Kings expected to change starting lineup against Heat

Sacramento Kings On Monday morning, fans woke up to a surprise that left many scratching their heads. The Sacramento Kings (3-3) will face Miami Heat (3-2) in South Beach on Monday night, but it was what happened at shootaround this morning at the Kasea Center that got fans talking.

In black, the starting lineup included sophomore guard Colby Jones as well as undrafted rookie Isaac Jones. Standout Keon Ellis, 24, also wore black.

With Kevin Huerter likely out of the game due to illness, the Kings will need a replacement tonight. Last March, when Huerter suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, Keon Ellis stepped into the starting lineup and played very well, shooting over 40 percent from three while providing excellent defense. In the final 15 games last season in which Ellis started, the Kings had a top-five defensive rating in the NBA.

However, head coach Mike Brown was reluctant to start Ellis, returning Huerter to the starting lineup for the start of the 2024-25 season. Last Saturday, with Huerter out of the game, Brown decided to start veteran forward Doug McDermott, who had been DNP-CD in the previous game against Atlanta Hawks and hasn’t launched the game since 2022.

Kings fans will have to wait to see who starts, but Kings fans will again be disappointed and confused if anyone other than Ellis gets the start. Colby Jones and Isaac Jones have played a combined 12 minutes this season, mostly in garbage time.

The Kings start the season 3-3, although the numbers show they have played better than their record indicates. It will be interesting to see who starts tonight against the Heat.

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