The State of the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a complete disaster. Their organization is dysfunctional, they are playing in a new system, Rudy Gay is most likely not coming back next season when he becomes a free agent, and DeMarcus Cousins is on his 6th coach since he was drafted out of the University of Kentucky as the 5th pick. On top of all this, Matt Barnes and Cousins were sued over an alleged nightclub fight that took place in New York earlier this week.
They are in the middle of the pack in offensive efficiency, scoring about 103 ppg. They are below average on defense allowing about 105 ppg. If they get lucky, I can see them getting the 7th or 8th seed with these numbers. They have a great coach who has led a winning team in Dave Jeorger. The Kings have started with a disappointing 8-13 record, and our 4th in a packed division including the Clippers and Warriors who are maybe the two best teams in the NBA right now. The Kings just don't have that supporting cast around Gay and Cousins they need to win on a consistent basis. If Gay or Cousins both don't show up one night, that is pretty much it for the Kings.
Like I said earlier, Rudy Gay will become a free agent come July. There is a 99% chance he signs elsewhere, so it is best for Sacramento to put him out there and listen to some offers and make a fair deal. He is their second-best player after Cousins averaging around 21 ppg on 45% field goal shooting. He is a great veteran addition for any team that is willing to give up what is needed to acquire him. Or they can always wait until free agency and sign him then instead. Some teams might not want to take a risk of getting him before the trade deadline and giving up key assets, having him playing a couple months for them, and then leaving to another team over the summer. It would be in their best interest to get him to sign an extension before he is eligible for unrestricted free agency. But I don't think he would that with the salary cap going through the roof and at its peak.
We're only about 25% of the way through the season, so they still have plenty of time to turn it around. They are only 2 spots out of the 8th seed in the Western Conference. If they stop getting off to slow starts and following behind early in games, they have a legit chance at a run in the playoffs. If things stay the same, they can at least look forward to a top draft pick and some cap space to sign a few quality players!
