NBA

Sacramento Kings: Three reasons to watch

AJ Neuharth-Keusch, USA TODAY Sports
DeMarcus Cousins celebrates during a game against the Detroit Pistons.

With the 2016-17 NBA season on the horizon, USA TODAY Sports highlights the top three reasons to watch all 30 teams. We also recap any significant moves made in the offseason and project how your favorite team will finish.

Watchability ranking: 26th

What’s different? Dave Joerger comes to Sacramento as the Kings’ ninth coach in the past 10 seasons. The former Memphis Grizzlies coach takes over a roster with plenty of new faces, including veterans Arron Afflalo, Matt Barnes, Garrett Temple, Ty Lawson and Anthony Tolliver, as well as rookies Georgios Papagiannis (13th pick), Malachi Richardson (No. 22), Skal Labissiere (No.28) and Isaiah Cousins (No. 59).

The rebrand: What better way to revamp a team in the midst of a 10-year playoff drought than a shiny new arena, new logos and new uniforms? The Golden 1 Center — the team’s $550 million-plus venue that boasts the NBA’s first and only 4K ultra-HD video board — is as state-of-the-art as it gets, and the uniforms and logo give a new look to a squad in desperate need of change.

A close-up of one of the Sacramento Kings' new jerseys.

One-man show: Hate him or love him, there’s no denying DeMarcus Cousins is as entertaining as he is talented. Whether he’s taking it coast to coast for a highlight-reel finish, hitting a game-winning fadeaway jumper or getting thrown out of arenas for that raw emotion that he so often has trouble containing, Cousins is the epitome of a one-man show.

More turmoil? Joerger boasts an impressive, although brief, head coaching résumé: three consecutive postseason appearances and a 147-99 record during his tenure with Memphis. Few candidates on the market this summer were more capable of taking on this challenge. For a team with as much turmoil as talent in recent seasons, how he coexists with Cousins will be something to keep an eye on.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

(Statistics from 2015-16 season)

  • Darren Collison - Points: 14.0, assists: 4.3, rebounds: 2.3, steals: 1.0, field goal percentage: 48.6%
  • Arron Afflalo (with New York) - Points: 12.8, rebounds: 3.7, assists: 2.0, steals: 0.4, field goal percentage: 44.3%
  • Rudy Gay - Points: 17.2, rebounds: 6.5, assists: 1.7, steals: 1.4, field goal percentage: 46.3%
  • Willie Cauley-Stein - Points: 7.0, rebounds: 5.3, assists: 0.6, blocks: 1.0, field goal percentage: 56.3%
  • DeMarcus Cousins - Points: 26.9, rebounds: 11.5, assists: 3.3, blocks: 1.4, field goal percentage: 45.1%

How good can they be? Sacramento’s 33-49 record last season was their best win total since 2008. Based strictly on talent, they could be a pleasant surprise. They could also, more likely than not, be another nightmare hampered by offcourt issues. All things considered, expect this team to be on the outside looking in. Again.

USA TODAY’s projection: 31-51

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