SAN FRANCISCO _ The Kings expect to be at full strength for the first time since opening night when they play against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Marvin Bagley III is back _ apparently as a center now _ after missing 22 games with a broken thumb. De'Aaron Fox plans to play against the Hornets after missing 17 games with a severely sprained ankle. Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic are returning to form after dealing with minor injuries of their own.
The Kings (12-14) have bobbed up and down but managed to stay afloat in the absence of their two most prized young players. They have won four of their last five games to climb to seventh in the Western Conference, a roll they can continue if they avenge an earlier loss to the Hornets (12-17).
The Kings established a different identity while Fox and Bagley were away, one predicated on half-court execution and defense. They were finally establishing some continuity for the first time since training camp. Now they have to do it again.
This is a problem coach Luke Walton is happy to have. Fox was the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Bagley was the No. 2 pick the next year. Having them back is much better than not having them, but Walton admitted it might not look pretty at first after his team committed an eye-popping 29 turnovers in a 100-79 road victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
"We anticipated there being a little bit of a bump in the rhythm of how we were playing," Walton said. "Those are two main pieces for us and we want the ball in their hands, but we played a month without both of them, so just getting that chemistry and that flow again, putting players back into the lineup and the rotation, being a little different, takes a little time."
