Kings Aim to Avoid Trap vs Injury-Riddled Grizzlies

The Sacramento Kings have been battling against some of the NBA’s elite teams recently, taking on the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks over the past week. However, their next challenge might be even more daunting – avoiding a letdown against an inferior opponent with a severely depleted roster.

On Monday night, the Kings will conclude their six-game homestand by hosting the Memphis Grizzlies at the Golden 1 Center. While the Grizzlies may seem like an easy opponent on paper, their injury woes have been a season-long saga, starting with the suspension of star point guard Ja Morant for 25 games due to gun-related incidents. Morant’s return was short-lived, as he suffered a season-ending labrum tear in his right shoulder after just nine games back.

The Kings opened as 9.5-point favorites against the undermanned Grizzlies, but they have fallen into similar traps before, dropping winnable games against teams missing key players due to injuries. Regrettable losses to the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, and Chicago Bulls have haunted the Kings throughout the season.

With a 38-28 record, the Kings currently occupy the sixth spot in the Western Conference playoff race, narrowly ahead of the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. However, their position is precarious, as a loss to the Knicks on Saturday temporarily dropped them to seventh before the Suns’ subsequent defeat to the Bucks restored their sixth-place standing.

The Kings will be without forwards Trey Lyles (knee) and Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) for Monday’s tilt. Lyles is expected to miss several games due to a sprained MCL in his left knee, while Vezenkov has been sidelined for over a month with a right ankle sprain but could be nearing a return.

On the other side, the Grizzlies (23-45) are languishing in 13th place in the West, 13 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final play-in spot. They enter the contest on the heels of back-to-back losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder, having dropped 18 of their last 23 games dating back to January 28.

Memphis is listing Vince Williams Jr. as doubtful with left patellar tendinitis, while Brandon Clarke (Achilles), Luke Kennard (personal), Morant (shoulder), Scott Pippen Jr. (shin), Derrick Rose (groin, back), Marcus Smart (finger), Lamar Stevens (adductor), Yuta Watanabe (personal), and Ziaire Williams (back, hip) are all ruled out.

This will be the third and final meeting between the Kings and Grizzlies this season, with Sacramento emerging victorious in the previous two encounters, winning 123-92 on December 31 and 103-94 on January 29.

As the Kings fight to secure their playoff positioning, they cannot afford to overlook any opponent, no matter how shorthanded. A focused effort and a commitment to avoiding complacency will be crucial if they hope to continue their push toward the postseason.