The Sacramento Kings were at home last night against the Chicago Bulls, and actually served up a confident victory. This was a more assertive, organized Kings roster who won the game with crisp ball movement, elite rim defense, and an actual legitimate team identity without certain players.
When pundits and journalists try to put a list of what's wrong with the Kings together, it has a lot of entries on it. This hasn't escaped the notice of the front office, either. They know there's a ridiculous amount of work to do to make this franchise competitive, and it will take a long time to get there.
Yet, the early stages of that work are already starting to bear fruit. The Kings who took on the Bulls and won last night looked like a different team. Their passing was incredible, leading to quick movement on the court and several great plays both in transition and in the paint.
Even more unexpectedly, the Kings played some of the best defense they've had all season long. There was actual lockdown defense as well as elite rim protection. The Bulls had trouble finding consistent openings. There's one obvious reason that all of this happened last night.
It was actually a different Kings' roster
Sacramento took on Chicago without Dylan Cardwell, Keegan Murray, De'Andre Hunter, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis. Having Cardwell back would be amazing since he's one of the best rookie shot blockers and rebounders in the league. Plus, his energy is infectious.
The names to focus on here are DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis. It's no coincidence that the Kings play better together when these three are not on the court. They may be superstars, but they also don't fit what's developing in Sacramento at all. That holds the team back.
Led by Russell Westbrook on the starting five and Malik Monk off the bench, there is a real rhythm developing on this roster. Fans have seen hints of it throughout the season with a variety of rookies and young players on the roster. The win over the Bulls is a great window into the Kings' future.
DeRozan is likely to get bought out in the offseason, and LaVine hasn't announced what he's doing with his player option. Even if the Kings are stuck with LaVine and Sabonis for another season, they should really consider drastically reducing their minutes and keep growing the new squad.