Top 10 Kings stories of 2018: Players, moves contribute to a fast rise to relevance
It has been more than a decade since the Kings evoked enough emotion in their fans to elicit tears of joy or pain, but the events of the past 12 months have sparked levels of interest, intrigue and excitement not seen in Sacramento in quite some time.
Under the direction of general manager Vlade Divac and coach Dave Joerger, the organization is rediscovering itself and the overgrown path to relevancy that was lost to the weeds long ago. Over the span of a single calendar year, the Kings have dispatched old feelings of hopelessness and apathy, stoking sentiments across the spectrum, from happy to sad, exuberant and mad.
As the prospect of a promising new year approaches, there is a prevailing sense of hope and enthusiasm for a team that has a chance to end the NBA’s longest postseason drought at 12 seasons.
So how did they get here? Let us count the ways. Here are the Kings’ top 10 stories of 2018:
1. Exceeding expectations
Defying expectations, the Kings (19-16) are bounding into January with a .500 record for the first time since the 2004-05 season, when they went 50-32. Sacramento was widely predicted to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. ESPN projected 25 wins.
Instead, the Kings have unleashed a collection of talented young players who have blown by those projections with a new run-and-gun offense that ranks among the league leaders in scoring and pace.
They’re fast, they’re fun and they’re in position to vie for their first playoff berth since 2005-06.
2. We’re No. 2!
The Kings jumped five spots in the lottery to get the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft, a twist of fate that could alter the future of the franchise. Many fans had their hearts set on Luka Doncic, the Slovenian sensation who is poised to win the Rookie of the Year award, but the Kings passed on him to select Duke big man Marvin Bagley III.
Bagley looked raw early but has developed rapidly, averaging 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds as a key backup. In terms of averages per 36 minutes, he ranks second among rookies in scoring (19.8), fourth in rebounding (9.5) and sixth in blocked shots (1.6).
3. Fox’s first triple-double
Those who watch the Kings closely could see signs of improvement in De’Aaron Fox’s game, but even casual observers had to take notice when Fox posted his first triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 1. Fox had 31 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds.
He joined LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double before the age of 21 while surpassing Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan as the youngest player to post at least 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a game. It was a breakout performance for Fox, who is now viewed as one of the most elite young players in the league.
4. Buddy Buckets
Like Fox, third-year shooting guard Buddy Hield has emerged as a potential All-Star. The two have combined to form what might be the best young backcourt in the NBA.
Hield, who scored a career-high 37 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 19, has increased his scoring average from 13.5 points per game in 2017-18 to 19.7 this season.
Already regarded as one of the most dangerous 3-point shooters in the league, Hield showed what he’s capable of over a recent six-game stretch, shooting 45.7 percent beyond the arc while firing 70 3-point attempts.
5. Shumpert’s influence
Most assumed Iman Shumpert would never play a significant role for the Kings after they acquired him in a trade last season, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Shumpert’s influence on this young team is unmistakable.
An NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015-16 season, Shumpert has contributed to a seismic shift in team culture and chemistry. He created the Twitter hash tag PurpleTalk, unofficially re-branded the Kings as the “Scores” and explained to teammates the difference between a team and a ball club, prompting Willie Cauley-Stein to ruminate: “We’re a ball club now. We’re linked. We’re together. ... It’s a brotherhood.”
6. Comeback Kings
The Kings, who lead the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring, stormed back from 19-point deficits to post back-to-back home wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans on December 21 and 23. They became the first team since the Indiana Pacers in 2010 to win consecutive games after trailing by 19.
Hield scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter to lead the comeback against the Grizzlies. He had 19 of his 28 in the second half against the Pelicans. Three nights later in Los Angeles, the Kings cut a 27-point deficit to three before falling to the Clippers.
7. Internal conflict
Despite the team’s improvement, there was internal conflict when an apparent power struggle between assistant general manager Brandon Williams and Joerger played out publicly over a span of about two weeks in November. Williams was widely believed to be the primary source for a Yahoo Sports story that suggested Joerger’s job could be in jeopardy over his handling of Bagley and other young players.
After two weeks away from Sacramento, Williams showed up at the team’s shoot-around before a nationally televised game against the Clippers, but Joerger made it clear he didn’t want Williams there.
Divac issued statements expressing confidence in Joerger and advising both sides to focus on “continuing to develop our young and exciting team.”
8. Rising stars
Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic led a Sactown takeover in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, combining for 55 points in the World team’s 155-124 victory over the U.S. team.
Bogdanovic was named the game’s MVP after coming off the bench to post 26 points and six assists. He made 7 of 13 from 3-point range. Hield, who started for the World team, made five 3-pointers and scored 29 points.
The game featured the NBA’s best and brightest young first- and second-year players.
9. Benching Z-Bo
During training camp, Joerger was asked if plodding veteran big man Zach Randolph would play a similar role to last season, when he started 57 games and led the team in scoring average.
“No, we’re probably looking at playing the young guys more,” Joerger said.
It must have been a difficult decision for Joerger, who has a close relationship with Randolph dating to their days in Memphis. But it signaled a youth movement and represented an important directional change for a team that has hit the accelerator after finishing last in the NBA in scoring and pace last season.
10. California Classic
More than 50,000 people flocked to Golden 1 Center for the inaugural California Classic, Sacramento’s first foray into summer league basketball. The timing couldn’t have been better with Bagley and fellow rookie Harry Giles III set to make their Kings debuts.
The event featured the Kings, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
“Kings and basketball fans alike made the inaugural California Classic a huge success, and we look forward to making this an annual tradition,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said.