The Kings aren’t an ‘early-season feel-good story’ anymore. They’re real.

After 17 years of struggles, the Sacramento Kings and its fans are beginning to see a bright purple light at the end of the tunnel.

That light you’re seeing is a high-powered beam that has been fired into the sky following each Kings win this season. It’s an occurrence that fans have become used to since October, as Sacramento has already secured 24 wins–just six short of last season’s 30–to put themselves atop the Pacific Division.

Twenty-four lightings of the beam, 24 notches in the win column, and 24 reasons to celebrate for an organization that hasn’t sniffed the postseason since the middle of George W. Bush’s second term as President of the United States.

It hasn’t been an easy road to this point, that’s for sure.

There have been countless reasons for fans to roll their eyes, shake their heads, and contemplate, “Is following this team really worth it?”

Relocation threats. An NBA-record 17-straight losing seasons. Blown draft picks. Bad coaching hires. Turmoil on the court and in the locker room. There have been few reasons to cheer since the spring of 2006, aside from a fun 2018-19 season that still resulted in a disappointing 39-43 finish.

For nearly 20 years, it seemed like Kings fans had to endure gut-punch after gut-punch, loss after loss, and disappointment after disappointment until it finally became too much to bare.

Attendance dropped in the two seasons leading into the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season as the team continued to lose. Something had to give for this franchise that was incredibly due for a reason to feel anything other than dismayed.

At long last, the tides appeared to have turned. The start to the 2022-23 season has been what Kings fans’ dreams are made of.

As of January 17th, Sacramento holds a 24-18 record- the most games above the .500 mark since 2006- placing them at the top of the Pacific Division and in the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. Half of the season has come and gone, yet the Kings are standing their ground.

Not only has Sacramento taken care of their home floor (14-9), but they have also been one of–if not the best–road team in the West this year, as they are currently tied with number-one seed Memphis and number-two seed Denver for the best away record in the conference (10-9).

An ‘early-season feel-good story’ about the little ol’ Sacramento Kings is no more. The Kings have made it clear that they don’t plan on going anywhere.

Here are some notes from a memorable first half of Sacramento’s 2022-23 regular season:

Monte McNair might have just successfully rebuilt the Sacramento Kings

It all starts with the architect of the Kings.

Third-year general manager Monte McNair has pressed all the right buttons to help bring this team from a bottom feeder to a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.

Starting with the hotly-debated trade that sent young star guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in return for two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, McNair has locked in several vital moves that have pushed the Kings forward in their lengthy rebuild process.

Sabonis is playing like an MVP candidate. Kevin Huerter, who McNair traded for in July, has been one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA this season. Fourth-overall pick Keegan Murray leads the 2022 rookie class in three-point shooting. Malik Monk is a Sixth Man of the Year award candidate.

McNair’s flurry of moves from the past 11 months have all been hits, and it’s baffling that the Kings have yet to reach an extension with their prized executive, as the 38-year-old will be a free-agent himself at the end of the season.

With each passing win, McNair can bank on a more extensive check from Sacramento as he has put himself in a great position regarding securing a long-term deal.

Ideally, owner Vivek Ranadivé would want to lock McNair on a similar three-to-four-year deal that aligns with head coach Mike Brown and star guard De’Aaron Fox’s contract (both expire following the 2025-26 season).

McNair deserves a lot of credit for bringing the Kings along this far after 17 years of failed rebuilds. Now, it’s time for the Kings to lock in its GM for the long haul.

The Kings have not one, but two All-Star caliber players–and one that could receive MVP votes

Speaking of what Monte McNair has done for Sacramento, you have to figure that bringing Domantas Sabonis into the fold is at the top of the list.

Sabonis, who was recently named Western Conference Player of the Week for his incredible efforts during Sacramento’s ongoing four-game winning streak, has not just played like an All-Star this year but a player that is currently deserving of Most Valuable Player votes.

Basketball Reference’s MVP Tracker would agree with that sentiment, as Sabonis recently cracked the top five on its latest update, joining Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum.

Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker is "…based on a model built using previous voting results."

The current top 5:

Nikola Jokic (64.3%)
Luka Doncic (11.2%)
Joel Embiid (7.7%)
Jayson Tatum (4.2%)
Domantas Sabonis (3.3%)

Some stats from around the internet on those five. pic.twitter.com/Vyo1gwz12w

— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) January 16, 2023

Even though Sabonis is outside of the top ten regarding NBA All-Star fan voting, it’s very likely that the big man will get the nod for his third-career All-Star appearance when the teams are fully revealed in the coming weeks.

Sabonis holds season averages of 18.9 points, 12.6 rebounds (career-high and leads the NBA), and 7.1 assists (career-high) per game while shooting 61 percent from the field (career-high) and 38 percent from three-point land while also leading the league in rebounds (363).

Sacramento’s identity has completely shifted with Sabonis in the fold, as the center’s ability to get teammates involved on offense has the Kings looking like an offensive juggernaut.

De’Aaron Fox has primarily benefitted from Sabonis’ play since last February’s trade, and he’s another player deserving of an All-Star nod in 2023. Now that opposing defenses are unable to prioritize focusing in on Fox to try and take him out of the game in order to beat the Kings, the 25-year-old can do damage in a variety of ways.

It isn’t just Fox carrying the load offensively anymore, which makes Sacramento dangerous.

With perimeter threats like Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, and Harrison Barnes in the lineup and an ‘ox’ in Sabonis on the post, Fox has options in his attack strategy.

Off of the dribble, Fox is arguably the quickest player in the league and has proven that he can finish at the rim among the trees this season (shooting 78% at the rim) and from close range (56% from three-to-10 feet).

DE'AARON ICES THE JAZZ 🥶 pic.twitter.com/OF8VpyT9ma

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 4, 2023

Mid-range has been a weapon for Fox this season, as well as moving the basketball around to his teammates (6.0 assists per game).

Fox is one of just three players in the NBA this season that is averaging 20+ points and 6+ assists per game while shooting 50 percent or better from the field. You might have heard of the other two:

• Nikola Jokić – 24.7 PTS | 9.8 AST | 62% FG
• LeBron James – 29.7 PTS | 7.0 AST | 51% FG
• De’Aaron Fox – 23.8 PTS | 6.0 AST | 50% FG

Will Fox’s strong start to the season be enough to secure his first-ever appearance in an NBA All-Star game?

Adding in the clutch factor could be a massive boost to Fox’s candidacy, as the guard recently moved to the top of NBA.com’s Clutch Player Ladder.

If it feels like Fox is always coming through in the clutch, it’s because he is. According to NBA.com, Fox leads the league in total clutch baskets (40) while shooting 61 percent in the process, making him the most efficient closer in the league.

Fourth quarter time usually is when you will see Kings fans tweet “Fourth Quarter Fox,” and it’s a well-deserved nickname. Fox has scored 10+ points during the fourth quarter in 13 games this season, trailing MVP candidates Jayson Tatum (17), LeBron James (14), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (14) in that department.

When the game is on the line (five minutes or less remaining), Fox’s 99 points are the second-most in the NBA this season.

There is no question whether Fox is worthy of an All-Star appearance, especially when you add in where Sacramento currently sits in the standings.

In the end, it will come down to who coaches and media select for reserves, and Fox will have to go up against the likes of Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard for what is shaping up to be one spot.

All-Stars or not, the Sacramento Kings are in a great place thanks to the play of their two franchise centerpieces, and that’s what matters most.

Offense, Offense, Offense, and more Offense

The Kings have been an offense-first team for years, but this year has been different.

Entering play on Wednesday night, Sacramento scored 130+ points in five-straight games, establishing a new franchise record for consecutive games with 130 or more points scored. In fact, the Kings are the first NBA team to score 130+ points in five-straight games since the Denver Nuggets did so during the 1988-89 season.

What makes this team so successful on the offensive end?

Of course, we have already mentioned what Sabonis and Fox have done to make the Kings really go on the offensive end, but the other three players in the starting lineup have had a huge hand in adding to Sacramento’s league-leading 120.0 points per game.

Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, and Keegan Murray have provided Fox and Sabonis with above-average floor-spacing, and it makes the Kings a nightmare for opposing defenses. If Fox isn’t hurting you on the inside, Sabonis will be down low bruising in the paint. When that isn’t working, the trio of Barnes, Huerter, and Murray are lurking on the perimiter.

Huerter has been one of the better offseason moves made by any team last summer, as the 24-year-old is currently having a career-year with the Kings.

‘Red Velvet’ is averaging a career-high 15.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from deep, as the former Atlanta Hawk’s ability to knock down looks and get into the paint (shooting 62% from three-to-ten feet) make him a legit threat.

Like Huerter, rookie Keegan Murray has been a three-point specialist for Sacramento this season, as the 22-year-old’s 41 percent mark from downtown over 235 attempts place himself in the league’s top-ten in three-point percentage (min. 200 attempts).

After a sluggish start to the season, Barnes has been on a tear since the calendar turned to 2022, as the veteran is averaging 22.1 points per game on 55 percent shooting from the field and 51 percent from deep over the past eight games.

No other team has scored the basketball like Sacramento this season, and while there is a lot to fix when it comes to defense (25th in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating), the offense doesn’t need much–if any–work.

The Mike Brown Effect

One final takeaway from the first half of this season has been the impact of new head coach Mike Brown.

The difference between the overall vibe and feeling around this team from last season to this year is night and day, and Brown’s contagious energy and positivity has been the driving force behind that change. These players believe in Brown, they trust him and his coaching staff, and most important, they are having fun while winning games.

Chemistry is such an important aspect of winning cultures, and the Kings have that right now with Brown leading the way.

Coach Brown interrupted 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳 to give @MarkJonesESPN some props on the kicks 🔥😂 pic.twitter.com/X2MgVgNlyY

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 15, 2023

Brown and his staff–associate head coach Jordi Fernández, assistants Jay Triano, Luke Loucks, Doug Christie, Lindsey Harding, and Leandro Barbosa–having injected this team with life, and it’s something that the team shares with the fanbase following each win when Fernández awards his Defensive Player of the Game chain to a player that stepped up on the defensive end.

The culture is changing in Sacramento, and with that comes success, something that the players have started to believe in.

“We all believe that we’re good enough to host a playoff game,” Kings guard Terence Davis said following shoot-around last Friday. “That’s just our mindset. Mike Brown instilled it in us from being in a winning program for so many years.”

De’Aaron Fox echoed a similar sentiment back in December when talking about what it’s like to learn under Brown.

“For Mike specifically, he’s been there, done that. There’s nothing that he hasn’t done in the league,” Fox said of Brown in December. “He’s been on numerous championship teams, been to the Finals as a head coach, could probably count on one hand how many times he was on the coaching staff and they didn’t go to the playoffs, so he’s done everything.”

“He’s coached LeBron [James], Tim Duncan, Manu [Ginóbili], Klay [Thompson], Steph [Curry], [Kevin Durant], the list goes on. For me, just wanting to be in that category, I have a lot to learn and I’ve always been open ears. Whatever the coach says, that’s what I do. Whatever the coach asks me to do, that’s what I do. I’ve always been that way.”

With Brown at the help of this young and exciting team, it’s hard to not be optimistic that this Kings team is on track to end the postseason drought.

The team’s biggest hurdle will be locking in on the defensive end, but that’s how Brown earned a name for himself in the NBA after acting as the architect behind the four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors’ league-leading defense of the past six years.

the D in DPOG stands for 𝘿𝘼𝙑𝙄𝙊𝙉 😤 pic.twitter.com/C5JtZIrdYP

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 16, 2023

“We’re still a new team,” Fox said on ESPN’s NBA Today on Tuesday. “A lot of these new guys haven’t been here long. Kevin [Huerter] hasn’t been here six months, Keegan [Murray] hasn’t been here six months, Malik [Monk] hasn’t been here six months. We’re all learning how to play together.”

If it took Sacramento just three months to become the strongest offense in the NBA, one has to wonder if defensive improvements will surface in the near future.