The Sacramento Kings enter this 2021-22 NBA season with the positive mindset that they can finally end their 15-year playoff drought. They have taken steps in the right direction the last couple of years, particularly with regards to their draft picks of Tyrese Haliburton from 2020 and Davion Mitchell in 2021. The emergence of D'Aaron Fox as a real star and his continued growth should only bode well for Sacramento, while the team continues to establish continuity with its current roster.
Making the postseason in the Western Conference, however, is easier said than done. The West is as loaded as ever and it's hard to imagine any team from last year's playoffs completely falling off. If anything, some of them will inevitably be the teams the Kings need to get through in order to make their first postseason appearance since 2006.
With that said, a lot of things need to go the right way for Sacramento if they want to put up a competitive campaign. Here are five big questions for the Sacramento Kings this upcoming 2021-22 NBA season.
Sacramento Kings questions for 2021-22 NBA season
1. Who's the fifth starter?
Head coach Luke Walton is still undecided on the five-man unit he'll deploy with in the starting lineup on opening night. Will Tyrese Haliburton get the nod after his strong rookie campaign? Is Buddy Hield going to continue bombing threes to start the game or will he do so coming off the bench? Will Marvin Bagley maintain his starting role despite two injury-riddled campaigns?
Luke Walton has a ton of options on the table. He could go small and start both Hield and Haliburton, while sliding Harrison Barnes to the four and Bagley to the bench. This would offer the Kings with more spacing, but they would suffer with their lack of size up front. Walton could also opt to go the traditional route by starting Holmes and Bagley together, with Barnes going down to the three and starting either Hield or Haliburton along with De'Aaron Fox in the back court.
And if he does go small, is he fully committed to start Haliburton over Hield? Signs point to Walton making that change this season. While he did express he'll do whatever it takes to help the Kings win, Hield isn't too fond of the idea of coming off the bench. Which leads us to question number 2.
2. Will Buddy Hield stay put?
Buddy Hield has seen his name surface in numerous trade scenarios over the last couple of seasons. In fact, the 28-year old came close to leaving Sactown this past summer when a deal sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers almost went down. Nonetheless, Hield will don a Kings jersey when they open their campaign on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 20th.
Likewise, in connection to the previous section, will Hield accept a reserve role in case Walton goes with Haliburton as his starter? He'll still see plenty of playing time due to his elite marksmanship from beyond the arc. But will he grow fond in coming off the bench for the Sacramento Kings? If it translates to wins, that should solve whatever issues he's got in not starting. Hey, he may even thrive as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
3. Can Marvin Bagley finally stay healthy?
Marvin Bagley has only appeared in 118 of a possible 226 games so far in his NBA career. The most he has played in a season was during his rookie campaign, where he logged 62 outings. Bagley had a standout debut year, good enough to earn him All-Rookie First Team honors. But from that point, it seems like the 2018 No. 2 overall pick has stagnated and that is largely because he hasn't been able to stay on the floor consistently.
There's no doubting Bagley's talent. He has shown flashes of being a talented, multi-skilled big man that could definitely thrive in today's NBA. The lefty has a solid foundation on his inside game and is also able to stretch the floor with his shooting. Unfortunately, the injury bug has many questioning whether he can still be a star in this league. Will this finally be the year he breaks out and stays healthy for the entire campaign? The Kings certainly hope so as they look to make a postseason push.
4. How big of a role will Davion Mitchell get?
The Kings selected Davion Mitchell with the 9th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. His arrival only adds to the growing rotation in Sacramento's backcourt, especially after they took Tyrese Haliburton the year before. That's many draft analysts raised their eyebrows on this particular pick from the Kings.
Nonetheless, it's also easy to see why the Sacramento Kings took Mitchell when he was available. Though he made strides as an offensive player in his junior year, he is an absolute dynamo on the defensive side of the ball. His teammates at Baylor called him “Off Night” because of how he would whoever his assignment is on defense an off night. This could very well be Mitchell's meal ticket to success in the NBA. But how soon could he find success in the league? Should he be able to crack a major role in Luke Walton? Will Mitchell's defense be enough to keep him on the floor for long stretches? We'll soon find out.
5. Can the Sacramento Kings finally figure it out?
The Kings have a talented group. They have an absolute stud in De'Aaron Fox, who is definitely capable of leading a team into the playoffs. Luke Walton is a good coach that is respected around the league and runs a good system. They also have a steady mix of solid veterans in Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, Richaun Holmes, and Tristan Thompson, to go with young promising guards like Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell.
As constructed, this team should have what it takes to make a run for the playoffs. But talent alone won't propel them to finally break their 15-year postseason drought. They need to gel and most importantly, play consistent winning basketball. Can the Kings finally do that this season and be in the running for a playoff berth? Kings Nation definitely hopes so.
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