I was just looking at Milwaukee's lineup against Golden State last night and thinking, "How in the world will the Kings, with their unstable rotations, beat the Bucks, who have great players at every starting position?" The same goes for the Celtics. The Western Conference may be more competitive this year, but I think the Kings could beat any of the teams except New Orleans with Zion Williamson. After many years of dominance, the Western Conference is suddenly weaker.
I can't speak to Coach Brown's mindset, except to say he believes that, without better defense, the Kings cannot go to the NBA Finals. At least, that is what he has been saying since October.