The 2023-24 Sacramento Kings’ Season Preview
September 22nd, 2023
by Alan Lu
To say that the Kings’ season was pleasantly surprising would be really understating the fact that they had a tremendous year. The Sacramento Kings’ season was a roaring success under new head coach Mike Brown, who came over from Golden State to help guide the Kings to the playoffs this year. Domantas Sabonis took the next step and became a bonafide star player and cornerstone to their franchise.
De’Aaron Fox has also been a very good complementary piece that has provided strong scoring and playmaking skills. The Kings also got great contributions from Kevin Huerter, who provided strong shooting and versatility, and they got a great bargain by trading for him while dealing away very little in the process. They also drafted well and got a solid year from rookie forward Keegan Murray, and signing Malik Monk was also a nice move, as he provided some much needed scoring punch and camaraderie, as he was also Fox’s college teammate, which definitely helped their team chemistry. The Kings were able to get the third seed in the playoffs, but they lost in a tough, hard-fought first round series against the then-defending champions, Golden State Warriors in seven games.
Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox helped lead the Kings to a playoff berth last year, and they will be hoping to get back there again in 2024.
(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images, via ESPN)
Star Players:
C Domantas Sabonis and G De’Aaron Fox
Sabonis is a very skilled, All-Star center that had a very good season last year, and he was able to help the Kings get a playoff berth in 2023. De’Aaron Fox is a speedy, skilled playmaker that also played very well, and together they will likely help the Kings back to the playoffs in 2024.
Additions:
F Sasha Vezenkov, G-F Chris Duarte, G Colby Jones, C Nerlens Noel, and G-F Jalen Slawson
The Kings added a slew of role players, but the most interesting player would be that they signed the 2023 Euroleague MVP, Sasha Vezenkov. He was a 2017 second round pick, and after a couple of years or so, his rights were traded to Sacramento. He’s a sharpshooter that can really knock down shots, and he is a smart player that consistently makes solid team plays. Duarte is a skilled swingman that had a good rookie year before having a down second season, and the other players will look to contend for minutes this year.
Subtractions:
G Terence Davis, C Richaun Holmes, and F-C Chimezie Metu
The Kings lost a slew of role players, and while they helped the Kings last year, the Kings are a solid enough team to be able to keep marching on for the upcoming season.
Rookies:
F Sasha Vezenkov, G Colby Jones and G-F Jalen Slawson
Out of all their rookies, Vezenkov is the most likely to get significant playing time this year. He played at some of the toughest professional leagues, and he took home some serious accolades in Euroleague in 2023. Colby Jones is an offensively skilled guard that could compete for playing time, and Slawson could project into a 3 and D role for the Kings.
Expected Rotation:
Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter played very well in their roles for the Sacramento Kings last year.
(Photo: Rocky Widmer/Getty Images, via Sactown Sports)
The Kings have a talented starting unit. Domantas Sabonis leveled up to make the All-Star team. De’Aaron Fox made his first All-Star team. They have good supporting shooters in Barnes, Huerter, and Murray, so they should have the firepower to be one of the better offensive teams in the league.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Malik Monk had a very solid season last year, and he has developed into being one of the best sixth men in the NBA.
(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images, via Sactown Sports)
Malik Monk has become one of the more reliable sixth men in the league. They added an outstanding movement shooter in Vezenkov. They also have a strong defensive guard in Davion Mitchell, as well as other players that could provide contributions.
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F Keon Ellis (Two-Way)
C Alex Len
G-F Chris Duarte
G-F Colby Jones
G-F Jalen Slawson (Two-Way)
G Jordan Ford (Two-Way)
Others in Camp:
C Jake Stephens (Exhibit 10)
Head Coach:
Sacramento Kings’ head coach, Mike Brown won Coach of the Year last year, and he will look to build off of that for the upcoming NBA season.
(Photo: USATSI, via CBS Sports)
Mike Brown
2022-23 (SAC): 48-34, 3-4 in the playoffs
Coaching Career: 395-250, 50-40 in the NBA Playoffs
Mike Brown had an excellent first season in Sacramento. He installed a dynamic motion offense that greatly boosted their efficiency. It’ll be interesting to see if he can build on their success from last year.
Outlook:
The Sacramento Kings surprised plenty of people to make the playoffs last year, and they are looking to make a deeper playoff run in 2024.
(Photo: Sergio Estrada/USA Today Sports, via The Kings Herald)
The Kings are a very good offensive team, but will need to improve on defense. They also are now going to have a target on their back, because opponents will know what to expect from them, so they will need to make adjustments to maintain their success. Even so, they have the talent to make the playoffs.
Projected 2023-24 Finish:
Projected Regular Season Finish: 6th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to lose in the 1st Round
2023-24 Preseason Power Ranking: 12
I went to Basketball-Reference and No-Trade Clause to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing the in-season tournament to see how that will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2023-24 Sacramento Kings. Thanks for reading.
