I can’t believe I’m even putting this into words. After sixteen years, the Sacramento Kings actually look poised to make a serious run for the playoffs in the wake of their utter trouncing of the Brooklyn Nets 153-121 last night.
SIXTEEN YEARS! It’s been sixteen years, and the Sacramento Kings have just now gotten their acts together and have assembled a halfway decent roster that is capable of challenging for the playoffs.
I don’t know how it has been possible for this franchise, which is technically the oldest in the NBA, to have gone sixteen straight years (2005/06-now) without ever making it to the NBA playoffs once. The entire 2010’s came and went without seeing the Kings playing in the summer once.
Though, I guess being plagued with two (as if one was enough) bad ownership groups in that time would do that.
Anyway, it seems like those days are finally over as the Sacramento Kings have continued their superb run to finish last season (as they only missed the Play-In by four games) into this year as they are now 7-6, sit 8th in the West, and have looked fantastic while doing so. Oh, and they just beat the breaks off Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets to prove it.
That game last night was never close as Jacque Vaughn’s team, which had done so well in keeping their opposition to under 100 points during their 4-3 record under Vaughn, was utterly destroyed by the Kings in every area of the court, leading to 73-54 route by halftime.
Emerging superstar PG De’Aaron Fox (14 PTS, 4 REB, 9 AST), C Domantas Sabonis (17 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST), and Kevin Huerter (19 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST) all had magnificent games as they ran riot over the Nets starting lineup, while Terence Davis, despite being named to the bench, led all players in scoring with 31 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST. He even beat out Kevin Durant in scoring, which just tell you how the Nets night went.
Though, if I had to pick out one player that caught my eye, it would have to be Fox. This kid is the true leader and lifeblood of the Sacramento team as he not only led the floor from his point guard position with 9 assists, but he also kept the Kings possessions alive by not turning the ball over.
A lot of young, talented point guards try to do too much and end up costing their team with bad, unforced turnovers, but that’s not a problem to lay at Fox’s feet. He’s mature beyond his years.
Anyway, just like King Midas of Crete from the Ancient Greek legends, everything the Sacramento Kings touched last night turned to gold as they showed no mercy to the still Kyire-less Brooklyn Nets by blowing them away with 153 points. 153 POINTS!
I don’t know about you guys, but that’s obviously the Kings sending a message to the rest of the NBA: they want to be taken seriously.
Clearly, I was wrong to even suggest that the Nets might not need Kyrie Irving as this team is now imploding with only Kevin Durant to whether the storms of the NBA season. It wasn’t morally (in my opinion) right to continue to hold out Kyrie Irving after his 5-game suspension finished (which it did two games ago), but now the decision looks even dumber as the Nets roster has started to come back down to earth with the new-coach momentum boost waning.
Obviously, I’m not a fan of Kyrie Irving after everything he did on his way out of the Boston Celtics, but it’s evident his situation and how the Nets hierarchy have treated him like leper, even though he already apologized for his actions, is melting this roster away. They’re literally falling apart before our very eyes as now Kevin Durant is coming out and directly criticizing the starting lineup by name.
The Nets are going to finish outside of the Play-In Round if they aren’t careful, though it may be too late to change that fate as Joe Tsai and Sean Marks seem reluctant to let Kyrie Irving play for the Nets again.
Regardless, we’re here to talk about the Kings and how they should make the playoffs this season.
As long as their young core of Fox, Hunter, Sabonis, and Keegan Murray (who was their 4th overall pick this past draft) continue to grow and learn from one another, then this team has a serious chance of turning into NBA contenders in the near future.
But, in terms of this season, they may need to pick up a veteran forward to help with rebounding and defending to cement their place in the Play-In Round as they did still give up 121 points.
Still, the future is bright in Sacramento…for the first time ever.
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