LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Prediction: The Lakers have buried their head in the sand

The NBA Regular Season has set some exciting trends to begin the season and we have witnessed the rise of squads that were expected to struggle. Two of these squads Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers have far exceeded expectations but then there are squads that have once again betrayed the hopes of their fanbase. One of those teams Los Angeles Lakers will counter the Sacramento Kings here.

The Lakers come into this game after yet another embarrassing defeat as they lost to the Clippers 101:114 despite 30 points showing by their leader LeBron James. The Lakers have now lost nine of their eleven games and are one of the worst squads in the league. They have one of the worst offenses in the league, averaging around 108 points a game and the team is the only squad shooting below 30% from the three-point line. This inefficiency from deep has plagued the Lakers since Game one of the Regular Season.

Earlier, their defense was giving big fights but now even that part has suffered because the confidence has been due to offensive inefficiencies. LeBron James is dealing with injuries but it has made no difference even when he has been healthy. Anthony Davis has been solid on the defensive end while giving the usual effort on offense and rebounding, but apart from him, the rest of the defense has collapsed multiple times. The Guard rotations have been awful and multiple players even struggle to get to double-digits. Troy Brown Jr has had some viable efforts but overall, the Lakers look like a team that is only sinking deeper with each game. Is there any hope?

The Kings come into this game after a strong 127:120 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers as Domantas Sabonis showed up for a 21 points effort. The Kings have four wins and six losses, but their play has been much more incredible than the record suggests. Most of their losses have been in the last minute and the squad has shown a penchant for building big leads, it is just that they need to learn to hold onto these big leads. Their offense looks miles ahead than it was last season while their defense is improving too as they engage in shootouts.

De’Aaron Fox has led the scoring effort while Domantas Sabonis has recovered from a slow offensive start and has been much more aggressive scoring-wise. Kevin Huerter has upped the ante as the three-point shooter off-the-ball whereas rookie Keegan Murray has been a big influence on both ends straightaway. Harrison Barnes has had some strong games lately after a poor start too. Malik Monk has given strength to the bench while Chimezie Metu comes in with defensive chops. Rookie Davion Mitchell has had some struggles but provides strong defense while the team expects quite a lot from bench player Trey Lyles. Overall, the team depth looks promising but the Kings will need to learn close out games.

• Lakers: OUT: LeBron James, Cole Swidler, Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schroeder. QUESTIONABLE: Lonnie Walker IV. PROBABLE: Anthony Davis;
• Kings: No injuries to report at the time of writing.

• Expected Leading Scorers: De’Aaron Fox: (25+ Points), Anthony Davis(22-26 Points), Domantas Sabonis(21-25 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Domantas Sabonis(9-13 Rebounds), Anthony Davis(9-13 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: De’Aaron Fox(6-9 Assists), Domantas Sabonis(5-8 Assists), Russell Westbrook(6-9 Assists).

The Lakers have been one of the worst teams in the league by a distance and their struggles only become a bigger enigma with each day. Their record only looks more and more ridiculous as they have one of the best defenders in Anthony Davis and one of the best plates in LeBron James. It proves that basketball is five-on-five at the end of the day and a well-rounded unit needs to complement your superstars.

For the Kings, although, their record may not make them look like a big threat, their play against elite teams has been a source of inspiration in the early season. It is a long season and the Kings can still consolidate a special record and hopes must be high in the fanbase even after repeated failures years after years. I believe the Kings will live up to the hopes and clinch a win here. I expect the Points Range to be 230-240.