By Mardeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist
By the time you read this column, if the Kings have won their opener against a solid Minnesota Timberwolves team to start the 2024-25 NBA season, then not only will the beam be lit but a huge sigh of relief will be felt by Kings fans.
However, if the Kings come up short, fans will start to have doubts about the team’s chances to make the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament at the end of the season. What fuels the potential for early panic is that the Kings were winless in the preseason for the first time since 1991.
After free-agent all-star wing DeMar DeRozan chose to sign with the Kings, most basketball experts picked the Kings to improve on last season’s record of 46-36. So, barring an injury to a key player for an extended period, the Kings were projected to finish at least in the top six in the always tough Western Conference.
The Kings’ first game against a tough Western Conference opponent should be a barometer of how the Kings will fare against other contenders and Kings fans should not dwell too much on a winless preseason. However, if the Kings were to get off to a slow start and find wins hard to come by, there will be trouble in Sactown.
Gaining a player of DeRozan’s talent is always a good thing; however, adjusting to playing with Kings stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will take time. Basketball is one sport where team chemistry is so important to team success.
Another factor hanging over the head of this franchise is the fact that Fox has not signed the max contract extension he is eligible for, saying he wants to see where the organization is going before reupping with the Kings. This places a cloud over the head of this franchise for the entire season because its best player is not all in. A key injury can derail the entire Kings season, and the Kings then can go backward instead of forward.
Being an optimist, I am hopeful that the Kings will avoid a key injury, DeRozan will fit in with Fox and Sabonis, Keegan Murray will have a better year as he plays for the rookie extension contract, Malik Monk will be the leader of a productive bench, and the Kings will finish with a 52-30 record and fifth in the Western Conference. Got my fingers crossed.