11. Sacramento Kings
Just a couple of months ago, it was reported that the Sacramento Kings were going to be aggressive heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. In the end, though, the Kings weren't all that aggressive considering they didn't end up making a splash move. That said, the Kings are still in a position to make some noise heading into the NBA playoffs. Even though they're unlikely to finish as a top 4 seed in the West standings, if they were to win a playoff series, it would be a huge win for the franchise overall. Especially considering how they lost in the first round of the postseason a year ago.
But it's going to be increasingly interesting to see how the Kings finish the regular season. They've been overlooked for much of the season, especially considering the strides that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder have made this year, but it's hard to say that the Kings aren't a threat in the West.
It'd be a hard pill to swallow to accept the Kings "taking a step back" this season. I'm not saying that's what the Kings have done but finishing in the bottom half of the playoff picture while losing in the first round would objectively indicate that.