Well, I voted 51-75. In a long time, this was the season where I was genuinely hopeful. Yes, the start of every season brings new hope, but this time, felt it was more tangible. We had improved our bench, Fox had taken a jump last year, Hali was a proven commodity rather than just an exciting rookie, and we got another exciting rookie to fill that role. The organization seemed determined to focus on defense, and added personnel with that thought in mind, who we hoped also brought some much needed edge. The summer league and preseason showed great promise (I understand they mean little, but clutching at straws and all that. We Kings fans have a greater right to that than anyone else.)
Sure, we saw the roster imbalance, but hoped the depth would help alleviate some of those concerns. Some folks did point out that the core was the same, and hadn't proved anything, led by the same coach, who probably proved that he didn't belong, but us optimists ignored them. We weren't asking for much. Be competitive, with a reasonable chance of making the POs. Top 6 in the west would be great, but top 8 is also fine. And no, it doesn't matter that we don't have an All Star. We can't get one unless we give up Fox, who is going to get in this time, or so we thought.
Funnily, we will likely stay in the hunt for 10th for most of the year, and then likely end 11th. I think Rockets, Pels, OKC, Spurs will take the bottom 4 positions in the West. The 10th spot will likely be a fight between Minny, Portland, and us. Injuries/trades can of course change that, but this is what seems to be the case for now. Both Portland and Minny have established stars compared to us.
Right now, I don't even know if firing Luke will help, since I don't know if anyone else will do a better job. Sigh! Long rant, the life of a Kings fan.