NBA Summer League: Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Charlotte Hornets came up short in their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League.
• The Sacramento Kings hope that rookie point guard Davion Mitchell can show some lead-guard capabilities.
• This will be the fourth matchup on Day 3 of the Las Vegas Summer League.

Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings Odds

Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings Predictions and Picks

The Sacramento Kings will come out of the gate with energy off the back of Davion Mitchell’s aggressiveness. But with one game played together and more offensive diversity than expected, the Hornets should level their record.

Pick:

Charlotte Hornets def. Sacramento Kings

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How to Watch Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings

Head-to-Head: Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings

CHO: Open Up the Court

The Charlotte Hornets looked solid in their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League. However, in their loss, they showed that they could be a bit more focused on playmaking.

While they had 19 assists on 31 field goals, the Hornets weren’t able to manufacture good enough open looks – resulting in their 29.6% shooting night from three.

Bouknight and Ball may draw the most attention on the Hornets side, so it’ll be up to them to also create better opportunities for their teammates.

Hornets Key Player: (G) James Bouknight

James Bouknight with sauce before the buzzer ♨️ pic.twitter.com/pxu8qoRzzY

— ESPN (@espn) August 8, 2021

The Charlotte Hornets were lucky to find James Bouknight fall into their laps with the eleventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. After his first game in the Las Vegas Summer League, the selection already seems more than justified.

In his first summer league game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bouknight showed off his scoring ability. The 6’5 guard posted 19 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 27 minutes of play.

The most impressive part of Bouknight’s performance was his efficiency. He converted on 50% of his field-goals, while also making all four of his free throws. Whether or not he can maintain his efficiency will be the question in his second game.

SAC: Carry Over The Momentum

The Sacramento Kings may be playing their first Las Vegas Summer League game, but they’ve already played two games together in the California Classic. While they were winless, they had the fortune of getting to play together.

Through their two games in the California Classic, the Sacramento Kings struggled from three-point range. They attempted a combined 38 three-point field goals but converted on just six through two games.

In terms of familiarity, the Kings should have the advantage. But if they can’t put up a decent night from range it’ll be difficult to keep pace with the Hornets.

Kings Key Player: (G) Davion Mitchell

Davion Mitchell (@hoopculture13) goes for 23 PTS in his @SacramentoKings #NBASummer debut! pic.twitter.com/2qINCzm61h

— NBA (@NBA) August 4, 2021

The Sacramento Kings made a surprising choice when they selected Davion Mitchell in the 2021 NBA Draft. Considering the Kings already had De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton running the point, Sacramento clearly saw something special in Mitchell.

In his last year at Baylor, Mitchell posted averages of 14.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game on 51.1% shooting from the field.

Mitchell will be asked to not only run an unknown offense, but get his own game going on both ends. An excellent defender, even if Mitchell struggles with his shot he can still impact the game on the other end.