Even though the Sacramento Kings are the third seed in the West, there were still many analysts and fans who believed the Golden State Warriors would beat them in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Warriors’ experience in the postseason would just be too much, these people claimed.
There is still a lot to be proven but the Kings came out swinging in Game 1 and took home an impressive 126-123 victory over the Warriors.
That win got a lot of people talking, including those who had written the team off.
“We all owe an apology to the Sacramento Kings,” Stephen A. Smith said on Monday’s episode of First Take.
.@stephenasmith issues an apology to the Sacramento Kings 👀
"[De'Aaron Fox] is something special. … He eclipsed Steph Curry [in Game 1]." pic.twitter.com/c20AB9DhZ3
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 17, 2023
Smith spoke at length about the power and skill of young De’Aaron Fox, who put on a clinic on Saturday, scoring a game-high 38 points and leading his team to a wildly entertaining win.
Smith compared Fox to Ja Morant and Derrick Rose in his prime.
He said that while he is still concerned with the team’s physical size, he believes they could beat anyone.
He also noted the hard work of Malik Monk, who racked up 32 points off the bench against the Warriors.
Smith had pegged the Warriors to win this series but now he’s not so sure.
He joins millions of other people who are very impressed by what they saw this weekend.
All season long, the Kings and their youthful roster featuring Fox, Monk, Kevin Huerter, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and others has been one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.
But that didn’t stop so many from assuming they wouldn’t get far in the playoffs because of their lack of experience.
Game 1 showed they can perform well on such a big stage against such a formidable opponent.
If the Warriors don’t have an answer to stop the Kings, will any other team in the West?
NEXT: Chris Broussard Still Has 1 Belief About The Sacramento Kings