The Sacramento Kings sorely needed to end their five-game losing streak. This is true for many reasons, be it to compete for a chance at the playoffs, to rebuild the team’s chemistry, or for the sake of the long-suffering fanbase. Thankfully, the Kings finally stopped the bleeding, and it was made all the sweeter as it was against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Alvin Gentry approached the game under the right mindset from the jump. Knowing that the Lakers had virtually no true big men, Gentry went big with the starting lineup, having Barnes start at small forward next to Marvin Bagley and Chimezi Metu. The King’s size was simply too much to handle for Los Angeles.
While the win was certainly a group effort, it was De’Aaron Fox who led the charge with 29 points, four rebounds, and four assists. It was the aggression of Fox that helped him lead the way as he also finished having gone to the line nine times, hitting seven free-throws. All in all, it was a nice bounce-back game after Fox struggled against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Amidst a flurry of trade rumors, it’s an absolute win-win for the Kings for De’Aaron Fox to be playing at this level.
Whether the Kings decide to make a push in the West or if they decide they’re better off revamping. The Sacramento Kings will need Fox to continue this level of play, whether it’s to make the postseason or maximize his trade value.
Names like Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis, and now John Collins are seemingly thrown out every day, making a decision on De’Aaron Fox’s future that much more difficult. Whatever the outcome, the decision on whether or not to trade De’Aaron Fox will be a pivotal moment when looking back on Monte McNair’s time with the Kings.
Whatever the outcome, the next few months will certainly be interesting for the Sacramento Kings.