In NBA terms, the Sacramento Kings are basically the definition of mediocrity. The Kings haven't even made the playoffs since the 2005-2006 season, a grand total of nine NBA seasons, the second longest playoff drought in the NBA today (behind the Minnesota Timberwolves) and tied for their longest non-playoff streak in franchise history. But in the upcoming 2015-2016 season, the Kings will be looking to end that drought and make their way out of the doldrums of the NBA. But the question is, will they?
Looking Back
The Kings ended last season with a 29-53 record, good enough for just 13th in the Western Conference. However, their start to that season is what will give Kings fans hope. The Kings started out their season with a 9-6 record under coach Mike Malone. This was until DeMarcus Cousins missed ten games due to viral meningitis. During this stretch, Sacramento won just two games, consequently leading to the firing of one of the better coaches that they have had in recent history.
Despite the disappointment of last season, the roster showed promise. Cousins showed more maturity than ever, for once looking like the franchise player that his talent suggests he could turn into. He finished the season with averages of 24.1 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, leading to his first All-Star selection. Rudy Gay was as good as he has ever been, ending the season with his highest career points per game average. 2013 first-round pick Ben McLemore showed improvement after a rough rookie season, while 2014 free agent addition Darren Collison showed he was a capable starter in the 45 games that he played.
Key Additions
The Kings owned one of the busiest off-season’s in the league. New general manager Vlade Divac and owner Vivek Ranadive got straight to work, attempting (and succeeding in some cases) to bring some upgrades in. The offseason started with a hiss and a roar for Sacramento, by drafting Willie Cauley-Stein out of Kentucky to be their rim protector and defensive backbone. While Cauley-Stein certainly gives them a defensive upgrade on the court, he leaves much to be desired on the opposite end of the court, where spacing could become a big problem if they play Cauley-Stein and Cousins on the court together.
In free agency, the Kings struck out on their big targets, Wesley Matthews and Monta Ellis. But they found takers in point guard Rajon Rondo, sharpshooter Marco Belinelli and yet another center in Kosta Koufos, among others. Rondo is the key signing here, and if he gets back to the form he showed under Doc Rivers with the Boston Celtics, Sacramento could easily be a playoff team. He will be more motivated than ever, as he needs a big season with the Kings if he ever wants to get back into the max contract discussion.
With Rondo running the point, the Kings could have a great offense, with players like Cousins, McLemore and Gay all being set up by Rondo. However, Rondo's one-year contract could be a signal that he will be hunting stats this year rather than concentrating on winning in order to get a bigger contract on a better team. If this is the case, Rondo could be detrimental to his team. Also, Rondo's track record of clashing with coaches, like Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle, does not provide much hope for his relationship with George Karl.
Marco Belinelli will add some much-needed shooting to a Kings offense which was rather stagnant last season. Belinelli and his shooting ability will almost definitely fit into coach George Karl's fast-paced offense. Their other big signing was the addition of former Grizzlies center Kosta Koufos. Koufos is a solid NBA player and has the ability to be a starting center in the association, but this signing is quite an odd one considering they already have both Cousins and Cauley-Stein. Having another center on team makes it seem like the Kings will be playing big, tall lineups this year, but in Karl's up-tempo system, this might not work all too well.
Key Losses
While the Kings added a lot of talent, they actually didn't have to give up too much. The main losses were George Karl's disciple/point guard Andre Miller, who signed with the young and exciting Minnesota Timberwolves, and Derrick Williams, who reached an agreement with the New York Knicks, both of whom didn't contribute much to Sac-town's 2014-2015 season.
Their biggest losses came in the salary dump needed to sign free agents. Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and sharpshooting sophomore Nik Stauskas were all dealt along with a future first-round pick and two pick swaps, to make room for their free agent signings. Thompson and Landry were both dead weights on a youthful Kings roster, whose contracts were holding the team back, so getting rid of those two was necessary. But having to lose Stauskas and some picks in order to rid themselves of the Thompson/Landry contracts is a steep price to pay. In a few years, this could be a terrible trade for the Kings, but as for right now, they have the free agent signings to show for this trade.
Season Outlook and Expectations
This Kings team has ability, there is no doubting that. It is whether that ability can be translated into success. Their success will be predicated upon DeMarcus Cousins, first and foremost. As long as he can have a similar season to the one he did last time around, this team will be competitive. The offense will be based around DMC, but having two more good centers on the team may tamper with Cousins' success due to the spacing problem that could occur. Rondo was a risky signing, but with insurance in Darren Collison just in case Rondo doesn't work out, Kings fans should be able to sleep at night.
Having a real rim protector will help their defense, but with the lack of a lockdown wing defender, the Kings could still very much struggle on the defensive side of the ball.
Overall, this Kings side is as good a team as they have had in quite a while. The amount of talent that Sacramento possesses in players like Cousins, Gay, McLemore, Rondo and Cauley-Stein could see them become a playoff team. However, in the crowded Western Conference, the task of making the postseason will be incredibly difficult. The Kings will likely be in a fight for the eighth seed, as the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans will be more than likely represent seven of the eight playoff teams in the West. The race for the last spot will be as competitive as ever, and judging by the their team, the Kings will be right in the thick of that race.