Kings Ranked in Top 10 of Latest NBA Power Rankings After Big Wins
The Sacramento Kings are coming off a solid week that saw G De'Aaron Fox named the Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 6, and they remain inside the top 10 on the NBA.com power rankings.
The Kings are the same rank as they were last week: 8. The week saw a crucial win over the Golden State Warriors after a ridiculous Malik Monk game-winner that sealed the In-Season Tournament home-court advantage against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Kings lost the following game against the Los Angeles Clippers by a large margin despite a 40-point De'Aaron Fox performance but followed that loss up with a win over defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, in which Fox dropped 26 points and 16 assists.
For reference, here are the top 10 teams heading into this week's action:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Philadelphia 76ers
6. Milwaukee Bucks
7. Orlando Magic
8. Sacramento Kings
9. New York Knicks
10. Phoenix Suns
The Kings have beaten seeds 2-4 this season already, and are successful against teams with winning records (7-2). However, the Kings are still lower because their 11-7 record has some pretty large losses. NBA.com notes that the Kings are one of three teams that have a winning record but a negative point differential - the other two being the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings are winning their tough close games, and dominating in the clutch, but are tending to give up too many points in games they lose.
NBA.com also made an important point - The Kings have the third-strongest lineup per 100 possessions with a healthy starting 5 (Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis) - outscoring opponents by 12.6 points. With F Keegan Murray returning to the lineup, the team could easily make a push for the top 5 as long as they stay healthy, which has been an issue this season as the Kings had multiple games with Fox and Murray, and Huerter absences - as well as injury trouble on the bench with C Alex Len missing extended time with a high ankle injury.
Ultimately, the sky is the limit for this Kings team, but injuries are what may hold them back. The Kings take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET in the In-Season Tournament on Monday, December 4.
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