Sacramento Kings
The 2024-25 Sacramento Kings can be defined by firing Mike Brown, trading away De’Aaron Fox and turning into the Chicago Bulls.
What did we learn?
The Kings did not light the beam.
In fact, the beam has gone out and they are the Kangz once more. But also the Bulls?
The Kings didn’t even make it out of the first Play-In game, losing at home to the shorthanded Mavs in embarrassing fashion.
After the Play-In Game loss, they fired GM Monte McNair.
It seems so long ago, but this was the same season the Kings fired Mike Brown after starting 13-18.
Mike Brown deserved better. So much better. That said, it was a brutal 5-game losing streak (all at home) with the worst net rating in the league over that 2-week stretch — capped off by the putrid blown 14-point 4th quarter lead to the Detroit Pistons. (Before we knew the Pistons were the Young Surprise Team that was promised.)
Then the Kings traded disgruntled star De’Aaron Fox before the deadline. Fox wanted out of the Sac and who the hell could blame him!?
We looked up and it was the Sac-Town Bulls running out DeRozan and LaVine…
What is left from that super fun 2022-23 team that finished No. 3 in the West and had the No. 1 offense in the league?
Sabonis, Monk, Keegan Murray and Trey Lyles.
Teams that finally find success at long last are so quick to move on from those that got them there.
The Kings have been to the playoffs once in Vivek Ranadive’s 13 years of being owner and once in the last 18 years as a franchise. And again: they got rid of the main guys who got them there.
Kings ownership has been flawed and shooting themselves in the foot for a long, long time.
It starts at the top and because of that, it will continue to always be #KANGZ.
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Additional Notes
The Kings did actually turn a corner after Doug Christie took over as the interim coach, and they’ve hired him to officially take over the head honcho spot. That said, Ziller doesn’t seem to believe in him and we still trust him on all things Kangz.
Where were you on the random Monday night in mid-November when Keon Ellis turned into prime Ray Allen? Ellis drilled NINE 3’s. Problem: the Kings lost that game to the Hawks, the same as they did a few games prior when Fox scored a franchise-high 60 points in a loss to the T-Wolves.
Not sure how many people even noticed and it was in minimal action, but we still loved getting to see Markelle Fultz play ball again.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Feels like we have too many Overs — puck it we ball. Over 46.5 wins.
Kings 2024-25 record: (40-42)
Nope.
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What’s Next?
We are 100 percent behind Zach Lowe’s notion that the league should ban a Vooch to the Kings trade. Honestly.
Scott Perry is here as the new GM… Finding some defensive-minded players would be ideal.
A suitable point guard would also be good. Or perhaps just unleash POINT MONK.
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Favorite Kings Highlight of the 2024-25 Season:
The old mid-range master. The old King of the Fourth.
For a Fox-less + Luka-less Kings-Mavs game on a random Monday night in February, this was a fun game.
