Tomahawk Tuesday: Are the Sacramento Kings championship contenders?

 

                                             (Credit: Kelley L. Cox/USA TODAY Sports) 

One of the feel good stories of this year's NBA season is the rise of the Sacramento Kings, who are currently 3rd in the Western Conference with a 40-27 record. Point guard De'Aaron Fox (25.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, & 6.3 assists) and power forward Domantas Sabonis (19.0 points, 12.4 rebounds, & 7.1 assists) are forming a really good one-two punch for this Kings team, doing nice job of scoring, facilitating, and rebounding. Both were named All-Stars this season and deservedly so. 

After years of trying to find the right formula and bring in the right pieces, first year head coach Mike Brown and the Kings seem to have finally figured it out and given the youth that is on their team, they appear to be a team that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. If there's any fanbase that has been patiently waiting for this kind of turnaround, it's Kings fans. They've watched a lot of subpar/frustrating basketball over the years, so you know they're happy to see their team finally come together like this. 

Looking at their team stats, where the Kings really are kicking butt is with their shooting percentages. They are second in the NBA with a 49.9% field goal percentage, ninth in the league with a 37.1% 3-point shooting percentage, and also ninth in the league with a 79.8% free throw shooting percentage. They're shooting very efficiently both inside and out, making them a tough team for opposing defenses to stop. 

As far as what's most accounted for the Kings' leap, I would say it's the addition of Sabonis, who they acquired from the Indiana Pacers around the trade deadline in 2022. Fox's production has actually been pretty consistent these past three seasons, but he needed someone to be the Robin to his Batman and Sabonis has been a perfect Robin. By having someone to help take the pressure off of him and be an effective presence in the post at an All-Star level, Fox finally has the kind of team around him that he needs. 

As far as whether or not the Kings are championship contenders, the main reason to think not is the fact that they haven't been to the playoffs since the 2005-06 season when they lost in the first round. That's back when Rick Adelman was still the head coach. His final season at the helm. Teams rarely win NBA championships in their first trip back to the playoffs and usually they have to go through some sort of growing pains by losing in the conference semis or something. 

That all said, they are on track to get a high seed in the playoffs and they historically have a great home court advantage in the playoffs. If they are able to hang on to their top three seed, I'd say I like their chances to win their first round series and then from there, we just gotta see how things shake out. But regardless, it's clear that this team is building something legit and that if they stay on their present course, we very well may see them reach the NBA Finals very soon even if it isn't this season. 

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Wednesday Windmill: Are the Indiana Pacers a healthy Victor Oladipo away from winning the East?

                                          (Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images) 


On Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 105-102 at home, improving to 19-9 overall and 6th in the Eastern Conference. As has been a staple of theirs over the years, the Pacers have a pretty balanced scoring attack with five players scoring in double figures: Malcolm Brogdon (19.1 points per game), T.J. Warren (17.8 points per game), Domantas Sabonis (17.7 points per game), Jeremy Lamb (14.6 points per game), and Myles Turner (11.1 points per game). When you have so many different weapons, you're a very difficult team to stop both at home and on the road.

That all said, the Pacers appear to be lacking at least one additional weapon, which is where Victor Oladipo comes in. Oladipo hasn't played all season due to a knee injury and it remains unclear when he'll return. His absence is nothing small as he averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game last season. He's their best player on paper.

The good news for the Pacers is that so far at least, they're playing really well without him. They're on pace to make the playoffs and are keeping themselves within striking distance of a top four seed in the East for when he returns. Assuming he does return this season and is able to play like his regular self, this Pacers team just might make a run at the Eastern Conference crown.

What makes Oladipo so good is that he's a complete two-way player. It's not just the points. It's the rebounding, the assists, and the steals. He does a little bit of everything and knows how to get it done on both ends of the floor. Guys like him are invaluable and truly make a difference on their teams. He's the kind of player every coach wishes that they had.

When talking about which teams could come out of the East this year, don't sleep on the Pacers. They're already one of the better teams in the league and are still awaiting the return of their best player. That should have everyone in the East on notice.

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Wednesday Windmill: Just how dangerous are the Indiana Pacers?

One team that seems to be flying under the radar is the red-hot Indiana Pacers, winners of 5 straight games and 8 of their last 10. Led by Victor Oladipo (19.6 points), the Pacers currently have a 25-12 record, putting them just two games back of the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. In an Eastern Conference that is wide open, this Pacers team needs to be taken seriously as a legitimate contender to reach the NBA Finals.

What makes the Pacers so dangerous is their depth. While Oladipo is their feature player, he has plenty of help around him in guys like Bojan Bogdanovic (16.2 points on 45.7% shooting from 3-point range), Domantas Sabonis (14.6 points & 9.6 rebounds), Myles Turner (13.1 points & 7.3 rebounds), Thaddeus Young (12.1 points & 5.8 rebounds), and Tyreke Evans  (10.5 points). With this depth, the Pacers have the shooters to keep perimeter defenders on their toes and the size up front to bang down low.

The biggest question with this team is whether or not they have a legitimate go-to player in the clutch. It's one thing to have guys who you can go to in the regular season, but it's another to have a guy who you can count on to make a key play in the playoffs. When you look at the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders, it's clear who the go-to players are. The Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Raptors have Kawhi Leonard, the 76ers have Joel Embiid, and the Celtics have Kyrie Irving. While the Pacers can say they have Oladipo, I wouldn't put him in the same league as those other players. At least not yet.

If Oladipo can prove his worth as a legitimate franchise player and show that he's not afraid to step up in the playoffs, then the Pacers have a real chance to go the distance. They have the depth and the versatility to do so. As an added bonus, they have a killer fan base that comes out in droves to support their Pacers come playoff time.

At the moment, I'm not yet sure who to pick to win the Eastern Conference title given that the 76ers and Celtics are underperforming and the Bucks and Raptors are yet to prove they can go deep in the playoffs. With that in mind, I don't see why the Pacers should be excluded from the discussion. They're playing great basketball and have all the pieces to be a nightmare matchup for whoever they face in the playoffs. It's been a while since the Pacers were in the NBA Finals, but I have a feeling this just might be the year that they finally get back.

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