Sacramento Kings much improved, still not quite ready for prime time
By Kevin Saito
The Sacramento Kings dropped their second straight game, showing that while they’re improving, they’ve got a ways to go yet.
Just a couple of games ago, the Sacramento Kings were sitting at 6-3 and were shocking people around the NBA. They’re a young team playing an exciting, fast-paced style of basketball that’s fun to watch – and has been getting results.
Two games later though, the Kings have dropped two in a row, and sit at 6-5 on the season.
After a total defensive collapse that saw them surrender 144 points to the Milwaukee Bucks – the second time in the first ten games they’ve given up 140-plus – they played a hard fought game against a Toronto Raptors team that at 10-1, looks to be the class of the Eastern Conference.
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Still, despite the loss and the occasional defensive misfires, there certainly seems to be something special building in Sacramento. Something special and something wholly unexpected.
When the season began, most people didn’t think the Kings would be a factor in anything. Most pegged Sacramento as a team that would struggle to win 25 games – if that. And, given recent history, as well as the influx of youth on the roster, it’s difficult to fault anybody for believing that.
However, the Kings, through 11 games this season, have got to qualify as one of the NBA’s biggest surprises thus far.
Led by a youthful core of Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox, and Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento most definitely has a bright future. They play with energy and passion, and have put together one of the league’s best offenses, currently ranking seventh in the NBA in scoring average per game.
Unfortunately, that youthful inexperience also leads them to some lapses on the defensive end of the floor – as evidenced by the 149 points the Pelicans, and the 144 points the Bucks hung on them. Those point totals were all put up in regulation, by the way.
What that shows is that this team – while flashing just how good and explosive they can be — still have a long ways to go before they’re ready to compete with some of the league’s big boys.
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There is absolutely no shame in losing to Milwaukee and Toronto. Combined, the Bucks and Raptors are 19-3, and sit atop their respective divisions. They also happen to be 1-2 in the conference standings.
Two nights after getting throttle by the Bucks – a 35-point blowout loss – at least the Kings bounced back to make it interesting against the Raptors in losing by just nine.
And they certainly weren’t helped by some very questionable calls that went against them.
However, they were also outmuscled on the boards, with Toronto holding a 60-40 advantage for the game. The Raptors more than doubled Sacramento’s rebounds on the offensive glass (13-6), and outhustled them on the defensive end, holding a 15 rebound advantage.
While they won’t be playing the top teams in the league, Sacramento is facing a tough three games in four day stretch coming up that will pit them against Jimmy Butler and the Timberwolves on Friday, LeBron James and the Lakers on Saturday, and the DeMar DeRozan and Spurs on Monday.
While not exactly a crucible – those three teams are a combined 15-18 – individually, the present some difficult matchups. Add to that, all three teams have some savvy veteran talent on their rosters that could be a challenge for this young Kings team.
However, if they could come out of that weekend stretch with a couple of wins – maybe even sweep the set – they’d be making a pretty bold statement. A statement that says this team is one that is going to be a tough out and can’t be taken lightly. Not anymore.
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While the Kings are high flying and electric, and their future is incredibly bright – and their present ain’t so bad either – they do still have a ways to go yet, before they can be considered legit contenders. One of the biggest things they need to clean up, is their ability to play defense on a night in, night out, consistent basis.
They’ve got the offensive firepower and the potential to have the defensive chops to make a difference in a game – so long as they don’t suffered the inconsistency and mental lapses that have marked the first eleven games of the season for them.
Yes, this team, filled with so much young, offensive firepower on hand, this team can keep themselves in any game. Now, they just need to get the effort and intensity to match that on the defensive end.
This Sacramento team has been impressive thus far, but maddeningly inconsistent. They’ve been a pleasant surprise and a great story to this point in the season.
They’re a team that – so long as they keep playing as they have thus far – could conceivably contend for one of those last few playoff seeds.
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But, as the last two games have also showed us, this is a team that’s not quite ready for prime time just yet, and if they can’t handle the best in the East, they’re not going to be able to handle the best in an absolutely stacked West.
Their time very well may be coming – it may still be a minute yet though.