Breaking Down the Sacramento Kings’ Road Back to the Playoffs | Locked On Kings

Breaking Down the Sacramento Kings’ Road Back to the Playoffs | Locked On Kings

A couple years ago us Sacramento Kings fans dreamed of the stress of a post Allstar break playoff race and now that we’re in the thick of it oh man we got what we bargained for the kings are locked in a very competitive Western Conference playoff race it’s going to be

Tougher this season than it was last season with the Kings securing the third seed but we’re going to break down the Kings rode back to the postseason right here on lockon Kings you are locked on Kings your daily Sacramento Kings podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team

Every day and now ladies and gentlemen it is that time time for another episode of lock on Kings hello and welcome into lock on Kings your podcast hub for Sacramento Kings coverage all season long today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new

Customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 150 bucks if your bet wins visit fanduel.com lockon to get started my name is Matt George I have the privilege of being your host here I’m a Sacramento Sports Anchor and reporter for abc10 news and I’m a WWE

Wrestling fan now before you turn off this podcast if you’re not a wrestling fan understand an I’m making an analogy here because the biggest event in wrestl in wrestling the Super Bowl of wrestling is WrestleMania and in the months buildup to WrestleMania they call it the Road to WrestleMania and that’s where we

Are in the wrestling world right now well let’s apply that same way of thinking to the Sacramento Kings and what they’re doing right now still during the regular season in their road to the postseason now if the Wrestlemania is the Super Bowl the NBA Finals we’re not necessarily talking

About the Kings Road to the NBA finals right now we’re just talking about the Kings Road back into the playoffs and after the Kings win over the San Antonio Spurs I spent a lot of time talking about and also played some audio from a couple Kings players and head coach Mike

Brown talking about the significance of this playoff race right the significance of the remainder of this season of course we want the Kings to get back to the playoffs so that they can then prove that they can go further in the playoffs and get closer to a championship than

They got in the postseason being uh eliminated in the first round last season right so the playoffs are definitely more important but this road back to the playoffs with how tight this playoff race is with how many unbelievably talented teams there are in the west and with the very significant

Difference between being a six seed and making it right into the playoffs and right into the first series versus being a seventh eth ninth or 10th series and having to make it through the in the play in tournament to actually get to a playoff series like this road this this

This final playoff race this final stretch of the season is more significant than it ever has been it’s a great opportunity for this Kings team to show their growth to get better to improve to build the right habits and make the right steps towards climbing that ladder to ultimately becoming a

Championship Contender so if this is the road back to the playoffs for the Sacramento Kings let’s break this down and honestly I I’ve like the Kings have 27 games remaining as of right now they’re nine games over 500 right they’re 32 and 23 on the season if they

Want to match last season’s 48 wins they need to go 16 and 11 over their final 27 games very achievable for this Kings team 161 gets them at 48 wins to match last year’s total now last year 48 wins was enough to be a third seed this year

48 wins might not be enough to be a top six seed it honestly might might not be like right now the kings are in seventh they’re a half game back of the Dallas Mavericks who are in the sixth spot again that’s The Sweet Spot your six are

Higher you’re right into the playoffs no play in tournament so of course five is still in reach too the kings are only one game back of the New Orleans Pelicans are in the fifth spot and and five or higher should definitely be the goal right if you’re if you’re the six

Seed too the Kings might match up with a team like the Los Angeles Clippers who of course they play tomorrow night and that’s a team that that could give them some matchup problems but regardless like it’s not like the Kings have to get six or they’re going to be a play in

Team or that’s their only option to them they definitely should be shooting for five or higher but getting to that six spot that is The Sweet Spot and right now it’s held by the Mavericks which the kings are only half a game back of that being said it’s not like they have a

Massive safety net behind them technically in terms of the the the win loss column the kings are only slightly ahead by a few percentage points of the Phoenix Suns but the suns are also half a game back of the uh the fifth seed so the Suns right now are in the eighth

Seed uh the the kings are in the seventh seed then you look down to the the ninth and 10th seeds the final two play in spots and those are held by the Lakers and the Warriors the Lakers are two and a half games back of where Sacramento is

At in ninth so there’s a little bit of room between 78 and 910 not a lot of room that can be made up quickly especially if the Kings struggle in this road to the postseason But ultimately the kings are looking up right they’re not looking down there’s teams biting at

Their heels for sure but the kings are also biting at the heels of a couple other teams to try and work them their way into a guaranteed playoff spot I’m confident that the kings are a top eight team like and that might come back to bite me but I’m I’m confident in saying

That this Kings team is not going to fall below eight right I think they are ahead of the Lakers and the Warriors those are two teams that obviously have plenty of Veteran star talent that can get hot at the right time but I’m pretty confident in this Kings team ability I

Believe that the worst that this Kings team is going to be is eighth that being said we still don’t want them to be eighth or seventh right we want them to be top six but I’m pretty confident the Kings aren’t going to fall further than eight that being said they match that 48

Win total from last year I think that secures them a seventh or eight seed but if they want to get to sixth or higher they really want to get to fifth I think it’s going to take 50 plus wins which means that forget the 16 and 11 over the

Remainder of the season the Kings need to go minimum 18 and N over the remainder of the season to get to 50 or more wins so let’s look at these final uh let’s look at these final 27 games we got to find 18 wins in these 27 games

Now we’re not going to run through the schedule and break down each game and say win or loss or win or loss but I have the king schedule in front of me the remaining 27 games of the schedule and when we’re when we try and find wins

When we’re looking for wins on paper we’re ultimately looking at games that we believe based off the circumstances based off of Records based off of injuries whatever the case may be at this point in time we try and project which games that we believe for a certain that Sacramento should be

Winning now should and do win are very different things right the Kings have lost to bad teams already this season far too many times we’ve also talked about their safety net if they want to be a top 16 I think their safety net to lose to to bad teams is is pretty much

Gone but I’m doing this exercise intentionally because I look through this schedule and I found nine win on paper games in the final 27 the the game against the Chicago Bulls at home against the San Antonio Spurs at home the Houston Rockets at home even though

The Kings have lost to the Rockets twice based off where the Rockets are and where the Kings want to be and the Kings being at home I would put that in the category of an onp paper win it’s a game that the Sacramento Kings should win so there’s three the Memphis Grizzlies at

Four the Washington or the Toronto Raptors in Toronto the Washington Wizards in Washington the Utah Jazz in Sacramento the Brooklyn Nets in Brooklyn and the final game of the regular season the Portland Trailblazers here in Sacramento nine games there that I have identified as wins on paper again I’m

Not guaranteeing the Kings win those games I’m just saying those are the nine games that I can lay out that I think the Kings absolutely should win at least based off the circumstances right now I point that out to say this that’s only half of the 18 wins that the

Kings need to get to 50 meaning if everything goes right if they win all these games that they should be winning on paper which is tough to do if they do that they’re only halfway to that 50 Mark which which means they also have to beat some really really good teams so I’ve

Broken the the this road to the playoffs over the final 27 games I’ve broken it down into three categories three parts Part One survive and I’m talking about the next four games specifically tomorrow night the kings in Los Angeles taking on the Clippers a Clippers team that has dominated Sacramento this season a

Clippers team that is AE of the kings in the standings pretty comfortably but still it’s not so much winning or losing a game drops you further behind the Clippers it’s losing a game potentially drops you further behind the Mavericks and the Pelicans and and allows the Suns

To Leap Frog you right so it’s not just falling behind the team that you lose to in the west it’s falling behind those other teams as well so you have the LA Clippers then you’re home on Monday second night of a back toback against the Miami Heat who you’ve already lost

To on the road then you have your fourth and final meeting with the Denver Nuggets that you have beaten three times but this one’s in Denver again and I doubt the Kings can feel super confident about sweeping the defending defending champions in four games although it’s certainly possible and then at Minnesota

Timberwolves who are one of the top teams in the Western Conference and provide or or or present some matchup disadvantages for Sacramento to say the least these next four games Kings could easily go 0 and four like we’re being honest right the Kings could easily go 0

And four over these next four games I say survive because if you can go three and one or four and0 during this stretch holy smokes amazing Perfection wonderful amazing job Sacramento you might want to throw a parade for that right like if the Kings do that then I’m I’m back in

The yeah this team’s a real deal team they’re they’re in the mix for a top five seed for sure but if you can find a way to split these games right you lose against against the Clippers tomorrow but you beat the Miami Heat you sweep the Denver

Nuggets and then you lose uh in in Minnesota against the Timberwolves or find a way to win two out of these four games just survive just go 500 just be average through this stretch that’s step one but if you’re going to do that if you’re going to go 500 through this

Stretch because they can easily again go 0 and four or one and three if you’re going to go 500 through this stretch that’s fine you’re treading water that means you have to make up ground in the next section which I call strike so you have survive now strike and strike is

This stretch of the season with a lot of those win on paper games that you have to take advantage of right that next stretch after you get through these four tough games you have the Bulls at home then you’re in Los Angeles taking on a Lakers team that you’re ahead of in the

Standings and you have been and are better than in my opinion then you have the Spurs the Rockets the Bucks the Lakers the Knicks and the Grizzlies all at home part of a six-game home stand then the Raptors in Toronto followed by the wizard s in Washington followed by

The Magic in Orlando that is a stretch where you need to pick up wins right if you’re looking to get to that 50 win total if you’re looking to win 18 of these final 27 games a good chunk of those wins has to come in that section

Right that is your time to strike survive those first four get through them tread water go above 500 if you can but just tread water you get through it Treading Water you can feel good about yourself because you’re going into a stretch where you have to strike you

Have to take advantage but if you fail to take advantage there that’s where I really feel like this Kings team could be on the outside of the playoffs looking in because they didn’t take advantage of that stretch that being said then there’s the three portion or

The third part of this road back to the playoffs so we have survive we have strike and then we have secure so let’s say that the Kings have have gone 500 over these next four games that they are they they they they go three or four

Games over 500 or five games over 500 they pick up some wins during that strike portion they’re in that fifth or sixth spot they still got teams like the Mavericks to worry about they still got the Suns to worry about other teams that are still right in that mix but now

They’ve got that spot because of the wins that they just picked up now they have to secure it they do that in this stretch March 25th through April 2nd it’s a home stand right this homeand is where I believe the Kings can and potentially will secure an actual

Playoff spot an actual top six spot that’s because they take on the Philadelphia 76ers followed by backto back games with the Dallas Mavericks back-to-back games against the team that’s right there with you those games are going to be monumentally important right the first of those back-to-back games is on the

Second night of a back-to-back meaning you play the 76ers the very next night you play the Mavericks for the first time then there’s a night off then you play the Mavericks again right so those games are going to be unbelievably important then you have the Utah Jazz

Which you should be beating at home and finally a game against the Los Angeles Clippers which who knows where the Clippers are going to be in the standings at that point in time but again a win or a loss there could be the difference of one or two spots in the

Standings so you have the survive over these next four games you strike with those teams that you should be beating in that group of winnable games and then you secure your spot with that home stand including two games in a row against the Dallas Mavericks team who’s

Going to be right in the thick of it with you that’s what I look at for this road to the playoffs that’s breaking it down what do you think about this road to the playoffs which games are you looking at which games are you concerned about where do you think the Kings will

End up let me know hit me up on Twitter ATM George sack email me mat jports gmail.com and of course if you’re watching on YouTube leave your thoughts in the YouTube comment section down below like I said at the top of the show today’s episode of the lock on Kings

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Races in Sacramento there was one at the very very end of his time with the Kings where he was traded in the middle of it and the Kings essentially bowed out of that playoff race DeMarcus Cousins many in Sacramento believe him to be one of the greatest Sacramento Kings of all

Time why am I bringing him up well because very recently in an interview Boogie said that his time in the NBA is done now to be clear he didn’t say that he was retiring from professional basketball he’s been playing overseas uh for a while now he’s been a journeyman

Trying to make his way back into the NBA of course the Kings traded him before getting him that massive payday he went to New Orleans had an amazing first season in New Orleans looked to be still on his way to a major payday with the Pelicans unfortunately got hurt there

Has never been the same unfortunately missed out on that major payday never really got it and has been in and out of the NBA since that point look DeMarcus Cousins is a an interesting figure right he controversial I don’t feel like is the right word he has had plenty of highs

And plenty of lows here in Sacramento if you bring him up that name rings a bell and quite often Sparks a reaction amongst Sacramento Kings fans so many a love and adore the man many disliked him disliked his attitude thought that they could never win with him I will say this

In the short time that I have covered the Kings and covered the NBA professionally there has not been a more dominant player that I have seen and that I have covered in that time now there’s a very big difference in in between dominance and skill right

Because damand sabon is in my opinion is is a way better Center than DeMarcus Cousins he is DeMarcus Cousins was a better scorer absolutely and DeMarcus Cousins was dominant in terms of he got into the paint and he had that attitude he had that fire he had that energy

There was little you could do to stop that man when he got into that Groove he was just that good there was a a period of time a couple of seasons in a row where DeMarcus Cousins was hands down the best big man in the league it wasn’t

Close he just happened to be on a really really bad team damona sabonis is a far more skilled big man right damont sabonis better rebounder significantly better passer higher IQ basketball player in my opinion much more of a winning basketball player than DeMarcus Cousins ever was but when I say dominant I mean

Don’t uh uh Boogie did things on a nightly basis that we truly took for granted unfortunately he didn’t do it on a winning team a lot of that had to do with him right things with him he had issues things did not work out in Sacramento he was a large part of that

He also had his shortcomings on the floor how did you stop DeMarcus Cousins you got him into foul trouble or you got him so pissed off that he kicked his own self out of the game by getting technical fouls getting tossed out there was literally there were teams that gave

The job of getting under DeMarcus Cousins skin to some journeyman player like Mike Dunley Mike Dunley Jr did that at one period of time Marcus Smart used to do that with the Boston Celtics right there were different players their job was just to piss Dom or to piss Boogie

Off so that he would get unfocused get tossed out of the game and the King’s chances of winning went from slim to none right Boogie had his shortcomings for sure but on a nightly basis we watch this man dominate dominate in the NBA his four highest scoring games of his

Career all came as a member of the Sacramento Kings 56 points 12 rebounds two blocks versus the Charlotte Hornets 55 points 14 rebounds three blocks against the Portland Trailblazers if I’m not mistaken that is the it’s getting ridiculous game where Boogie was thrown out and then had that ejection rescinded

So he came back out inside the golden one Center to a Ruckus Applause and and ended up helping the Kings I think win that game and then had that Legend postgame interview with Katie Christensen on the floor 48 points 13 rebounds versus the Indiana Pacers 46 points 15 rebounds versus I believe this

Was Joel embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers so those are just examples of the ridiculous numbers that Demarcus put up here in Sacramento again dominant dominant player off the floor we know that Boogie had his issues right he clashed with members of the Sacramento

Media he had his he he was he he had a temper he also was one of the most impactful members of this community that I think the Sacramento Kings have ever had like DeMarcus Cousins did things all the time from his Santa CLA CZ that he would do every single year dressing up

As Santa and and and and meeting kids in need and helping them have a good Christmas and getting toys and stuff like that he did that every single year there was also a tragic passing of a a Grant High School football player who was killed in a shooting and I believe

Demarcus uh paid for the funeral of that uh of that player for uh for his family to to be able to help in whatever small way he could in that absolute tragic event like Demarcus was so plugged in and and truly loved his time in Sacramento he

Did he loved this city he had his issues he had his issues with certain people in the organization certain people outside of the organization I don’t think the kings ever really would have won with him their their best chance to win with DeMarcus Cousins they screwed up when

They fired Mike Malone I think that would have been the only way to work when the Kings did that made that decision I think they they ended their era of ever having any success with DeMarcus Cousins here in Sacramento at that point it was the right decision to trade him away to let

Him go but I look back at that DeMarcus Cousins period I’m very very happy to be in the position where the Sacramento Kings are now right for the Kings to be in the playoffs playing meaningful basketball but I will always have fond memories of watching number 15 dominate

Dominate for the Kings on a semi nightly basis so his NBA career sounds like it’s over might be over might never play an NBA game again I don’t know if he’s ever going to play a basketball game again if he does overseas whatever no ill will for the guy no real interest in

Following his career from here on out and whether you like this or not some people have been talking about it I don’t think the idea of the Kings retiring DeMarcus Cousins Jersey I think it’s it’s absurd I think it’s silly again he never won more than I think 38

Games in a season as a member of the Kings not all his fault but he certainly does not in my opinion deserve to hang up there next to the weers and the Mitch Richmonds and the Pia sto yakovich and and vlady DSes of of Kings history so

I’m okay with Boogie not being a part of King’s history Beyond the numbers that he’s put up maybe it would be cool to see him in the golden one Center for a game again for the fans to give him a cheer and Round of Applause that I think he would deserve

But I will I will remember the DeMarcus Cousins era fondly because when I started my career actually covering the Kings when I transitioned from fan into media member Demarcus was a part of those teams and I I’ll always appreciate him for that this episode of the locked

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Ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers well before we wrap up I’ve mentioned a number of times on this show the next Kings game tomorrow night Sunday night game against the Los Angeles Clippers a team that the Kings have had a lot of trouble against this

Season but you may not be aware and hopefully you are that this this Saturday is the oneyear anniversary of one of the greatest NBA regular season games of all time one year ago today the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers went into double overtime in the second highest scoring game in NBA

History where the Kings defeated the Clippers 176 to 175 yes that was a year ago today and I remember running through this uh this studio here screaming at the top of my lungs saying put some respect on the Kings this is a playoff team that was the night to me that the

Kings absolutely cemented themselves as they belong here right think of the context the Kings come out of the All-Star break they didn’t make any moves were hoping to ride the High and ride the beam into the postseason but the kings are in the third seed and and

People don’t think the kings are going to be able to hold on to that spot and they get a big win like that against a very tough Clippers team who has all the experience advantage and all of the talent advantage and the Kings find a

Way to win that game that night to me was Yep this king’s team is for Real they’re holding on to this playoff spot they’re they’re guaranteed to be a playoff team that was that night for me it was also the night that dearen fox and Malik monk combined for 87 freaking

Points and honestly like if you remember that game I encourage you to go back to and watch it honestly it should be a national holiday for Kings fans every single February 24th I believe that’s what today is yeah every February 24th we should go back and watch that game

Together it’s just that unbelievable a game the kings were dead to rights they were down like 11 points with three minutes to go come back Malik monk hits the buzzer beater to send the game to overtime really there was one second left in regulation to send that game to

Overtime the kings were down by like six or eight points in the first overtime came back the Nicholas two missed a three on a night where the Clippers shot 57% from three-point range and knocked down 26 three-pointers he misses that big shot we go into to double overtime

The kings are down by four again bik monk hits another clutch three cuts it to one Kings get a stop dearon Fox pull up elbow jumper he’s winning clutch Player of the Year already but that helped his resume he hits that shot the kings hold on win that game just an

Absurd absurd basketball game and it’s fitting that it comes 360 six days from the Kings and Clippers again except this time kings are trying to catch the Clippers this time the Kings aren’t sitting in the third seed holding everybody off the kings are trying to climb their way into an actual playoff

Spot I don’t know if I my heart can handle another 176 to 175 game but if the Kings can find a way to beat the Clippers tomorrow regardless of the circumstances regardless of how they do it in this case for sure it could be the ugliest basketball game we’ve ever seen

Where the Kings turned the ball over 40 times you’re not going to get a pissed off Matt George if the Kings beat the Clippers tomorrow in Los Angeles hopefully they can do it again on this road to the playoffs appreciate your support here of the lon Kings podcast of

Course we’ll have a podcast episode after hopefully that Kings win but regardless of the result I will have a podcast for you on Sunday evening uh so keep an eye out uh for that as well and then Monday we’re back inside the golden one Center Kings and heat if you’re

Going to that game let me know I’m always the top of Section 105 in the media seating area if you’re going to the game let me know would love to be able to chat with you before the game or during halftime or something uh and say

Hi and talk Little Kings with you in person so I really would appreciate that but thank you for your support let’s enjoy this road back to the playoffs I do think the kings are going to make the postseason they will get back into a playoff series and we get all back into

That chaos and stress together but let’s enjoy this ride while we can because again two years ago this is the stress that we were wishing for right well it’s here all right now let’s enjoy it and let’s deal with it I appreciate your support can’t wait to have you join me

On the next episode of lockon Kings until then my name is Matt George you’ve been listening to the lockon Kings podcast part of the lock on podcast Network

Matt George breaks down the remaining 27 games of the regular season and what the road looks like for the Kings to secure a playoff spot.

Breaking Down the Sacramento Kings’ Road Back to the Playoffs
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