Kings Fall to Bottom Half of NBA in Power Rankings
The Sacramento Kings are trying to turn a new leaf at the halfway mark of the season, finally snapping a four-game losing streak against the Atlanta Hawks Monday night before heading out for a seven-game road trip starting against the Golden State Warriors.
While the Kings were struggling though, a new power ranking from NBA.com had them drop again to their lowest rank this season - 17.
For reference, here are the 16 teams ranked above Sacramento:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Milwaukee Bucks
8. New Orleans Pelicans
9. Phoenix Suns
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Cleveland Cavaliers
12. New York Knicks
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Orlando Magic
15. Miami Heat
16. Utah Jazz
17. Sacramento Kings
While being a name highly linked to a move out of Sacramento, F Harrison Barnes had a 32-point performance against the Hawks on 50% shooting from both the field and beyond the arc. This was Barnes' highest-scoring night since his 33-point performance against the Utah Jazz on opening night of the 2024 season.
All-Star G De'Aaron Fox has struggled recently, however, will always be essential to the team. Fox started the season at an elite level, and even though through his last 5-games he is averaging 24.4 points, it seems that something is slightly off some nights. Fox - as well as the Kings in general - struggled recently closing out games that caused some easy wins to be losses. A small change will have Fox and the Kings back to the top where they deserve to be.
The Kings can be a top-10 team, and at their best are the most fun to watch in the NBA, however, the inconsistency is what holds them back right now. While it is hard to see a talented team go through a rough patch, this happens to every team, and it is better to get it out of the way now than when it's time for the playoffs.
Sacramento will get a long rest and look to extend their win streak to two on Thursday in San Francisco against the Warriors at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.
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