A Royal Pain
Fansided

Damian Lillard Continues To Make Sacramento Kings Look Foolish

By Rafe Wong

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 10: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers smiles before the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2019 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 10: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers smiles before the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2019 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Look, the Sacramento Kings were pretty horrific in the NBA Draft for a significant span of years. But the most infuriating decision of their draft blunders was when they passed on Damian Lillard.

Although the Sacramento Kings look to be a team on the rise going forward, that was never the case a few years back. Unlike the current front office, the team managing the player personnel during the Kings’ dark days were almost incapable of drafting good talent.

Sure, the Kings were able to hit on a couple of picks like DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas. But for the most part, their picks were blunders. The most frustrating part of the Kings’ past draft history was that they certainly had opportunities to draft players that are now top tier in the league, but passed on them for guys that turned into busts.

Maybe the toughest pick to swallow now is that the Kings decided to go with Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard in the 2012 draft. Robinson ended up playing just 313 games in the NBA (51 with the Kings) while Lillard is the franchise guy for the playoff-contending Portland Trail Blazers.

Has Realistic Was The Reality?

Obviously, it is easy to say that the Kings could have gotten any good player over their actual picks, but the idea of Lillard rocking the purple and white was realistic.

In a past Q&A that Lillard had on social media, someone asked him which team he thought was going to draft him back in 2012. His answer: Sacramento. Lillard even had a pre-draft workout with the Kings organization and was selected just one pick after the Kings made their choice on Robinson.

sigh…

What It Could Have Been?

I know it is not healthy to think about the “what if”, but seeing the player that Damian Lillard has become forced me into this mindset. The selection of Lillard could have accelerated the Kings’ rebuilding process which would possibly have them as a top-seeded team in the West. What the Blazers are is what the Kings could have been.

De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield Chat It Up. light. Trending

Hopefully, those past regrets by the Kings were blessings in disguise. The team now has figured out how to acquire and develop promising talent that has the ceiling to be a championship contender.

The question now is, will they eventually reach that ceiling?

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