Last season, the Sacramento Kings were one of the best stories in the NBA. After years of being a proverbial bottom cellar team the Kings became not just a feel good story but a team with a lot of young talent that will only get better. Despite losing in the first round to the Golden State Warriors, their season was largely considered a huge success as they put an end to the longest playoff drought in NBA. The Kings finished with the third best record in the West at 48-34 and were one of the most exciting teams in the NBA finishing with the top ranked offense in the league averaging 120.7 points per game. They were also led by a talented All-NBA duo in De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis who now come into the 23-24 season with increased expectations as they look to build off the success of the previous season.
Sacramento may face an uphill battle to have the same level of regular season success as finishing as a top three seed could be more difficult in the 23-24 season. With the top three contenders in the West likely being the Nuggets, Lakers, and Suns the Kings will likely fall somewhere between the 4-6 seed in the West. I still expect their offense to be as prolific as last season but it will be their defense that could decide how well they can contend with other top teams in their conference. The Kings finished with the 25th ranked defense last season, that number will have to improve for them to be able take the next steps as a contender in the West.
How far they can go in the playoffs will likely be decided by matchups as outside of the projected top 3 teams in the west I feel like they could win a series against any other team at full strength. With the experience they gained from last year's short lived playoff run they will likely be a more confident team capable of seizing the moment unlike they did against the Warriors.
Their success will ultimately come down to their electric point guard in De'Aaron Fox who I believe could have the best year of his career next season. Fox earned his first All-Star nod along with third team All-NBA honors last season while also coming away with the inaugural NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. However, at just 25 years old he still has another level I believe he can get to as he enters his prime and will lead the way in proving the Kings can be more than just a one year wonder.
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