Sacramento Kings: 5 reasons to be excited for 2018-19 NBA season

The Sacramento Kings are probably headed for another seat at the NBA Draft Lottery roundtable, but they are a team worth watching in 2018-19.

The best thing that a losing sports franchise can offer its fanbase is hope. The Sacramento Kings have been in the business of selling hope for the last dozen years, with no immediate end in sight.

The Kings have not made the NBA Playoffs or finished a season with a winning record since 2006. Not a single player on that 2005-06 squad — from leading scorer Mike Bibby to the last man off the bench, Sergei Monia — is still in the league.

Meanwhile, most of the players on the Kings’ 2018-19 roster were not yet in high school the last time they were in the postseason.

This season Sacramento is young, but has a lot of potential. (There’s that hope thing again.)

The core group is headlined by rookie forward Marvin Bagley III, second-year point guard De’Aaron Fox, and third-year shooting guard Buddy Hield. Ten of the 19 players on Sacramento’s training camp roster are under the age of 25. Head coach Dave Joerger is even young for his job; at 44, he is the eighth-youngest head coach in the league.

With youth comes inexperience, and with inexperience often comes losing in the NBA. The Kings went 27-55 last season. But youth can also bring athleticism, energy and — most importantly for a franchise selling hope — the promise of better things to come.

The Kings will probably miss the playoffs for a 13th straight year, but there are some reasons to be excited about this team in 2018-19.