2019 Kings Basketball Still Far Away from Division Throne

2019 Sacramento Kings Betting Storylines

If circumstances were different, the Sacramento Kings could be a media darling - a loveable underdog that people would be happy to cheer for. After years of incompetence and the loss of a superstar, the Kings had a halfway respectable season last year. They finished ninth in tough Western Conference. It's not quite as impressive as it sounds - they were nine games back of the Clippers in eighth, so it's not like they were knocking on the door of the playoffs. But still, it was progress for a team that hasn't shown a lot of that in a long time. And, more importantly, they have some things to build on. Some reason for optimism. Or at least they would if they weren't stuck in a division with the Lakers, Clippers and Warriors. It's tough to get anyone to care about you when you are stuck among that group. So, the Kings will fly under the radar again. However, can they do some damage, and make some progress, while no one is paying attention?

Related: Phoenix Suns 2019 Odds and Predictions

There is a nice young core to build on here. No doubt about that. Buddy Hield took long enough to develop that it was a question as to whether he would ever work out, but by the end of his third season last year he had become a serious offensive threat and an assassin from outside. He averaged 20.7 points last year, and he's playing for a contract, so there is real upside in his game. De'Aaron Fox is a high-level playmaker, and things slowed down for him a lot in his second year last year - as they should again now. Marvin Bagley III was overshadowed by Luka Doncic and others last year as a rookie, but he was very solid and should only get better. And Harry Giles had a lot of ground to make up after missing his whole rookie season, but he showed flashes last year and could really get better. That's a very solid group of young talent to build around. If they can get the mix around them right, there is some nice potential here.

2019 Sacramento Kings Additions and Departures

The big splash of the offseason was the change in coaches. Dave Joerger had been in the job for three years, and he had moved forward, but he clearly hadn't done enough in the eyes of ownership. The team got rid of him, and then took advantage of circumstances to replace him nicely. Luke Walton did not deserve to be fired from the Lakers, but LeBron gets what he wants, and he didn't want Walton. He's a good coach with an excellent background, and he should mesh well with the young talent here. Hield, in particular, could benefit from some of the offensive tricks Walton picked up in Golden State. And Igor Kokoskov definitely didn't deserve to be fired after just one year in Phoenix, so bringing in a second guy with legitimate head coaching credentials, and a modern view of the game, is nothing but a positive if he and Walton can work together.

The team re-signed Harrison Barnes for four years and $85 million this summer. You could argue that that is too much money, but it works for the team, and he's a good veteran and defensive presence in a starting lineup that can use both. The deal is front loaded, too, so the last year isn't too ugly. It's a positive. The team lost Willie Cauley-Stein to Golden State, and replaced him at center with Dewayne Dedmon, who was reasonably solid the last couple of years on a lousy Atlanta team. Dedmon is very solid defensively, which was a concern for this team last year. They also picked up Richaun Holmes on a cheap deal to back up Dedmon at center. And they added Trevor Ariza as another veteran who plays defense and is versatile. Ariza's days of eating up a ton of minutes are probably nearing an end, but on this roster that's okay. The team also added Cory Joseph. It's a good move for two reasons - he's a very capable backup point guard who provides excellent stability behind Fox, and a team can never have too many Canadians. All in all, it was a lower key but very solid offseason that answered some questions and improved the team.

The Kings traded their first-round pick to Philadelphia a while back in a salary dump, so the draft won't be the source of serious impact this year.

2019 Sacramento Kings Futures Odds and Trends

Sacramento Kings Futures Odds

NBA title odds : +12500

Western Conference title odds : +8000

Season win total: 37.5

Will the Sacramento Kings make the playoffs: Yes +250, No -300

The Kings were a surprising treat to bet on last year. Their 45-36-1 ATS mark last year was tied for third best in the league. They were far less useful on the total, though, going over 41 times, and under 40 times,.

2019 Sacramento Kings Predictions and Futures Odds Picks

I like the offseason the team had, I like the coaching staff a lot, and I like the core. But they are in such a tough spot in their division. It's all about defining success for this team. The playoffs aren't likely to happen. But they won 39 games last year, and it feels like .500 is absolutely within range this year. And it doesn't feel like too much of a stretch. That means that I like the over on the season win total quite a lot.

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