1) The Starting Lineup has been great… when they've been on the court

There's a lot to like about that lineup on paper. Rondo controls the game and makes it easier for Gay and Cousins to get the ball in spots they like. Cauley-Stein is a freak defender who can protect the rim, harass the pick-and-roll, and step out to guard the perimeter. McLemore is another speedy athlete who theoretically offers three point shooting to space the floor, although that has not worked out yet.

If the Kings can overcome the injury bug and Karl can stay out of his own way, its easy to see this unit leading the Kings to more success sooner rather than later.

2) Despite all odds, the bench has been outstanding

Anybody who's seen the last stretch of games for the Kings knows that the bench is single-handedly responsible for making the Kings competitive whenever they have been. With the Boogie-less starting lineup crapping the bed, the Kings bench has stepped up making key runs and at least giving fans a reason to stay tuned.

Optimistically, if the Kings can find some semblance of lineup stability, this bench should continue to pack some serious firepower in support of the starters. Vlade Divac worked hard to bring depth to the team, and while it hasn't reflected in the win-loss record yet, I think the production of the reserves speaks for itself.

3) The schedule gets easier

The Kings' schedule has been a murderer's row for any team, let alone one facing big injury concerns. The Kings' opponents together have a .585 record, with many of those teams (like Houston, Memphis, and Phoenix) arguably much better than their record suggests. All of their opponents have been Western Conference teams with only two teams missing the Playoffs last year. The Kings have already played two back-to-backs, currently finishing up an exhausting stretch where they played 5 games in 7 nights at a time where the team desperately needed some down time to get used to playing without Cousins and to give themselves a chance to heal up. Not so, unfortunately; the schedule has been unforgiving and relentless.

That being said, things should be going downhill for the time being. The Kings' next eight opponents have a combined .507 record, with only one back-to-back on the horizon. All of these opponents are Eastern Conference teams, and while on paper it seems the East is much better than last year, its too early to tell whether there has been a significant power shift.