The Sacramento Kings have made a name for themselves this year, as they finally have a in the postseason. The 47-31 team have secured a place in the NBA finals tournament, and are sitting comfortably at 3rd place in the West.
The Last time the Sacramento Kings punched their ticket into the finals was in the 2005-2006 season. That roster included Metta World Peace, Mike Bibby, and Brad Miller. It was about time for their 16 year drought to end, and this team has come together to do so. The real question is if they can be a true contender for the trophy or not.
It’s no shocker that the Kings have reached the finals, as they are 1st in points per game at a whopping 121.4, which is 3 points higher than the Celtics who are sitting at 2nd. Offensively this team is a threat, with 6 players scoring in the double digits, and 4 of those 6 scoring 15+ points per game.
Not only do they have individual players who know how to get points on the board, but as a team they are one of the most efficient teams in the NBA right now. All across the offensive stats the Kings rank in the upper half of the NBA, with many positions in the top 10 or higher. The Kings are 2nd in FGM, and FG%, 3rd in FTM, 4th in FTA, player drawn fouls, assists, and 5th in 3PTs made. They have the lineups for offense all found out. Coach Mike Brown has successfully turned this program around, and his coaching has led to an offense that isn’t just built around 1 player, but it involves a full team.
This offensive presence will be important as their playoff journey begins, but even great teams have places of struggle that can hold them back. For the Sacramento Kings their struggle lies in their defense. While they are racking up a lot of points in each game, they also allow teams to score an average of 118.6 points per game.
“Defense wins championships” is a saying many coaches have used as their motto, and this will be an obstacle the Kings will face on their road to victory. If you look at the last 10 games the Sacramento kings have lost 4 times. 6-4 in ten games isn’t a horrible record, but in those 4 losses all but 1 team was able to make it to the 120 point mark. It’s good that the kings are able to score, but if they can’t play defense teams will score just as high.
As it stands right now, the Kings will most likely be facing up against the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The young and inexperienced team is 1-2 against the Warriors and they will be facing them one more time before the regular season comes to an end. This series will be an interesting one, and the odds are not in the favor of the Kings.
The odds are not in favor of the Kings as the Warriors have a lot more experience when it comes to the postseason. Not only did they win the championship last year, but their coach Steve Kerr has experience in both playing and coaching in the playoffs. Experience is what takes you far into the playoffs because you know the environment, how to set up plays, and the caliber that you need to play at.
The Warriors also have a strong core of players in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. These guys not only are just coming off of winning the championship, but they have played with each other since the legendary finals series between the Cavaliers and the Warriors. The chemistry that those guys have built with each other is something that the Kings don’t have, even though they have made it to the playoffs.
The Warriors offense is fluid, so they won’t have a hard time scoring on the Kings weak defense. In any given game the Warriors can have one of their guys heat up whether that be Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, or even Jordan Poole, who made a name for himself in his rookie season and has adapted well.
With all of that being said, the Kings will most likely lose in the first round, if their opponent is the Warriors. The Lakers are currently number seven, being just one game behind the Warriors, but even then, Lebron James isn’t going to let his team get out in the first round. Not only that but the Lakers started off slow, and have proceeded to heat up, which makes for a dangerous team to play in the playoffs
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