Three Things to Watch in Kings, Magic Summer League Matchup

The day is finally here.

The Sacramento Kings finally get to play basketball today, and while it's just Summer League, it's an exciting day to see the young players make their debut or show what they've been working on in the offseason.

The Kings don't have any young stars, but they have a handful of players on the Summer League roster that could end up being key contributors for the upcoming season.

It will also be our first look at the system and schemes that new head coach Doug Christie will run next year.

The offense and defense will likely be toned down from the full scheme, but today's game should at least show a glimpse and what the Kings are going to look to do next season.

With that, let's get into the three main things to watch as the Sacramento Kings take on the Orlando Magic in their Summer League debut.

Devin Carter may be the Kings' biggest X-Factor going into next season.

He had a down year in his rookie season, but had to recover from shoulder surgery and was thrown in a difficult situation as Sacramento went through a season of upheaval.

Carter averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists last year on 37.0% shooting from the field and 29.5% from three, but showed signs of growth at the end of the season.

He is a pesky defender and great rebounder, but tonight, all eyes will be on him as the Kings' Summer League point guard.

The Kings' only true point guard on the NBA roster is Dennis Schroder, so Carter proving that he can play the point guard position will not only help them balance out the roster internally but will also help Carter find more playing time among a roster loaded with shooting guards.

Carter has already received praise from the Kings' Summer League head coach Dipseh Mistry for his leadership on and off the court.

Especially with Carter involved in trade rumors, this will be a big few games for the young guard.

The Kings came away from the draft with two exciting prospects in Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud, both of whom Scott Perry believes could contribute sooner rather than later .

Clifford was a five-year senior and is 23 years old, and Raynaud played four years at Stanford and is 22.

That should give them not only a head start next year in the NBA, but also early in the Summer League.

Clifford is an exciting wing who can do a little bit of everything, and Raynaud is a 7-foot-1 forward who has a skilled offensive game and can step out to hit the three.

Both of those are positions of need for the Kings, and either of the rookies showing they are NBA-ready in Summer League would go a long way as the Kings continue to look at moves this offseason.

While talking about Carter playing the point guard position, Mistry dropped a note that the Kings want to play fast in the upcoming exhibition games.

From everything Doug Christie said last season after he took over as interim head coach, that seems to be the Kings plan for this upcoming season as well.

Between that and getting up more threes, the Kings could have a potent offense that plays a run-and-gun style.

It will be with different players, but the Kings should start implementing their schemes now, beginning with this first Summer League game.

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