If the Sacramento Kings had any hope left of passing the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors to reach the play-in round of the postseason, those hopes were likely dashed Friday. Star guard De'Aaron Fox will miss at least the next 10-14 days due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Kings have only 12 games left on their schedule, and a 14-day absence would have Fox missing half of them.
That puts Sacramento's already slim playoff hopes on life support. The Kings currently trail the Pelicans by three games for the No. 11 seed and the Warriors by five for the all-important No. 10 seed. In all likelihood, the Kings weren't going to be able to make up that much ground even at full strength.
But without Fox? It almost certainly won't happen. Fox is averaging a career-best 25.2 points and 7.2 assists per game, but the Kings have struggled to surround him with sufficient talent. Even if they are now effectively out of the playoff race, Fox's absence matters quite a bit in the grand scheme of things. The Kings play the Mavericks twice and the Lakers once in the next week, and both teams are still fighting for playoff positioning.
The Kings haven't reached the postseason since 2007. Fox was their best chance at changing that this season, but now that he's out, the Kings appear bound for the lottery yet again.
