Column: Sacramento on the rise in NBA

After spending much of the past 10 years in a downward spiral, things are starting to look up… After spending much of the past 10 years in a downward spiral, things are starting to look up for the Sacramento Kings franchise.

Not only will the team be staying in Sacramento after experiencing questions regarding the franchise’s finances and arena situation, the Kings also have a young core of players who will continue to restore strength to one of the greatest basketball towns in America.

Despite what their record indicates, the Kings have had some success this season. At 19-35, the majority of their wins have come against teams who will be participating in the playoffs.

Sacramento defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in their season opener 100-91 on Dec. 26. On Jan. 20, the Kings eked out an 88-86 win over the San Antonio Spurs, who currently hold the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed in this year’s playoffs.

On Feb. 9, the Kings defeated arguably the best team in the league with a 106-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. A month later they defeated the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, another team set to make a trip to the postseason.

Unlike any of these teams, however, the Kings will not see the playoffs this year. But the end of the season should bring excitement to the city’s fans. With their record at 19-35, the Kings should end up with a top-10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. This year’s draft class features an especially high level of talent, and the Kings will be able to select from players like Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, the Zeller brothers and Perry Jones.

Any one of those players could contribute immediately and help add to the Kings’ win total next season. What will certainly add to that total is the experience gained by the Kings’ younger players, who form a core that will be formidable for years to come.

Combo guard Tyreke Evans heads up the Kings young talent. Drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in 2009 out of Memphis, Evans has contributed from the moment he arrived in Sacramento. Evans possesses the ability to penetrate to the basket at any cost with his incredible combination of strength and speed.

In his rookie season, Evans averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. His performance in the 2009-2010 campaign led to his winning of the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

With the development of another young player, rookie Isaiah Thomas, and the acquisition of Marcus Thornton, Evans can play at his natural position of shooting guard. Oftentimes, head coach Keith Smart will play a three-guard lineup featuring Thomas, Thornton and Evans playing the small forward. With his athleticism and strength, Evans can match up to many NBA small forwards defensively.

With less pressure to run the offense and playing his natural position, Evans is shooting the best since his rookie year at a 44.3 percent clip. He is second on the team in scoring with 16.9 points per game and still leads the team in assists with 4.8 a game, despite not running the point.

Speaking of Thomas, the rookie out of Washington has spurred more revival in Sacramento. Selected as the last pick in the most recent NBA Draft, Thomas averages 11 points and 3.8 assists per game and has started in 25 games so far.

His backcourt mate Thornton provides the scoring flare that prevents defenses from keying in on Evans alone. Sacramento acquired Thornton in a trade with the New Orleans Hornets prior to last season’s trade deadline, exchanging power forward Carl Landry for the guard.

The 24-year-old guard out of Louisiana State leads the Kings in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Kings fans saw Thornton’s scoring potential when he arrived last season and was afforded the chance at consistent minutes after being buried on New Orleans’ bench. After the trade, Thornton averaged 21.3 points per game and shot 45 percent from the field.

In the paint, the Kings are anchored by power forward DeMarcus Cousins. Drafted out of Kentucky in the 2010 NBA Draft with the No.5 pick, Cousins faced high expectations his rookie year. In his rookie campaign, Cousins fulfilled fans’ hopes by starting 62 games, scoring 14.1 points per game and pulling down 8.7 rebounds a night.

With the promise he showed, Cousins continued to develop. But of concern to Kings fans is Cousins’ bad attitude, which resulted in his sitting out a string of games early this year.

Fortunately, Cousins is beginning to put those questions to rest and is putting together a spectacular season. Averaging a double-double on the season, Cousins is second on the team in scoring (averaging 18.2 points) and leads the team in rebounding at 11.1 rebounds per game.

With these players in place and continuing to develop, expect the Kings to become playoff contenders within the near future. The addition of one of the very talented players available in this year’s draft will further the restoration process in Sacramento and continue to revitalize one of basketball’s best cities.