The Sacramento Kings have been in a difficult place over the past decade. They have not reached the postseason since the 2005-06 season, the longest active drought in the NBA. There has also not been much to celebrate over that stretch, as lackluster performances coupled with egregious management kept the franchise devoid of life.
This season, though, the Kings are trying desperately to put those days in the past.
A revitalized roster, built around budding superstar De’Aaron Fox, has been on a roll lately. Sacramento has won its last five games and boasts a 7-3 record in its last 10 matchups. This run points to the positive future awaiting the Kings and its young core of Fox, Richaun Holmes and Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton was vocal about the Kings' shift towards improvement after their dominant win against the Spurs on Monday evening.
“We're all here to help change the Kings culture, get the Kings back to the playoffs, do special things here in Sacramento. Things that they haven't done in a long time,” Haliburton said, per James Ham of NBC Sports.
The star rookie’s confidence is not without merit, as Sacramento has shown tremendous promise following a rollercoaster start to the season. After fluctuating between losing streaks and winning streaks, the steady play from Tyrese Haliburton has helped steady the team. The former Iowa State guard is averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 assists per game, good for third in scoring and second in dimes for all rookies.
Couple that with the acquisition of some solid rotational pieces in the form of Delon Wright, Moe Harkless and Terence Davis, and things are looking up in Sactown. The added bench depth greatly improves the team’s bench defense, as well as its playmaking and scoring.
Fans are hopeful that this year’s group will be the one to finally break into the elusive playoffs, and this might be the Kings’ best chance since the postseason drought began.
The league’s expansion of the playoff structure to include a play-in series for the 7th and 8th seeds was a massive addition for Sacramento. The Kings currently sit just one game behind the 10th spot in the West, a game shy of the spot which would earn them a play-in berth.
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