Historic back-to-back collapses have drained the energy out of the Sacramento Kings’ best start since 2009. Overlooked in the chaos is the fact that the team is worlds ahead of the 28-54 squad from a year ago. Here are 10 reasons why the Kings have reason for optimism.
Defense
Previously the Achilles heel of the team, Sacramento’s defense has held opponents to 43.5 percent shooting from the floor (tied for sixth in the NBA) and 31.7 percent shooting from behind the arc (ranked seventh). The Kings’ newfound intensity and aggressiveness has led to a bloated number of free throw attempts for their competitors (27.3 per game, tied for 23rd in the league), so there’s still work to be done. If the Kings can improve their discipline, their half court defense can be elite.
Rebounding
Another sign of ramped up physicality, the Kings currently sit second in the NBA in total rebounds with 46.6 per game. DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson have done a marvelous job boxing out and out-positioning their frontcourt counterparts, and guards and wings have joined the party too. The last time Sacramento ranked within the top three in league rebounding categories was in the pre-injury Chris Webber era, perhaps a correlation of boarding and wins.
Spared starters
Despite the bench’s struggles, Michael Malone has resisted running his starters ragged. The coach has committed to balancing minutes, and as a result Sacramento is 14th in the league in bench usage (hoopsstats.com). With so many road trips to start the season (and don’t forget China), sparing the starters’ legs early should help avoid a burnout down the line.
DeMarcus Cousins
Foul trouble has reduced his playing time by two minutes compared to last season, but Cousins is still maintaining gaudy numbers. Facing double-teams regularly, the center is producing 22.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and setting career-high marks in free throw attempts (8.6) and accuracy (79.2 percent) per game. His relentlessness down low has put opponents in the penalty early which has helped Sacramento top the league in free throw attempts (36.3 a night). Cousins is collecting 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per match, and he’s recorded only one (questionable) technical foul on the year, a sign of maturity.
Rudy Gay
Gay’s horrible play in Toronto is looking more and more like an aberration by the day. The forward is averaging 23 points, 37.9 percent 3-point accuracy, 7.9 free throw makes, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest, all career-highs. His offensive punch has eased enormous pressure off Cousins.
Darren Collison
The journeyman point guard seems to have found a home in Sacramento. Previously viewed as a shoot-first, pass-second guard like the departed Isaiah Thomas, Collison adapted his style of play to feed bigger mouths in the league’s eighth-ranked scoring offense. He’s hitting timely jumpers, disrupting passing lanes (1.9 steals per game) and sparking the break (the Kings rank 12th in fast break points) as well.
Ben McLemore
The potential that made McLemore a lottery pick is beginning to translate. The shooting guard leads the Kings in 3-point makes (17) and accuracy (43.6 percent), giving the team a long-range weapon it desperately needs. Combined with his impressive defense, McLemore has solidified himself in the starting lineup.
Carl Landry
Landry’s effectiveness is no longer a mystery following two major leg injuries. The undersized big has been Sacramento’s lone threat off the bench by producing 10.1 points on 55.3 percent field goal and 87.1 percent free throw shooting in 21.8 minutes a night.
Lack of injuries
Last season, Landry missed 64 games while Cousins and Thomas sat stretches due to injury. Nine games in this year, the Kings have avoided serious blows, and only Collison has been sidelined for a game (shoulder stiffness).
Culture change
Only four players remain on the roster from the Geoff Petrie reign: Cousins and Thompson, who have grown weary of losing locker rooms, and Landry and Omri Casspi, who were initially traded away and brought back as free agents. The team has bought into Michael Malone’s ideology, and individuals are holding themselves accountable. Most importantly, the Kings now believe in themselves, and a winning start to the season has only enforced the notion.
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