The Kings At The Halfway Point
I have covered the NBA for over 20 years and trying to figure out the 2014-2015 Sacramento Kings has been one of the more difficult things to do. We all evaluate teams on their win/loss record. That is the most simplistic way to characterize a team. When doing that we see a 16 win team after 41 games. That certainly isn't very good and it also won't do anything to end the Kings long playoff drought. Just saying that seems too "simple". So who are these Kings? What are they all about?
I didn't have very high expectations for the group before the season started. Most analysts had them finishing near the bottom of the Western Conference with around 30 wins. Currently this group is on pace to finish near the bottom with 32 wins. 32 is improvement but nobody will be shouting with joy at the top of the rafters of Sleep Train about 4 more victories. The schedule looked like an absolute killer right out of the gate. The Kings surprised early by taking on some real NBA powers and carved them up with improved defense, intense rebounding and a knack for hitting A LOT of free throws. The 5-1 start shocked many, including me. The 9-5 beginning felt like there was more to this than just a good spurt. The worst part of the 9-5 start was blowing 2 huge leads to playoff teams in Dallas and Memphis. Blowing leads stinks, but this group built 20 point leads in Dallas and Memphis. Another layer of the team was unveiled. They could build leads but couldn't hold them.
Then we hit Thanksgiving. Normally a time to be thankful for all the things this world has given us. For the Kings it was about a wonderful start, new addition of Darren Collison looking like the steal of the free agent class and a bright future ahead. The schedule was going to ease up and it was going to be a December to remember. On Thanksgiving DeMarcus was sent home from the road trip in San Antonio. Players get sick all of the time and this seemed like just a minor setback. We all learned a lot more about viral meningitis. That sidelined DeMarcus for 10 games and we learned that this team didn't cope very well at all without him.
As it turns out it was a December to remember. The Kings went 4-11 in the final month of 2014. They changed coaches, they struggled without DeMarcus, and continue to struggle when he returned. We learned that this team's world was rocked by the switch at the top. The locker room believed in Malone maybe more than they believed in themselves. Coach left and so did the team's swagger. They may not have had much of it, but they did have some. They took a long time to recover from the change and you could easily debate that they still haven't recovered all the way.
Now we are in January with a team record of 3 wins and 6 losses including 4 consecutive. The team continues to turn the ball over. They also struggle with finding a tempo that works best for them and the front office. Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are". I believe in that statement a lot, but as you can see the Kings were the surprise talk of the league, then considered a potential playoff threat, then a team in flux, to now a team that can't find their way. Same guys with different results. So who are they?
We have seen DeMarcus Cousins become even more dominant than ever. He has improved his defense, his offense is unstoppable and most importantly he has really made strides as a leader/teammate. Rudy signed to stay and has been good but like everyone else on the team needs DeMarcus on the floor. Collison does look like a good player to build with and his contract going forward is excellent. Ben has made huge strides from year one to this year and also looks like good things are on the horizon for him. JT has been exactly what this team needed on the defensive end. He guards all of the best opposing bigs which helps out Cousins. The bench has been too thin. The depth is an issue. Too many players have been inconsistent. Landry has been the most stable. Derrick Williams is up and down. Casspi was pretty good early but injured a lot as of late. Ray McCallum has played a lot more lately because of injuries to Sessions. Ramon and Nik have been subpar. Nik is still just a rookie but Ramon's career path suggests that he is a better player than this. Ryan Hollins and Reggie Evans have been good veterans but haven't played enough to make too much of an impact.
I have said all of this to try and figure exactly we have seen in the first half of the season. I do know that it has been a roller coaster. My years of covering the league has taught me to enjoy the ride even at its most uncomfortable moments. When the team got off to a great start and we were on the radio shocked with the rest of the NBA world, I enjoyed it. We took calls from doubters who said it wouldn't last. It didn't, but you know what I say to that, shame on those that didn't enjoy what looks like the best part of the season. I have had the pleasure of calling the play by play for 3 games this season on the radio. All of them came early and all were wins. I had the time of my life. I didn't know the team would be 16-25 when those games occurred. The times are tougher now but every game is a new opportunity and as rough as it looks now who can honestly predict how the 2nd half will go. We will see thrilling wins, agonizing losses, too many turnovers, DeMarcus double-doubles, flight 16 taking off, bad decisions, silly fouls, missed free throws, frustrating replays, missed assignments, amazing dunks and passionate fans. I honestly don't know how this season will end, but I do know that I want to be a part of the journey as maddening as it can be.