One of the NBA’s busiest and most active executives, Kings VP of Basketball Operations and GM Vlade Divac utilized the Draft, free agency and trade market to overhaul his team’s roster over the summer – retaining only six of 15 players from 2014-15 – and by the time the final regular-season buzzer sounded, Sacramento won its most games in eight years (33), housed an All-NBA First Team candidate and featured the League’s assist leader.
Overcoming a rash of early-season injuries that led to a 1-7 start, the up-tempo Kings – who ranked first in pace (102.2) and third in scoring (106.6 points per game), according to NBA.com – rode a five-game winning streak to climb into the eighth spot in the Western Conference in late January and finished the season by winning six of their final 11 contests, a testament to the club’s resilience and united commitment to reaching the postseason.
“My goal is to create a team that will have fun and play hard for the best fans in the league,” said Divac. “We want to win. Today or tomorrow, it’s about winning.”
Despite falling shy of the Playoffs in 2015-16, a multitude of positive storylines – from spectacular campaigns by DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo to the development of emerging standouts Willie Cauley-Stein and Seth Curry – have demonstrated that as the team prepares to move to the Golden 1 Center next season, the future of basketball in The City of Trees is brimming with optimism.
“We can’t do everything overnight,” added Divac. “But step by step, we’re moving in the right direction, and I’m OK with that.”
Rajon Passes Kings Icons - Whether he was airing out lobs from midcourt for breathtaking finishes or finding open teammates with passes from all kinds of impossible angles, Rondo’s incomparable creativity, court vision and penchant for breaking down defenses were on full display each night.
Although outside pundits questioned if his once-unparalleled and unorthodox game had faded, by the time his first season in purple and black came to a close, the eccentric floor general cemented his name into Sacramento-era annals, breaking a myriad long-standing records held by franchise legends Oscar Robertson, Chris Webber and Reggie Theus.
Less than two weeks into his resurgent campaign, Rondo unleashed a historic triple-double tear, racking up four during an incredible six-game span in which he averaged 13 points, 13.3 assist and 9.7 rebounds. With his sixth triple-double of 2015-16 on April 5, Rondo passed Webber (five, 1999-00) for most in the Sacramento-era – while also recording seven additional contests in which he fell either a single rebound or assist shy of hitting the celebrated statistical milestone.
No. 4, however, wasn’t the only former Kings superstar whose records would quickly end up in jeopardy, as Rondo tied the Sacramento-era single-game assist mark on Nov. 19, 2015 (18, Theus and Jason Williams) – only to claim sole possession of first place with 20 dishes four nights later.
The Kentucky product – who set the top four and six of the 10 highest assist games in team history – established the Sacramento-era single-season assist record (839), once again shattering Theus’ accolade that stood for 30 years (788, 1985-86).
While only two other players in the League even cracked double-figure dishes per game in 2015-16, the four-time All-Star’s far-and-away League-leading average (11.7) not only topped ‘The Big O’ (11.5, 1964-65) for all-time franchise honors, but was the highest in the NBA since Hall of Famer John Stockton handed out 12.3 per contest 21 years ago.
‘Splash Cousins’ Debuts: During a 2014 Team USA practice shooting match with Golden State Warriors superstar duo Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Cousins lightheartedly dubbed himself the third ‘Splash Brother’ – a reference to the Golden State backcourt’s impeccable outside scoring.
Although Cousins – one of the game’s most intimidating and nearly-unguardable bruisers in the paint – entered his sixth-year campaign with only 11 total made three-pointers on 69 attempts, NBA defenses quickly recognized just how serious No. 15 was about expanding his range, as the once-playful moniker was closer to becoming a reality.
In the season opener, Cousins drilled four of five tries from behind the arc, and never looked back, launching 210 triples and connecting on 70 (33.3 percent), spreading the floor for himself and his teammates by forcing opposing big men to contest his jumpshot beyond 20 feet from the basket.
With a new wrinkle to his already-overstuffed, versatile offensive arsenal, Cousins continued to torment defenders with an array of polished post moves and a smooth perimeter touch, setting a new career high in scoring with 26.9 points per game – the second-highest average in the Sacramento era behind Webber (27.1, 2000-01) – while matching Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond for most 30-point games in a season (26, 2006-07).
The only player in the NBA to rank in the top-five in scoring and rebounding (11.5 per game) for the second consecutive season, Cousins set the Sacramento-era single-game record for points (56 on Jan. 25) and career mark for most contests with at least 20 points and 20 boards (10).
Continuing to serve as a two-way force with 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per outing, the underrated and improved defender continuously challenged defenders at the rim and battled opponents in the post, holding his counterparts to 6.1 percent below their cumulative season average within six feet of the basket and 4.7 percent below, inside 10 feet, according to NBA.com.
With two All-Star Game selections already under his belt and a possible All-NBA First or Second Team berth, the 25-year-old – one of the highest-scoring centers of the last four decades – aims to improve all facets of his exquisite all-around game in the offseason to help guide the franchise back to the Playoffs.
“(I’m) coming back better than ever,” said Cousins following an emotional final game at Sleep Train Arena. “Let’s get to work. Let’s keep moving forward … I want to bring this city back to where it used to be – the glory days.”
Curry Capitalizes: For years, while his older brother commanded the League’s brightest spotlight and tasted championship glory, Seth Curry bounced between the D-League and end of NBA benches on short-lived 10-day contracts, waiting for the opportunity to prove he belongs on the big stage.
Finally out of his MVP sibling’s shadow and carving his own path, the Duke product earned a spot in Sacramento’s regular rotation in late March after playing sparingly over the first half of the season, and responded with 16.4 points on a sizzling 48.9 percent from long range to go along with 5.3 assists per outing over his final seven appearances.
Curry – who entered 2015-16 with three career points in 21 minutes of action with three organizations – scored in double-digits in eight of his nine starts, twice matching his career high with 21 points, and notching 20 points and a career-best 15 assists against the Suns on April 11.
On the season, No. 30 ranked sixth in the League in three-point accuracy (45 percent) among all players with at least 100 attempts from behind the arc – drilling 18 of 30 attempts (60 percent) from the corners, according to NBA.com.
“When he got his opportunity, he took advantage of it … the guy can play,” said Cousins. “I’m just happy he’s being able to put his abilities on display. He’s a super talented guy.”
In addition to his offensive contributions, the energetic, 6-foot-2 guard provided consistency at both guard positions on the defensive end, utilizing his keen instincts to come up with deflections and holding his own against bigger opponents.
Demonstrating he’s comfortable playing off the ball, as well as running the offense at the point, the sharpshooting scorer and skillful playmaker has proven he's not only a worthy NBA player, but a budding franchise building block.
‘Trill’ Gets Offensive: Praised for being able to lock down guards on the perimeter as seamlessly as he can protect the paint, the exceptionally athletic 7-footer was as good as advertised on the defensive end, using his quickness, lengthy wingspan and high basketball IQ to come up with highlight-reel chase-down blocks, clog passing lanes to create turnovers and corral offensive rebounds for put-back slams.
With Cauley-Stein on the floor this season, Sacramento outscored opponents by 5.1 points per 100 possessions – the highest mark on the team – compared to posting only a 102.2 offensive rating while he sat on the bench, according to NBA.com.
Not surprisingly, among all Kings lineups with at least 50 minutes of court-time, a five-player unit featuring No. 00 alongside Cousins, Rondo, Rudy Gay and Darren Collison outscored opponents by a team-best 18.6 points per 100 possessions and recorded the team’s second-highest net rating (21.4).
Although individual stats tell only part of the story for the Sacramento draftee – a player who frequently contributes in areas that aren’t quantified in the box score – he joined Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the only other qualified rookie to average at least nine rebounds, one block (1.7) and one steal (1.2) per 36 minutes.
While the majority of Cauley-Stein’s offense consisted of transition opportunities and ferocious dunks – contributing to his impressive 56.3 field goal percentage – over the final month of the season, the former junior-high point guard showed flashes of his untapped potential as a reliable scorer, consistently knocking down mid-range jumpshots and operating with his back to the basket.
The 22-year-old followed a stat-stuffing 26-point, six-rebound, three-steal and two-block performance against the Suns on March 25 with 21 points and seven boards in the subsequent contest, becoming the first Kings rookie with back-to-back 20-point outings off the bench since Walt Williams in 1992-93.
As he continues to hone his overall skill set – developing into a potential All-Defensive Team selection, while gaining confidence in his promising offensive game – the active big man will serve as a perfect complement to Cousins in the Kings frontcourt for years to come.
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