Sacramento Kings

30-52, no playoffs

Overview: After a record 16-year run of futility, the Kings are counting on Mike Brown to be the coach that will end the longest playoff drought in NBA history. Brown takes over a downtrodden franchise that hasn’t been to the postseason since 2006 but enters this season hoping that a coach with a history of defensive success is the ingredient needed to change the fortunes.“The connectivity of the group is fantastic,”Brown said.“There’s a great spirit and energy that you feel out there from our guys.”Whether that translates into enough wins in the competitive Western Conference is the big question. Sacramento has some key pieces in place after acquiring two-time All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to team with point guard De’Aaron Fox and drafting Keegan Murray fourth overall. But entering a season with optimism and ending it that way are very different for the Kings.“We have to prove we are good enough to make it into that dance,” general manager Monte McNair said. “We are going to need guys across the roster to step up, but we think we have the pieces here.”

Quote: “He’s going to emphasize that every day,” guard Davion Mitchell said.“The culture he came from when they were really good defensively, he’s going to try and bring that to our team.”