Surprise team of last season, in 3rd place in the Western Conference (48-34) and not far from claiming the scalp of the reigning champions in the first round of the playoffs, the Kings return to combat with the support of an almost unchanged group. To the delight of Harrison Barnes…
A desire from their GM, Monte McNairat the end of this exercise, to say the least, collectively resulted in Sacramento.
“ We have the luxury of having a young team that has had some success and that we could let grow and develop. », he declares for NBC Sports. “ At the same time, we brought in some pretty intriguing faces, so some new blood, which is always good. We are looking for ways to continue to strengthen the team as we always do. »
Surround the ensemble with experienced players
Concerning these famous reinforcements, the Kings notably brought in Sasha Vezenkov of the European continent. A 28-year-old interior who, even if he is currently struggling to seduce Mike Brown, has just come out of a season where he was elected Euroleague MVP with Olympiakos.
“ When we put together a trade for him, he was in the best five in the Euroleague, which is very impressive, because it means you’re one of the five best players in what is, probably, the second best league of the world », recalls Monte McNair, at the origin of his recruitment. “ Then, this year, seeing him explode and become MVP, maybe it wasn’t expected but it certainly wasn’t a surprise in our eyes either. His shooting, his basketball IQ, his size, his toughness… All these things fit the way this Kings team plays. I think it will fit in perfectly. »
A Sasha Vezenkov who, like JaVale McGee or Chris Duarte (or even Jaylen Nowell), will have the mission of energizing the Sacramento bench. In addition to bringing experience to a group that is still quite young…
“ Our starting five was fantastic last season », rejoices Monte McNair. “ I think we had five or six players who made their debut in the playoffs and they really asserted themselves despite the outcome of Game 7 [face aux Warriors]. So being able to renew this group and incorporate some intriguing faces is something very exciting for us. »
It remains to be seen whether the summer decisions of the 2023 Executive of the Year, praised by Mike Brown, will allow the Kings to remain in the Top 8 in the West, after having put an end to their (record) streak of 16 consecutive seasons. without playoffs.
