Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings Predicted Starting Lineups and Depth Chart for Dec. 16 | 2024-25 NBA season
The Sacramento Kings will be looking to make it four in a row when they host the Denver Nuggets at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night in a battle between two of the Western Conference's most potent offences.
This game promises to be an exciting encounter with some of the league's top offensive players set to feature, including Nikola Jokic, De'Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and Russell Westbrook.
Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings Predicted Starting Lineups and Depth Chart
The return of Aaron Gordon from injury has shaken up the Denver Nuggets starting lineup, but overall, coach Michael Malone has remained relatively consistent with his starting five. Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun lead the roster with 23 starts each, and Jokic is next on the list, having started all 20 games he has featured in.
The Nuggets will be without forwards Dario Saric, Vlatko Cancar, and center DaRon Holmes II. Braun and Jamal Murray are listed as game-time decisions but will likely play on Monday.
Expect to see a starting five that includes Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic.
Denver Nuggets depth chart:
Similar to his counterpart, Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown has chosen to stick with a regular starting group through most of the season. 11 different players have received starts at some point in the season, but Brown has stuck with his key figures throughout. De'Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray have started all 26 games for the Kings.
The Kings will be without power forward Trey Lyles, who is out with a calf strain. Guard Kevin Huerter is listed as day-to-day and could also miss Monday's game.
We can expect to see De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis take the court against the Nuggets.
Sacramento Kings depth chart:
Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings preview
The Denver Nuggets will be looking to bounce back after a mini-slump that has seen them lose five of their last 10 games. A lot was expected from the 2023 NBA champions coming into the season, but despite some outstanding performances from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are languishing in fifth place in the Western Conference with an underwhelming 13-10 record.
The Nuggets' offense continues to be the key factor behind their success. Denver is averaging 118.7 points per game, which ranks them third in the West behind only the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks. The roster has eight different players averaging nine points or more.
Center Jokic has once again been the standout player for the Nuggets over the first third of the season. The Serbian superstar ranks second in the NBA in points (31.5) and rebounds (13.3).
The Sacramento Kings currently sit 12th in the Western Conference standings with a 13-13 record. They need to improve on their subpar 6-7 home record if they have any chance of making a deep playoff run.
The talented trio of Fox, Sabonis, and DeRozan seems to finally be clicking, a major boon for the Kings. In their victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, they combined for 79 of the team's 111 points.
The Kings come in Monday's game on a three-game win streak and have averaged a whopping 130.66 ppg over that stretch. Over the course of the season, they are averaging 116.2 ppg, the fourth most in the conference.
De'Aaron Fox will be the man to keep an eye on for Sacramento. The highly rated point guard has put up big numbers this season. Fox leads the Kings' roster in points (26.1), assists (6.1), and steals (1.7). His most memorable performance of the season came on Nov. 15 against the Minnesota Timberwolves when he went on to score a career-high 60 points.