The Sacramento Kings have been losing a lot as of late, but that does not mean that they have not made strides in their rebuild.
It has been tough sledding for the Sacramento Kings since the All-Star break ended. A team that was once 30-27 and within striking distance of playoff contention has only won three times in their last 11 outings. As a result, the purple and white now have a record of 33-35 and are the ninth seed in the tough Western Conference.
Although the Kings have been living in the loss column for quite some time, they cannot hang their heads too low, in my opinion.
Kings Are Showing Fight
Let us look back at their recent schedule. They have been playing a handful of tough teams which include the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics (twice), Philadelphia 76ers, and more. Most of their recent opponents have been considered legit contenders for winning this year’s NBA title.
Even though the Kings have lost to most of their opponents as of late, they have not gone down without giving a tenacious fight.
In their last eight losses, the Kings have come within nine points or less in each one. Their largest deficit was nine points against the Philadelphia 76ers last night, a game that was considered competitive for a full 48 minutes.
Final Thoughts
The chances for playoffs look bleak for the Kings. They are currently over five games back from the eighth seed with just 14 games left in their regular season. But with that said, it should be encouraging for every Kings fan that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Even though the losses are tough to swallow, at least the purple and white are giving their opponents a run for their money. Against elite competition, they have been close so many times but were just unable to close in crunch time.
I am not trying to give a moral victory to the Kings’ recent losses. The sooner they can beat these teams, the better. But considering the leap of improvement that the youngsters have made compared to last year shows that they are on their way.
Hopefully, the Kings have been learning from their recent defeats, and they can find more success in the final part of this season and beyond as they are still in pursuit of becoming the contenders they strive to be.