In a season where expectations certainly weren’t high for the Sacramento Kings, they’ve continued to perform above expectations in the talented West.
Through 46 games, the Kings have posted a 27-19 record, and there’s much to like about the foundational pieces they’re building around.
Star power is essential in the NBA, and the Kings are seeing glimpses of a potential core of those in their starting five.
Let’s look into the Kings current odds of winning the Western Conference on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Kings are Great Story, but Can They Make a Run?Even with the Kings entering action on January 24 as the third seed in the Western Conference, they still aren’t getting the reorganization they deserve from the oddsmakers. Despite their current standing, the Kings still sit with the tenth-best odds to win the West at +4200, demonstrating that the oddsmakers aren’t buying into the hype of this Kings roster to be able to make a deep playoff run. With their hot start, the Kings have allowed themselves some breathing room in the standings, and it’s evident that home court in the first round of the playoffs would benefit them, considering they’ve posted a 16-10 record at the Golden 1 Center.
In somewhat surprising fashion, the Kings are the NBA’s highest-scoring team on a points-per-game basis, and that’s been a big reason why they’ve continued to find success. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have been the team leaders for the Kings, which has seen the star duo combine to average over 42 points per game. The depth of this roster is even more impressive, though, with six different scorers averaging more than 12 points per game. In saying that, stars are where the focus lies in Sacramento, and Fox has taken the next jump to stardom. There were questions about what the Kings were doing when they acquired Sabonis, but he’s proven to be a core piece in their frontcourt and should be in the MVP conversation if he isn’t already.
A new addition to the core was drafted last season in Keegan Murray, and he’s delivered exactly what they’ve expected of him in his rookie campaign. If Murray can continue on a positive trajectory, that will be essential in establishing the Kings as a real threat in the West over the next few seasons.
It’s probably unreasonable to expect this Kings team to make a deep run in the postseason, knowing very well the lack of overall playoff experience they have on this roster. Still, this is a team on the rise that warrants looking into in the futures market, knowing that they could at least pull off an upset in an opening-round playoff matchup. The experience they’re gaining as a young core is extremely valuable, and there’s merit in looking at their odds later in the year to capitalize. As of now, though, it’s hard to buy into this young core to fully make an impact yet in the postseason, but once again, don’t sleep on their potential to send a team home once the dance starts.
