2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Sacramento Kings

2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Sacramento Kings

Here is the 2024-25 NBA season preview for the Sacramento Kings. This article will touch on the Kings’ last season, off-season, training camp as well as preview the upcoming season. The NBA season previews for other teams have been released and there will be more teams coming out soon. This season is a make-or-break year for Sacramento as they missed the playoffs last year and they need to prove they can be competitive in the Western Conference.

What Happened Last Year?

The Sacramento Kings had an amazing year in 2022-2023 as they finished third in the Western Conference. They decided to run it back with the same core and some different rotational players. Sacramento’s notable adds were center JaVale McGee, power forward Sasha Vezenkov, and rookie second-round pick Colby Jones. Unfortunately, this was not enough to compete as the West got better which led to the Kings missing the playoffs. Also, Sacramento got hit with the injury bug throughout the season which further showed the Kings’ weaker depth.

The Kings finished 9th with a 46-36 record. However, point guard De’Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis continued to show they are among the best in their respective positions. Shooting guard Malik Monk was having a fantastic year as he was the front-runner for the Sixth Man of the Year award but his season ended prematurely due to injury. Sacramento’s offense came down to earth last year as they dropped to 13th in the NBA in offensive rating. However, they did drastically improve their defense finishing 14th in defensive rating. Overall, the Kings could not completely put it together which led to a loss against the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Play-in game.

Offseason Recap:

The Kings made a huge splash in the offseason completing a sign and trade for DeMar DeRozan. The Veteran SG is one of the biggest signings in the Kings’ history and there is a lot of faith that he could be the missing piece to a deep playoff run. This swing for the fence move is something Kings fans have been waiting for over the past offseasons. Furthermore, the Kings were able to re-sign Malik Monk who has been a major part of the Kings’ success in recent years. However, these moves did not happen without consequences. The Kings had to move off of fan-favorite players such as Harrison Barnes and Davion Mitchell. 

The Sacramento Kings tried to fix their depth by signing guard Jordan McLaughlin and center Orlando Robinson. Also, the Kings selected Providence guard Devin Carter with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he will miss the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury. Furthermore, the Kings just added veteran forward Doug McDermott to give the squad some more size and outside shooting. Overall, I think Sacramento did a great job by adding another star in DeMar DeRozan and trying to improve the Kings’ depth.

Projected Starting Five?

De’Aaron Fox, G – Fox had a wonderful 2024 season where he averaged 26.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. Last season was his highest points per game average of his career. Also, he added a reliable three-point shot to his game shooting 36 percent on a career-high 7.8 three-pointers per game. Furthermore, he averaged a career-high two steals per game which led the entire NBA last season. De’Aaron Fox is consistently getting better every season so I’m excited to see the next leap he takes in the upcoming season.

Keon Ellis, G – Ellis is a third-year undrafted guard from Alabama who made a name for himself last year. He played in 57 games and started in 21 toward the end of the season. His defensive presence earned him playing time and his three-point shot cemented his role. Ellis shot a fantastic 41 percent from three last year but he will need to improve his scoring at the other two levels this year. His on-ball defense and ability to guard multiple positions is huge for the Kings.

DeMar DeRozan, G/F – The 15-year veteran Derozan is coming off a year where he averaged 24 ppg, 5.3 apg, and 4.3 rpg. He is a maestro in the mid-range and he gets to the free throw line averaging 7.7 attempts per game. Also, he is an absolute closer who was second in Clutch Player of the Year voting last season. This was the biggest signing the Kings have made in years let’s see how Derozan can deliver next year.

Keegan Murray, F – The former 4th overall pick is headed into his third year. His offensive jump did not completely happen last year. He increased his points per game to 15.2 but his three-point percentage dropped to 35 percent. However, Murray took a huge step on the defensive side of the ball becoming the Kings ‘ lockdown defender. Now, if he can maintain his defensive improvement while adding a few more points on 50/40/85 shooting splits that’d be a magnificent third year.

Domantas Sabonis, C – Sabonis continues to be one of the most underrated players in the league. He averaged 19.4 points per game, a league-leading 13.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He is a catalyst for this offense as he controls a lot of pick and rolls, dribble handoffs and he finds the cutters. Sabonis is one of the most consistent players in the league he brings the energy every night and he played all 82 games last season. It is perplexing he only shoots 5.1 free throws per game considering his play style but I digress.

Notable Reserves:

Malik Monk, G – He averaged his highest points per game of his career with 15.4 and his highest assists at 5.1 last season. Monk was fantastic as the sixth man last year always adding an offensive spark off the bench. Also, he holds an important role on this team as he is the energy guy of the squad and one of its more vocal leaders. Monk will have another great opportunity to be named Sixth Man of the Year if he can continue to be a playmaker for the second unit while increasing his overall offensive efficiency.

Kevin Huerter, G – Huerter had a down year last year after his amazing 2022-2023 campaign. His points per game dropped to 10.2 and his three-point percentage fell to 36 percent the lowest of his career. Also, his season ended early due to injury so he is looking at a big bounce-back season this year. Huerter is a solid two-way player who can be a huge offensive weapon for the Kings if the sharpshooter can get back to his normal efficiency numbers. 

Biggest X-Factor?

I believe Keegan Murray will always be the Kings’ biggest X-Factor until he breaks out and reaches his potential. I see Murray’s ceiling as an elite two-way scorer. He can be the team’s best lockdown defender while being an efficient low 20-point-per-game scorer. However, it would be disingenuous to not have DeMar DeRozan as this season’s X-Factor. The Kings brought him in to be the player that makes Sacramento a real contender. His offensive skill set will give the Kings another go-to scorer while making life easier for stars Fox and Sabonis. Also, his veteran pedigree and playoff experience will give Sacramento a much-needed boost on the court. He fits in perfectly with the culture that head coach Mike Brown is trying to establish in Sacramento. 

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Season Projection?

It is tough to predict where teams will finish as the Western Conference will be extremely competitive. I believe the Sacramento Kings will finish with a 49-33 record which will put them around the four seed in the West.

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