2023 NBA Future Odds: Kings Could Be Crowned Western Conference Champs
Welcome back to the NBA playoffs, Sacramento.
Embrace it and … Light the beam!
The Kings are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2006, snapping the longest drought in NBA history – 16 seasons.
Exuberant first-year head coach Mike Brown, who left the Golden State Warriors and Steve Kerr’s staff last May, has his team and Sacto fans believing. Brown is a lock to win Coach of the Year and deservedly so.
Sacramento has the most explosive offense in the league and its defense isn’t as bad as the season stats reflect.
Most experts agree that how far the Kings advance in the playoffs will depend on their matchups, but they’ll have an unbelievably loud home crowd for Game 1 for their first-round matchup.
Sacramento is likely locked into the West’s No. 3 seed which means the Kings will face the No. 6 seed. As it stands now, that would be the Golden State Warriors.
Book it now: The Kings will beat them with home-court advantage and their breakneck speed on offense. Sacramento will wear down Steph Curry and Co. to win the series.
If the Kings face a healthy LeBron-led Lakers squad, that could be a different story.
The No. 1 seed in the West will be the Nuggets and despite Denver’s recent record (5-5 in its last 10 games, although winners of four straight), I don’t think the Grizzlies will overtake them for the No. 1 seed. I still say the road to the NBA West Finals goes through the Mile High City. I’m no longer looking at the Suns because I’m not sure Phoenix’s all-star-laden squad can stay healthy enough (looking at you Durant and Paul) to get there — and the same goes for the Clippers (George and Leonard) and Lakers (James and Davis).
The Kings have momentum, youth, and a hungry, well-balanced team with a rabid fanbase that will follow them on the road into battle when need be.
Before we get any further, let’s look at the current favorites (as of March 30) to win the West. (Note: We’ll get to the East on March 31).
The betting odds I’m using are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, one of our favorite betting sites out there.
2023 NBA Western Conference Winner
Phoenix Suns +240
Denver Nuggets +280
Golden State Warriors +480
Memphis Grizzlies +600
Los Angeles Clippers +950
Los Angeles Lakers+1600
Sacramento Kings +2000
Dallas Mavericks +2900
Minnesota Timberwolves +4200
New Orleans Pelicans +9500
Oklahoma City Thunder +49000
Portland Trail Blazers +50000
Utah Jazz +50000
As you can see, it’s still a long-shot bet that the Kings even get past the first round because maybe all of the favorites have been playing the long con that is NBA regular-season load management (eye-roll; sorry fans) but this Sacramento team is not to be trifled with – as long as the calls are fair and balanced. (Looking at you refs, 21 years after the 2002 Western Conference Finals’ fourth-quarter debacle that was the Lakers vs. Kings in Game 7. Look it up, kids).
On Easter Sunday (April 9), everyone will be scoreboard-watching (or actually watching) The Masters and the final regular-season NBA games. And guess what one of the last ones is that you’ll be eyeing, perhaps before, during or after supper?
Kings vs. Nuggets in Denver.
There’s your Western Conference Finals preview.
In the end, it’s probably Nikola Jokic and Denver outlasting Domantas Sabonis and Sacramento, but at +2000, the Kings are worth betting … neither a king’s ransom nor a princely sum, but rather a small pittance just in case the Western Conference leaders are overthrown.
