Before the beginning of last season, Vegas had the Sacramento Kings winning 25.5 games. That’s not good, like, at all. It was actually the second-lowest win total they predicted behind the Atlanta Hawks (23.5). Despite these poor odds, the Kings shocked the nation (mildly, because nobody really cares about them) and won 39 games. It was their best season in 10+ years. They attracted some attention and ruffled some feathers while upsetting some top tier teams. They played some exciting basketball led by a pretty young core in De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley.
This year, the Kings received better odds from Vegas – a whopping 37.5 wins. Which doesn’t realllllllly make sense to me considering they won more than that last year. Now, they seem like a better team than they were then. Maybe it’s because of the star power that moved around this offseason (looking at you L.A. teams), but who knows. Vegas has their expectations, and so do I. So, here are mine, as a second-year-nose-bleed-season-ticket-holder.
2019-20 Sacramento Kings Expectations
The biggest, most obvious, most important, and maybe even most farfetched expectation myself and probably the entirety of the Kings fan base has is to make playoffs. And, while the Kings were somewhat in the playoff race last year through the middle of the season, it’s hard to just assume they’ll make playoffs this year or even be in the race again. The Western Conference is disgusting. As a Kings fan, I look at the West and make the same face at it as I would if the “mind flayer” from “Stranger Things” was in my living room when I got home.
The superstar duos won’t make it easier for Sacramento to clinch a spot for the first time since I stopped wetting the bed. The first five or six seeds are as good as guaranteed. This leaves an all-out brawl for the seventh and eighth playoff spots. Teams such as the Grizzlies, Wolves, Kings, and Spurs will be fighting for those two spots.
Another expectation? Hitting that Vegas prediction. A year ago, 37.5 predicted wins in Sacramento would’ve been laughed at. Now, it seems a lot more attainable after the rise and shine of Fox, Hield, Bagley, and friends. If they don’t win at LEAST that many, it’d feel as if they were to drop back to square one. Improvement is needed to keep fans happy and improvement is needed to make playoffs, obviously. I’d go as far as to say I fully expect this team to win 40 games this year. With a confident young PG, growth from Bagley and Harry Giles, and the continued bucket-getting from Buddy, I don’t think 40 games is too much to ask.
I also expect the young guys to take the next step. Both Giles and Bagley showed that they have very bright futures if things go smoothly and injuries are avoided. I’d definitely like to see them gain some muscle to add to their athleticism. This will make things more difficult for established bigs like Steven Adams, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond, and others.
Marvin Bagley is only 20 years old and led the team in blocks while averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. He also shot just over 50% from the field. A first-year player is always expected to improve between their first and second year, so if this happens, second-year Bagley would hold an important role in this year’s playoff push.
Giles and his knee issues will always be something to worry about, but the 21-year-old is as motivated as anyone when it comes to getting better. Shooting just over 50% as well, more strength will make him a force to be reckoned with in the post with his 6’10″ frame.
I’m hoping that all of the money Sacramento spent to sign Harrison Barnes, Trevor Ariza, Dewayne Dedmon, and Cory Joseph turns out to be money well spent. Barnes got PAID, and a lot of people have the opinion that it was too much. Vlade Divac knows what he’s doing, and I won’t question him until it’s obvious that the moves he makes fail.
You can’t have a list of expectations without mentioning the new head coach. Luke Walton is set to lead the team next season, and with Steve Kerr saying he has one of the better basketball minds in the league, one can only hope he puts it to good use.
Here’s one more quick one. I fully expect Buddy Hield to shoot 100% from the 3PT line this season, shattering all 3PT records and leaving Curry and his legacy in the dust. He shall attempt 20 per game and sink all 20, never scoring less than 60 PPG. The Kings will build a statue of him halfway through the season and will retire his jersey number at the All-Star break. Buddy will change his name to just “King,” as he’ll rule Sacramento for the rest of eternity. That expectation is a little further out of reach than the others, but who’s to say it’s impossible?
As a regular at Kings games, there are also things I expect that don’t have to do with on-court activities. The first is that I fully expect the folks that guard each section of seats to continue to be bad at their job. The worse they are, the easier it is for me to find exceptional seating in the bottom sections of the beautiful new arena that is Golden 1 Center.
I’m also definitely expecting the $14 beer cost to drop to no more than $3, and while we’re on the topic of overpriced food, maybe knock a dozen bucks off the price of those nachos I get every single game. I’m on a first-name basis with the lady who I ask to dump five times the normal amount of jalapenos on my plate, and I don’t want to have to ruin that relationship just because the cost of your nachos is emptying my pocket.
Last but not least, I expect the atmosphere in that arena to NEVER change. The Kings could’ve been down by 20 late in the third quarter, and every bucket made sparked a loud buzz from the crowd. At one particular game, I was able to sneak down to a pretty good seat behind a man dressed in a suit sitting all by himself. He clearly wasn’t a Kings fan, as he’d throw a mini tantrum every time the Kings scored.
With a quick google search, I ended up finding out that he was the opposing team’s GENERAL MANAGER. Don’t ask me how, but I found out that he was very impressed by the atmosphere even when the Kings were losing. He got more and more upset, as the Kings came back and won the game. He was nowhere to be found when Sacramento sealed the deal with about two minutes left. Even as losers, Kings fans are happy to be Kings fans. Just imagine Sacramento playing for a championship.