The Sacramento Kings will make stop number two on their five-game road trip Tuesday when they take on the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Kings (2-2) have had an up-and-down start to their regular season, but one constant has been the play of All-Star center Demarcus Cousins. Cousins has posted monster numbers through the team’s first four games, averaging 30.0 points and 9.7 rebounds and recording a double-double in two of those outings. Rudy Gay, who has already let the Kings know that he doesn’t plan on returning to the team next season, is also off to a solid start, averaging 22.3 points per game to start the season. But beyond those two, the Kings don’t have a single player scoring in double figures, and it looks like Sacramento will need to lean on their two stars on offense for much of the season without a legitimate third option. And with Cousins and Gay likely matched up with Miami’s two best defenders Tuesday in Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow, someone will have to step up for the Kings if they want to have a shot at the road win.
Whiteside has, however, proven that he can be much more than a shot blocker. With Dwyane Wade no longer on the Heat (1-2), Whiteside has developed into a legitimate offensive threat, averaging a team-high 21.7 points per game on top of his impressive 14.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game to start the season. Whiteside has benefitted greatly from the focus of the offense turning to the pick-and-roll action he is able to create with point guard Goran Dragic, who has had a great all-around start to the season, averaging 18.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds, and if Dragic continues to create good looks for his team off the pick-and-roll, Miami may be tough for the Kings to stop.
