Hoops Habit
Fansided

Sacramento Kings: 2016-17 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts next to center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) after making a shot while being fouled against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts next to center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) after making a shot while being fouled against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 7
Next

The Sacramento Kings have missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons and have a superstar toiling away with no end in sight. Will 2016-17 be any different?

Sacramento Kings
Jan 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts next to center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) after making a shot while being fouled against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Coming off their 10th straight season in the lottery, the Sacramento Kings could use a change of pace. A franchise that’s become notorious for getting in its own way already has a franchise star in DeMarcus Cousins, but their inability to surround him with elite talent has limited the Kings to only one season of 30 or more wins since drafting Boogie back in 2010.

The arrival of head coach Dave Joerger represents a fresh start for the Kings, but their failures over the offseason — which have become all too familiar to the faithful fans of the silver and purple — represent a larger issue that has plagued the organization for years.

Related Story: Phoenix Suns: 2016-17 Season Outlook

Once upon a time, this mighty franchise was a legitimate challenge to the Kobe Bryant–Shaquille O’Neal Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the early 2000s. Now, the Kings are stuck on an endless treadmill of bad decisions, resting easy only in the fact that they were smart enough to draft Cousins in the first place.

With Boogie toiling away on sorry teams and the front office no closer to putting this franchise back on the right course, it’s easy to wonder what will go wrong in Sacramento next. After failing to lure elite talent to the Kings once again this summer, a breaking point appears to be all too imminent.

Are the Kings doomed? Is Boogie on the way out? And did Sacramento really get that much worse compared to last season? Here’s a look at their 2016-17 season outlook and predictions.

2015-16 Vitals

33-49, 4th in Pacific Division, 10th in Western Conference
106.6 PPG (3rd)/109.1 OPP PPG (30th)
106.0 Offensive Rating (15th)/108.4 Defensive Rating (22nd)

Team Leaders
Scoring: DeMarcus Cousins, 26.9 PPG
Rebounding: DeMarcus Cousins, 11.5 RPG
Assists: Rajon Rondo, 11.7 APG
Steals: Rajon Rondo, 2.0 SPG
Blocks: DeMarcus Cousins, 1.4 BPG

Honors
All-NBA Second Team: DeMarcus Cousins
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: Willie Cauley-Stein

Next: Roster

Home/Sacramento Kings