It’s been 16 years since the Sacramento Kings last made the playoffs.
They’ve been through multiple ups and downs — mostly downs, and have wasted several talents over that span.
Poor scouting, questionable coaching, and bad decision-making from the front office have doomed this franchise to oblivion.
That’s why even the most optimistic fans were skeptical after the Tyrese Haliburton trade and weren’t completely sold on this team’s solid start to the season.
However, it seems like it’s time we finally start giving them their flowers, as the Kings are winners of five straight and have now climbed all the way to the third spot in the Western Conference.
The Sacramento Kings have won five straight Games.
They're now the 3rd Seed in the WEST!!! pic.twitter.com/IFM4MuSLnd
— NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) January 19, 2023
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have developed strong chemistry since day one, and it seems like Mike Brown was the guy they needed to finally start believing and get over the hump.
Shaking off losing habits and turning around a culture within an organization are nearly-impossible tasks in the league, so props to them for finally straightening the ship.
Against all odds, the 2022-23 Kings are sitting on a 25-18 record, just six games behind the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.
They have the seventh-best record in the league overall and are 7-3 in their past ten games.
Also, the Kings have a shot at winning the Pacific Division for the first time since 2003, as they currently lead the Golden State Warriors by 3.5 games, and it’s not like the Clippers, Lakers, or Suns have been a threat to anybody this season.
So, yeah, there’s still a long way to go, and it seems like the Kings always find a way to disappoint us.
But barring a major disaster of biblical proportions, this will be a playoff team.
NEXT: The Kings Set A Very Important Franchise Record On Monday