Kings Short on Guards and Bigs as They Visit a Banged-Up Clippers Team

By NBA Stat Desk How we produce articles

Both teams open with major absences, but Sacramento's gaps at guard and center look harder to cover.

SAC @ LAC Oct 22, 2026 at 2:30 AM UTC

Sacramento's opener begins with a roster problem that Ben Simmons' torn right Achilles made much worse. The team confirmed the injury happened in a live drill, an MRI confirmed it, and it is expected to end his season. That removes the Kings' expected backup ball-handler and puts rookie Darius Acuff Jr. in the lead point guard role against a veteran defense on opening night. The Kings are also reportedly looking at point guard reinforcements, with Walter Clayton Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. mentioned. Any help would come late, though, and it does nothing for them in this game's rotation.

The frontcourt is another concern. Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf) are both listed as out, which leaves Sacramento thin at center. If the Clippers can get downhill and force the Kings to defend the paint without much size, that could decide the game.

The Clippers have their own problems, with Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram and Max Strus all out. That shrinks their scoring options and puts more of the creation burden on the players who are available. Still, their lineup has a clear shape. Isaiah Jackson won the starting center job over Brook Lopez, and Lue named him the starter for the first week. With Garland and Hachimura also expected to start, Los Angeles should lean on pick-and-roll offense, which stresses a Kings team that is short on both ball-handlers and bigs.

Neither side is at full strength, but the Clippers' absences are on the wing and the Kings' are at the positions that matter most against pick-and-roll basketball. Expect Sacramento to stay close for stretches, but the Clippers' more settled structure and Sacramento's rookie-led backcourt should give Los Angeles the edge late.

Prediction: Clippers 112, Kings 106.

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