Watch Out for Sactown
The Sacramento Kings have quickly become one of the most surprising teams in the 2022-2023 NBA season. Sacramento has long been a laughingstock of the NBA and hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2006. Today, the King’s sit third in the West, and have an opportunity to return to the postseason after a near two decade hiatus. Going into the season, they were projected to be a subpar team with maybe 30-40 wins. With 29 games to go, they currently hold a record of 30-23 and show no signs of slowing down. While they seem to get overlooked due to the lack of having a superstar piece, their roster is loaded and playing at a high level. With the playoffs rapidly approaching and the typical Western Conference powerhouses struggling with inconsistency, this could be the perfect storm for the King’s to have a deep run in May.
Many write-off Sacramento, as they lack the superstar force that has become a prerequisite for success in the modern day NBA. But you can’t forget that their two stars, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, are All-Star level players. De’Aaron Fox is currently averaging over 24.1 points per game for the third straight year in a row, and has the highest field goal percentage of his career at 50.5%. He is without question one of the best point guards in the game right now and having one of the best seasons of his career. Domantas Sabonis is newer to the squad and came to the King’s in a trade last year. He is arguably the best player on the team, as he just received his third All-Star nod while averaging a double-double with 18.6 points and around 12 boards per game. He is currently shooting the highest field goal percentage of his career at 63.1%, along with another career high with a 37.1% three-point percentage. Sabonis and Fox are two of the best players at their respective positions but don’t get the love they deserve. Both are playing at career-high levels and if they can keep it up, they will be a major problem for opposing defenses come May.
While Sabonis and Fox are the stars of the show, you can’t forget about the slew of efficient players the King’s have put together. To start, Sacramento has seen solid production from key reserve players in Trey Lyles and Malik Monk. Lyles is shooting 37.4% from three on 7.4 points per game, while Monk has given them nearly 14 points along with 3.9 assists a game. Not to mention, their lottery pick forward, Keegan Murray, has had a solid rookie outing. He’s shooting a highly impressive 41.3% from three, along with averaging a cool 12 points and 5 boards per game. Additionally, Sacramento has seen significant production from veteran players Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes. Huerter came in just this offseason from Atlanta and has put up career numbers with 15 points per game while shooting 39.7% from the three. Harrison Barnes is in his fifth season with the team and continues to be a big-time contributor with 15 points and nearly 5 boards per game, while also shooting a solid 47.7% field goal percentage. Huerter and Barnes' effect on this team and its success goes deeper than just their production. Both these players have played key roles on teams that have seen success in the playoffs. That can’t be said for nearly any other contributor on this roster. Experience is vital to postseason success, and having guys like Huerter and Barnes who have been to the Conference Finals and for Barnes, won an NBA Finals, will be crucial towards the team’s success this postseason.
A major factor that will play a role in the King’s success this year is the inconsistent play of the supposed Western Conference powerhouse teams. Many expected teams like the Warriors, Suns, Mavericks and Grizzlies to continue being dominant forces in the West, but none have been able to hit their stride. The Warriors, just a year removed from a title, have struggled to stay above .500 and find that spark they had going for them last postseason. Many projected the Suns or Mavericks to run away with the West, due to the dominant play of superstar talents in Booker and Luka respectively. Both teams have seemed one dimensional, especially the Mavericks, as they’ve both been hovering around .500 throughout the year. While the Grizzlies stand just above the King’s at second in the West, they’ve recently struggled. Memphis has gone 2-8 in their last 10 games, while the King’s have gone 5-5. It’s hard to definitively say the King’s will be able to take out any of these teams in a seven-game series due to the loaded roster all four have. The King’s have been much more consistent throughout the year, which will make them a tough matchup if these teams can’t figure it out.
The King’s may not be the flashiest team in the West but they are a highly underrated group. They have two legitimate star players in their prime, alongside a group of talented role players who are all playing at a high level. They have one of the best offenses in the league and have found a level of consistency that uber-talented teams such as the Suns, Warriors and Mavericks have not. If they can stay hot and avoid the injury-bug, Sactown should be in for an exciting return to the postseason.