Who are the biggest X-Factors ahead of the 2023 Warriors-Kings series?

Who are the biggest X-Factors ahead of Warriors-Kings?

Game one of the Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors opening round playoff series begins Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. Sacramento fans will be cheering for a playoff team for the first time since 2006. Steph Curry and the Warriors will look to make it a short celebration in their quest for consecutive championships. Both teams have players with veteran leadership, bolstered by young talent. With stars like De’Aaron Fox, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Domantas Sabonis getting the spotlight, these are the X-factors that will have a large impact on the result of the Kings-Warriors series.

Davion Mitchell

Somebody on the Kings will unfortunately have the responsibility of coming off the bench to attempt to contain Steph Curry. That person in all likelihood will be Davion Mitchell.

Sacramento finished the season ranked 24th in the NBA for overall defense. They acquired the third seed by scoring the most total points of the season with almost 10,000. Offense alone is not enough to win a championship. Mitchell will have to do his best 2015 Finals Matthew Dellavedova impression while guarding Curry during the Kings-Warriors series.

Keegan Murray

The Warriors are the team that revolutionized the sport of basketball with 3-point shooting. Kings rookie Keegan Murray clearly was inspired by this when he broke Donovan Mitchell’s rookie 3-point shot record. The fourth overall pick of last year’s NBA draft out of Iowa shot 41% from behind the arc in 80 games played this season.

Murray will take the court starting as a rookie in Game 1 tonight. Playing against the defending NBA champions in your first playoff series as a rookie is a big task. Brown will need Murray to rise to the occasion and make shots as the starting small forward in the series. If the moment becomes too big for him, the Warriors can then put more effort towards stopping Fox and Sabonis.

Draymond Green

Green is entering potentially his last playoff run as a Warrior. The four-time NBA champion is still the effective and dominant presence who helped Golden State win those championships. The 6-foot-6 forward will be tasked with guarding one of the game’s best offensive centers in Sabonis.

Green has made a career out of frustrating the league’s best centers while being undersized for his role. He is also not afraid to tell his opponents about their struggles during the game — often to the detriment of his own team. There is no reason to expect this Kings-Warriors playoff series will be any different.

Sacramento’s best chance at winning the series, however, will partially rely on Sabonis being productive. Green locking him up will make the Warriors life a lot easier in winning the series.

2023 Western Conference First-Round Preview: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors

Andrew Wiggins

Golden State’s forward is set to return in Game 1 of the series.

Wiggins stepped away from the team in February due to “family matters”. He will make his return tonight on Saturday, but off the bench. Wiggins will need time to get back in the rhythm of game speed before he can resume his role as a starter.

His presence both offensively and defensively was missed by the Warriors during the second half of their season. If he is slow getting back to form in the series, it will hurt them tremendously. Wiggins was a vital piece in Golden State’s championship run last season. His effectiveness, especially early in the series, is something to keep a close watch on.

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