Sacramento Kings: 2008-09 Season Prediction

With the Pacific Division Chapter of my NBA 2009 Season Prediction Series coming to a close, it comes time to analyze a currently rebuilding franchise—the Sacramento Kings. The Kings used to be the kings of the Pacific—no pun intended—winning the division two consecutive years in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, the Kings advanced to the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers. Since that point, the Kings have been sliding down a slippery slope. Sound familiar? Think back to the 2000 Western Conference Finals when the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the eventual champion Lakers in seven games. After that point, the Blazers fell deeper and deeper into the bottom rungs of the Western Conference, and the "Jail-Blazers Era" began. Currently, only one player from the Kings' 2002 team, Bobby Jackson, is on Sacramento's roster. In the 2005 offseason, the Kings traded Jackson to the Memphis Grizzlies for SG Bonzi Wells. This past ... (link)