Can the Kings make the Playoffs?
The Sacramento Kings currently hold the record for the longest playoff drought in NBA history that stands at 16 years straight. The Kings have been the joke of the league for nearly 20 years. However, it looks like that drought could end very soon. The Kings have started this young NBA season by being the ninth seed with a record of 6-6.
Even though the Kings have six losses as of right now, those losses came in close games with an average loss margin of just under six points. They had a very slow start to the season by going 0-4 but have quickly turned that around and have beat some respectable teams. The Kings have impressive wins against the Heat, Cavs, Lakers, and Warriors. The Kings have been a very competitive team night in and night out.
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Much of the Kings' success has been due to the great play of De'Aaron Fox. Fox has turned into the player that the Kings organization had hoped for. Last year, the Kings traded away Tyrese Haliburton, a young player with lots of potential. Many people, including Kings fans, thought they should have kept Haliburton and traded away Fox.
Instead, Fox is silencing the haters by leading the Kings to a potential play-in position with the chance of making the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. Fox's current averages per game are 25.5 points, six assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals while shooting 54.8 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three, and 83 percent from the free throw line.
Fox has drastically improved every statistic that I mentioned from last year. He is averaging a career-high in points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage. Fox has shown that he is putting in the work to lead this Kings squad and has made that big step that the Kings were looking for.
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As I mentioned last year, the Kings traded away Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson for former All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, and a 2023 second-round draft pick.
The Kings' front office saw more upside in De'Aaron Fox and felt like they no longer needed two ball-dominant guards in Fox and Haliburton, so they traded Haliburton to the Pacers for a big man in Sabonis. The thought of pairing Fox and Sabonis together could potentially lead to a playoff run for the Kings. Even though Sabonis' numbers are down a bit from last season, the pair has seen success.
Another key to the King's success this season is the play of their role players. The Kings have made some great acquisitions of three-point shooters. During the offseason, the Kings traded away Justin Holiday, Moe Harkless, and a 2024 first-round pick for Kevin Huerter.
Huerter has shown great improvement from last year and is currently shooting the second-highest three-point percentage in the league at an impressive 51.1 percent while averaging 16.6 points per game. Another great pickup for the Kings was Malik Monk, who signed with Sacramento as a free agent.
Malik Monk has been a great piece for the King's bench, averaging 11.8 points per game on 36.4 percent from three. Monk has proven to be an electric player that can score from anywhere on the court. Keegan Murray, who was drafted fourth in the 2022 draft, has also shown to be an instant plug-in piece for the Kings. Murray is averaging 12.8 points for the Kings and has shown to be a great addition to their defense.
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The Kings' front office has finally put together what looks like to be a good roster that can compete for a playoff spot. Seeing them in the playoffs wouldn't be a surprise if the team could continue their great play. It's refreshing to see the Kings being competitive, and Kings fans can finally rejoice as it looks like a good season.
