Kings vs. Suns Preview – By the Numbers

December 8, 2023

After what feels like two weeks off, the Kings are back in action in Phoenix to take on the Suns, who will be without the services of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Grayson Allen. While KD and Beal being out is obviously huge, Allen being injured is key as well. He is averaging 12.3 Points per game on 46.8% from beyond the arc, so him not being out there is a sneaky big benefit for the Kings as well.

With all of the injuries, Devin Booker will take the main stage for the Suns, and Kings fans know he can carry a team to victory all on his own. Booker is averaging 27.2 Points per game, thanks in large part to a career high 46.5% from deep. He’s only taking 4.9 attempts per game, but when he takes them, odds are high it’s going in. That formula fits the Suns roster as a whole, as they take 31.9 3’s per game (23rd), but make them at a 38.7% clip (3rd). That’s almost the exact opposite of the Kings 41.6 3’s per contest (3rd) and 31.9% clip (20th).

While Booker’s scoring is what jumps off the page, it’s his peripheral stats that are really making a difference this year. He’s averaging 6.3 Rebounds, 8.2 Assists, and 0.5 Blocks per game, all career highs. Without a true point guard on the roster, Booker has assumed the role of facilitator, and is excelling in the role. The Kings can win if Book goes off and scores 40, and I think they can win if he has a 10+ Assist game. I don’t know if they can win if he has 40 and 10. The Kings will have to limit him in at least one area tonight with the other stars out.

Another thing to watch for the game tonight will be the pace of the game. The Suns average a pace of 97.71, 27th in the league. Sacramento is sitting at 100.76, 9th highest in the NBA. The Kings are coming off of a game in which the Pelicans seemed to dictate the style in a physical game. Sacramento should look to do the same with the pace tonight.

That leads to the Swing Stat of the game, Fastbreak Points. The Suns and Kings sit side-by-side in the season rankings with 11.2 and 11.4 Fastbreak Points per game, good for 27th and 26th in the league, respectfully. Sacramento should look to push the pace to try and offset Jusuf Nurkić’s presence inside and get the Suns out of their comfort zone.

Another stat that was in contention for the Swing Stat of the game was Fouls and Free Throws. The Suns are averaging 26.8 Free Throws per game, 3rd most in the league, and the Kings are committing 20.7 Fouls per game, 8th most in the NBA. Much like their FTA’s, the Suns are drawing 22.2 Fouls per contest. Sacramento got a little slap happy against the Pelicans and it killed their momentum in the 1st quarter. With the league’s best Free Throw shooter having a ball dominant night (Booker leads the league with a 93.9% FT%), the Kings will have to be physical without fouling as much as possible tonight.

Last but certainly not least, be on the lookout for a Chimezie Metu revenge game. Metu has been in and out of the rotation this year, but with injuries tonight could see some playing time. His season high is 8 Points. Would anyone be surprised if he goes for a season high tonight against his former team?