The Sacramento Kings made a big move at the trade deadline, shaking up their roster. They sent young guard Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday.
This move completely reshaped the roster and their style of play. Sacramento's offense with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis has thrived, and they look promising.
While the offense has been good, their defense has struggled, resulting in inconsistent play. The Kings' defense rating ranks second-worst in the NBA, which is keeping them from making it to the playoffs.
Sacramento is 24-42, which puts them in 13th place in the Western Conference. Although it appears bleak, the Kings have a shot at making it to the play-in tournament, as they are only four games behind the 10th seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
Improving their defense will be the key to making it there.
With that said, here are three bold predictions for the Sacramento Kings for the rest of the 2021-22 NBA season.
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Sacramento Kings: 3 bold predictions for rest of 2021-22 NBA season
3. Davion Mitchell improves in the final stretch of the season
Rookie guard Davion Mitchell is primed to take on a more prominent role down the stretch. Trading away Haliburton opens up an ample opportunity for Mitchell to thrive.
While Mitchell is known for his defense, he has the potential to grow into a quality offensive player. This season, Mitchell is averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting 4o.3 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three.
Although these numbers aren't great, he has a perfect opportunity to improve. His defense is already there, as he limits elite guards from taking over games. The bench unit needs more scoring, and players will need to step up. This should lead to Mitchell getting more shots and becoming a better offensive player.
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2. Donte DiVincenzo earns starting role
The Kings acquired Donte DiVincenzo at the deadline, who is a solid young guard. DiVincenzo is averaging 8.6 points per game along with 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals in his eight games with the Kings. He is shooting 34.9 percent from the field and 3o.2 percent from three.
While it hasn't been a great season, he has shown his potential. Last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, DiVincenzo had a career year, averaging 10.4 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. He shot 42 percent from the field and a career-high 37.9 percent from deep.
The 25-year-old guard's defense would help the starting unit improve, as they have been horrendous. There is no reason not to give DiVincenzo a shot starting, as they should develop their young players.
1. De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis continue to shine
De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are the best players on the team and have meshed well together. Sabonis is a two-time All-Star that can score at multiple levels. Entering Saturday's contest, Sabonis is averaging 18.7 points per game, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.
His all-around game makes him a great offensive fit with the Kings. Fox has improved vastly with the addition of Sabonis, as he is getting easier looks and becoming more efficient. Fox finished Saturday night's contest scoring 44 points with six assists while shooting 18 for 31 from the field and three for four from downtown.
These two are bound to be a tremendous offensive duo for years to come. However, the lack of defense will be the demise of the team. While they don't have great defenders on the roster, simply playing with more energy and effort will help them play better.
Diving for loose balls and crashing the glass will limit the opposing offenses' scoring opportunities. Sacramento will have a tough road to the play-in tournament, but the play of Fox and Sabonis could carry them there.
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