After witnessing two home games at the Golden 1 Center, I can unequivocally state that the Sacramento Kings fans have lost none of their passion for NBA basketball. Although not a sellout crowd, the home fans rooted on their Kings with true enthusiasm.

Many fans, myself included, were puzzled as to why Coach Christie made the decision to sit out Ben Simmons, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray. I later learned that Monk was nursing a toe sprain, but there was no report as to why Simmons and Murray were held out for the first two preseason games.

The Lakers, meanwhile, put their full contingent on display, and the final score told the story. In the first game it was over by halftime as the Lakers took a 26-point lead and never looked back, winning 127-103.

In the Thursday game in Los Angeles, while the Lakers star Luka Doncic put on a show, Coach Christie once again had veterans sitting on the bench. While Domantas Sabonis did not see the floor, Zach LaVine logged 23 minutes in his return to the rotation, and once again the outcome was predictable.

What makes this apparent strategy so strange is that if there is one intangible that most pundits and fans agree is critical to winning, it is team chemistry. Team chemistry can only develop if players have the opportunity to play together, and what better time to get the ball rolling than the preseason?

The Sacramento fans finally got to see a cameo appearance from Ben Simmons and Keegan Murray Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors. Simmons recorded 9 minutes of action, while Murray logged just 8 minutes and zero rebounds in a limited appearance. Although Simmons did not grab a single rebound, he scored 7 points and went 3 for 4 from the charity stripe. Murray managed 5 points, but at least the fans got a glimpse of the two players expected to make an impact in the upcoming season.

The play thus far has fans scratching their heads, and without a full contingent of players on the floor, what is being witnessed is a hodgepodge that does little more than confuse fans.

Five preseason games don't allow for a lot of chemistry to develop, so let's get these players on the court and let them adjust to one another.

Rotations and minutes remain critical components, and fans are already finding their favorites.

Whether it is Darius Acuff Jr., Emanuel Sharp, Alex Karaban, or some of the second-year players, fans want to see these players on the court and getting enough of a look to see what they've got to offer.

Emanuel Sharp has impressed from the get-go, and if Coach Christie is honest about finding players that exemplify defense, look no further than young Sharp.

Sharp not only is playing exemplary defense, but he is also a capable scorer as well. What will be interesting is whether his standout play will translate to the regular season, and whether he will receive 20-25 minutes per game.

It is way too early to become overly critical, although I'm certainly confounded by this rather odd beginning to the preseason.

I will give Coach Christie and the staff the benefit of the doubt and presume that he is being overly cautious with Simmons and Murray while trying to avoid early injuries.

At some point basketball players have to play basketball, and no doubt that is what we will see.

Looking for the positives, especially during the preseason, before the real action gets started, has to be the order of the day. I firmly believe that the Kings will begin to gel when they actually find themselves on the court together and can begin the process of building that ever-essential team chemistry.

Make no mistake about it, there is abundant talent on the team right now, and I'm looking forward to the night that it all comes together.

Two areas that concern me most are guarding the 3-point line and getting the team to shoot a higher percentage from the line. These two areas are ever so critical, and at the moment the Kings have gotten off to a tepid start in both categories.

Stay tuned, Kings fans, because the real action is about to start!

All the best!