Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox propelling late playoff push

The Sacramento Kings are currently in the midst of a late-season playoff push with guards De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield leading the way.

Not too long ago, the Sacramento Kings were sitting at 14th place in the jam-packed Western Conference standings, and it appeared they would once again miss the postseason.

However, the team has gained new life after an outstanding month of February, particularly from De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield. The Kings currently sit in the tied for the 9th seed, a number that can rotate any day as spots 9-13 are all separated by a single game or two.

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The Memphis Grizzlies hold the coveted 8th and final playoff spot at the moment, a team that Sacramento has beaten twice in their past four games to gain some traction in the standings.

The Sacramento Kings went 7-4 overall in the month of February, reviving their playoff hopes drastically as they have been playing extraordinary basketball.

Starting point guard De’Aaron Fox has led the way for the Kings, putting up some consistent numbers on a nightly basis. The guard averaged 20.9 points per game on 45.6 percent field goal shooting, and an improved 37.8 percent three-point shooting last month.

This increased consistent three-point shooting has been a massive boost for Fox, who seems to consistently knock it down with each game that passes. Fox is having a career year as is, but this recent play is only building up his impressive resume.

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As for Hield, the former starter came off the bench all month long and did not disappoint. Throughout 11 games in February, Hield shot 45.0 percent from the field and a fantastic 46.3 percent from behind the arc to average 18.8 points per game.

The move that sent Hield to the bench on January 24th seemed like a risky move to make at first but has genuinely been panning out. Having the luxury of bringing a player of Hield’s stature off the bench has been a game-changer, allowing him to provide a significant spark on the offensive end.

Giving Hield the role of the sixth-man has not only worked out for him but has seemingly rejuvenated the rest of this team as well.

The newly acquired Kent Bazemore is playing sensational basketball, along with Harry Giles and Harrison Barnes who are all putting up fantastic numbers in recent play.

Since the move, Sacramento has gone 11-5, looking like a completely different team than the one who lost six consecutive games before the switch.

Regardless, with 22 games left to go until the regular season concludes, the Sacramento Kings have to find a way to sustain this play.

The guards have already carried their stellar play over into March with a 106-100 win versus the Detroit Pistons. Fox led the way with 23 points and seven assists, while Hield followed with 19 points off the bench.

Hopefully, this win is a sign of things to come moving forward in a month with so much hanging in the balance.

The most pressure is on both Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox to guide this team the rest of the way, and if they can keep up the momentum, the Sacramento Kings could sneak into the postseason.