Kings GM Monte McNair banks on continuity, organic growth

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Run it back.

Kings general manager Monte McNair took the road less traveled this summer, at least by NBA standards. In a league that prides itself on chasing stars and constant change, McNair doubled down on a roster that shocked the league with 48 wins a season ago.

NBA odds makers are already predicting a drop off from the Kings, but that is to be expected. The Kings opened at a projection of 33.5 wins last season and settled in around 34.5 by the start of the regular season. They smashed that mark by 13.5 wins.

Early predictions have the Kings winning 43.5 this season. It’s a “prove it” league and the Kings aren’t going to surprise anyone after last year’s success, but a 4.5 drop in wins feels off.

There is a reason that McNair re-signed Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles and Alex Len. There is also a reason that he forked out nearly $200 million in new money to All-League center Domantas Sabonis. He believes in the core of this team and what they are building. McNair is banking on continuity.

That’s not to say that McNair hasn’t added, only that he took a modest approach to filling out the roster. Gone are Chimezie Metu, Terrence Davis and Matthew Dellavedova. The team has now officially welcomed Sasha Vezenkov, Chris Duarte and Nerlens Noel.

This isn’t a group of A-listers, but you can see the motivation behind each move for McNair. Continuity is part of the equation, but how can the Kings improve on their breakout season with the majority of their rotation returning?

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