Kings' Kosta Koufos: Starts at center Wednesday

Koufos will start at center for Wednesday's season opener against the Suns, Craig Grialou of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Analysis:

Coming into training camp, it was widely believed Willie Cauley-Stein would open the season in the starting lineup alongside DeMarcus Cousins. However, Koufos received most of the starts throughout the preseason and will now start the year with the top unit, a decision that was likely influenced by his existing familiarity with new coach Dave Joerger from their previous time together in Memphis. Cauley-Stein should still get a bunch of run off the bench thanks to his superior rim protection, so it will likely remain a true timeshare for the early portion of the season.