2023 NBA Playoffs: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors - 3 things to focus on

The 2023 NBA Playoffs tip off on Saturday, April 15, with four big matchups, including the clash between Pacific Division rivals, the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors.

The Sacramento Kings return to the postseason for the first time since 2006 and will look for a deep playoff run and a trip to the Western Conference Finals. The franchise claimed the Pacific Division title for the first time since 2003, but the biggest challenge is right in front of them in the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors.

It's hard to predict what the outcome of the series will be, but let's have a look at three things that could decide who will advance to the Western Conference semi-finals.

#1 - Can the Sacramento Kings eliminate the defending champions?

Sacramento Kings v Golden State Warriors

The Sacramento Kings had an impressive campaign for the first time in almost two decades. They played consistently from start to finish and managed to stay in the upper echelon of the West standings for the majority of the regular season.

The question now is whether they can maintain this consistency against a Warriors team that has what it takes to go all the way.

"I don't think there's any other way but to go through it," Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown said before Game 1. "You prepare your team as best you can, and you talk to them about the experiences that you've had as a coach and as a player, and then you lace them up and you go out there and you get through it.

"As we all know, there's no better teacher than experience. But you can talk until you're blue in the face. You can watch film until you're blue in the face. You could drill it until you're blue in the face. It's hard to simulate what it's really going to be like until you actually go through it."

Sacramento Kings v Portland Trail Blazers

The Sacramento Kings will rely on their offensive line, which was one of the best in the league this season, with the franchise finishing the season with the highest offensive rating in league history.

However, they need to improve defensively after having just the 25th-best defense in the league (118.1 ppg) and 29th in half-court efficiency, where Golden State is very productive, thanks to its quick ball movement.

The Sacramento Kings know that elite defense will be key to a deep postseason run, and they can't rely solely on offense to defeat the reigning champions.

It will also be interesting to see how the Sacramento Kings are going to perform in clutch time (the last five minutes of the game) and crunch time (the last two minutes of regulation).

They were impressive in the final minutes of their regular-season games, but the NBA Playoffs will certainly be a different story.

#2 - Will Andrew Wiggins be the x-factor in the series?

Golden State Warriors v Portland Trail Blazers

Andrew Wiggins has been cleared to return to the Golden State Warriors lineup and will be available to play in Game 1. The plan for him is to be on minute restriction for at least the opening games, which means a 20 to 25-minute playing time.

Wiggins missed the Warriors' last 25 games after dealing with a serious personal matter and hasn't played since February 14. The All-Star forward re-joined the team in time for the postseason and has participated in several practices.

While it is still unclear what his condition is, if he manages to play at the high standards he played in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, it will be a huge boost for Golden State.

Andrew Wiggins is averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just 37 games this season, on a career-high 40% from beyond the arc.

#3 - Is playoff experience a key for the Golden State Warriors?

Golden State Warriors v Portland Trail Blazers

A young but inexperienced team like the Sacramento Kings will collide with one of the most experienced teams in the league, the Golden State Warriors, with six NBA Finals appearances in the last eight years and four NBA titles.

The Kings are excited about returning to the postseason and have great motivation to dethrone the Warriors and go as far as they can in the playoffs. However, De'Aaron Fox will make his playoff debut, and Domantas Sabonis has just 13 postseason appearances. The rest of the roster also has zero to little playoff experience. Will this cost them when everything is on the line?

The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, have tons of playoff experience and this could be to their advantage, especially in the opening games of the series.

Minnesota Timberwolves v Sacramento Kings

The reigning champions have taken Game 1 of the first round on seven straight occasions. They have also won at least one road game in an NBA-record 27 straight series and prevailed in 22 of their last 24 series overall since 2015. Golden State has also won 18 straight series over Western teams in that span.

Golden State will have to 'steal' the home-court advantage if they are to win the series. This means they need to play much better on the road compared to their regular season record. They finished with the league's fourth-worst road record this season at 11-30, while allowing 118.3 points per 100 possessions, one of the worst in the league.

Having identical numbers will certainly make their task of defeating the Kings in Sacramento way more difficult.

"We got where we needed to get and that's into the playoffs," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said ahead of Game 1. "We've got a chance and that's all we were hoping for."

Overall, it is excitement versus experience when the Sacramento Kings meet the Golden State Warriors, and an exciting series is now expected. Who will stand tall and prevail?