Via A Royal Pain
Key Players: De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield
Time can be hard to comprehend sometimes, so to fully understand how long it's been since the last Sacramento playoff appearance here's a list of 10 facts from that time period:
1.) George Bush had two more years remaining in his presidency
2.) Blu-Ray discs were made available for purchase
3.) There were no senseless stingray murders -- R.I.P. Steve Irwin
4.) Beyonce and Jay-Z weren't married
5.) Drake was best known as Jimmy from Degrassi: The Next Generation
6.) Kim Kardashian and Ray J had no correlation to one another
7.) Dikembe Mutombo was three years away from retirement
8.) Pluto was a planet
9.) The iPhone was a year away from being introduced
10.) The Kings' 2018 second overall draft pick, Marvin Bagley III, entered the second grade
Three weeks away from the 18th iPhone model, the Sacramento Kings hope Bagley could play a large role in making the above list become irrelevant. Sacramento added role players Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell through free agency and reacquired 2013 seventh overall pick Ben McLemore via trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sacramento's Best Case Scenario
Via ClutchPoints
The Kings haven't gotten much right over the last decade-and-a-half. In fact, the most excitement the Sacramento fanbase has had over the years came at the hands of a recent picture of a creature that looks like it walks on its knuckles. That creature was formerly known as Kings' legend Mike Bibby.
Much like Mike Bibby, De'Aaron Fox is set in stone as the franchise point guard. Not only is he the only point guard on roster standing over 5'11, but he had an impressive rookie season regarding his circumstance. Fox is arguably the fastest player in the NBA, with his only real challenger being fellow Calipari-product, John Wall. Wall, perhaps biasedly, predicted, "I think De’Aaron Fox might end up being the best point guard out of that class. He reminds me of myself a lot, just a lefty." Despite his best attribute being wasted in the league's slowest offense (pace, 97.06), Fox managed to average 11.6 points and 4.4 assists in his rookie season.
De'Aaron Fox will enter his sophomore year partnered with third-year shooting guard Buddy Hield. In his second season in the league, the former John R. Wooden award winner finished ninth in three-point percentage (.431) and 20th in three-pointers made (176). While not the 25 points per game scorer he was in his senior season, Hield has asserted himself as one of the best marksmen in the NBA, creating a dangerous Sacramento backcourt for years to come.
With the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers controlling their 2019 first-round draft pick, the task for the Kings this season is finding which combination of young talents already on their roster will make up their future frontcourt.
Sidenote/Word of Advice: If you're an NBA GM and Danny Ainge calls your phone, hang up. You're not winning that deal. Just hang up the phone, lock your door, check your windows, kiss your significant other on the forehead, and pray he doesn't call back.
Back to the article.
In Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles III, Sacramento has two of the last three year's number one ranked ESPN high school basketball players. Bagley is coming off an ACC Player of the Year freshmen season in which he averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds on 61 percent shooting. Following multiple ACL surgeries, Giles is less off a lock, but if he can build off his impressive Summer League averages of 10 points and 7 rebounds Sacramento may have found their big man situation covered for the forseeable future.
Sacramento's Worst Case Scenario
Via Sporting News
Remember the whole thing about Sacramento being the slowest team in the NBA last season; well, with head coach Dave Joerger calling the shots it's no guarantee that will change. In fact, as past seasons suggest, it's almost a guarantee the Kings will claim that title again.
Via SacTownRoyalty
Playing slow in a fast-paced league makes sense when you have two primed tanks in Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph or arguably the best center in the world in DeMarcus Cousins; but, forcing one of the most athletic rosters in basketball to slow down and feed a 36-year-old Zach Randolph on the low post is head-scratching to say the least. Not only is this playstyle undeniably outdated, it also hinders the development of a young roster as their shackled to their coach's system.
Joerger refers to a pivotal young piece as being years away from contributing, "We all have a great deal of hope for all of our guys in Sacramento, and it’s very passionate. I would just really try to temper our hopes for him(Harry Giles III). ... He’s getting healthy and hopefully we’ll see his growth over the next two or three years", but continuing to force his square system into a round roster will make more than one piece be years from real contribution--years he likely won't be apart of.
Record Prediction: 25-57, Joerger sees his last days in Sacramento and the rebuild can truly start next season.