NBA Standings: Kings are the NBA’s hottest team heading into the playoffs

The Sacramento Kings currently hold the No. 3 in the Western Conference. They’ve proved their hot start was no fluke and their high-octane offense was sustainable.

Since the All-Star break, the Kings are 11-3 with a mind-boggling 124.0 offensive rating. Teams ramp up the intensity after the break, gearing up for impending playoff runs. Despite the added intensity, the Kings have shown that they’re ready for playoff basketball, starting with the play of their first-time All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox.

Fox has the NBA’s best clutch scorer this season — he’s scored 185 points on 53.9 percent shooting, 26 more points than the second-leading clutch scorer DeMar DeRozan. His latest exploit — a game-winning 25-foot 3-point shot — helped the Kings rally from a 10-point halftime deficit.

In a league full of dynamic clutch scorers, Fox is above the rest right now. Yet, the Kings are succeeding because of their whole roster. Their free-flowing motion offense — which features a multitude of cuts and handoffs — requires every person on the court to be on the same page because an opening can present itself in a split second.

Everyone has their part to play in the Sacramento Kings’ offense

Sacramento runs the most handoffs in the NBA — 1.8 more than the second-place San Antonio Spurs. For comparison, there is a 0.6 difference between the Spurs and the third-place Warriors — and they cut the third-most in the NBA. Forward Domantas Sabonis catalyzes their attack. The mobile big man from Gonzaga works around the perimeter setting bone-crushing screens, dribbling towards players, indicating them to cut and directing traffic from the top of the key.

Sabonis and sharpshooter Kevin Heurter rank sixth in the NBA in the number of times they’ve connected for a basket with Sabonis as the assister; the only other big man in the top 10 is Nikola Jokic, according to PBP Stats. The Kings sport a 120 offensive rating when Sabonis is on the court and a 112.4 when he is off the court, which would rank 24th in the NBA.

Sabonis is having a career year from an efficiency standpoint (60.9 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3). As the Kings march toward the playoffs, they should feel confident in the play of their two best players, but the depth is also impressive.

Guard Malik Monk has provided dependable bench scoring (13.7 points per game); rookie forward Keegan Murray is providing solid defense while being a 3-point marksman (Murray’s 172 3-point field goals are fourth in NBA history for rookies); Kevin Huerter is flourishing in his first season away from the Atlanta Hawks’ bland offensive scheme.

Despite the offensive firepower, defense is the reason for concern in the Sacramento Kings: Sacramento allows 115.9 points per 100 possessions, 25th in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. The only players allowing more points than the Kings are lottery-bound teams (Indiana, Portland, Detroit, Houston and San Antonio).

With the lack of a classic rim protector and no perimeter players known for their defenses, the Kings’ defense is prone to exposure in the playoffs. Sacramento is 29th in the NBA in total blocks, 22nd in steals and 27th in paint points allowed. But there are positive indicators that the Kings can survive enough defensively. They allow the fifth-fewest second-chance points due to their strong defensive rebounding and are 25th in transition points allowed per 100 possessions.

Limiting transition opportunities and second-chance baskets are positive indicators that transfer into the playoff atmosphere. In the second half of the season, the Kings have shown little signs of slowing down. With a playoff-clinching win on the horizon, Sacramento should aim for more this season.

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