How can a team lose their last game of the season a month ago and somehow lose once again a month later? Well, that’s because they are the Sacramento Kings. Pain and misery are something expected…on and off the court. As the NBA enters the final four, two teams in Kings fans’ minds stand out: the Pacers and Mavericks.
During the 2018 NBA draft, the Kings had the second pick with the opportunity to take EuroLeague MVP Luka Doncic. Instead, they chose Marvin Bagley, who is on his third team in three years.
Then came the 2020 draft, where Tyrese Haliburton fell to the Kings with the twelfth pick. A gift from the Gods. A sign of change, that a player wanted to come to Sacramento. Halliburton was immediately a fan favorite. His passion for the game and city resonated on and off the court. He was then traded in February of 2022.
Despite making the playoffs a season ago and beating the Warriors in a play-in game this season, past decisions continue to haunt the Kings.
Bagley Over Luka
It was bad at the time. I threw a temper tantrum when it happened and was kicked out of my house for the night. It’s even more inconceivable now considering the trajectory of these two players’ careers.
As previously mentioned, Marvin Bagley has been traded twice in the last three seasons. He languishes on the Washington Wizards, the worst team in the league. Bagley had an okay start with the Kings, his peak however in his first-ever summer league game in Sacramento. This says a lot.
A portion of the fanbase resented Bagley at first for no reason other than the fact he wasn’t Luka. This was never Bagley’s fault, but I always sensed he could feel it. Like every performance he had was weighed against whatever Luka did that night. He also rarely started his first year which also took a toll on his confidence.
Bagley’s Rookie Season
He played 62 games in his first season and made first-team all-rookie. The Kings surprisingly won 39 games that season. They finished ninth in the Western Conference, but nine games back from the eighth seed. The Kings then fired head coach Dave Jeoger after that season, didn’t conduct a coaching search, and hired Luke Walton.
Those 62 games Bagley played, remain the most he’s ever played in his career. Bagley suffered from injuries that stalled his momentum in his career.
Despite the setbacks, I still wanted to believe. I saw the player at Duke who was a finalist for National Player of the Year. He was an athletic freak, who if he tapped into his potential could be a three-and-D stretch four with a dominant faceup game. But the NBA has moved on. Bagley’s lack of three-point shot and his non-existent right hand hurt him more than a single injury could. It felt like Bagley never got any better; he stayed the same or even regressed. While other young players consistently improved their game, Bagley never did.
The Betrayal
Think of the worst thing a player can do to his team. Barring a bet against his team or burning his jersey live on the court, Marvin Bagley did something many fans believe to be unforgivable. During a November loss in 2021, Marvin Bagley was asked to check into a game versus the Suns, but he refused. After local reporter Sean Cunningham reported this, Bagley’s time in Sacramento was unofficially done. There is no coming back from refusing the play for a team, and a city.
The slap in the face may be the most memorable act of Bagley’s time in Sacramento. Fans can forgive him, but will never forget what he did.
Luka Doncic’s Insane Career Rewrite
Time heals all wounds. Unless that wound is a 25-year-old perennial MVP making his second NBA Conference Finals appearance in three years. There have been few disappointments in Luka’s career from a Kings fan perspective. The decision to pass on Luka somehow has been made worse this season because he is now thriving next to a smaller scoring guard. Kyrie Irving isn’t De’Aaron Fox, but you can see how he would fit with Fox at their full potential if the Kings drafted Luka.
Nevertheless, Kings fans will never let this one go, nor will the media. Moving off of Bagley helped me at least start to heal. The Kings making the playoffs last year also helped put things out of our minds. Ask any Trailblazers fan above the age of 50 if drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan hurts today, the same answer will probably be given by Kings fans about Doncic in 20 years.
“Tyrese Haliburton Died For our Sins”
Tyrese Haliburton took to Kings fans the right when he was drafted. He contacted local businesses to wear their merch so people could support them during the pandemic. Haliburton went to local high school football games. He indicated that he wanted to stay in Sacramento, be part of the future, and win there. I don’t know if Kings fans have loved a player as much as Haliburton since Chris Webber.
Then, he got traded. In came Domantas Sabonis and Haliburton indirectly led the Kings to their first playoffs since 2006 last year. As mentioned in the title of this section it was bittersweet. Then, this year happened.
Haliburton started on fire this season for the Pacers. He led the Pacers to the In-Season Tournament final, and despite the loss to the Lakers, Haliburton had arrived. After a midseason trade for Pascal Siakam and a bit of luck, the Pacers are in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Haliburton in the Playoffs
Despite a slow start to the postseason, Haliburton has produced two thirty-point games these playoffs. In game seven against the Knicks, Haliburton hit six threes. He has thrived alongside Pascal Siakam, who has genuine postseason experience.
Haliburton will continue to grow and enter a series against the Boston Celtics where his team is a massive underdog. The Pacers will be playing with house money and they will give the Celtics a competitive series.
Does This Matter
Should fans care about decisions made for their team that they had zero input in? No. Yet this is sports, where logic gets replaced with incredibly high feelings, and if you’ve been a Kings fan for 22 years like me, incredible lows.
I hate watching either the Mavericks or the Pacers, as a Kings fan. Some Kings fans have tried to root against the Pacers, but this is flawed logic. The Pacers’ success has nothing to do with the Kings’ success. Both teams can coexist positively and Halliburton’s success is a positive to show that the Kings can draft.
But life as a Kings fan guarantees two things: pain and misery.
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Featured Image: Getty Images/Kavin Mistery
