Kings Face Tough 13-Game Stretch
Dec 11, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:38 am
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK Reporter
The Sacramento Kings earned their 14th win of the season Monday night in Chicago and have been one of the surprise stories of the season thus far, currently sitting in the 9th spot in the West, a half-game out of the playoffs. While the Kings players themselves believe they are a playoff team, and have had the postseason in mind since training camp, many around the NBA, and in Sacramento, are still skeptical that this young squad can break the 12-year drought.
With De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Marvin Bagley at the center of this young and exciting core, and the team off to their best start since 2005, there is certainly plenty to be optimistic about. However, with the absurd talent in the Western Conference, and so many games still to play, it’s not quite time for fans, or the players, to be thinking playoffs. The true test of how good this team really is has arrived in the form of 13 tough games against West opponents, taking the Kings into January of 2019.
The Kings already have wins over three of the 10 teams they will face during this stretch, and have already lost at least once to six of them. Should the Kings come out of these 13 games at or over .500, then it will be time to start talking playoffs. That would require the Kings to go, at worst, 6-7. A tough task, but something that this gritty young team believes they are capable of doing.
Sacramento’s players and coaches believe they can beat any team on any given night, and Kings fans are beginning to feel the same way. Regardless of the result, we can all agree that it is refreshing to have this team playing meaningful games in December rather being out of it already.
