Sacramento Kings 2024-25 season preview: Did they close the gap on West’s best?

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We’re breaking down the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 teams. Enjoy!

SACRAMENTO KINGS

2023-24 finish

Offseason moves

Additions: DeMar DeRozan, Jalen McDaniels, Devin Carter, Jordan McLaughlin, Orlando Robinson

Subtractions: Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, Kessler Edwards

Complete roster

The Big Question: Does DeMar make them talented enough?

When the Kings finally ended their 16-year postseason drought, they did so on the strength of an elite offense that ranked as one of the most efficient per-possession attacks ever. But Sacramento’s rise also came in the context of a conference in flux. A slew of stars — LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zion Williamson — missed serious time with injuries. Some incumbent powerhouses underwent roster overhauls; some upstarts hadn’t yet advanced their rebuilds.

All that uncertainty left the door unlocked, and De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, head coach Mike Brown and Co. kicked it down. Last season, though, with many of those stars returning and newcomers like Oklahoma City and Houston making leaps, 10 of the West’s other 14 teams improved their win totals. Seven of them finished with more than the 48 victories Sacramento claimed in 2022-23; seven finished with higher offensive ratings than a Kings team that had made lighting up scoreboards (and beams) its stock in trade.

There were other factors: opponents being better prepared for their dribble-handoff-heavy offense; drop-offs from Barnes and Kevin Huerter (still out rehabbing his surgically repaired labrum); worse injury luck; declines in free-throw attempt rate and shots at the rim; etc. For the most part, though, that’s how you go from third to ninth, even with Sabonis and Fox combining for nearly 5,600 minutes of All-Star/All-NBA-level ball, and despite Brown coaxing the Kings’ first above-average defensive finish since 2006. The overall tide of talent rose and swept the Kings aside.

The…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-11 15:29:48

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