SACRAMENTO KINGS
Last season: 48-34, lost in Western Conference first round.
Coach: Mike Brown (2nd season with Kings, 48-34; 10th season overall, 395-250).
What to expect: The Kings will look to build on a breakthrough campaign last season that ended a 16-year playoff drought that was the longest in NBA history. Sacramento lost a seven-game series in the first round to Golden State and will be aiming for playoff success this season. The Kings were the top offensive team in the league last season thanks to the combo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis but need to get better on defense. They brought the same core back for another season and are counting on Keegan Murray to take on a bigger role after a successful rookie season and hoping for another healthy campaign to keep up in the tough Western Conference.
Departures: G Terence Davis, C Richaun Holmes, G Matthew Dellavedova, F KZ Okpala.
Additions: C JaVale McGee, F Sasha Vezenkov, G Chris Duarte, G Colby Jones.
Player to watch: Sabonis had a strong season last season, averaging 19.1 points, a league-high 12.3 rebounds and a career-high 7.3 assists, while shooting 62% from the field. But he struggled against the Warriors in the playoffs with his production dropping in all three categories and his shooting percentage falling below 50%. The Kings are hoping to get the regular season version of Sabonis again this year and hope that carries over to the playoffs.
Season opener: At Utah on Oct. 25.
FanDuel Sportsbook NBA title odds: 50-1.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
The Associated Press
