Malik Monk: the Kings Are ‘Legit’ Playoff Contenders This Season

Believe it or not, the Sacramento Kings are off to a remarkable start to the 2022-23 season. With a record of 13-9, they are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference. If things stay like this, the Kings can end their 16-year playoff drought, the longest playoff drought for any team in the NBA right now. 

Everything is going right for this Sacramento team, and this is something that the franchise has been lacking for 16 long years.

Kings head coach Mike Brown has been the missing leader this organization needed; De’Aaron Fox is quietly making a case for himself as an All-Star this year, Domantas Sabonis has settled in well into this Kings offense since arriving from the Indiana Pacers, Kevin Huerter is shooting lights out, and the rookie Keegan Murray is emerging as a promising young talent. 

On Sunday, when Sacramento defeated the Chicago Bulls 110-101 to win their third consecutive game, seven players for the Kings impressively ended the game, scoring in double-digits. Malik Monk led the way with 20 points. Following the victory, Monk told NBC Sports that the Kings are legit this year.

“We’re legit, man. We’re legit, because [Kings coach] Mike [Brown] is going to push us so hard that we can’t not be legit,” Monk told NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper and Kenny Thomas on “Kings Postgame Live.” “There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it. We’re a young team and a lot of guys that need to get to the playoffs. A lot of us haven’t been there yet, and we all want the same goal.

Sacramento will look to keep up their winning ways against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.