Kings vs. Jazz Preview – By the Numbers

December 16, 2023

The Kings continue their 6-game homestand and welcome in the Jazz, who are sitting well below expectations they had coming into the season. At 9-16, Utah sits at 12th in the strong Western Conference. They struggle on both ends of the court, ranking 26th in both Offensive and Defensive Rating, but are coming off of two straight wins so should not be taken lightly.

Utah has a lot of intriguing pieces on their roster, but it seems like they don’t all mesh together. It all starts with Lauri Markkanen, who is having another excellent year so far. He’s averaging 23.7 Points, 8.6 Rebounds, 1.0 Assist, 1.1 Steals, and 0.8 Blocks on 48.7/39.0/82.9% shooting splits. His 3-point volume continues to rise, as he attempting a career-high 8.5 3’s per game. Markkanen remains one of if not my favorite trade target for the Kings, but that’s a different conversation for a different time…(as my wife comforts me while I daydream out loud about a Keegan, Lauri, Sabonis front court)

As a team, the Jazz aren’t shooting well this season, sitting at 45.0% from the field (27th) and 35.0% from beyond the arc (23rd), but what they do excel in is rebounding. They grab 46.7 boards per game (3rd) and lead the league in Offensive Rebounds at 13.8. They use those extra opportunities well, leading the league in 2nd Chance Points at 17.1.

The Kings have been an average rebounding team this season so far, sitting at 43.8 per game (17th) and 10.8 Offensive Rebounds (15th). They use their second chance opportunities very well with 14.7 2nd Chance Points per game.

That officially makes 2nd Chance Points the Swing Stat of the game. Rebounding hasn’t been a problem for the Kings this year, and they can’t let it be tonight against the strong rebounding team in Utah. In their wins this season, the Kings are averaging 16.9 2nd Chance Points per game. That dips to 11.3 in their losses for a drastic difference in the win/loss split.

Individually for the Kings, Keon Ellis is coming off a career game.

He’s only averaging 4.5 Points on the season, but is doing so on 48.0% shooting from the field and a very impressive 39.0% from beyond the arc. Him and Monk off the bench make for a dynamic bench guard duo with their length and athleticism. As a Davion Mitchell fan, it hurts, but Mike Brown is doing what is best for the team, and Keon is taking advantage of the opportunity. He has a chance to be a steal as an undrafted player making an impact for the team, something the Kings haven’t had in many many years.

Sacramento has a tough week ahead with games against the Celtics, Suns, and Timberwolves, so defending home court against the Jazz will be crucial. The Kings are 8-3 (.727) at home this season, after finishing just 23-18 (.561) last season. It’s been great to see them succeed at home, and hope for that trend to continue tonight.