What a year it has been for the Sacramento Kings. They have finally broken the longest streak of an NBA side to not reach the playoffs, ending their seventeen years wait by qualifying this time round. This is also their first winning season since 2005/06.
It’s been a long time since 2006 and Sacramento Kings fans have finally seen their team reach a playoff round and got off to a great start over the Golden State Warriors, winning the opening two matches. No doubt conversations between fans at free online poker tables and other sports chats rooms speculated how far they could go.
While they were low down at the start of the year in the NBA finals, they have pushed themselves right up into contention with one of the most dangerous attacks in NBA history.
The Kings have been so dangerous and put up incredible numbers with an average of 120.7 points per game.
Domantas Sabonis
With the Indiana Pacers looking to rebuild, Sacramento Kings got the chance to be traded for the Lithuanian American center who has become the key part of this incredibly dangerous attack.
The 26-year-old Sabonis is having the best year of his already-accomplished career under first-year Kings coach Mike Brown and has 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. His dribble hand-off tactic has been almost impossible to stop this season.
Sabonis has controlled games this season, even when not posting high shooting numbers. He connects everything for the Sacramento Kings who run more dribble handoffs than any side in the NBA, mostly through Sabonis.
With his danger as a post scorer, defenses are often needing to add a second man to cover him, leaving space for teammates to find open shots.
He averaged the third-best rebounds per game in the NBA this season and was named as an All-Star reserve, which is the third time in his career he has been named an All-Star.
Sabonis is a quality player in his own right but is also one of the best in the league at amplifying his teammates and ensuring those around him hit their heights as well.
Kevin Huerter
Acquiring Huerter from the Atlanta Hawks was a masterstroke for Sacramento Kings, and Huerter has become one of the key ingredients to Sacramento’s winning formula.
His averages of 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game have been decent, but it is his connection with Domantas Sabonis which has really got his team cooking and venturing into the playoffs.
Sacramento identified Huerter as a player who can create space for others as well as hit three-pointers. He has been unleashed as an off-ball mover and given himself the chance to be a real threat as a three-point shooter.
His hot streaks this season have ensured that defenses have been thrown off when facing the Kings. Huerter runs off screens and picks up dangerous areas on the perimeter which makes him hard to cover and a threat from range.
“Domas sets really good screens,” Huerter said to The Athletic. “I feel like I’m coming downhill against a center in two-on-one situations.
Head Coach Mike Brown sings the praises of Huerter as he can shoot it with the best of them, defends at a high level, and plays really hard each and every night.
De’Aaron Fox
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox. Photo (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
De’Aaron Fox was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the fifth overall pick In the 2017 NBA Draft. He has since gone on to win his first NBA All-Star call-up and NBA Clutch Player of the Year award in 2023.
Winning the Clutch Player of the Year award highlighted how important his contributions were to the team this year in some of the biggest and most moments of their games.
The point guard recorded averages of 25 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the regular season. He led the league with 194 points in “clutch time” with second-place DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls way behind with 159.
Fox put up 38 points in his playoff debut over Golden State Warriors, the second most of any player on their Playoff debut.
With an average of 3.5 steals per game, Fox led the NBA, tied with Dejounte Murray of Atlanta Hawks.
He has been an effective scorer and playmaker in his early career but this season he has really broken out and upped his efficiency in his all-round game impressively.
The Sacramento Kings reached third place in the Western Conference and were rewarded with a tough matchup with Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
Golden State Warriors ultimately took the series 4-3 though the Kings should be proud of the work and performances they achieved during the tie. They will require the fluidity of their attack between Sabonis and Huerter as well as Fox’s incredible ability to keep on pushing right to future playoff appearances.
They have earnt their way against top-tier opposition and only time will tell how much further they’ll get.
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