Sanders and the Clippers have had a gauntlet in March, but their path is easier than most.
The Los Angeles Clippers are sitting at 36-36 with 10 games left in the regular season, and for a team that started the year 6-21, just being in the playoff conversation at all is a story in itself.
After a dominant 129-96 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, the Clippers are holding onto the eighth seed in the Western Conference while trying to stay ahead of Portland and Golden State, who are right behind them.
The momentum is there, but the margin is thin.
Rookie guard Kobe Sanders spoke about where the team's head needs to be heading into the final stretch, and he pointed straight to the defensive end.
"Definitely just cleaning up on the defensive end," Sanders said. "I think we got a little lax on our road trip, so cleaning that end up and then just playing together. It's still early for this unit. ... I think we're starting to get that flow."
A Brutal Stretch Ahead
Sanders is right that the road trip was a rough one, as the Clippers dropped three out of four games during a swing through New Orleans and Dallas that saw them fall from two games above .500 back to even.
The four-game skid put real pressure on what had been one of the best turnaround stories in the league, but the blowout against Milwaukee on Monday was a step in the right direction.
The schedule over the final 10 games is not going to let up.
The Clippers host Toronto on Wednesday night before hitting the road for Indiana and Milwaukee, then come back home for Portland and San Antonio before closing the season with Sacramento, Dallas, Oklahoma City and a back-to-back against Portland and Golden State.
That stretch includes the 57-15 Thunder and the 54-18 Spurs, and those games could go a long way in deciding whether the Clippers hold onto their playoff positioning or fall into a fight just to make the play-in.
Portland sits just one game back at 36-37, and Golden State is lurking at 34-38, so there is almost no room for error.
Sanders Finding His Place
For Sanders, this season has been about growth from day one.
The 50th overall pick out of Nevada was originally drafted by the New York Knicks before his rights were traded to the Clippers on draft night, and he has steadily worked his way into a real role off the bench.
He is averaging 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from three, and his ability to knock down shots and play solid defense has earned him trust from head coach Tyronn Lue.
Sanders has shown he can step up when the team needs him.
When James Harden was out with a shoulder injury earlier in the season, Sanders stepped into the starting lineup against Golden State and dropped a career-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting in a one-point win.
He also earned a full standard contract after starting the year on a two-way deal, which speaks to how the front office views his future with the organization.
With Kawhi Leonard putting up 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season, the Clippers have the star power to compete with anyone when healthy.
But as Sanders pointed out, the defense and the togetherness are what will decide whether this team finishes the year strong or watches the season slip away in the final two weeks.