by Darnell "The Playmaker" Sallins
The 2023 NBA Playoffs are set. The Western Conference has been crazy throughout the season as the West will run through the Mile High City and the Denver Nuggets. Nevertheless, we will focus on the three vs. six matchup in the West. The Golden State Warriors against the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
The reigning champs took 3 of 4 from the Kings including this past Friday where the Warriors won.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are the reigning champs, but they haven't looked like the champs this season. You could call the champs the Jekyll and Hyde of the NBA. At home in the Chase Center, the Warriors are unstoppable with a home record of 33-8. However, the road has not been as kind to champs as the Warriors are 11-30 on road games this season. Luckily enough for the champs, they were able to avoid the Play-In Tournament as they finished a game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 6th seed.
No surprise who are the leaders of the champs, as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green continue to press forward despite one of the most inconsistent seasons they have experienced in their careers. Draymond Green isn't known for his scoring ability or highlight plays, but he is the heart and soul of the team while also being the vocal leader.
Then, there's the Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. This is the first that the Splash Brothers are healthy and played more the 50 games each in three years. Curry played 56 games this season and averaged 29.4 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the floor and 42.7% from three-point. Curry also averaged 6.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Klay Thompson has played 69 this season, the most he's played since coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries from 2019-2021. Thompson averaged 21.9 points on 43.6 shooting including 41.2% from three. He had three 40-point games and a 54-point game this season. The Splash Brothers are back and just in time for the playoffs.
However, the Splash Brothers are not alone because they have a Splash Cousin in Jordan Poole. In his 4th season, Poole has showed the ability to shoot lights out just like the Splash Brothers. Averaging 20.4 points per game on 43% shooting from the field and 33.6% from three, Poole is a guy who can get hot quick and shoot you out the gym. 11 30-points and two 40-points this season, Jordan Poole is a guy you must account for.
Sacramento Kings
The most surprising team in the National Basketball Association has to be the Sacramento Kings. The Kings finished 12th in the West last season with a 30-52 record. This season they finished 3rd in the West with a 48-34 record and won the Pacific Division for the first time since 2003. An 18-game jump from last season to this season thus ending the longest active playoff drought in the NBA at 16 seasons. Head Coach, Mike Brown, the favorite to win Coach of the Year. The Sacramento Kings are here.
The Kings are led by the duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. De'Aaron Fox has been a scoring machine for the Kings this season, averaging 25 points per game on 51.2% from the field to go along with 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists. Fox had 24 30-points with 4 being 30-point double-doubles and is the most clutch player in the league.
The big man in Sacramento is Domantas Sabonis. In his 1st full season with the Kings, Sabonis averaged close to a triple double. 19.1 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game, and 7.3 assists per game. Sabonis led the team in both rebounds and assists.
The Kings are the highest scoring in the league averaging120.7 points per game while one of the worst defensive teams in the league giving up 118.1 points per game.
The series begins Saturday, April 15 in Sacramento
Series Schedule (* If Necessary)
Game 1: Saturday, April 15 in Sacramento at 8:30PM on ABC
Game 2: Monday, April 17 in Sacramento at 10:00PM on TNT
Game 3: Thursday, April 20 in San Francisco at 10:00PM
Game 4: Sunday, April 23 in San Francisco at 3:30PM on ABC
*Game 5: Wednesday, April 26 in Sacramento
*Game 6: Friday, April 28 in San Francisco
*Game 7: Sunday, April 30 in Sacramento
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