The Sacramento Kings might not actually be ready to challenge for a playoff spot in 2014-15 but they have looked better than many people anticipated. The Kings are 7-5 straight up but are 8-4 against the spread, which is one game back of the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks for the best mark in the NBA. The Kings were expected to slip and slide to another lousy season but here are the three reasons why they’ve been a great bet so far:
Cousins Improved Play
DeMarcus Cousins spent his summer practicing with some of the best in the world and his experience with Team USA has translated to an improvement in both his game and in his level of maturity.
Cousins has led the Kings with a team-high 22.5 points per game and 11.8 rebounds and he has been a monster down low at the defensive end of the floor as well where he is averaging 1.4 blocks per game. The presence of Jason Thompson, Reggie Evans, and a tall wing like Rudy Gay has helped down low but Cousins is still the biggest reason for the success of a team that ranks third in the NBA in rebounding.
Cousins has established himself as one of the more talented big men in the West but he has flown under the radar as a young star that is better than most people realize.
Another big reason for their success has been the level of production they have gotten out of Gay and Darren Collison as both players have registered solid numbers early on. Gay earned himself a contract extension by averaging 21.7 points and 6.6 rebounds while leading Sacramento in minutes played. Gay has typically been an inefficient shooter in his career but is shooting 45.1% from the field so far while making 34.3% of his three’s and a career-best 87.1% from the charity stripe.
Meanwhile, Collison has been an excellent example of a talented point guard put in the perfect situation to maximize his skill set. A lot of people were disappointed when the Kings let go of Isaiah Thomas but he wasn’t the right fit for the Kings. Collison has been great, averaging 15.6 points per game and – more importantly – 7.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds. All of those numbers are career benchmarks.
Underdog Status
Arguably the most important factor in the Kings success against the spread is the fact that teams haven’t been prepared for what they have brought to the table. While Sacramento has seen some favorable spreads, their only close loss came against Memphis in a 111-110 final while they have secured statement wins over Portland, San Antonio, Chicago, and the Los Angeles Clippers that few saw coming.
Whether or not opponents continue to overlook just how talented this Kings team is will be a completely different story but the reality is that to this point, their pretender status has helped them earn some key wins and excel as a good team to bet ATS this season.
