Advertisement

Who you got? Stockton hoop coaches pick who will win Kings-Warriors playoff matchup

shannon mia belt, the record
·3 min read
Steph Curry and the Warriors - who have won four NBA Finals since 2015 - face the Sacramento Kings - who are making their first playoff appearance since 2006 - in the first round.
Steph Curry and the Warriors - who have won four NBA Finals since 2015 - face the Sacramento Kings - who are making their first playoff appearance since 2006 - in the first round.

The battle for NorCal has been set. On Saturday, the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors will battle it out at the Golden 1 Center for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

With Stockton being sandwiched between the two cities lines are being drawn. Are you with the Beam Team or putting your money on the 2022 defending champs? The Record asked local boys basketball coaches who they have winning the series and why.

(Coaches listed in alphabetical order)

Diondre Hawthorne, Edison

“Kings in six. I mean they’re hot, they’re hungry, they’re younger. They have just as much star power as the Warriors and they got the home-court advantage, ” Hawthorne said.

The Edison head coach is the only coach to have the Kings winning the series. He’s not a die-hard fan of any specific NBA team but is looking forward to the city's showdown.

Eric King, Venture Academy

King was adamant that the Warriors will take the series in six games. The Venture Academy coach is a long-time Laker fan but is a fan of how the Dubs play the game.

“It’s good basketball. It’s the way the game should be played,” King said. “I think they split these first two games and then the Warriors will probably go back home and win two in a row. Sacramento will put up a fight to get it to 3-2 but then the Warriors will send them home next game.”

Anthony Matthews, Lincoln

Matthew’s ties to Oakland and the Bay area had him routing for the Warriors and all the other San Francisco sports teams growing up. Like King, he has the Warriors winning the series in six games.

“I’m a NorCal guy so it’s a win-win situation either way,” he said. “With Andrew Wiggins coming back for the Warriors I’d be interested to see what the chemistry looks like. But I think they know how to handle minor changes very well.”

Nicholas Podesta, Weston Ranch

Since he was little, Podesta has been a Warriors fan so he also has them beating the Kings in the first round.

“Obviously I’m going to pick the Warriors since I’m a Warriors fan. I say in game five the Warriors are going to go off so them in five,” Podesta said

Reno Ursal, Mountain House

Ursal may be the biggest Warriors fan out of the five coaches as he was a Dubs season ticket holder up until 2021. The Mustangs' head coach, like King and Matthews, has the Warriors winning the series in six games.

“I think this series will be exciting and the Dubs are going to take it in game six at the Chase Center,” Ursal said. “The Kings are going to be close though. They had the number one offense and I think the Warriors were second. Whichever team focuses on defense will put them over the top.”

Who do you got? Vote below on who you have winning the series and in how many games.

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Who you got? Pick who will win Kings-Warriors playoff matchup