Approaching the final 27 games of the season, the Sacramento Kings currently have the worst record in the NBA, at 12-43. This puts them in prime position for a top-five pick in the upcoming draft, as they cannot fall out of that range if they indeed finish with the worst record in the league. But the Kings are not taking their chances ahead of their tank-off on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
As reported by Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, the Kings have listed the likes of Domantas Sabonis (knee), Russell Westbrook (ankle), De'Andre Hunter (eye), Zach LaVine (finger), Malik Monk (illness), and Keegan Murray (ankle) out for tomorrow night's contest with various injuries.
Anderson added that LaVine's finger problem has now been deemed a tendon injury. Sabonis and Westbrook are being managed, with the former having missed plenty of time due to knee problems and the latter accumulating so much wear and tear on his ankle.
But as much as the Kings would justify their best players' absences, it all boils down to them protecting their status as the worst team in the NBA. It pays to tank in the NBA, and at this point, this is the best course of action for one of the most wayward franchises in the league.
Kings give their young guys all the opportunities they can handle
The good news is that the absences of the Kings' more established players mean that the team's young players will get to show what they're made of. The likes of Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, and Devin Carter are expected to shoulder a heavy workload alongside the last veteran standing, DeMar DeRozan.
They are battling against another team that wants to lose games in the Jazz, but the Kings are going to be so shorthanded that it should be considered a miracle if they manage to pull out a win tomorrow night.
