8. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings were the darlings of last season in the Western Conference but I can’t imagine that’s going to be the case again this year. The Kings caught nearly everyone by surprise last season. That’s unlikely to happen this season. The Kings are going to transform from hunters to the hunted. Every night, the Kings are going to have a target on their backs, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they are able to handle that change of approach.
The good news is that the Kings have the talent to continue to be threats in the Western Conference. De’Aaron Fox proved that he could be a consistent All-Star level guard and Domantas Sabonis emerged as a difference-making offensive player. If the team’s supporting cast can continue to make a difference, the Kings should be just as good as they were last season.
I’m not sure if the Kings will finish as a top 3 team in the Western Conference again but there’s no real reason to believe that huge regression is coming for Sacramento.