Thanks to Offense:

Kings Elites of the West

By: Michael A. Chase Jr.

03/13/2023

I am not sure many people would have predicted the Sacramento Kings to be a surefire playoff team, let alone near the top of the Western Conference. This season that very scenario has materialized with the Kings having emerged as one of the NBA's elite squads. When looking into what has spearheaded their success their offensive performance has been intergral. TUSV is here to depict the offensive explosion that’s occurred in Sacramento leading the Kings to the top of the West.

The Sacramento Kings currently sit at 40-26, good enough for 2nd place in the Western Conference standings. This turnaround is significant for a Sacramento franchise that missed making the 2022 Play-In tournament by 4 games a season ago. It also sets up the Kings to finally end their 17-year playoff drought and treat their fans to some postseason play. They should also feel very confident as well in their chances of making a playoff run due to their 27-8 mark this season versus above .500 teams. The biggest reasons behind Sacramento's standout season can be narrowed down to two key factors. The consistently elite offense they put on display and the emergence of their lead duo that few believed in.

The Kings' offensive production has been tremendous to see unfold this season, becoming one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. They score on average 121.2 points per game, which ranks first in the entire league. Doing so while shooting an efficient 50% from the field – ranking second to only top-seeded Denver. They also shoot 37.0% from three-point range – 10th in the NBA – while making 13.4 a game which is 7th most. What also helps their offense shine is their willingness to share the basketball each night. They rank 4th in the league in assists per game at 27.1, consistently moving the basketball to generate the best shot for each possession. This style of play has also allowed Sacramento to evenly disperse the scoring load and utilize several rotation players. They not only have six players averaging 11 or more points but also have 10 players posting at least five or more points a contest. They even disperse the three-point shooting production as six players shoot 36% or better from behind the arc with guard Kevin Hueter and wing Keegan Murray both shooting 40%. This high-octane, ball-movement-heavy offensive style has been crucial to Sacramento's success. Bearing in mind the fact they still are at the bottom half of the league defensively allowing 118.3 points per game. They will continue to rely on their offensive prowess to overcome their defensive deficiencies moving forward. Whether this combination of elite offense and poor defense will result in a long playoff run seems unlikely but will be fun to watch.

The other major factor in their success has been the play of their star duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. When this pair was formed following the 2022 NBA trade deadline most analysts thought this was a pair that would not lead the Kings much of anywhere. Now a year later this duo has exceeded expectations immensely. Fox is putting together his best season as a pro, including making his first all-star team this year. Fox is averaging a career-high in points per game at 25.4, rebounds a game at 4.2, and field goal percentage at 51.2%. He is also posting 6.3 assists a night to go along with 1.2 steals a game. The Kings' point guard has had a breakout year and is legitimizing the Kings' stance to not trade him and keep him as a franchise face. Domantas Sabonis was brought over to Sacramento last season's trade deadline from Indiana in a trade that sent lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana as the centerpiece. This trade was met with skepticism among pundits about how much better would it make the team. But a year later Sabonis has made the trade well worth it for Sacramento. Like Fox, Sabonis is having a career season across the board statistically. He is posting career highs in points (19.0), rebounds (12.3), assists (7.0), and field goal percentage (61.4%). All this while posting 9 triple-doubles this season as well. This pair has combined to form one of the more impressive offense duos in the entire league. Both have also succeeded in validating the Kings' decision to build around them as their core pieces.

In all the Sacramento Kings have blown past all preseason projections and seem poised to claim a top seed in this year's Western Conference playoffs. If they can continue to score at the high rate they do and even improve to a minor degree defensively they can be a tough playoff out for any team. Plus, with the All-Star duo of Fox and Sabonis playing at elite levels they give Sacramento a chance to make this 2023 season a special one for the franchise.