A classic among classics, the Global Franchise Preview is ready for the customer du jour. Let’s go to Sacramento to take a look at the Kings, and get an overview of what happened, what is happening and what could happen in Mike Brown’s team for the 2022-23 NBA season. Finally… take off?
What happened last season
Past the dune, an expanse of white sand: does this cursed desert have an end?
“The positive record of the Kings will therefore have lasted up to 5 wins for 5 losses, before disappearing forever, in the meanders of a Western Conference disputed from start to finish”. These words scratched at the end of the season in our Bilan 2021-22 from Sacramento Kings, could very well have been those scratched the previous season. It’s been 16 years since the Kings last tasted Playoff games, and although the outcome of the last exercise was not happier, the waves were not lacking. On February 8, the Kings swung Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to Indiana, in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday. The last two have left this summer, but the tall blond is still there, determined to wipe away the tears caused by the departure of Tyrese. How ? By finally hanging a Playoffs campaign.
The summer market
- They leave : Donte DiVincenzo, Mo Harkless, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Damian Jones, Josh Jackson
- They arrive : Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, KZ Okpala, Sam Merrill, Chima Monke, Kent Bazemore, Quinn Cook
The transfer of Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana, this is the real earthquake of summer Kings side last winter. Beyond this madness that the liars only expected, the arrival of Domantas Sabonis in exchange freed the roster from a deficit in painting. The Kings finally have their axe 1-5 and had only to surround him with proud soldiers, brave, devoted to a cause that has known little devotion in recent years. The arrival of Malik Monk is awesome, much more valuable than a Donte DiVincenzo who was struggling to find his rhythm. Outside Mo Harkless and Josh Jackson, Keegan Murray – 4th pick of the 2022 Draft – comes to refresh position 4 and bring… we’ll see what he will bring.
It is, whatever happens, a nice breath of fresh air on a workforce that was getting wet like wood under the fleet. A little ras-le-bob (ras-le-cap and ras-le-bol = ras-le-bob) of Harkless, Lamb, Holiday: finally something new!
The Kings 2022-23 roster
- Leaders : De’Aaron FoxDavion Mitchell, Matthew Dellavedova
- Rears : Kevin HuerterMalik Monk, Kent Bazemore
- Wingers : Harrison Barnes, Terence Davis
- Power forwards : Keegan MurrayTrey Lyles, Chimezie Metu, KZ Okpala
- Pivots : Domantas SabonisRichaun Holmes, Alex Len
In orange the expected starters, according to the famous sources close to the file
This is the balance praised above. The room for improvement is on the wing and on post 2 where there is a lack real 3&D. We are not used to absolutely recommending Danny Green, but the Iroquois would have done CRAZY good to this roster which could take 120 points on evenings of… big defense. As for complementarity, De’Aaron Fox holds the ball and Kevin Huerter leaves him. A very simplistic reflection but at the origin of everything. The presence of Harrison Barnes still does not bring (too much) defense, but facilitates the game and allows him to keep an eye on Keegan Murray, a rookie with considerable (potential) offensive impact.
A little video by the way?
Sacramento Kings 2022-23 salaries
TTFL: Kings players to watch
De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray.
We could have – perhaps “should” – have put Malik Monk instead of Keegan Murray, but going bold pays a nice tribute to the management current Kings. Good luck choosing between De’Aaron Fox, who will now have a few more assists on his account, and Domantas Sabonis, who should gobble up a lot more rebounds than in Indiana where Myles Turner was bothering him. The TTFL scores of these two guys will explode, sometimes reaching peaks, and will provide as many guarantees… as All-Stars? A somewhat affirmative question, though De’Aaron Fox’s 6/21 shooting keeps us – and will – always keep us awake.
Infirmary: update on injuries
When we look at the Sacramento infirmary, four names stand out. Richaun Holmes, for starters, experienced several scary alerts. He missed three games in November and seven in December for right eye injuries (which required surgery) and another five in February for back pain. It was ultimately the legal battle for the custody of his son that ended his season in mid-March. Domantas Sabonis missed four games with a sprained left ankle in January but a bruised bone in his left knee ended his season on March 20. We saw him in form under the colors of Lithuania at the Eurobasket. De’Aaron Fox, meanwhile, struggled with two injuries with a sprained ankle that sidelined him eight games in January and a sprained right hand that kept him out of the final eleven games of the season. . Keegan Murray, finally, had surgery in July on his right wrist to remove debris from the cartilage. He was cleared to return to basketball on September 9 and will therefore be dressed for the start of the season. To conclude, some sores on the side of the Kings but nothing very worrying, we can only wish them that it lasts all season.
What goals this season?
What other goal than the one that will guide the Kings over the decade?
It’s been said 16 times, but the Kings haven’t played a single Playoff campaign in 16 years. The association between De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis finally raises a wind of hope for the cursed city, California’s dunce cap for far too long. The selection of Keegan Murray in the 2022 Draft could spell the end of bad luck: after having overlooked Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2018 – for lack of a Marvin Bagley III described as one of the safe bets of the vintage – the Summer League of the new prospect suggests that the front office of Sac Town has finally had a hollow nose. Developing it correctly will be one of the “secondary” challenges of this 2022-23 season, just like integrate the 6 or 7 other newcomersnot necessarily aware of what is being done under the paw… Mike Brown.
Yes, this season will also be that of Mike Brown’s big comeback as n°1 velleda on an NBA bench. Who is Mike Brown? A guy who will have to succeed where Alvin Gentry and Luke Walton have just failed, when before them nine other tacticians had already eaten the holiday wall in April. He has the experience of a dynasty and of modern basketball, he who comes out of six years as assistant to Steve Kerr in Golden State. From there to transforming his new group into a basketball team, capable of maximizing the use of its offensive potential as much as of… defending? Don’t worry about a dolphin, and don’t worry about a De’Aaron Fox Jrue Holiday. Let him compose as he sees fit with what is given to him, but beware of the “adaptation time”. It’s been a long time since we tolerated patience in Sacramento.
The Editor’s Prognosis
40 wins – 42 losses: 10th place in the West.
Very correct starting five, an interesting Malik Monk – Richaun Holmes axis off the bench, but too much defense light to hope to break down the doors of the top 10 and steer a more interesting place there. It is also difficult to send De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis on vacation in April, which is why we place a big question mark above participation in the Play-in, but also the content and the result. of this play-in. On a single meeting, torches like Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk can set the house on fire. We will observe with a close eye the progress of Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell, such as the integration of Matthew Dellavedova who had not played a basketball game since March 6, 2013 with Cleveland.
Some useful links
So much for the Kings preview for this NBA 2022-23 season. Hope without utopia, the slider is set without too much freedom of movement, between places 9 to 12, those that take you from a very good season to industrial disaster.