We have a few more days before Sacramento Kings basketball resumes on Thursday, February 22nd. Thanks to the All-Star snubs, the Kings (with the exception of Keegan Murray, who played in the Rising Stars game) get to enjoy a full week of rest and recovery before entering the home stretch of the season. Sacramento has 28 games remaining in the regular season, and zero margin for error down the stretch. At 31-23 the Kings currently sit 8th in the Western Conference. If the season ended today the Kings would host the Los Angeles Lakers for a play-in game.
At last year’s All Star break the Kings were 32-25, but last season that was good enough for 3rd in the West. The Kings may not be worse this year (although net ratings would beg to differ), but the West is stronger. While pundits expected Sacramento to be less healthy this season, and therefor worse, the reality has instead been that the rest of the West has been healthier and better. Hopefully the Kings can replicate last season’s late-season success and vault themselves into the 6th seed or higher.
Given the up-and-down nature of Sacramento’s play this season, the idea of a play-in game terrifies me. I simply do not trust the Kings to show up and execute when needed. Could they? Absolutely. But they could just as easily disappear.
How are you feeling as we enter the home stretch of the season? Let us know in the comments.
