The road to get here has not been easy, nor has it been entertaining to go through for the ‘Sacramento Proud’ Kings fans, but the team is now on the cusp of potentially holding a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The season began full of criticism, internal issues, and injuries. The Kings are only a game and a half behind the Utah Jazz. The team had the chance to take that ranking last night against a Damian Lillard-less Portland Trail Blazers team, but, unfortunately, came up short.
The good news is that there is still plenty of season left to surpass the Jazz and it looks as if the Kings are going to have the opportunity to capitalize on the misfortune of other teams.
Breaking news came out Sunday that Phoenix Suns star Eric Bledsoe looks to be out for “extended time” due to a meniscus injury he sustained in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. There are also reports coming out that Suns head coach Jeff Hornasack’s job may be in jeopardy.
The Dallas Mavericks are also a team who are looking to make a strong run for the eighth spot, but now are looking at their starting point guard, Deron Williams once again facing injuries. Not just that, but the roster itself is filled with injury-prone players such as Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons.
Even the team currently holding that final playoff position is faced with the struggle of missing their starting big man Rudy Gobert. Mixed with the injury, the Jazz is a team that (let’s be honest) lack talent.
Then it got worse for the Jazz.
Alec Burks is out indefinitely after breaking his left lower leg against the Clippers on Saturday night. The team announced the fifth-year guard had an MRI Sunday morning that showed a fractured fibula.
Without the presence of the ‘Stifling Tower’ (Gobert) defending in the low post, starting point guard Dante Exum who is out with a torn ACL and now Burks, this Jazz team is not the same defensively and won’t be because of these derailing injuries.
This now makes it the ideal time for the Kings to make that strong push and create some separation from the field. Looking at Sacramento’s past ten games, you will see that the team has seen a slight rise in their defensive numbers and holding their opponents to only an average of 94.4 points per game.
Led by All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings currently are ranked 16th in offensive efficiency. Even with these signs of progression, this team still has significant aspects in their game in which the Kings need to begin making vast improvements in if they want to take that next step into becoming playoff relevant.
The biggest issue is the team’s lack of value they put into each of their possessions. Countless times this season, we have seen this team become a deer in the headlights in the closing seconds of quarters and games. A recent example, watch the Indiana Pacers game from beginning to end. The team had a lead and just did not know how to sustain it and barely found a way to hang on to only win by two points.
After the loss to the Blazers, head coach George Karl said, “I don’t think we’re a talented enough basketball team not to put more value on every possession that we play at both ends of the floor,” before announcing his frustration and leaving the post-game media scrum.
So, at least, someone has taken notice to the obvious issue that is at hand, but the question remains. How does the team make the change?
Learning how to value each possession is something that cannot be fully placed on the coaching staff, but more so toward the players on the floor and with that said, the leaders on the floor.
The leaders of this team need to show the aggression and exceed the effort of each player that is on the roster. For the Kings to set the tone on the floor, the leaders of the team first need to set the tone in the locker room.
From there it just comes down to making smarter decisions with the basketball. The team needs to know options A, B, and C on each offensive possession. The purple and black need to identify the weakness of each of their opponents and consistently attack that weakness until the final buzzer rings.
If the Sacramento Kings can learn to enhance their aggression toward the game, the talent level of this roster from top-to-bottom exceeds the talent on the remaining teams that all are vying for that final playoff spot.
It’s up to them to make that final step.
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