The Sacramento Kings may have ended their 2020-21 campaign on a disappointing note but their young guns have been showing out in the ongoing NBA Las Vegas Summer League. Currently being led by former NBA vet Bobby Jackson as the team's head coach, Sacramento has rolled to the top of the standings with a perfect 4-0 record. Nonetheless, this post is a Kings-Celtics Summer League Championship preview specifically focusing on Sacramento's side.
After dispatching the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, they will now put their unblemished slate on the line as they match up against a similarly impressive Boston Celtics squad for the Summer League championship.
Here are four bold predictions for the Kings' upcoming tilt in the tournament finals:
Kings Celtics Summer League Championship
4. Chimezie Metu's absence in the middle will be felt by the Kings.
Center Chimezie Metu has been a great presence for the Kings throughout their Summer League campaign as he normed 10.0 points and team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. He isn't only a contributor on offense but also served as a vital cog on the defensive end in their previous tilts.
In fact, he was having a great game in their last outing against the Mavs as he posted seven points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two blocks for the Kings. However, his night ended early as he was ejected for punching opposing big man Eugene Omoruyi in the head.
As a result, Metu was penalized with a one-game suspension and will be inactive in their Finals game against the Celtics on Tuesday. Backup center Emanuel Terry will now have to step up for the Kings but Metu's absence will certainly affect them, especially on the defensive end.
3. Davion Mitchell will bounce back after a bad game.
The team's 2021 lottery pick in Davion Mitchell has been missing his shots and struggling on the floor as of late. He failed to keep his offense going as he only ended with a total of four points in their previous game against the Mavericks.
Despite having a shooting slump, Mitchell has already shown the things that he can bring to the table during the team's first few games in the tournament. Looking back, he was a big factor in their second tilt against the Memphis Grizzlies where he scored 19 points and made valuable contributions on both ends of the floor for the Kings.
Certainly enough, Mitchell is still a savvy playmaker on his own and will continue to shoulder a huge load when they face the Celtics. If the Kings want to give themselves a chance to win then they should definitely hope that Mitchell will produce for the team come Tuesday night.
2. Jahmi'us Ramsey will lead the team in scoring once again.
Shooting guard Jahmi'us Ramsey didn't get to see much action for the Kings in his rookie campaign last season. However, he did show his potential which led him to have an opportunity to take on a lead role with the Summer League team as of the moment.
The former Texas Tech standout certainly didn't waste the chances that he received as he emerged to be their most consistent scorer with 16.3 points per game. He also tallied double-digits in scoring in all of their games in the tournament thus far.
Indeed, Sacramento will continue to ride Ramsey's hot hand and he is poised to play a huge role for them, especially on offense. His experience of playing at the next level will certainly help him as he aims to lead his young squad to the Summer League crown on Tuesday night.
1. The Kings will beat the Celtics by a slim margin.
Chimezie Metu's absence will certainly be a tough hit for the Kings as they go up against a Celtics squad that has also been impressive as of late. The challenge will become even tougher as Boston is set to welcome back Payton Pritchard who went on a break and dropped 92 points in a pro-am game in Oregon.
Despite the odds, the Kings still have enough talent on their side to compensate for Metu's looming absence along with the expected return of Pritchard. It may not be a blowout game but Sacramento will definitely have a great shot at winning the title if Davion Mitchell, Jahmi'us Ramsey, and the rest of their bench can manage to find their groove and play at their best on Tuesday night. And that's that for our Kings-Celtics Summer League Championship preview from Sacramento's end.
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