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After the Seattle Mariners advanced to the MLB Playoffs this season, the Sacramento Kings now have the longest playoff drought among all four major American sports. It has been 16 seasons already for the Sacramento fans, but might just be the year wherein they get over the hump. This will be the first full season of Domantas Sabonis with De'Aaron Fox as the main guy of the squad.
There were some glimpses of possible long-term success with the partnership of Sabonis and Fox, but they will need to portray that at a consistent level. Selecting Keegan Murray at No.4 in this year's draft over Jaden Ivey gave the franchise a ton of flack, but Murray has been impressive for Sacramento so far. Two other shooters alongside Fox and Sabonis are fantastic, as Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk will be unleashed this season.
The Kings will be an intriguing League Pass team, and let's dive into a couple of predictions for their team.
Kings Predictions
Keegan Murray wins ROTY
As the 2022 NBA Draft was approaching, the attention was all on Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith Jr. Holmgren suffered a season-ending injury, while Banchero and Smith Jr. continue to have heightened expectations as the season begins in four days. For Murray, there will not be much pressure and eyeballs on him, so he will have more freedom to execute in the offense of coach Mike Brown.
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Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox will have the ball for a majority of the possessions, so Keegan Murray will have more space to manufacture his shots. Furthermore, Murray's versatility and athleticism to start at the four-position alongside Sabonis. The critical part of having a starting frontcourt of Sabonis and Murray is the interior defense, but Murray's ability to produce in a variety of ways will be enough to catapult him to a Rookie of the Year award.
Bounce back season for De'Aaron Fox
It's already the sixth season for the Kentucky facilitator De'Aaron Fox, so this will be a make-or-break season for him. The inefficiency and turnovers have been killing him and forcing his fans to scratch their head, but this will be the season wherein Fox will prove the doubters wrong. His aggressiveness must not dwindle by any bit, but it is more of his quick decision-making that must be enhanced as he enters the peak of his career.
The end-game execution will be the challenge, but he will have Harrison Barnes and Malik Monk alongside him, who both have the knack for converting last-second shots. Moreover, the potential and ceiling of Fox to be an average defender at the very least is present, but it is more of in the mindset and desire to constantly play defense. As he matures into a franchise cornerstone and commendable leader of this team, De'Aaron Fox will take a significant leap this season.
Kings finally make play-in tournament
With the numerous Western Conference organizations expected to tank for Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, this will be the best opportunity for Sacramento to advance to the play-in tournament. From a fan's perspective, it seems that the last play-in spot will be a tilt between the Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Kings have the advantage of having eight individuals who can play in any playoff game for any team. This is the first time in a long time that the front office had a successful and admirable offseason by adding pieces that will complement the nucleus of the squad. The play-in tournament will be difficult for the team, but this will be a terrific learning experience for this young and inexperienced roster.
