Stephen A. Smith Predicts Kings as NBA Season Sleeper

Ever since Mike Brown took over in Sacramento, the Kings have been on the rise.

Stephen A. Smith’s Bold Prediction:

Stephen A. Smith believes this trend will continue. On his podcast, he shared that the Kings could surprise everyone this season.

Last Tuesday, he explained why he thinks the Kings will make a big leap this year. He chose them over teams like the Rockets or Pelicans.

Stephen A. Smith says the Kings are potential sleepers next season.

Agree?

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops)

Interestingly, Stephen didn’t even mention DeMar DeRozan joining the team to support his claim. Instead, he compared De’Aaron Fox to Magic Johnson with a special story.

“You know who I think is a sleeper?” he asked on his show. “The Sacramento Kings. This brother De’Aaron Fox.”

He recalled pushing for Fox in 2017 instead of other stars: “The only basketball argument we ever got in was pushing him to draft De’Aaron Fox,” Stephen said about Magic Johnson drafting Lonzo Ball instead of Fox.

Fox has become vital for Sacramento since being picked fifth overall. Last season, he averaged 26.6 points per game across 74 games played.

Fans love seeing unexpected players shine!

Smith pointed out how Lonzo Ball hasn’t matched up to Fox’s level due to injuries and performance differences: “But even healthy, he ain’t had that type of game that Fox got on him.”

Excitement Among Players:

Domantas Sabonis and other players are thrilled about this upcoming season and their summer trades.

Sacramento extended key players like Malik Monk and brought in veterans like DeMar DeRozan despite competition from other teams.

Sabonis expressed his excitement last week: “DeRozan’s arrival definitely exceeded my expectations,” he told reporter Sean Cunningham.

“DeRozan is very smart; I’m excited to learn from him,” Sabonis added after years with Chicago Bulls.

He believes DeRozan will add versatility: “We’re used to playing a certain style… but he’ll make us move differently.” Sabonis thinks it’ll be harder for opponents as they can now score from all positions.