Cauley-Stein, Kings motivated for improvement after 27-55 season

Sacramento hasn’t had much success in the NBA with the Kings failing to enter the playoffs for 12 straight seasons.

It would take a lot for the Kings end their playoff drought but promising center Willie Cauley-Stein believes one of the keys to cracking the top eight in a stacked Western conference in the future is building chemistry on and off the court.

“We got old dudes and young dudes, we’re the young dudes,” said Cauley-Stein, who just wrapped up his third year in the NBA. “Our culture has to be so tight and that should continue for the next couple of years.”

“I expect us to work hard and not really get into the wins and losses columns,”  he added during the closing ceremonies of Jr.NBA Philippines Sunday at Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Sacramento Kings’ Bogdan Bogdanovic, left, De’Aaron Fox, center, and Willie Cauley-Stein celebrate late in the Kings win over the Golden State Warriors. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

“After getting to the bottom of the Western Conference our motivation is to get better than we were last year, we got to keep going at it.”

The Kings finished the 2017-2018 season with a 27-55 record, their worst record in 12 years since they finished with a 17-65 record in the 2008-2009 season.

At 24, Cauley-Stein is a big part of Sacramento’s future along with 20-year-old De’Aaron Fox, last year’s fifth overall pick who averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steals through 73 games in his rookie year.

The Kings also have the likes of proven veterans in 41-year-old Vince Carter and 36-year-old Zach Randolph, who are both former All-Stars.

Help is also on the way for the Kings, who are picking second in the 2018 NBA Draft, which is loaded with quality talent, next month.