The Sacramento Kings are coming off their 10th straight losing season and there isn’t much hope that things will change in the coming year. That is the outlook for a franchise that is in complete disarray. The Kings followed up another disappointing year with a number of surprising offseason moves in which they appear to have actually downgraded on paper. And once again, they’re starting fresh with a new head coach.
Sacramento is stuck in the position of being a non-playoff team that doesn’t have enough direction to be considered rebuilding. It appears as though it will only be a matter of time before they are forced to blow up the roster.
Offseason Changes
The Kings started their head-scratching offseason by allowing point guard Rajon Rondo to leave after he led the NBA in assists last season. Of course, the idea all along was just to try him out on a one-year deal to see if he’d be a fit or if he’d be a troublemaker, but he was an excellent addition. Many people were surprised that they didn’t bring him back as he looked like he’d be a core member along with DeMarcus Cousins.
Then Sacramento traded Marco Belinelli to the Charlotte Hornets for the 22nd overall pick. Belinelli isn’t a star by any means but he was a quality veteran player that appeared to be a good fit, so it surprised some to see him moved. Losing both of their starting guards would be fine if thy addressed the position in the NBA Draft, but instead the Sacramento Kings selected another big man in Georgios Papagiannis 13th overall and then took Skai Labissiere 28th overall. Both moves irked Cousins, the team’s starting center, because why are the Kings investing so heavily in what is their strongest position?
The Kings eventually did land a shooting guard in Malachi Richardson but the fact that they passed on Denzel Valentine, Wade Baldwin and Malik Beasley was definitely surprising. Sacramento decided to bring in Aaron Afflalo on a two-year, $25 million contract but that move was clearly surprising after they passed on Belinelli and the rookies that were available at the NBA Draft.
Strengths
The Sacramento Kings should be one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA with DeMarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos leading the way up front followed by the rookie tandem of Papagiannis and Labisierre. Sacramento should also be able to defend the paint at a high level, although they were far too inconsistent in that area a year ago. Cousins is one of the premier centers in the NBA right now but this roster appears built to withstand his eventual exit in the near future.
Weaknesses
The Kings’ loaded frontcourt came at the cost of major holes elsewhere including in the backcourt in particular where Afflalo and Darren Collison are set to start. The team also added Ty Lawson in the hopes of repairing his image/hoping that he proves to be another Rondo. However, each of those players would be better off coming off the bench in reserve roles. The depth at the position is also questionable with Ben McLemore and Garrett Temple primed to play big minutes off the bench this season. An injury to any of their guards could be devastating for Sacramento. Meanwhile, Rudy Gay’s limitations at the small forward spot have been well documented and there isn’t any reason to expect change this season. The Sacramento Kings could be one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA this season. The loss of Rondo could also hurt their transition offense and ability in fast-break situations.
Outlook
Sacramento is one of the most difficult franchises in the NBA to understand. The Sacramento Kings refuse to transition to a rebuild but remain in the worst possible position as not being good enough to contend for a playoff spot but still missing the young players to facilitate a rebuild. There is a good chance that Sacramento finally hits rock bottom this year. It’s actually surprising that the Kings have managed to avoid the Western Conference basement for as long as they have but this team has far too many holes to expect them to finish ahead of any other team than the Los Angeles Lakers in the standings this season.
Prediction: 4th in Northwest Division; 14th in Western Conference
