Karaban and veteran Hunter should file in. Hunter was initially expected to start for the Kings this season, but after a poor preseason and with the emergence of Simmons, Sacramento is expected to move him to the bench. There are some questions about how Karaban will impact the game, but the Kings likely have faith in the two-time NCAA champion.
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