Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings: Matchup to watch

The Denver Nuggets are 3-0, and looking to pick up another win against the Sacramento Kings.

The Denver Nuggets will look to continue their hot start on both sides of the ball against a young Kings team at home to move to 4-0.

Denver has taken out the Clippers on the road, the Suns at home and the Warriors on a clutch late game swat by Juancho Hernangomez to start off the season. Three great games to open up the season, but that doesn’t come without adversity.

Will Barton, who just signed a new contract this off season, had a successful hip surgery and will be out for the next 5-6 weeks.

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The Nuggets had a hard time playing against teams of lesser competition last year, so this will be their first true taste of that. The Kings will most likely be at the bottom of the Western Conference standings this year, although they do have some young and interesting players at their disposal. Who will battle it out and earn the eyes of the viewers in our key matchup of the game?

Look no further than the battle of the bigs, Nikola Jokic vs. Marvin Bagley III. The Joker has had a hotter start to the season than anyone so far, as he and Nuggets have stepped up their defense to an insane level.

The three teams they played can have potent offenses, especially the Suns and defending champion Warriors, and the Nuggets have held all three teams to under 100 points. There’s not another team in the league who can boast that.

Jokic is a major factor of that as he has also had what is known as a “perfect triple-double” in his hot start. This was a game in which he dropped 31 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Now that is insane in itself, but he also didn’t miss a single field goal! Jokic went 11-11 from the field as the Denver Nuggets blew out the Suns.

This game and the other two impressive performances have netted him averages of 26.3 points, 10 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game to start off the season. (per basketball-reference) The Joker also took home the first Western Conference Player of the Week award for the year.

Bagley is another player to watch in this game. A stretch big who was drafted number two overall by the Kings following only DeAndre Ayton, he plays a different game than any center Jokic has faced this season does. Not only does he look to bang in the post and get some easy shots in the paint, but he’s not afraid to take a deep shot, and the Joker has to be prepared for that.

Bagley has seen a center who plays an incredible game already in Anthony Davis, but this could be his hardest test yet.

Next. Nuggets G.O.A.T. debate. dark

Keeping a guy who is on fire down while playing in the altitude and air of the Mile High City? It’ll be interesting to see how he handles it.

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