NBA Hope Index: How far is each team from a ring heading into 2017-18?

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 22: De’Aaron Fox shows his jacket linin on stage after being drafted fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

24. Sacramento Kings

You can forgive Kings fans for having some pep in their step when last season ended.

The Boogie Cousins cloud is gone, and there finally seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Some young talent has started to emerge, a few savvy vets have joined the party, the team played hard for first-year coach Dave Joerger, and D’Aaron Fox looks the part. Compared to the last fifteen seasons of Kings basketball, all of the above is cause for a parade.

Alas, it’s still the Kings. Now that Scott Perry has departed to New York, it’s tough to trust anyone calling the shots here to behave like a functional, non-crazy town rational actor, let alone make smart basketball decisions. Even before they got the rep they’re starting to shed, this was never a marquee free agent destination. They also lack a single sure thing on the roster.

The best that fans can hope for – other than a change in ownership – is that the team is good enough by the end of 2019 that the unprotected pick they gift-wrapped to Philly doesn’t come back to haunt them for years to come.

Path to Glory: All of the kids – Skal, Fox, Buddy – take a step forward this year while still losing lots of games, Harry Giles reclaims his former #1 recruit form, the team wins the 2018 lottery, and they become a team to truly fear starting around 2020.

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