Sacramento Kings Tickets

Sacramento Kings 2008/2009 Season Preview Despite a rash of injuries and a major trade, the Sacramento Kings still managed to have a solid season despite it being labeled a rebuilding year.

The Kings finished 38-44, and many feel they could have finished above .500 or even challenged for a playoff spot had they not traded away their point guard and had their top three players all miss significant time with injuries.

After point guard Mike Bibby missed significant time with an injury, the team traded him to the Atlanta Hawks, further weakening the Kings. Star shooting guard Kevin Martin also missed a lot of time with an injury, and forward Ron Artest was suspended for the first seven games of the season.

To continue the rebuilding project, the team made a fantastic offseason move by trading away the disgruntled veteran Artest to the Houston Rockets and acquiring guard Bobby Jackson, first-round draft pick Donte Greene and a future first-round draft choice.

Jackson will return to the Kings after a very successful stint with the club at the beginning of the decade. He was a part of the Sacramento team that was led by Chris Webber and came so close so many times to being the best team in the Western Conference.

The acquisition of Greene is an absolute steal. Despite just one year at the college level, he has already shown that he has the ability to play at the next level. In his first game in the summer league, he scored 40 points and showed the upside that made some wonder how he slipped so far down in the first round.

Sacramento made a questionable selection in the first round of the NBA Draft, taking forward Jason Thompson out of Rider. Most felt he would be a late first-round or early second-round selection, but the Kings liked him so much that they drafted him with the No. 12 overall pick.

The team also selected Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing Jr., two players who had a lot of college success but whose games do not likely transfer well to the NBA. Both will struggle to make the opening night roster.

The Kings might be slightly improved in 2008-2009, but the key for this team is that they are building a solid future with their collection of young players. Look for the Kings to fall short of a playoff berth, but be competitive for much of the season.