What’s Next for the Sacramento Kings?
The Sacramento Kings have been in a rough bout for an agonizing 16 years, making their last postseason appearance in 2006. Since then, fans have been waiting for a time that may never come, hoping to finally make the playoffs again or even the play-ins, making significant offseason moves in hopes of bringing back a once winning franchise.
Last season, the Kings finished at a dreadful 30 wins and 52 losses, finishing as the 12th seed and earning themselves the 4th pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Kings fans were mightily disappointed, especially after a 2018–2019 season where the Kings finished as the 9th seed with a record of 39–43, led by 2nd year Fox and Buddy Hield. Change was needed, and that’s exactly what the offseason has brought.
The Offseason
The Kings are looking to win now (not winning a championship, but a playoff appearance would be championship enough for Kings fans like myself), trading their up and coming star Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for all star center Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline. While considered a finesse by the Pacers, franchise cornerstone De’Aaron Fox performs considerably better without Haliburton by his side. According to StatMuse, in 20 games without Haliburton, Fox averaged an impressive 28.3 PPG (points per game) while dishing out 6.2 assists per game and shooting an efficient 50.3% from the field. For comparison, Fox averaged 20.6 PPG and 5.1 assists on 45.2% shooting in games played with Haliburton. While Haliburton showcases himself as a star in the making, a pairing on him and Fox does not work out in the long term and the Kings’ front office saw this, investing in their franchise point guard and opting to pair him with a deadly pick-and-roll partner in Domantas Sabonis.
The Kings also added key pieces around the duo during the offseason. With the 4th pick, the Sacramento Kings selected Keegan Murray out of Iowa State, a 6'8 forward with the ability to space the floor and defend at an NBA level. The Kings also signed a plethora of guards, notably Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk of the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers respectively. Monk and Huerter shot 39.1% and 38.9% from the three-point line last season, becoming much needed outside threats the Kings desperately needed.
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The Sacramento Kings have made plenty of beneficial moves, pairing Fox with a capable center rather than a ball dominant guard and plenty of shooting that the team lacked last season. However, does this team compete with others in the stacked West? Teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves added All-NBA center Rudy Gobert to their roster, while playoff locks such as the Utah Jazz have blown up their team to particpate in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Personally, and I say this with a heavy heart, I don’t believe the Kings will make the playoffs this season. Despite improving in much needed areas, this team just has too much competition in this highly skilled Western Conference. I see them finishing as a 9th, 10th or 11th seed, maybe able to make a play-in appearance but going no further. While a postseason is not in the cards as of yet, one could be in the near future. Fox, Monk, Huerter and Mitchell are all 24 years old, Sabonis not falling far behind at 26. These young guys still have time to improve before reaching their peaks, not to mention Keegan Murray who has shown potential to be a future All-Star.
What’s Next?
Focus on improving this core. Fox has been heavily limited by the presence of Haliburton (no diss to him, he’s a great player), but now that he has been given full freedom to operate, we should see drastic improvement from his down season. Sabonis should complement Fox in the pick-and-roll nicely, creating a great guard and big duo that will do wonders for the offense. With all the shooting that Monk, Huerter, Barnes and Murray provide, this team should boast one of the best offenses in the league. But the defense is another story. Sabonis is not considered a good defender by NBA standards, despite centers needing to be the control tower that anchors the defense. Fox, while having the physical profile to be a good NBA defender, is unable to be due to the high offensive load he has to carry night in and night out. Huerter and Monk are not good defenders either, Huerter ranking in a defensive rating of 117.0 last season (the average defensive rating for a team is 112.0). While Davion Mitchell is a plus defender, his impact is limited by his size, touting a 6'0 frame. Defense is not this team’s strong suit, giving up just as many points as they put up on the other side. This side of the floor should be a priority for this young team, as any playoff hopes mean nothing if you give up 120 points a night.
Conclusion
The Sacramento Kings want to compete for a playoff spot this upcoming season, but the roster may not be able to hang with the other teams in the West. However, their young core proves promising and might be able to secure a postseason that has alluded them for the last 16 years in the near future.
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