Sacramento Kings:
Offense: (106.9) 21st
Defense: (109.5) 17th
Net: (minus-2.6) 21st
Games Week 10 (0-4): Lost to Rockets:104-113, Wolves: 104-105 (2OT), Suns:110-112, Nuggets: 115-120
Games Week 11 (3 games): Tues vs Clippers | Thurs vs Grizz | Sat vs Pelicans
Following the Cinderella season of 2018-19, the hope was this campaign would result in the Kings taking another step up the ladder. Luke Walton was brought in as the replacement for Dave Joerger with the hopes he could correct the defensive issues which limited the club from pushing through to grab the eighth seed.
Instead, the team started 0-5 then suffered a myriad of injuries primarily to the top two talents on the squad. The speedy pace of last season also disappeared with the Kings electing to slow things down either to improve their overall defense or debatably because the pacesetter De’Aaron Fox was sidelined with an injury.
A brief respite from losing where the Kings notched four wins in five outings including three impressive victories over the Rockets, Mavericks, and Thunder teased they had turned a corner. Instead, that was followed by seven consecutive losses
And, now the two stars aren’t 100 percent again with Fox dealing with back spasms while Marvin Bagley III is missing games due to a foot sprain.
While the Suns (9) and Knicks (6) would offer up a tangible argument for being the team who needs the biggest injection of luck it’s actually the Kings who enter the new decade with the longest playoff drought of 13 seasons.
Let’s just say the Kings will be the happiest in the Association to bid adieu to the current decade — and hopefully turn over a new leaf with the prospect of starting fresh in 2020.