Buddy Hield and his Kings teammates expect to win, like every other team in the NBA. They walked into Miami on Monday evening knowing that they've won just once at the AmericanAirlines Arena over the last 18 years. They strolled out with a victory and a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.
Following the 123-113 win over the Heat, Hield was asked if the team's recent success is surprising to him. He didn't take the question all that well.
"As a basketball player you expect us not to win?" Hield told reporters after the game. "Come on, everybody expects to win. We expect great things. Why not?"
This 4-3 start does NOT surprise @buddyhield pic.twitter.com/rspC2bs60M— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 30, 2018
"Why not?" might be a the next big t-shirt in Sacramento. Picked to finish at the bottom of the Western Conference in most preseason write ups, the Kings currently sit at 4-3. They've beaten quality opponents, including the Thunder, Grizzlies, Wizards and now the Heat.
"We had a great training camp, it didn't show in the preseason at times, but we know what we're capable of doing," Hield continued. "It just takes a while until we click and we're clicking at a good time, so we just have to keep rolling and playing together."
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As long as the Kings continue to win, it's a question the players are going to hear again and again as they travel across the county.
De'Aaron Fox had a similar reaction when asked a similar question Friday at home.
"Surprise outside of this locker room," Fox said. "We feel like last year, we didn't have an identity and we didn't know what we really wanted to do. I think this year we know we want to play fast."
They are playing a fun brand of basketball and teams around the league are struggling to keep up. Like Fox said, an identity is forming.
Teams have tried to slow the Kings down and have had some success for short bursts. But in their three-game win streak, there have been moments when Sacramento's speed and pressure is too much to handle, and the game gets out of control quickly.
Confidence is rising with this young group. They'll face the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night in the second game of a back-to-back looking for their first four-game win streak since Feb. 2017. That was also the last time the team had a three-game win streak.
It's a different feel with this team. So far, they've captured lightning in a bottle. It's unexpected, but don't tell the players that.
