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The Sacramento Kings are learning the hard way about what expectations actually entail.
The young Kings have gotten off to an 0-4 start this season, with three of their four losses coming by double figures. They aren't playing defense, their pace has plummeted and Luke Walton does not seem to have control of the team.
On top of that, Marvin Bagley is out four-to-six weeks due to a thumb injury.
Basically, what could have gone wrong, has gone wrong for Sacramento thus far, and given that the Kings are such an inexperienced group, it is going to be tough for them to climb out of this.
I'll admit it: I was leading the Kings bandwagon all offseason long. I had them pegged as a legitimate playoff contender in the Western Conference. In addition to having an incredibly talented stable of young players, they made some nice veteran offseason pickups, and after winning 37 games a year ago, I figured they were in line for a big jump this season.
Of course, it's still very early, and there is plenty of time for Sacramento to turn things around, but with Bagley out for a while, the Kings are facing a long, uphill battle, and it's one that I'm not sure Walton is ready to handle.
It's not like Walton did a great job with the Los Angeles Lakers, as he couldn't seem to get a grasp on the young group early on, and when LeBron James arrived, disaster ensued.
Which is why the Kings' decision to can Dave Joerger (who did a great job last season) and hire Walton was pretty peculiar, as he didn't exactly have a successful track record.
Nevertheless, we really could just chalk this up to the pressure of expectations, as I stated earlier.
Last year, no one was ready for Sacramento. It was expected to end up with a bottom-five record. Not a soul thought the Kings would actually contend for a playoff spot for much of the season.
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But now? This season? Teams are fully aware of the Kings, and it shows.
Now, it's up to Sacramento's youngsters—and Walton—to adjust. Some responsibility also needs to be placed on the shoulders of vets like Trevor Ariza and Harrison Barnes, both of whom have been through the grind before.
Basically, the Kings need to buckle down, weather this storm and use it as a learning experience going forward.
Again, I don't want to bury them just yet, because we are only a week into the season, and I don't think they are this bad, but their early-season malaise coupled with Bagley's absence is not a great harbinger of things to come.
Fortunately, the Kings will get a bit of a break on Wednesday night, as they will host the Charlotte Hornets in a game that they should be able to win, even without Bagley.
This is a club that still has De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic and some very capable veteran role players, so Sacramento has a great opportunity to nail down its first win.
But that's only the start of what is going to be a long journey that the Kings may look back on in a couple of years.
