Kings 2018-19 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
Having drafted among the top 10 every year for the last decade, the Sacramento Kings are hoping their rebuild takes a step forward during the 2018-19 season.
Sacramento is coming off a 27-55 campaign that resulted in the No. 2 overall pick, which it used on Duke star Marvin Bagley III.
With Bagley, De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harry Giles, Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere, the Kings have young talent and potential. They will now look to snap their 12-year playoff drought.
2018-19 Details
Season Opener: Oct. 17 vs. Utah Jazz (10 p.m. ET)
Championship Odds: 400-1 (via OddsShark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Phoenix Suns: First matchup Dec. 4 at Talking Stick Resort Arena
When the schedules were released, one matchup basketball fans should have been looking for was the first showdown between Sacramento and the Phoenix Suns.
Will the meeting have playoff implications? It would be a stretch to say that. However, it does feature the top two picks from June's draft: Suns center Deandre Ayton and Bagley.
The two have already met on the court as pros, although it was just during the NBA Summer League. Even then, though, it was worth watching. Ayton (21 points and 12 rebounds) led his team to victory in that July exhibition, but Bagley (15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal) put on a show as well.
Now they are set to go head-to-head in a real game.
Both teams are looking to put an end to their respective rebuilds, with Phoenix in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought. The Suns have rising star Devin Booker and last year's fourth overall pick, Josh Jackson. But on this night, it will be all about Ayton vs. Bagley.
Dallas Mavericks: First matchup Dec. 16 at American Airlines Center
Like their games with the Suns, the Kings' battles against the Dallas Mavericks will have draft-related storylines. Only this time, all eyes will be on Dallas rookie Luka Doncic.
There was no mystery when it came to the No. 1 overall pick—Ayton was going to Phoenix from day one. After that, though, the Kings had a decision to make between Bagley and Doncic.
Bagley's offensive skills were among the best in the draft, while Doncic's playmaking abilities were viewed as second to none. Ultimately, the Atlanta Hawks took Doncic third, and they dealt him to Dallas.
With Fox at the point and Hield alongside him in the backcourt, the Kings arguably had a bigger need in the frontcourt, and the former Blue Devil had put up impressive numbers during his lone season in Durham.
Their matchups during their rookie seasons won't prove the Kings right or wrong. These games will, however, be fun to watch.
Prediction
This past season, the Denver Nuggets went 46-36 and missed the playoffs. There were just three games separating the Nos. 3 through 9 teams last season, and LeBron James joined the 35-47 Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason.
The playoffs will be a long shot for Sacramento.
Still, if the Kings can stay healthy, they have the potential to see improvement in 2018-19. Bagley and Fox provide a solid one-two punch that gives Sacramento fans plenty of hope for the future.
The question is whether Giles (knee) can stay healthy and if Hield can continue to improve as he looks to prove the organization was on to something by comparing him to Stephen Curry.
Sacramento fans should give the team's young talent a chance to play together before piling on the pressure. After three straight years of seeing their record decline, though, this should be a step in the right direction.
Prediction: 36-46
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