Kings vs. Heat Preview: All eyes are on Florida

After a humiliating OT loss to the undermanned and young Toronto Raptors, the Sacramento Kings are in Miami tonight looking to get a win before Miami's nightlife can claim another victim. Can the Sacramento Kings respond to a third single-digit loss in six games with a win? Can Mike Brown find a forward off the bench who can actually play basketball now? Will De'Aaron Fox ever score three goals again? Oh God, oh no. Is it time to freak out yet????

Let’s talk Kings basketball.

When: Monday, November 4th, 5:15pm PST
Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
TV: NBCSCA – Mark Jones (play-by-play)
radio: Sactown Sports 1140am

For your consideration

Rigged to Lose: I've told my friends, family and clients over and over again that you shouldn't even begin to worry about the team before ten games, and that real worries only arise after twenty, twenty-five games. There are too many factors to consider in the first ten games to get too excited about: new systems, new players, new focuses and players trying new things – like a brand new basketball, it needs time on the hardwood before get started Get ready and get used to what they will actually become this season. In 10 games you can see these habits fully form, and in another 10 or so they basically develop into what they will be on a macro level. That being said, if I go negative this early in the season, please don't think of it as anything other than staring into the oven and wondering why the muffins haven't risen after 5 minutes. Fandom is irrational and the excitement of having a good team comes with the fear of what might hold them back.

The Kings really shouldn't have lost that game in Toronto. Actually, they shouldn't have lost any of the games they've lost so far this season. And while it's frustrating, it's also a testament to how good this team can be when full attention is paid to the details. A big run here or there, a stupid foul, someone settling for a three-pointer instead of attacking at the right time, and this team could legitimately start the season 6-0 rather than .500. I'll take .500 with a new, ball-dominant starter, but the uncertainty you feel as a Kings fan just screams for a team that just goes about its business from the first minute. Nine whole points from him being the spark for the NBA and silencing a lot of offseason narratives – woof.

What uncertainties are we dealing with on the evening of the seventh game? Mike Brown had no confidence in his bench, which led to insane minutes for his starters so early in the season – bad. The bench absolutely sucks as Monk and Keon are the only two really playable guys on it – no fun. Fox's fingers get shot for this season – could be better. The Kings' inability to find playable wingers led to an over-reliance on Keegan Murray three years into his career – very frustrating. I don't have any answers to that, nor do I have any tirades to offer at this point. But when I look in the oven window and see that my baked goods are no longer rising after five minutes, my eyes twitch a little, especially considering how inadequate last year's baked goods were.

Okay, moving on to tonight's game: It's the Miami Heat. Rarely is a team so consistently consistent that the quality of the team can only be easily noted and everyone understands it. They are a good basketball team. They play at the third slowest pace in the league, turn the ball over the fifth least and are in the top ten with three points, although they are also 12th in attempts. Defensively, they are among the top ten rebounding teams, rank ninth in defensive rating, hold their opponents to the fifth fewest points, and have the sixth fewest foul calls in the league. They go slow, proceed methodically, and break down one mistake at a time. Jimmy Butler has had a slow start to the season but can get going at any time. Tyler Herro remains an arsonist. Bam Adebayo is one of the best two-way centers in the league. The rest of the Heat roster is full of guys ready to remind you why they're in the league whenever the Kings underestimate them. It's every other post-Big Three team led by Spoelstra: unsexy, underrated and dangerous. Proceed with caution.

The little stuff

Elective day: That's why a few years ago the NBA began incorporating Election Day into its schedule as a day off for all NBA teams and beyond the strange times we are experiencing for games the day beforeI think it's both fun to see virtually all teams playing on the same night and a necessary policy change that is long overdue so that all American citizens have a full day off to vote. My only PSA of the year: If you are reading this in the US and still have the ability and opportunity, please go vote. I'm not running for a candidate here, just for exercising the privilege we have to make our voices heard, both locally and nationally. Okay, now back to basketball.

Pop Don't Stop: This has nothing to do with the game, but a potentially scary moment occurred over the weekend for the San Antonio Spurs. While ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich “had a health issue prior to Saturday's game and assistant Mitch Johnson is expected to serve as interim head coach indefinitely,” says Matthew Tynan, who oversees the Spurs in San Antonio, “He was under the weather about two hours before tip-off on Saturday and was replaced on the bench by Mitch Johnson,” and later said anecdotally, “The team didn't seem too concerned when they told us they were going to pop on Saturday night didn't go well.” If this is just a cold for Pop, then there's no pretty irresponsible reporting from Shams. But in any case, Pops is a legend and an all-time great guy, and this could be a subtle reminder that he only has so many years left as a 75-year-old head coach, and that he appreciates it while he's still around is outside.

forecast

Fox goes 8-12 from deep, Trey Lyles finds his rhythm and Orlando Robinson gets into the game for the first time this season and shows why Miami will miss him this season. Jimmy Butler falls asleep in the middle of a jump shot in the third quarter and the Heat lose him for the rest of the game due to a lunch break. Random prediction here, but the random role player we all fear will kill the Kings tonight won't end up being Jaime Jaquez Jr., but rather Mr. Nikola “The Riddler” Jovic.

Kings: 116, Heat: 108