Yesterday’s loss against the Miami Heat was just another installment in what has been a disappointing season for the Sacramento Kings. Blown leads, missed opportunities, late-game no calls, and close losses. The Kings had a chance to deliver the Heat their second home loss of the season, but just couldn’t get over the hump.
That’s the story of the Kings, so close but yet so very far.
After starting off the season 0-5, Sacramento redeemed themselves by having a solid month of November before eventually sliding down the slippery slope of winter into the 14th spot in the West where they stand now.
It is almost as if having a lottery pick is inevitable. Like if King Midas turned everything he touched into a lottery pick, but nothing came of it, just a lousy showroom of Jimmer’s and Willie Cauley-Stein’s.
If we want to take away something positive from the long holiday weekend where the Kings also got blown out by the Jazz, it was that the front office dealt Trevor Ariza for a second round pick and two solid players in Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver, both of whom have expiring contracts.
This season will be tough to salvage, and it seems like the franchise will have to start preparing for another failed season. But hopefully not in the manner we’re accustomed to.
Even though Walton hasn’t done anything to improve this team, he should be given another year to run the helm.
It will maintain an opportunity for consistency, and another year will really give the front office a better evaluation of the coach as he has dealt with injuries throughout the year.
For the front office, changes are knocking on the front door. Vlade has proven again and again that he isn’t meant to be a general manager.
He shouldn’t be given another opportunity to blow a draft pick, and hopefully Ranadive gives him the boot before June.
The Kings are sticking to the script of the last decade plus. Fans can only hope that Hield, Fox, Bagley, and Bogdanovic all play cohesively to end the season to instill some hope for the following year. And maybe, just maybe, a number one pick.
