The 2025-26 NBA season was announced on Thursday, and Sacramento Kings fans quickly got to work picking it apart and making predictions for the road ahead. Do they have a chance in a crowded Western Conference? Will the addition of Dennis Schroder be enough? When should people hit the panic button? These questions were all asked right away.
And while there is definitely cause for concern about the team, especially with their mixed bag of a start, there are some reasons to be optimistic about Sacramento's chances. Particularly, it's important to look toward the end of the season, when the Kings may be fighting for their spot in the Play-In Tournament.
The NBA cut the Kings a break at the end of the season
The Kings will be tired when March rolls around, but they will also need to be primed and ready to play hard because the league gave them several games that could help them out quite a bit.
On March 5, Sacramento will meet New Orleans, which will be the second in a five-game homestand for the Kings. The Pelicans are hoping to be better next season, but their meager offseason moves might not be enough, and this is a team that the Kings should be able to take down.
They follow that up with matches against the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls should be at about the same level as the Kings, so this could be a competitive but winnable game. The Hornets are expected to be an easy win, and the Pacers are a big question mark, but they aren't the same team they were last year because of Tyrese Haliburton's injury and Myles Turner's trip to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the days after that, it'll be opponents like the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets who fill the Kings' schedule. None of these foes should be taken for granted, but they aren't as tough as, say, the Oklahoma City Thunder or New York Knicks.
Even the Kings' final road trip of the season isn't too daunting, with them squaring off against the Hornets, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Nets, and Toronto Raptors. Again, none of them will be a total breeze, but many of these games look like they could be wins. The Magic and Hawks will put up more of a fight, but the Hornets, Nets, and Raptors could fall to the Kings.
Everyone knows that standings in the West are often very close at the end of the season, so every single win is going to count a lot, especially if they are attempting to claw out of Play-In contention.
There will be difficult games and unexpected surprises. But unlike last season, the Kings could be riding high when 2025-26 comes to a close.