Kings’ Recent Losses Show a Need for More Firepower, Big Name Trades

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Nothing seems to be going right for the Sacramento Kings these days. The team had their good moments during the early season, and they certainly have a lot of talent, but they are now 3-7 in their last 10 contests with no end to the slide in sight.

Their most recent loss came in a nail-biter against the Spurs. The top talent did its job, with Domantas Sabonis getting his 18th double-double on 25 points/13 rebounds and Malik Monk coming through with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. De’Aaron Fox added 23/9/6 as well.

Despite that high scoring, the Kings stars can’t get much help. The bench was almost nonexistent, and the team’s defense has plenty of holes. They are letting teams put up points in droves, which is becoming harder and harder to overcome.

That was fully on display against San Antonio. While Sacramento led for a good amount of the game, the Spurs managed to flip the score in the fourth quarter. They put up a five point lead with time ticking down, and that enabled them to hold off Sacramento in the end.

A Lack of Finishing Power

The Spurs loss marks the Kings’ sixth loss in seven games, and further highlighted a persistent problem the team can’t seem to overcome: the ability to finish strong. They do a good job out of the gates, but their lack of depth is certainly becoming a bigger and bigger issue.

They put up 42 points in the first quarter, which marked a season high, before losing the next three. That style of play simply isn’t going to work in the west, especially as the season gets tighter and the competition ramps up.

“We weren’t good…Especially in the first half,” coach Mike Brown explained after the game. “We allowed them to get going from the three point line because we didn’t execute the game plan, A. And when we tried to execute it, it wasn’t with aggression.”

The Western Conference picture is starting to take shape. While every top team has high-level talent, they also have a lot of strong players who can come in off the bench and give the starters rest when needed. Strong franchises tend to have strong hustle players as well.

That’s where the Kings are lacking. On paper they seem to have quite a bit of power all throughout their lineup, but it’s not translating to meaningful statistics. It’s also not translating to wins.

DeMar DeRozan’s Strong, but Disappointing, Return

The lone bright spot came from the return of DeMar DeRozan, who played for the first time in three games due to soreness in his back. He led the team on both sides of the ball, and contributed with 28 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

The springy guard, along with many of the Kings players, has not been able to stay healthy this season. When he’s on the court, he’s extremely valuable. If the Kings want to get back on track, they’re going to need him every night.

They’re going to need the bench too. Top-heavy teams don’t do much in today’s NBA, and the Kings are relying too much on their stars right now. They have a lot of talent, but without breaks or role players it’s going to be a long season for Sacramento.

Kevin Huerter is currently dealing with an ankle issue, Trey Lyles is out with a calf problem, and Devin Carter is missing time with a shoulder injury. DeRozan, Sabonis, and Fox have also all dealt with their own injuries this season. If any of those are to pop up again, it may be too much for the already-hamstrung Kings to handle.

Potential Buyers (or Sellers)

The trade deadline is still months away, but that doesn’t mean the Kings aren’t in the conversation. It’s just hard to know if they’ll be looking to add players or unload. Sacramento certainly would love to bolster its roster, but that’s not easy to do with their current draft capital.

The two players they marked for trade last season, Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles, are likely going to be on the market again. The pair’s salaries total around $25 million, which would free up a lot of space and give the Kings some wiggle room.

While he’s playing well, DeRozan could be another move if the situation doesn’t improve. The 35-year old is producing, but he’s not leading to direct wins. Sacramento could ship him to a contender in addition for some draft capital to give their core some extra help.

However, if they do find themselves in the hunt, the Kings could also trade some first round picks or move on from someone like Keegan Murray in order to power their core of Sabonis, Fox, DeRozan, and Monk. It all depends on if they can fix their persistent issues, get some wins, and turn things around come January.