The Golden State Warriors look to continue their momentum with a strong victory tonight as they host the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings may have only eight wins, but they’ve beaten some strong teams this season, including an early November victory over the Warriors, as they play with tremendous pace and confidence.
It will be crucial for Golden State to maintain the great discipline they’ve shown on both ends as they continue the strong habits they’ve built, going 7-3 in their last ten games.
Warriors must limit turnovers and maximize their depth
Protecting the basketball remains the Warriors’ first priority.
In their last two games, they combined for an incredible 16 turnovers, and their ability to maximize possessions will be critical against a Kings team ranked 12th in the league in pace, to Golden State’s 18th.
By valuing possessions and maintaining discipline with the ball, Golden State now has the power to control the tempo and force the Kings to play more in a half-court setting than the run-and-gun style they prefer.
The role players for Golden State were great against Milwaukee, and with the home crowd around, expect that trend to continue tonight.
Sacramento is in the bottom three in league-wide defensive rating, making this the perfect game for the Warriors’ depth to continue building the confidence they’ve shown as of late.
Keeping their defense on its toes with crisp ball movement and moving without the ball, as Curry does so well, will help.
De’Anthony Melton was labeled the “prototypical starting shooting guard” by Stephen Curry following his 22-point night.
He and Quinten Post have found their footing well at the right time, and all the stars are aligning on this home stand.
Don’t let the game become chaotic, and it’s a solid win
The Kings thrive when the game becomes chaotic and physical.
Golden State must stay connected, communicate well through switches, and be sure to defend without fouling. Forcing contested looks for Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan will make all the difference in getting the veterans out of rhythm, which will trickle down and position the Warriors to control the game, adding another victory to the win column.
