NBA Futures: Don't forget about royalty out West
Just in case you forgot, the Sacramento Kings won the Pacific Division last season, by three games. They followed up that unexpected level of success by losing to Golden State in one of the most fun opening-round playoff series in recent memory.
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Did that earn the Kings any respect? Nope! Right now, the Kings have the fifth worst (out of five) odds to win the Pacific Division this season. I do not see this team as a true NBA title threat but the payoff for them to win another division crown is too good to ignore.
NBA Futures: Sacramento Kings to Win the Pacific Division (+900)
Here is a quick look at the odds of the teams above them: (Even fourth place is not that close)
Phoenix Suns +145
Los Angeles Lakers +350
Golden State Warriors +360
Los Angeles Clippers +550
All of these teams have legit championship aspirations, yet at the same time, all are leaning on veteran players who are probably not going to be pushed during the regular season. Sacramento, while maybe lacking the ceiling of some of those other teams, and definitely lacking past MVPs with names like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, will be leaning on a couple of players who are always available and that always helps with regular season success.
Last year F/C Domantas Sabonis played 79 games and PG De'Aaron Fox played 73. Both were all NBA too and are at an age where there is no reason to think too hard about their health or a decrease in production.
The Kings also have continuity on their side. They resigned forward Harrison Barnes and as a result, have returned their top seven from a year ago. Included in that are reserve guards Malik Monk and Davion Mitchell who seem to have finally found the right roles for their opposite skill sets. Added to that is forward Sasha Vezenkov, a rookie, who is super experienced from playing over in Europe (and is a nice sleeper for Rookie of the Year). Adding a savvy, veteran offensive player is a nice tweak of an already winning formula.
Plus, another player I am expecting a jump from is second-year wing Keegan Murray. He was a fairly consistent rookie, even is he got a little bit exposed in the playoffs. If you believe that players make their biggest leap from year one to year two, the Kings have another very versatile piece to tinker with.
In totality, there is no reason to think the Kings are going to recede after last year's taste of success. With their fast pace, they are a tough team to play against too. They are a great bet to repeat as division champs and at that price, an easy future play.
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