With the Sacramento Kings now more than halfway through this season, they find themselves right in the mix of a tight playoff positioning battle along with many other teams. Currently, the Kings are in a very similar position as they were at this point last season. The team is currently on track to reach their win total from last year, with essentially the same roster. For many Kings fans, this is monumental considering that the team endured so many losing seasons before 2023.
However, despite the similarity in performance, this season is not quite the same for the Kings as last season. There are new factors now in play following Sacramento’s breakthrough last season. For the Kings to have this season end the same way it did last season, would be a disappointment, to say the least. While this may be a bit unfair for a team like the Kings, it is the nature of this league. However, the Kings still have something very intriguing ahead of them – The NBA Trade Deadline. The trade deadline could serve as an opportunity for the Kings to ramp up their roster and have a better finish this season compared to the last one. Here are three things the Kings should consider with the trade deadline soon approaching.
Three Things For The Kings to Consider with the Trade Deadline Around the Corner
Higher Standards and Expectations
The Kings took off last season in a way that was unprecedented for the better part of the previous two decades. Under the leadership of a new head coach, Mike Brown, the Kings took off and running. They displayed an explosive brand of basketball that led to them having arguably the best offense in the league last season. They had All-NBA performances from their two stars, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings also finally hit on a top draft pick with Keegan Murray and had other high-quality young players such as Davion Mitchell and Malik Monk showcasing their abilities on the team.
However, despite their success last season, the expectations and standards for this Kings team are now higher. Last season, every Kings’ victory was euphoric in a way as it helped build on the Kings’ return to relevancy. However, this year, there is more of an expectation for the Kings to not only beat the lower-seeded teams in the league but compete with the top-seeded ones as well. Therefore, when assessing that the Kings this season have a 12-6 record against teams below .500, but only a 13-12 record against above .500 teams, there is a level of disappointment that was not as prevalent last season.
To put it into perspective, last season the Kings were celebrated for their league-leading 118.6 offensive rating. This season, the Kings still hold an impressive 117 offensive rating, but now rank 13th in the league in the category. So, while the Kings should still be proud of their relative success this season so far, they have higher standards and expectations to meet, which will be important to consider when assessing what types of moves they make at the trade deadline.
Disrupted Synergy
Last season, the Kings’ energy appeared to be higher than it had ever been before. The team built an immediate chemistry that propelled them to having the incredible season they had last year. However, this year it is a bit of a different story.
This season, the Kings have been involved in more trade rumors than almost any other team in the league. From star players to defensive specialists on the trade market, the Kings have been linked to a plethora of tradeable players this season. While we as fans may see this as just part of the sports business, it still more than likely takes a toll on the energy in the locker room. Most of the players on this Kings team shared the joy that comes from playing exceptionally well with one another while bringing the city of Sacramento a reason to rejoice last season. For players from that same team to constantly have to hear the noise of them potentially being traded away, definitely can negatively affect the team.
The Kings have also simultaneously been dealing with several injuries to a lot of their key players this season. Fox missed a big chunk of games at the beginning of the season. Murray and forward Trey Lyles have missed some games as well. The injury bug that the Kings have dealt with this season was something they did not encounter for the most part last season when they were one of the most healthy teams in the league. The games missed by a number of their players this season have interfered with their continuity and chemistry on the court at times. Due to this, the Kings must consider how any move they make at the trade deadline could improve the synergy on this team.
The Ultra-Competitive Western Conference
The Western Conference is as competitive as it has ever been this season. While there are usually a lot of competitive teams battling it out in the West, this season has seen a sort of seismic shift occur in the West. There are not only the usual contenders in the West playing well this season but also a few new surprise teams that have far exceeded many people’s expectations.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder were in the play-in-tournament just last season, with only moderate expectations of them getting better this season. However, both teams have far surpassed many of those expectations as they currently sit as the top two seeds in the West. Teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets are now in the playoff mix after having subpar seasons last year. Then there are teams like the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers that have been contenders in the conference for the last few seasons. All this to say, there is a very tight race in the West for even making a play-in spot at the rate teams are currently competing.
The Kings currently sit at 5th in the Western Conference standings and have been hovering around that spot for the last number of weeks. While the Kings have a chance of competing with other playoff teams in the West, they still could improve in some areas. If they don’t, there is a good chance they lose in the first round of the playoffs once again. By the Kings making a significant move at the trade deadline, it could give them a better chance at not just being a contending team in the West, but winning the West when it’s all said and done.
