Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the Sacramento Kings – a team hoping to break through and reach the playoffs.
Introduction
The Sacramento Kings are currently on a 16-season playoff drought. They broke this unwanted NBA record last season by missing the playoffs, surpassing the Clippers and their 15-years of mediocrity. It’s been a tough run for this Kings franchise, who historically have seen some very good players walk through their doors, like Oscar Robinson, Tiny Archibald, Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic.
Webber and Stojakovic were both a part of the last successful Kings era, reaching the playoffs in 8 consecutive seasons, from 1999 to 2006. Their 2002 postseason run was their most successful run, reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1981. The Kings came up against a LA Lakers team led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, where they ultimately lost in 7 games.
So how has this Kings franchise managed to keep themselves out of the playoff hunt for so long? They just haven’t been able to draft the right talent that would get the team in the playoffs and out of purgatory. Multiple lottery selections have been wasted over the years (see Jimmer Fredette, Nik Stauskas, Willie Cauley-Stein and Georgios Papagiannis), while the team struggles to entice free agents, unlike their Californian counterparts (Lakers, Clippers and Warriors).
They did get one draft pick right – with the 5th pick in the 2010 draft, the Kings selected DeMarcus Cousins. In 7 seasons with the Kings, Cousins was the face of the franchise, putting up massive numbers and being rewarded with two All-NBA Second team selections and 3 All-Star appearances. He just couldn’t get the Kings to the playoffs, in part due to his short temper and the franchise’s inability to put talent around him. He was traded at the 2017 trade deadline to the New Orleans Pelicans, forcing the Kings to start again.
The Kings’ current roster has been slowly developed over the past 5-6 seasons through the draft. They brought in De’Aaron Fox with the 5th selection in 2017 and Tyrese Haliburton with the 12th pick in 2019. (Yes, they did pick Marvin Bagley III 2nd over Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2018, but let’s not delve into it). They signed Harrison Barnes prior to the 2020 season, and selected Davion Mitchell 9th overall in 2021. They had a good team; they just didn’t have a superstar talent to lift the players around him and get them into the playoffs. Which has been the problem for the Kings for so long – the roster was either not good enough to make the playoffs, or not bad enough to give themselves a high draft pick.
Last Season
The Kings (with the addition of Davion Mitchell) re-signed Richaun Holmes and Terence Davis, and brought back Alex Len prior to the 2022 season. The Kings started off the season competitive, reaching as high as 5th in the Western Conference and looking like the team would be participating in the play-in tournament. They even got a 3OT victory over arch-nemesis, LA Lakers. However, the team began to languish, losing 12 of 14 games through mid-January, resulting in a 18-34 record and placing 13th in the Western Conference by the end of January.
In a surprise trade deadline deal, the team made a deal with the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday, moving off promising youngster, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. It was unexpected; bringing in Sabonis was a win-now move, despite the franchise not being in a position to win. In a separate deal, the Kings also gave up on Marvin Bagley III, sending him to the Detroit Pistons.
The rest of the season was very similar to the beginning, more losing than winning, as Sabonis became accustomed to his new role and surroundings. The Kings finished the regular season with a 30-52 record, good enough for 12th in the Western Conference. They were a bad team last season, ranked 24th in offensive efficiency, and 27th in defensive efficiency.
Off-Season
Ins:
Keegan Murray (4th pick, NBA draft)
Kevin Huerter (trade with Atlanta Hawks)
Malik Monk (free agent, originally with LA Lakers)
KZ Okpala (free agent, originally with FA)
Chima Moneke (free agent, originally playing in Spain)
Matthew Dellavedova (free agent, originally playing in Australia)
Outs:
Justin Holiday (trade to Atlanta Hawks)
Maurice Harkless (trade to Oklahoma City, via Atlanta Hawks)
Damian Jones (free agent, moved to LA Lakers)
Donte DiVincenzo (free agent, moved to Golden State Warriors)
Jeremy Lamb (free agent)
Josh Jackson (free agent)
With new head coach, Mike Brown, came fresh faces for the Kings’ roster. They were able to rise up in the lottery, selecting Keegan Murray 4th overall. The Kings’ emphasized improving their SG position, bringing in 6th man Malik Monk via free agency and Kevin Huerter via trade. Other moves included bringing in defensive-minded veterans to battle it out for the final spots on the roster during training camp (including Sam Merrill, Kent Bazemore, KZ Okpala, Chima Moneke and Matthew Dellavedova).
To bring in Huerter from the Atlanta Hawks, the Kings had to send them Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless. Damian Jones and Donte DiVincenzo were wanted depth players with the Lakers and Warriors respectively, while Jeremy Lamb and Josh Jackson were end-of-bench players to end the 2022 season, and were not required for the 2023 season.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – De'Aaron Fox
| H: 6’3″ | W: 185lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$134.4m | Years Pro: 5 |
Career Averages:
19.1 pts, 3.5 reb, 6.2 asts, 1.3 stls, 0.4 blks, 2.8 to, 46.2%/32.0%/72.5%, 32.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
23.2 pts, 3.9 reb, 5.6 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.4 blks, 2.8 to, 47.3%/29.7%/75.0%, 35.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
22.7 pts, 3.8 reb, 5.9 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.5 blks, 2.7 to, 48.0%/31.3%/74.1%
De’Aaron Fox is one of the quickest guards in the league. A former 5th overall selection back in 2017, he has shown flashes of star potential – scoring at a high clip and at an above-average level from the interior. His durability (56 games per season for the past 3 years) and his 3-point shooting (32% for his career) is what holds him back from being an All-Star calibre player in this league. He is the main source of hope for the Kings’ eventual return to the playoffs.
SG – Kevin Huerter
| H: 6’7″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$65m | Years Pro: 4 |
Career Averages:
11.4 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.2 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.3 to, 43.1%/37.9%/78.8%, 29.6 mins
Averages Last Season:
12.1 pts, 3.4 reb, 2.7 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.2 to, 45.4%/38.9%/80.8%, 29.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
12.1 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.0 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.2 to, 45.3%/38.7%/80.3%
Kevin Huerter has shown throughout his young career to be good at one important skill – 3-point shooting. In his time at Atlanta, Huerter was the main catch-and-shoot marksmen on the wing, opening up space for Trae Young and John Collins/Clint Capela to run pick-and-roll sets. Now with the Kings, he will fulfill a similar floor spacing role with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis now participating in the pick-and-roll action.
SF - Harrison Barnes
| H: 6’8″ | W: 225lbs | Age: 30 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$18.4m | Years Pro: 10 |
Career Averages:
14.1 pts, 5.1 reb, 1.8 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.2 to, 45.3%/37.9%/80.4%, 31.8 mins
Averages Last Season:
16.4 pts, 5.6 reb, 2.4 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.5 to, 46.9%/39.4%/82.6%, 33.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
15.4 pts, 5.5 reb, 2.5 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.5 to, 47.2%/38.9%/82.2%
Harrison Barnes is a great glue guy for any starting line-up. While not elite defensively, Barnes is a consistent source of points and rebounding from the wing position, shooting from 3-point range at an above average level (37.9% for his career) and can play as a play-making forward or a catch-and-shoot guy. He will start to transition into a complementary piece for this Kings’ team, as the Kings build around Fox and Sabonis.
PF - Keegan Murray
| H: 6’8″ | W: 215lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$36.4m (RC) | Years Pro: 0 |
Career Averages:
N/A (Rookie Season)
Averages Last Season:
N/A (Rookie Season)
2022-23 Projections:
16.0 pts, 6.0 reb, 1.0 asts, 0.7 stls, 1.0 blks, 1.0 to, 51.6%/37.0%/76.1%
Keegan Murray projects to be a really solid NBA player (similar to Barnes). He has the size and skillset to be a good defender at the NBA level, while offensively has the 3-point shot to be a catch-and-shoot role player for the Kings right away. It looks likely his ceiling will max out as a complementary, floor-spacing forward, but there’s also room for him to grow into a scorer.
C - Domantas Sabonis
| H: 6’11” | W: 240lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$37.9m | Years Pro: 6 |
Career Averages:
14.4 pts, 9.2 reb, 3.6 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.4 blks, 2.3 to, 53.4%/31.9%/72.8%, 28.4 mins
Averages Last Season:
18.9 pts, 12.1 reb, 5.2 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.4 blks, 3.1 to, 57.3%/31.2%/74.1%, 34.5 mins
2022-23 Projections:
17.4 pts, 10.7 reb, 5.1 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.4 blks, 2.8 to, 55.7%/32.0%/74.1%
Since becoming a full-time starter, Domantas Sabonis has been able to showcase an elite basketball IQ for a big man. His versatility to score in pick-and-roll sets and through the post allows his teams to attack the weakness of opposition defences, while Sabonis can also act as an elite playmaker in the post. He is a liability as a rim protector, but has a good knack of reading the play and getting steals.
Backups
G - Davion Mitchell
| H: 6’2″ | W: 205lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$13.4m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
Davion Mitchell played meaningful minutes coming off the bench throughout his rookie season. Known as a defensive menace in college, he didn’t set the NBA world on fire on the defensive end. But he did show a capacity to pass the basketball (4.2 assists per game) and become a facilitating 6th man in the future. He will need to continue to improve his shooting though (41.8% and 31.6% from the field and 3-point range respectively).
G - Malik Monk
| H: 6’3″ | W: 200lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$19m | Years Pro: 5 |
Malik Monk took advantage of a depleted LA Lakers roster and played himself into a 2 yr/$19m contract with the Kings. He won’t be a defensive asset for a team, but he has the potential to be one of the best 6th men in the NBA with his above-average 3-point shooting (39.6% over the past 2 seasons) and swiftness to find a way to score. Should partner with Mitchell beautifully off the bench, but can also be a starting option (37 games started last season).
F - Kent Bazemore
| H: 6’4″ | W: 195lbs | Age: 33 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$2.9m | Years Pro: 10 |
Kent Bazemore is a low-upside role player who knows his capabilities and position within the league. He has bounced around the league during his career, but provides important depth at the wing position. Returns back to the Kings after a ½-season stint towards the end of 2020.
F - Chimezie Metu
| H: 6’9″ | W: 225lbs | Age: 25 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$1.9m | Years Pro: 4 |
A former two-way player, Chimezie Metu broke out last season to become a reliable, starting-calibre PF/Centre. He starting 20 games last season for the Kings, providing solid rebounding in 21.3 minutes a game. While he still has a long way to go in regards to rim protection and shooting efficiency (45.2% and 30.6% from the field and 3-point range), the potential is there for Metu to be a prominent bench player this season.
C - Richaun Holmes
| H: 6’10” | W: 235lbs | Age: 28 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$23.2m | Years Pro: 7 |
Richaun Holmes broke out in 2021 as the Kings starting Centre. But he missed half of last season due to injury and personal matters. Holmes is a high-energy rim runner, being elite at scoring in the paint (66% from the field last season) protect the paint defensively (1.6 blocks per game in 2021). With the addition of Sabonis, Holmes will come off the bench and play spot minutes, as he comes back from an interrupted 2022 season.
The Rest
11. Trey Lyles (PF)
12. Terence Davis (PG/SG)
13. Alex Len (C)
14. KZ Okpala (SF/PF)
15. Matthew Dellavedova (PG)
16. Chima Moneke (PF)
T-W. Neemias Queta (C)
T-W.
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the Sacramento Kings win totals sitting at 33.5 wins, 11th best in the Western Conference. It’s understandable why the Kings are predicted to miss the play-in tournament – there are so many unknowns with the new formation of the squad, combined with their historically poor record. The NBA needs to see the Kings perform before we can say that they’ll be a definite playoff team.
Conclusion
The Sacramento Kings are at a point where they’ll do whatever it takes to win. 16 seasons of no playoff action, mediocrity and lacklustre roster building has led to this once-proud franchise to be the laughing stock of the NBA. The moves that they’ve done at last season’s trade deadline and over the off-season are moves that the Kings hope will thread the needle and get themselves a playoff berth.
Trading Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis exemplifies this desperation. While Sabonis is a great player and will be wonderful partnered with De’Aaron Fox, moving a young stud in Haliburton is a big price to pay. It leaves the front office in a precarious situation where their jobs will be on the line if it doesn’t pay off – especially if Haliburton thrives in Indiana and becomes a star.
But I can see why the Kings’ front office made this move. The team lacked great big men that could facilitate the offence and open up a different avenue of attacking opposing defences. As mentioned earlier, Sabonis will bring a high basketball IQ, where he can use Fox’s interior driving and scoring to threaten the opposition to defend the paint, before kicking it out to Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray to shoot from 3-point range. Bringing in Sabonis opens up an array of possibilities, and ultimately modernises the Kings’ offence.
Thinking about the Kings’ offence, it’s clear why they drafted Murray over someone like Jaden Ivey in this year’s draft. There’s a high chance Ivey will be the better player in the future. But Murray better suits what the Kings are trying to build around this Fox-Sabonis duo. The team needs high quality 3-and-D wings that will open up the floor for Fox and Sabonis (who themselves are below-average 3-point shooters) to attack the paint and score from inside the 3-point line. Murray will provide this, showing in his 2nd collegiate season a dramatic improvement shooting the ball. He, alongside Huerter and Barnes, will be crucial if this offensive scheme will work.
Offensively, it’s will be a scheme that will be exciting to watch, because they finally have a plan. They’re not relying on the draft lottery or trying to find the next superstar; the team understands where they’re at and are willing to go with this Fox-Sabonis duo. They’ve got the plan in place, but will it work? Ultimately, the Kings could become victims of a very competitive Western Conference – where they have a chance to be in the play-in conversation, but will need a lot of things to go right in order to break their playoff drought.
Because if the Kings are going to be successful this season, it won’t be because of their defence. Bringing in Sabonis and Huerter (two poor defenders at their positions) to put alongside Fox and Barnes spells trouble. This team last season ranked bottom five in defensive efficiency, and other than drafting Murray (who is pretty good at that end of the floor), they didn’t really do anything to improve it over the off-season. They have a pretty solid bench that consist of defensive-minded players (like Davion Mitchell, Richaun Holmes, and end-of-bench veterans like Matthew Dellavedova and Chima Moneke), but they will be relying on internal improvement from their starters.
This franchise is ready to finally have something to celebrate about. And for the first time in a long time, the Kings have a plan. It was a gutsy move by the front office to bring in Sabonis, but it changes the franchise’s mindset; from asset collecting in the draft, to retooling the roster to get the right pieces in to build a contender. I believe this team will be middle of the pack offensively; bringing out the best attributes in Fox and opening Sabonis’ high-IQ skillset to incorporate his other teammates. Defensively, it could be a nightmare, but they just have to score more points than their opposition. I’m predicting the Kings to get to 36 wins this season – taking the leap and being on the outskirts of the play-in tournament. The roster is very close to breaking their playoff drought – I feel like they’re just one more piece away from being able to go all in.