Sacramento Kings: 2017-18 NBA season preview

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After seasons of toiling in mediocrity and aimlessly shooting for the playoffs year after year, the Sacramento Kings have finally assembled the foundation needed for a full and proper rebuild. What are expectations for them heading into the 2017-18 season?

It’s the dawn of a brand new day for the Sacramento Kings.

Yes, their losing ways aren’t exactly behind them, but for the first time in quite a while, the Kings (finally) have a plan in place to (finally) get them out of the hole they have repeatedly dug themselves in over the last decade-plus.

As we know, the trade of DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break last season only signaled their intent to scrap their endless quest for the playoffs and begin anew. It also gave them pieces to build a foundation in the form of then-rookie sharpshooter Buddy Hield and what later became the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft (which the Kings then dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the picks that would become Justin Jackson and Harry Giles, respectively).

With that being said, one could say that the seeds of this process were hidden in plain slight over the prior year, especially when looking back at the haul they acquired on draft night, ranging from the acquisition of Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s draft rights to the picks that all became Georgios Papagiannis, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere.

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Regardless, the about face the Kings have done over the last few months has been very commendable and their offseason additions have only bolstered their growing rebuild.

The additions of Zach Randolph, George Hill and Vince Carter have not only solidified a veteran presence to surround their foundation of young players, but the Kings have also found more dependable, experienced players who can contribute and help set the tone on the court.

Now whether the idealized version of their rebuild gets off to a smooth start remains to be seen, but the Kings have done their part to assemble the pieces needed to focus on their long-term future, rather than the immediate.

Of course, this plan will not be without its hardships and it’s not completely foolproof either, but the events of the last few months show that the Kings have finally answered that wake up call that nearly everyone has urged them to respond to for some time.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at what the Sacramento Kings have to offer heading into the 2017-18 NBA season.

2016-17 Vitals

32-50, 3rd in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference
102.8 PPG (24th)/106.7 OPP PPG (19th)
104.6 Offensive Rating (20th)/109.1 Defensive Rating (27th)

Team Leaders

Scoring: DeMarcus Cousins, 27.8 PPG
Rebounding: DeMarcus Cousins, 10.8 RPG
Assists: Ty Lawson, 4.9 APG
Steals: Rudy Gay, 1.5 SPG
Blocks: DeMarcus Cousins, 1.3 SPG

Honors

NBA All-Star Selection: DeMarcus Cousins
NBA All-Rookie First Team: Buddy Hield

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