Nearly every Western Conference team got better in the offseason, which means a successful Sacramento Kings season could still result in missing the playoffs yet again.
When Kawhi Leonard made the decision to team up with Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers (still lol’ing), it set off a domino affect — one that could see the Sacramento Kings on the outside of the playoffs looking in, even if they win upwards of 45 games.
This, of course, means we need to re-evaluate what a successful season looks like for the Sacramento Kings in 2019-20, and that it’s not necessarily “playoffs or bust” in California’s capital.
That said, it should be “.500 or bust,” as it’s been more than a decade since they last finished with 41 wins or more in the 2005-06 season, when they finished 44-38 and lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in the playoffs.
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41 wins won’t get them into the playoffs, but it’d be a good start. Ideally, anything in 44-46-win range would be a marked improvement from any Sacramento Kings season in recent memory — but that might not get them into the postseason.
Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers took the 8th seed and had to win 48 games to do it. This year, it’s entirely possible that’s the bar again, an it might go up to 50 wins.
Should the Sacramento Kings win somewhere around that 44-46 win mark and miss that playoffs, that doesn’t mean the 2018-19 season is a bust, especially if you consider what it would take for them to get there. Would it hurt for fans? Absolutely, but an All-Star-level season from one or more of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield or Marvin Bagley III would go a long way in assuaging the pain.
It’d also mean the Kings’ free agent signings paid off, and then some. Aside from Trevor Ariza, Yogi Ferrell — and maybe Bogdan Bogdanovic should he get an exorbitant offer sheet in restricted free agency — this is the core the Sacramento Kings will have for the foreseeable future. They’re likely without significant cap space until the 2021-22 season, but if they’re able to broach the 50-win mark in year one, then cap flexibility means little.
So what would be a successful season for the Kings in ‘19-20?
First and foremost, they have to improve at least a bit, and that improvement would have to see them get above the .500 mark. On top of that, they’ll need to see another leap from the youngsters.
Fox was the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season — award be damned — and Bagley appeared to be well on the way to stardom. Getting Fox and Bagley to play at an All-Star level, whether they’re selected or not, is important. Not for the accolades, but for what it’d represent.
DeMarcus Cousins was the Kings’ last All-Star, and Sacramento’s drafting since Cousins has been less than stellar until Fox. Everyone knows De’Aaron Fox is a good player with a high-ceiling, but seeing that ceiling starting to be realized in his age-21 season gives the Kings a legitimate star to build around, and someone they can count on for seasons to come.
Regardless, the Sacramento Kings are going to need bona-fide stars to compete in this league, and at the moment, Fox and Bagley seem to be their most likely candidates. And no, I didn’t forget about Buddy Hield, but he’s 26 and is nearing his ceiling.
If the Sacramento Kings end up winning 45 games and miss the playoffs with All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox or All-Star forward Marvin Bagley III, the season is a success, playoffs or no playoffs.