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New York Knicks: Three players to watch against Kings

By Rob Wolkenbrod

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 7: Players of the New York Knicks huddle up during a game against the Indiana Pacers on December 7, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 7: Players of the New York Knicks huddle up during a game against the Indiana Pacers on December 7, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The New York Knicks will continue their Western Conference road trip in Sacramento. A look at the three players to watch against the Kings.

On Friday night, the New York Knicks will travel to the Golden 1 Center to face the Sacramento Kings. It’s the third game of their trip out west, already featuring a loss to the Trail Blazers and an overtime win against the Warriors.

For this latest matchup, who are the players to watch? Let’s take a look:

Marvin Bagley III

The Kings only returned Marvin Bagley III 48 hours ago, posting 11 points, six rebounds and one block in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had missed each since opening night with an injury.

With a game to shake off the rust, look for a potentially bigger performance from the second-year man, who will face the likes of Taj Gibson and Mitchell Robinson. If he is paired with Julius Randle, an inferior defender to those two, it could be a more productive night, in the ballpark of the double-double he posted in the first game of the season.

Buddy Hield

The Knicks can roll out defensive-minded point guards like Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton to contain De’Aaron Fox. Buddy Hield, however, is a different story, especially with the rate of 3-point field goals this team allows.

It was a different team in 2018-19, but the Knicks previously held Hield to a 31.8 percent shooting night last March. The follow-up game was different, as the star shooting guard had 28 points on 9-for-18 shooting and a trio of 3-pointers. He added six rebounds and seven assists.

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Hield has nine consecutive games of at least 20 points entering Friday’s matchup. Four of them have been below 40 percent shooting, but his work has led the way in the Kings’ three-game winning streak. The knack for that explosive game is there, too, including a 41-point effort against the Boston Celtics, so look for another strong night.

Dennis Smith Jr.

2019-20 is quickly slipping away from Dennis Smith Jr. The steadily longer leash he had under coach David Fizdale has disappeared with Mike Miller, totaling a little over 25 minutes against the Pacers and Trail Blazers, before missing Wednesday’s game at Golden State with an illness.

If Smith Jr. is back, this becomes another high-pressure game for him to stake his claim for playing time. Frank Ntilikina isn’t losing playing time, given his work at the opposite end of the court. Elfrid Payton is coming off 14 points, four rebounds, five assists, and one steal. They have become the go-to players at point guard, potentially leaving Smith Jr. on the outside of the mix sooner than later.

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Of course, still just 21 years old, the New York Knicks have every reason to play the third-year guard in a 5-20 season. A cramped roster has kept players behind throughout the season, including Allonzo Trier, so it’s not inexplicable to think that Smith Jr. becomes the latest player if he doesn’t produce at both ends of the court soon.

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