Take your protein pills and put your helmets on: the Kings hopping on the Rockets Wednesday night, and then getting the heck outta here till the fall. Yes, the end comes for all things and that rather official and ominous knocking on the locker room door of the ‘17-18 Sacramento Kings can no longer be ignored. The best overall record in the NBA this season, and the Kings draw the short straw for playing them in their final regular season game? You’ve seen Apollo 13, right? Okay, so then you know what happens when a sub-par tank gets busted around some rockets on a mission. Houston, we gotta problem.

Let’s talk Kings basketball.

When: Wednesday, April 11th; 7:00 pm PST

Where: Golden 1 Center; Sacramento, CA

TV: NBCSCA

Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM

For Your Consideration

Left Off: I think for most fans, this season was over in October. The team gave reasonable expectations for their players and patrons alike; playoffs weren’t in their crosshairs, but improvement and development was. For fans, all that was left to do was watch the rookies develop, see the Kings nab themselves a high draft pick and then go bother the preview guy in the comments on occasion. Depending on who you ask, one or two of those things ended up happening the way it was planned. So much of this season felt… off-kilter. The George Hill saga, Skal’s vomit comet minutes diving and climbing so frequently it caused Dave Joerger to nearly pass out during a game, even the rookies being unbelievably clutch in the only season the Kings really needed to lose; spooky action at a distance for a Kings squad that regularly defies expectations.

This summer will be a critical one in terms of constructing a Kings squad capable of escaping the immense gravity of the cellar just get within visual distance of respectability. Cap space, draft picks, Jack Cooley needing to satiate his urges for human flesh; all of these decisions would be precarious for even the most seasoned of front offices. Having Vlade still learning on the fly and an untest Brandon Williams at the helm will test the mettle of any fan paying attention. From top to bottom, the Kings have to get better. Will they?

Prediction: BOOM.

Kings: 114, Rockets: 13

Later Birds: I’m putting this smack dab at the end of the preview so you have every chance in the world to ignore it. As this is the last game of the season, this is the last time I’ll get to subject you to the whims of my addled mind until the Fall. Coming here and having 75+ games to annoy you with lukewarm takes and overly aggressive rants towards other, more respectable teams was an absolute pleasure. Every single one of your comments was read, and appreciated, by me. If in accounting for this season, you didn’t find a lick of substance to these, please blame Akis and Greg, who continue to be two amazing and supportive editors, and are the ones responsible this year for letting Bartlet be Barlet. From Kimani’s wonderful photographs to Brad’s hot takes to Tim and Bryant’s analysis and everyone else who didn’t pay me to mention their name here, each and everyone of these writers does what they can to support each other, and to give you the best in Sacramento Kings content. Not including the rabid dog typing previews, I think they supply it in spades.

I know it can be maddening with this team sometimes, but keep being the wildest, cheesiest, most obnoxious, gif-iest, best fans in the NBA and know, you’ve got a fan yourself, in me.

I guess, the real wins were the Glinda Glerwhips we hated along the way.

I’m ready for cryosleep now, Akis.