Kings face slew of future Hall of Famers in wild Pacific Division

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Despite winning the Pacific Division last season, the Sacramento Kings entered the 2023-24 campaign picked to finish dead last by Las Vegas odds makers. Dead last. 

The first week of the Kings’ season, win or lose, was a reminder of the gigantic task at hand. Starting the season in Utah against a discombobulated Jazz team was a warm up. Facing the Golden State Warriors, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers and then another game against the Warriors was the NBA smacking the Kings in the face with a shovel.

You can’t hide from reality. Stephen Curry ran circles around the Kings’ defense, dropping 41 points on just 19 shots as the Warriors pulled away for a 122-114 win in the team’s first matchup. Klay Thompson added 18 points and Chris Paul dropped 10 points and 12 assists.

This is what you are up against in the Pacific Division. The Warriors hit the Kings with three first ballot Hall of Fame players. A fourth Hall of Famer, Draymond Green, watched from the sidelines with a knee issue.

When the Kings hosted the Lakers last Sunday, it was more of the same. NBA legend LeBron James, at the ripe age of 38 and in his 21st NBA season, hit the Kings for 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. 

James has fended off father time with a broadsword. The only thing keeping him out of the Hall of Fame today is retirement and a mandatory five-year waiting period. Only a handful of players in the league could put up that stat line, but James is the only one who can do this routinely while approaching his 39th birthday. 

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