Kings Fall but Stay In Top 10 of NBA Power Rankings

Sacramento's challenging slate over the next week will allow them the chance to earn their highest ranking of the season.

The Sacramento Kings have won four of their last five games and are set to take on a tough Philadelphia 76ers team on Friday, January 12 as they look to extend their current win streak to three. After their previous games, the Kings remained in the top 10 of the latest NBA Power Rankings from ESPN but dropped one place from last week.

The Kings rank 9th in the NBA this week, a drop from 8th last week. The rankings came out before their blowout win at the Charlotte Hornets happened. For reference, here is the top 10:

1. Boston Celtics
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Milwaukee Bucks
6. Los Angeles Clippers
7. Philadelphia 76ers
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Sacramento Kings
10. Miami Heat

The Kings have been shaky recently despite going 4-1 in recent games. Sacramento was getting blown out by the Detroit Pistons before ramping back to win by 21 but was dominated the game prior by the New Orleans Pelicans, who have gone 4-0 against the Kings this season.

The Kings have a top-10 match on Friday, however, the 76ers will be without their best player and current MVP leader C Joel Embiid due to a knee injury, and a win over them will certainly help boost their rankings. 

The Kings' slate after the 76ers has challenging games against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns before they finally return to Golden 1 Arena for a two-game home stand. 

While the Kings have been shaky, there are lots of trade rumors being swirled around, and there is a very real possibility of a big roster change before the February 8 trade deadline. A trade would give the new Kings a chance to meld together and fix their consistency issues before making a title push this offseason. The Kings currently sit at the 5th seed in the West and are on pace for a 50-win season.

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