Warriors-Kings predictions: Anonymous NBA coach, exec pick NBA playoff series

How anonymous NBA coach, exec predict Warriors-Kings series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

It’s a Northern California matchup in the first round of the NBA playoffs as the Sacramento Kings face off against the Warriors, who are preparing to defend their 2022 championship.

There are many people within NBA circles sharing their winner in the series, which begins Saturday at Golden 1 Center.

Golden State earned the matchup the veterans on the team wanted due to limited travel on Interstate-80. On the flip side, Sacramento has the first crack at eliminating the Warriors and giving their fan base bragging rights over their geographical rival.

Here’s what three anonymous NBA employees and a few pundits are saying about the series:

The Athletic

The Athletic spoke with an anonymous coach, executive and scout to get their perspective on the matchup. However, their responses might not be what many Kings fans want to hear despite being the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and ending their 16-season playoff drought.

Scout’s pick: Warriors in five. “I think the Kings can win some games. But (can they win) four times against the Warriors, especially if they lose one at home?”

Coach’s pick: Warriors in four.  “Great matchup. I’m still going to say the Warriors (will win). The Kings don’t have that playoff heartbreak yet. And you need to go through the playoffs and have a little heartbreak to learn how to play in them, in my opinion."

Executive’s pick: Warriors in six. "Baaaad, baaadd, baaadd luck for Sacramento, man. They get in, and they have the great year they had, and — oh my gosh, you know? I couldn’t be any happier for them, but then to get this -- kaboom! -- and draw Golden State? What a horrible matchup. Golden State in six."

ESPN

NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins said in a recent SportsCenter appearance that the Kings are “going to come out and prove something” against the Warriors, so he has Sacramento eliminating the defending champions in six games.

Meanwhile, senior writer Ramona Shelburne isn’t going to pick against Golden State.

“Out of respect for the Warriors, I picked them in six [games], but it’s close,” Shelburne said. “I would not be shocked [if the Kings win] because if there’s one guy who knows how to beat the Warriors, it’s probably Mike Brown.”

Here’s the entire roundup of analysts giving their picks for the matchup, with the majority siding with the Warriors:

The Volume

The Volume and FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd also picks the Warriors to beat the Kings in six games. Cowherd believes Golden State’s playoff experience is too much to overlook when analyzing the two squads.

“I like their matchup in the series,” Cowherd told Jason Timpf on a recent episode of “The Colin Cowherd Podcast.” "You throw a lot of bodies at [De’Aaron] Fox. Golden State will have to win a road game, but this is almost a bus ride. And I also think this; they’ll get the whistle. They know how to manipulate officials. They know how to do the psychological manipulation.

“I mean, Sacramento is like the little brother down on the road to the dynasty. And you could see in spots them being a little overwhelmed and the Warriors trash-talking, getting in their head and getting the favorable whistle the dynasty does in the first round my entire life. I don’t think the league is rigged, but I do think veteran teams manipulate officiating in the playoffs where referees tend to swallow the whistle. You’re not going to get that high-octane offense that draws all those fouls. The Warriors can slow it down, speed it up. They’ll get the whistle. So I think it’s one of these series. It’s a really good series for Golden State.”

Kings. Warriors. Is it Saturday yet?

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