The 2022-23 Sacramento Kings have done something this year that nobody in the NBA community would have imagined they would do. Led by De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis’ brilliance, they made it to the Playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
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But it did not come easily. It took a lot of gambling in the off-season, starting with drafting up Keegan Murray at #4 and then keeping Fox and trading a point-guard who will become an All-Star in Tyrese Haliburton to get themselves Sabonis.
All of it resulted in them becoming the offensive team not just this season, but in the history of the NBA. Were they even better than the 73–9 Warriors at offense? A Kings insider claims so.
“Sacramento Kings offense, this year, was better than the Warriors offense in any of their great years”: ESPN Insider James Ham
The Kings have made it to the Playoffs after so long, it would be unfair to compare them to a team that has won 4 championships by reaching all but two Finals in the last 8 years.
However, a Sacramento Kings insider for ESPN, James Ham, claims he was with all those Warriors teams and witnessed their greatness closely to remember none of those team’s offenses was as good as this year’s Kings.
“I was in [Warriors] locker rooms, I know how great they are… The Kings’ offense, this year, was better than the Warriors’ offense in any of their great years.”
“I was in [Warriors] locker rooms, I know how great they are… The Kings offense, this year, was better than the Warriors offense in any of their great years.” 👀
(Via @957thegame ) pic.twitter.com/E8PrxyK0Y9
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 11, 2023
The truth with numbers
Now statistically, Mr. Ham is not wrong. The Warriors had their best offense in those 5 amazing years from 2014 to 2019, not in their 73-9 season, but when they had Kevin Durant.
Even then, 115.9 was their highest offensive rating with Durant in the 2018-19 season. The Kings this year have an outrageous offensive rating of 118.6 this season, which is the most in league history.
The 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets, which had Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden had the previous best at 116.3. What a big gap that is! This Sac town team is going down in history, no matter how their post-season goes.
Ironically, they play the first round against the Warriors and would surely be favorites to go all the way if they get past the defending champions.
