It’s early January, and in most years, a 15-22 record would have a Western Conference team in the lottery running.
But not this year.
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The Kings, who have won just four of their last 10 games, were ninth in the Western Conference as of Tuesday afternoon. And superstar big man DeMarcus Cousins seemed to be in a good mood for once, telling reporters that this Kings team has the “best vibe” of any he’s played on.
Only six teams in the West had records above .500 before Tuesday. Contrast that with the Eastern Conference, where the 19-18 Celtics would be the odd team out if the playoffs started now.
For Cousins and the Kings, this has been an interesting season characterized by Cousins' frustration-filled tirades, Rajon Rondo's homophobic slander toward referee Bill Kennedy, and losses to the likes of the Sixers and Timberwolves. Add in a tension-filled relationship between Cousins and coach George Karl, and things could really be a lot worse.
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But here we are, nearing midseason, and Cousins is having the best season of his career and the Kings have hope. Cousins, who's averaging 25.4 points and 10.8 rebounds, says he owes much of his success to Rondo.
"His IQ at the defensive end. And it's not even just on the floor. His mindset coming in is helping mine grow as a professional," Cousins told NBA.com as he cited the reasons. "He's helping me in more than just one way."
Rondo, who leads the league with 11.6 assists per game, says the Kings aren't looking to just get into the playoffs. They want to play for seeding as well.
"Me, I've never said anything about (the) eighth spot," Rondo said. "I'm trying to get to five or six. I'm not setting the bar so low that I just want to get in. Who wants to play Golden State (in the) first round?"