A Royal Pain
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Opinion: Why Sacramento Kings Fans Should Be Excited For The Future

By Jonathan Roberts

Mar 13, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) during the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center. The Kings defeated the Magic 120-115. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) during the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center. The Kings defeated the Magic 120-115. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /
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After another disappointing season for the Sacramento Kings, optimism surrounding the team isn’t necessarily bubbling over among its’ fans. The conclusion of a 32-50 season would do that to a person, but that does not mean fans should throw in the towel for the 2017-18 season.

A Bright Young Core Already In Place…

Following the mid-season trade for Buddy Hield, young studs Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere showed us a glimpse of what the Kings could be over the season’s final half.

Cauley-Stein has shown flashes of being a potential franchise center piece with Labissiere chipping in about ten points per game after DeMarcus Cousins was traded. Buddy Hield also has shown a solid shooting stroke from beyond the arc in addition to displaying some clutch shooting.

The Kings also have a solid foundation to build around. A couple of young role players in Malachi Richardson and Georgios Papagiannis, who, if he lives up to his namesake, should be better than Milwaukee’s Greek Freak. Theoretically at least.

Bottom line, Sacramento has an exciting core that could carry them for years to come. If they can manage to avoid ending up like the New York Knicks of the Western Conference.

… Now For The Bad…

The Kings do not have their point guard of the future on the roster. A wing player is also absent to the mix if Rudy Gay opts out of the final year of his contract. Sacramento also has a dearth of quality role players on the roster in Richardson, Papagiannis, and Kosta Koufos. They all have the potential to be effective, but, unfortunately, they have room to improve and they are not going to suddenly sprout into one of the best benches in the league without help.

Lucky for the Kings, they possess two first-round picks in this upcoming NBA draft. Their own pick is projected at #8 (with Philadelphia owning rights to swap picks). The second pick (acquired in the Hield-Cousins trade) is projected at #10 (top-3 protected from New Orleans). Ideally, they will use those picks to add a potential franchise point guard, a possible replacement to Rudy Gay, or to add another quality young player to the rotation.

Final Thoughts…

The Kings have a strong and young foundation. One, which they can use to compete for a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference.

This, of course, is only if they have a successful offseason. The Kings have the talent to expedite a rebuild as well as have a strong coach in Dave Joerger who can lead them to the promise land.

The big question(s) for Kings fans is this: Will the 2017 offseason be a turning point for the franchise? Or will it be the start of another long rebuild?

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