Kings vs. Trail Blazers preseason game preview and open thread

The Kings are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. We'll see if the Kings can pull out a win after an 0-2 start to the preseason.

When: Sunday, October 13, 3:00 p.m. PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: Kings.com (locals only)
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140

The injury report remains the same for the Kings, without Trey Lyles, Devin Carter, Jordan McLaughlin or Kevin Huerter. Huerter has been cleared for 5-on-5 action but still needs more practice time before we can see him in the game. Malik Monk is listed as questionable as he deals with a personal matter.

For the Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams III are out due to injuries, while Anfernee Simons and Matisse Thybulle are questionable.

As I mentioned above, the Kings started the preseason 0-2, but I'm not worried at all. The starters looked great, but the Kings struggled mightily when the bench units arrived. Monk, Huerter, Lyles and McLaughlin are four rotation bench players, and missing 4 of 5 secondary forwards will take their toll. Of course it would be nice if the guys at the end of the bench could see more success stories in the next team, but that's not the end of the world they have to contend with. It helps the coaching staff and front office identify potential bright spots like Isaac Jones, Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Crawford while also identifying weak spots and figuring out which guys might be expendable. Despite all of this, we hope the Kings give their hometown crowd a win today.

While you are here I would also like to mention that we have added a number of new designs to our shop. Grab a new t-shirt or mug to start the season. You will look dashing and it will help us keep the lights on.

Since this is the preseason, this post serves as both a preview and a game thread.

Come on, kings!