The Sacramento Kings have finally made their way back to the NBA Playoffs! The 16 year absence was the longest playoff drought for any professional US sports franchise.
This is a huge accomplishment for the Kings organization and even the NBA. The Kings newly established young roster looks set to reach even bigger heights now!
Nobody would have predicted that the Kings would have such a great season in a competitive Western Conference. As it stands, the Kings are in third place with a 46-30 record. This record makes them better than teams like the Suns, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, and Mavericks.
Fox and Sabonis
The two superstars leading the way for the Kings have been De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Fox has been the scoring leader this season for the Kings, averaging 25.2 points a game. His lethal scoring ability has proved him to be one of the best young guards right now in the league.
Donantas Sabonis is showing why he is the most underrated big man in the NBA. Sabonis is averaging an MVP like season with an average of 19.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. These numbers are amazing and are showing why the European players of today’s NBA are taking the game to a whole new level.
This is the first full season Sabonis has been on this Kings roster after being traded from the Indiana Pacers. The off season gave him the right amount of time to adjust and adapt to the Kings playing style. Thus, having a talented guard in Fox has been a huge factor in his improvement.
Fox and Sabonis have shown the league that they are one of the best duos in the NBA. They might not get talked a lot about, but the statistics they share are quite impressive.
Looking Ahead
The Kings have been making a lot of noise this year and proved that they can finally play at a playoff level. The issue I see is whether or not they will be mature and strong enough to close out a 7 game series. They have an inexperienced squad and franchise who will need more years to grow.
This is the right step the Kings as a franchise need. Establishing a strong season as such could potentially boost them to become a yearly playoff contender. They have great young stars and a great young rotation that could continue to grow.
Sabonis is playing at a level that could make him an MVP candidate in the coming years. His game keeps growing on a year to year basis as he is becoming super well-rounded on both offense and defense.
Sacramento need to ensure that the partnership of Fox and Sabonis stays in tact as they could continue to lead successful seasons.
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