Tuesday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers gave Kings fans a good opportunity to see how the team plans to operate under new head coach Dave Joerger, but tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors should give his system it’s first true test of the year.  With that said, lets take a look at five interesting notes heading into tonight’s game.

Five things to watch:

1. Willie Cauley-Stein came into the NBA with a reputation for having superb  defensive tools, not the least of which is his guard-like quickness out on the perimeter.  With that said, he struggled at times last season defending stretch 4s, so the defensive assignments of Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and Andre Igoudala should give him an opportunity to show his progress from last season. His struggles were more mental than physical, so he should be able to improve with more experience.
2. DeMarcus Cousins had some great moments operating out of the high post on Tuesday night, but a stronger defensive group should put some pressure on the offense to be more crisp.  The Warriors cover very well on the perimeter, so the team will have to work much harder to get open for Cousins.  Without a weak link to truly exploit, the Kings will need to stay active on this end and keep everyone involved. Cousins will need to stay patient and wait for opportunities to develop.
3. McLemore showed a level of aggression against the Lakers that has rarely been present during his time in Sacramento.  He managed to put up 10 shots in limited minutes, and despite the fact that he only made three, it was a good look for him.  The next step will be choosing his spots more wisely, but for now it’s most important to see him attacking consistently.  In previous years, a team like Golden State would cause McLemore to fade into the background, so tonight he needs to show that he can stay engaged, even against one of the best defenses in the league.
4. Jordan Farmar was signed to a non-guaranteed contract going into training camp, and he was held completely out of the game against the Lakers.  This was an interesting decision, given that there was no indication that he was dealing with injury.  With Lawson holding his own so far, Farmar will need to get on the floor sooner rather than later if he expects to compete for the backup point guard job. If he’s held out again without mention of an injury, it would be safe to assume that Lawson is a landslide favorite.
5. The rookies looked overmatched in extended minutes against the Lakers.  There has been some talk about what roles, if any, Georgios Papagiannis, Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson can fill next year for the team, and without stronger showings moving forward it would be difficult to envision them making an impact early in the season.  Part of these struggles can be attributed to spending time without a true leader on the floor, and in the regular season they wouldn’t get exposed like this, but they will need to play better tonight regardless of who’s out there with them.

It’s difficult to say exactly how the Warriors will approach this game, but with talent all throughout their roster, expect Sacramento to have their hands full tonight.