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Ti’s Four-Point Play: Fighting For The Middle Of The NBA’s West

By Ti Windisch

Jan 13, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) drives to the basket on Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) and center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first quarter of the NBA game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) drives to the basket on Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) and center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first quarter of the NBA game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

Sacramento Kings (17-23)

The forever-disappointing Sacramento Kings are on pace to be, well, less disappointing! The Kings are only on pace to win around 35 games this season, which for most teams with a superstar player is not good. But for a team that hasn’t won 30 games in eight years, it’s a start.

If Sacramento can improve and finish better than the record they’re on pace for, they might even make the postseason. The Kings are just one game back from getting themselves a playoff berth. They haven’t done that in a decade. They need to pretty soon.

League-wide expectations were low for the Kings, but they still are feeling a lot of pressure. Handing DeMarcus Cousins another bummer of a season might be the final straw on his back. Boogie maintains that he wants to stay in Sacramento, but this partnership just doesn’t seem to be working out for either side.

Cousins needs a more stable environment where not all of the franchise’s chances rely solely on him, and the Kings need a real rebuild. Their current plan of buying whatever the hell veterans they can afford at the time and trying to piece them around a temperamental star center isn’t really working out.

Sure, things are looking up right now. But Sacramento is one freak injury or locker room blowup away from being far away from the postseason, yet again. And if they can improve their projected win total, they can also end up under it. If Sacramento fails to win 30 games yet again, don’t be surprised to see DeMarcus Cousins finally jump ship.

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