Major matchup battle Golden State Warriors need to address in Game 2

Set up by 70 combined points from De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, the Sacramento Kings rallied from a double-digit third-quarter deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of their first-round series on Saturday.

Fox and Monk proved the difference late in the ball game, outplaying the more fancied Warrior guards to secure the tight 126-123 win. While the explosive guard duo were spectacular, there’s plenty the Warriors can do moving forward.

The Golden State Warriors must be better in making De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk work on the defensive end in Game 2 and for the remainder of the series.

Many will rightly look at what Golden State can do defensively to combat Fox and Monk. The former, for example, was guarded by either Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga for less than three combined minutes. That needs to change, starting with one of that trio being on the floor at all times.

But it’s actually what the Warriors can do on the other end that’s just as important. The Kings duo was so effective because they were allowed to exert their energy primarily on offense. Golden State has two ball-handling guards in Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole, and they failed to include Fox and Monk in action to make them work defensively.

Fox and Monk guarded Curry for less than two combined minutes. In contrast, Curry himself was Fox’s primary defender for over five minutes, easily the most of any Warrior. The two-time MVP is a much improved defender, but you simply don’t want him having to exert energy on that end when so much is already asked of him.

Fox spent more time guarding Klay Thompson, Donte DiVincenzo and Wiggins than he did Curry and Poole. Yes that trio are constant off-ball movers that force Fox to chase, but the Kings would much rather him guarding catch-and-shoot types over being involved in pick-and-roll action with Curry and Poole.

Kevin Huerter was the primary defender for Curry, taking the assignment for five-and-a-half minutes. Curry still went for 30 including 13 in the fourth-quarter, but that’s the matchup Sacramento wants. Although Huerter may have been quiet offensively, if his defense allows Fox and Monk to focus largely on offense, then that’s a great result for the Kings.

The first port of call for Steve Kerr may be adjusting the starting lineup to bring Wiggins back in to guard Fox. If that means Curry has to give up size guarding Huerter, Harrison Barnes or Keegan Murray, then so be it. Just as importantly, targeting Fox and Monk on the other end should be a focus of Kerr and the Warriors in Game 2 and beyond.