There are a million reasons for the Kings' remarkable turnaround this season.
De'Aaron Fox's growth into a young star, Buddy Hield's sharpshooting, drafting Marvin Bagley ... we could go on and on.
But Fox himself lists one primary reason for the Kings' unexpected playoff push: pace of play.
Fox described his rationale in a recent Q&A with The Undefeated's Marc Spears, in a response to Spears asking "What has been the key to the Kings' improved play this season?"
"The increased pace that we play with," Fox said. "We played at one of the slowest paces last year. I did find a little bit of success last [season], but with the way that we're playing now, it suits me perfectly.
"There is a lot of space getting up and down the floor. Just being able to play fast, create more possessions and then just giving me more opportunities to help my team."
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Sure enough, Sacramento is playing at the second-fastest pace in the NBA, averaging 104.1 possessions per game (trailing only the Atlanta Hawks).
Coach Dave Joerger has emphasized an improved pace this year, and boy has it paid off. The Kings are sitting at 30-27, currently in the 9th spot in the West. They already beat their preseason Vegas over/under (25.5), which they surpassed in late January.
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Fox is leading the charge, averaging 17.2 points and 7.2 assists in his sophomore season.
While there are a myriad of reasons for the Kings' turnaround, speeding up the pace has clearly paid dividends.
