It was always going to be tough for the Kings to get into the playoffs with the Western Conference as insanely tight as it is this year. That they're in the conversation at all is amazing, frankly. For years they've languished in fringe-mediocrity. That is, they weren't quite terrible, but weren't really even mediocre. And now that the West has separated itself even further from the East in terms of quality of competition, the Kings are having their coming out party? It's almost unthinkable that they should sit two games over .500 at the halfway point of this season, with the tough strength of schedule they're fighting through.
All of this is to say that Kings fans should be proud of this team no matter where they finish in the standings. Leapfrogging any of the teams above them is a difficult task, and if they rise to the occasion, that's great. This city will go absolutely bonkers come playoff time. But if we have to wait until next season, that would still represent an acceleration of this team's timeline for success by any reasonable expectation.