Kings Rise in ESPN Power Rankings Following Heat Win

The Sacramento Kings have rightfully leaped ESPN's latest NBA power rankings.

Nov 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) dribbles the basketball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings beat the Miami Heat 111-110, thanks to a Domantas Sabonis game-winner to extend their record to 4-3. Sacramento finished their four-game Eastern Conference road trip with three wins, and have won four of their last five overall.

ESPN released their latest NBA power rankings, slotting the Kings as the 15th-best team in the league. The group of NBA pundits ranked Sacramento 19th last week, as the slight rise in ranking mirrors the Kings' on-court success.

"Clutch time was an Achilles' heel for the Kings last season, but they were optimistic that adding DeMar DeRozan would alleviate those issues. They got their first taste of the DeRozan and De'Aaron Fox duo in the clutch -- ultimately winning them an overtime game in Atlanta. However, on Monday the clutch time hero for the Kings was not DeRozan or Fox but instead Domantas Sabonis, who had a buzzer-beating putback to win against the Heat, putting the team above .500." -- Kendra Andrews, ESPN

The Kings have been led by the new star trio of De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan, averaging 70.2 points, 23.0 rebounds, 22.7 assists, and 4.7 steals per game between the three of them.

Many pundits and even fans questioned Sacramento's offseason acquisition of DeRozan, but the All-Star wing is already making a significant impact all over the court.

Before this season, it was hard to take the Kings seriously as a contender, but DeRozan adds a whole new faucet to their system that takes them to the next level.

While their record suggests they are a mid-tier team, they have lost three games by a combined seven points. The Kings have already shown they can hang with any team in the league and should rise to the top ten in ESPN's power rankings soon enough.

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