OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 21: Sacramento Kings players (L-R) Harrison Barnes #40, Bogdan Bogdanovic (obscured) #8, Buddy Hield #24, Willie Cauley-Stein #00 and De'Aaron Fox #5 talk during a timeout from the game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on February 21, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Coming off the most difficult stretch of the season, the Sacramento Kings have lost a lot of ground in the playoff race. They may not make it this year, but that’s not a problem

“Playoffs” is a word not often associated with the Sacramento Kings, and it certainly was not supposed to be on anyone’s tongue this season.

The franchise has not played in the postseason since 2006, the longest such streak in the league. Coming into this year, the roster was widely viewed as young and inexperienced and coupled with a front office that had been notoriously incompetent.

In their 2018-2019 Season Previews, ESPN and Bleacher Report both had Sacramento finishing with the second-worst record in the league. Las Vegas had the Kings pegged at 25.5 wins, a lower number than their actual win total from last season. NBA expert Zach Lowe obtusely ranked Sacramento as the least-watchable team in the NBA.

It was not only the pundits and analysts that predicted another season of struggle for the Kings. Even the most loyal and optimistic of fans believed that this season would be another step in the never-ending rebuild. We had faith that the future was bright, but we were preparing ourselves for another underwhelming season of basketball.

Fast forward to March and the Sacramento Kings are now considered to be the biggest surprise of the NBA season. Not only are they enjoying their best season in 13 years, but Sacramento has been in legitimate playoff discussions throughout the campaign and are finally receiving national media coverage for something other than being a dumpster fire.

The Kings were three games over .500 at the All-Star Break, but things have taken an unfortunate turn for the worst as of late. Sacramento is just 2-6 in their last eight games and have gone from a game out of 8th place to four games behind the final playoff spot. At this point, the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers would need to have an epic collapse in order for the Kings to sneak in to the playoffs.

Some if, then scenarios: If SA goes 7-9, SAC must finish 12-6. If SA goes 8-8, SAC must finish 13-5. If SA goes 9-7, SAC must finish 14-4. If SA goes 10-6, SAC must finish 15-3. If SA goes 11-5, SAC must finish 16-2. If SA goes 12-4, SAC must finish 17-1. — SactownBabyGiraffe (@TimMaxwell22) March 7, 2019

(Cue the “So you’re telling me there’s a chance” “Dumb and Dumber” memes)

Sacramento has a very unrealistic shot at sneaking in to the playoffs, and despite the hoards of disappointed fans on Twitter, missing the playoffs is absolutely fine.

Sure, it would have been nice to host a couple of playoff games at Golden 1 Center this April, and getting the Sacramento Kings young stars some playoff experience under their belts would have done a lot for the confidence and psyche of them going forward. But, the fact is, this team is far ahead of schedule.

The core of the Kings has developed faster than anyone thought, particularly the play of De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield. They both deserve to be in the top-5 of Most Improved Player voting, and the argument could be made that both of them deserve the award.

Fox has made a giant leap as the leader and catalyst of the team, improving his scoring by nearly six points per game and upping his true shooting percentage from .478 to .544. It is his speed and athleticism that keeps the Kings running like cheetahs, their pace being the biggest factor in creating problems for opposing teams. After a disappointing rookie season, De’Aaron Fox has solidified himself as a franchise player and potential All-Star.

Buddy Hield’s improvement has been similarly impressive. He is the teams leading scorer, averaging 21 points per game, up from his 13.5 average from a season ago. And has become one of the most feared shooters in the league, ranking 4th in the league in three-point percentage, ahead of even Steph Curry. Hield has been durable as well, playing in all 64 games thus far and providing consistency and solidarity to a Kings backcourt that has propelled the teams success.

The rest of the roster and supporting cast has been a breath of fresh air as well. Marvin Bagley is having a very promising rookie season, despite multiple injuries and being overshadowed by other impressive rookies. Bogdan Bogdanovic is the leader of the second unit, playing at a high enough level to be the third leading scorer on the team. The additions of Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell have proved to be beneficial, as has the late-season acquisition of Harrison Barnes. Not to mention the recent surge by Harry Giles, who brings an energy and excitement to the Kings that has been lacking in Sacramento for years. The comparisons to Chris Webber and Kevin Garnett are not all that far-fetched.

The Sacramento Kings, however, still have plenty of room for improvement. They are lacking late-game experience, as evidenced by their inability to put teams away in the closing minutes. In just the last month, the Kings have lost to Denver by 2, Golden State by 2, Milwaukee by 1, and Boston by 2. This is completely normal for a young team, and will only improve with more experience with in-game situations. Their ability to rebound has also been in question, sporting the 26th ranked rebound differential in the league. Potential off-season changes to their frontcourt could help improve their numbers, as well as more playing time in Year 2 for Bagley and Giles.

The foundation of this team has been laid. They have a path, a direction to follow. They have an identity, and it is finally a positive one. The franchise in Sacramento has gone from “Kangz” to Kings in less than one season when we all thought it would take multiple years.

Stay excited, Kings fans. We’ll get ‘em next year.