By finishing 9th in the West, there was still a chance for the Kings to qualify for the playoffs. They took revenge on their rivals, the Warriors. But they fell against the Pelicans. And their season comes to an abrupt end.
Last season, Sacramento finished in third place to return to the playoffs after 16 long seasons of waiting. But with only two wins less than in 2023, the Kings found themselves playing two play-in games, only to be eliminated.
“There are a lot of reasons to be positive, and at the same time, expectations have increased over the last year,” says GM, Monte McNair. “ This is a good thing. And that's a good thing for our organization. I like the fact that 46 wins and beating Golden State in the play-in isn't enough anymore. »
Positive despite everything
As Monte McNair says, everything is not to be thrown away in this Kings season. Certainly, 46 victories are no longer enough for this group. But Mike Brown joins his GM in seeing the positive despite this premature end.
“There have been good things in terms of progress”, judges the coach, who is completing his second season at the head of the club. “ I'm proud of our guys. They were competitive, they prepared the right way, they were concerned and focused on the details. They kept trying to improve our identity, trying to play fast, trying to play physical, and then playing for each other. This group has been connected since day one and that connection has contributed greatly to our growth. »
Not reaching the playoffs may seem like a regression, but the coach still thinks his team is on the right path.
“I sincerely believe that we are on the right path to establishing a lasting culture of winning. I love our group. I like the competitiveness of the group. I like the conviviality of the group. I really believe our guys are going to focus on the things they need to do to get better this summer, knowing how difficult it's going to be overall to just be able to compete and get to where we want to go. »
No time to waste
De'Aaron Fox's teammates will have to quickly return to the “postseason” because nothing lasts in the West and everything changes quickly. “We still feel the urgency”admits Monte McNair. “In this league, windows don't last forever. But I think we've seen a lot of things we can build on. If you look at it over a two-year horizon, I'm proud of what this team has accomplished. »
For the Kings GM, the time has come to climb the ladder and take a step forward. “In the West, you can't sit back and wait forever,” assures the former leader of the Rockets. “We have a fairly young group, but we are not so young that our horizon is five or six years. We are ready to win now, we are built to win now and we are going to find ways to improve the team internally or externally as much as we can. »
With the upcoming changes, the goal will be to return to the playoffs. Above all, the Kings will have to win a series… for the first time since 2004!
