2020 NBA Team Preview: Can The Sacramento Kings Meaningfully Improve?

The Sacramento Kings are stuck in what could be the toughest division in the NBA now that the Phoenix Suns have added Chris Paul. Can they deal with difficult opposition and find a way to get into the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference?

Offseason Changes

The Kings took Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton with the No. 12 pick in the NBA draft. They picked up big man Hassan Whiteside from the Portland Trail Blazers. In free agency, they lost Harry Giles to the Blazers, Kent Bazemore to the Warriors, and Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Hawks.

The Kings Will Succeed If…

They find a way to play elite defense. Sacramento has some electric players. De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield are bright young players who have a real future in the NBA. They haven’t been part of teams which play top-tier lockdown defense, however. The Kings’ attempts to pick big men – most notably Marvin Bagley – have not panned out. This is not a quick-fix project, but the Kings don’t have a roster full of prime scorers. This team will have to do the no-glory gruntwork tasks needed to stay with more high-powered opponents – in the Pacific Division and everywhere else. Losing Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Atlanta Hawks in free agency, due to a desire to not match the Hawks’ offer sheet, will deprive the Kings of a needed scorer. They simply aren’t in position to win track meets in the NBA this season. They will be outgunned if they try to do this, at least on a regular basis. The Kings have to become a defensive powerhouse, and if they can achieve that goal, they can change the way they are perceived in the Western Conference. If their defense is merely decent or moderately good, that won’t be enough.

The Kings Will Fail If…

Their situation with Buddy Hield falls apart. Hield has been the subject of a lot of offseason speculation in Sacramento. It’s not a secret Hield isn’t especially happy with the organization, and it’s also not a secret that the Kings are one of the worst-run organizations in the NBA. The Kings lost crucial ground because they didn’t take Luka Doncic when they had the chance to do so. Imagine if they had done that and surrounded Hield with the resources needed to become a much better team. There is general dissatisfaction in and around the Kings. This flows through the whole organization, but Hield is a focal point. The Kings have to take some concrete steps to make Hield happy, and if they can’t do that, they could lose him, which would take an uncomfortable situation and make it a lot worse. Before the Kings can try to build a consistent winner, they have to at least make the playoffs and do a certain amount of damage control. Keeping Hield on the roster is a step in that direction; making Hield feel valued is how Sacramento must go about that task.

Outlook

The Kings are simply in the wrong division in the wrong year. The Lakers are defending NBA champions. The Clippers are probably one of the six best teams in the league. The Golden State Warriors are a playoff-caliber team even if they aren’t a title contender. The Phoenix Suns dramatically improved themselves. The Kings are boxed out by four superior teams in their division. It’s that simple.

Prediction: 5th in Pacific Division