At last year's all-star break, the Kings were 32-25 while residing in the conference's third spot. At this year's break, they're 31-23 and sitting in the eighth spot in the West.
To be fair, the league around the Kings has gotten better. Their offense doesn't sit atop the NBA, but the numbers are more or less within the same range, indicating the competition has just upped their games. And Sacramento's defense has improved, even if marginally.
Yet the season thus far has been marred by incongruity more than anything. There have been highs this season—similar to those witnessed last season—but the lows have seemingly been lower than anything felt during last year's magical, drought-ending campaign.
Outside of starting 0-4 last season, the Kings only suffered a losing streak of three or more games twice, and one of them was in the final three games of the season, which, as Mike Brown characterized it, was the lone segment where the team felt fairly comfortable and wasn't in "constant fight mode." So, really only one.
By contrast, the Kings have had a four-game losing streak in the middle of this season in addition to an early three-game skid.
Of course, there's more of a target on their back this season. They killed an embarrassing playoff drought last season and, meanwhile, spent the entirety of it punching the league in the mouth with the number-one offense. Not to mention everyone was just getting used to a full year of the Fox-Sabonis pairing, the dynamic impact of Malik Monk off the bench, the ready-made usefulness of a rookie like Keegan Murray, and so much more. Nobody's being taken by surprise this time around.
As such, this year has been different.
But beyond losing streaks, the depressions in performance this season have hit lower levels than a year ago. So far, there were games like Portland's visit in December or Detroit's visit this month where the effort was nonexistent, which felt like deeper depths than what could have been imagined a season ago.
It's been 54 games of inconsistency, which is why a considerable portion of fans were either angry, frustrated, or confused by the fact Monte McNair and the Kings front office made absolutely no moves at last week's trade deadline.
However, it's fair to characterize that as an impulsive response. While running the risk of running cover for the organization, the front office does seem to know what they have: a roster undergirded by two stars, adorned with a rising star, featuring a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and some more.
McNair and company would have found it worthy taking a big swing at a Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, but both went elsewhere. What else could they do?
Maybe some other, more minor moves, but how much would that move the needle?
Perhaps there's an argument to be made that a trade of some kind should have been made, but there wasn't a move.
The Kings either A) think they're amid a process and want their team to grow and mature without an expectation to win, or B) they really do believe there's another level within this group that can make a little noise.
After all, if one takes the Pelicans completely out of the equation—which, admittedly, is a hell of a convenient condition—the Kings are 10-6 against the teams above them in the conference. To emphasize this, that includes a 3-0 record against Denver, a 2-1 record against Oklahoma City, and a 2-0 record against Dallas.
There's something to be said about the idea that the Kings play when it matters most. That doesn't excuse the depleted performances and stretches, but it would at least partly rationalize the lack of moves at the deadline.
And look at the last game prior to the deadline. The Kings continued fighting—which they've done a lot better over the last month or so—and came back to beat Denver on the back of their defense.
"After dropping a tough one last night — dropping one game before that — to come here on (the second of a) back to back and find a way ... to find a way to win ugly, it just adds to the belief that we don't have to be this offensive juggernaut to go win games," coach Mike Brown said after Wednesday's win in Denver. "We can win games in a lot of different ways and tonight was a testament of it."
There have been glimpses of a Kings team that can get a win with a performance that relies on defense—not just to defend, but to generate easy offense—and the prevalence of that in the recent Nuggets game highlights what this team can do when the moment is at its most critical state.
This team can win with defense.
"I think in that third quarter (it) was big for us because we were able to get stops, and get out and run, and just try to create easy opportunities for ourselves," De'Aaron Fox explained following his team's win in the final game before the break. "And once we did that... we tightened the game up."
They've shown it before against lousy teams like Atlanta and Memphis, but this was the defending champions (albeit, without some starters once again).
"You're not going to be able to shoot the lights out all the time, you're going to have to just find a way, and... it ends with the defensive side of the ball if you're not defending it doesn't matter cuz everybody can score nowadays," coach Brown added on Wednesday night.
Of course, contributing to all of this is another thing Brown said that night. He indicated that Fox and Sabonis were banged up while throwing in the fact that Keegan Murray, for a young guy, is as well.
So the head coach was right to say this week-long break could not have come at a better time. And that itself also lends a lot of hope to what this team could potentially do when they—assuming they do—get another shot at a playoff run.
However, nobody should forget the fact the Kings would have loved to have been able to get a guy like Siakam or Anunoby had the opportunity been there for the taking. It wasn't, but the crux of the situation remains relevant: they feel they need to make a change.
Alongside the notion of not leaning into defense to the degree required to win a championship, Sacramento also lacks a certain killer instinct. It's the ability to keep one's "foot on the opponent's neck," as De'Aaron Fox has described it.
The team has made some strides in closing out games or in dealing with small lineups while Sabonis is out there, and they've improved other areas throughout the course of the first two-thirds or so of the year. Among the areas still in need of improvement, however, the inability to keep a boot "on the opponent's neck" could be the most notable hindrance to reaching the ultimate goal at the present moment.
That and the inconsistent defense can be solved by a move once it ultimately arises.
Upgrading the starting lineup with someone like, say, Siakam would absolutely propel the short term potential forward. Getting a true defender that could handle 4's would be the most ideal.
Harrison Barnes draws assignments for talented 4's most often as Keegan Murray is a perimeter defender Brown likes to put on guys such as Devin Booker or Steph Curry.
Barnes no doubt holds his own more often than not. But even over the last few games, it's clear there is room for improvement. The only person that could guard Kevin Durant was Keegan Murray, who, as noted, was in charge of handling Booker. And the next night, Barnes had to make a load of adjustments to deal with Aaron Gordon, whose strength and athleticism led him to a dominant first half performance.
Oftentimes, Barnes does adequately in those scenarios and, in addition to that, can defend 3's as well, providing that versatility. Even still, they could be so much better.
On the subject of defense, it gets worse regarding Kevin Huerter. While he's limited his glaring mistakes, played very well off the ball, and has had a prolonged period of keeping the negative spotlight off of him on that end, Huerter is the definition of the starter a coach tries to hide defensively.
Huerter's shortcomings have been documented extensively throughout his Kings tenure. He's a terrific offensive player and has been particularly good over the last month or so, but upgrading over him could thrust this team so much further.
The frustration of no deadline move is somewhat warranted: the Kings do, in fact, need that guy. They need someone with size and defensive capabilities that has an offensive impact.
It's just that, while everyone wants to hit a home run, sometimes you get a fastball too far inside on the knuckles or a breaking ball in the dirt. McNair is waiting for his pitch.
He's been allotted a lot of time and still has time, but if he starts next season with roughly the same roster, then he's starting to venture into trouble. By that time, the clock on the championship window will be ticking and the quest to find that missing link will only become more difficult.
There's hope for this team, but there isn't necessarily a ton of hope in this current group, which is why the goal isn't necessarily a championship. Of course, every team is out to get that, but realistically speaking—and as illustrated in the reluctance to make a "win-now" move, or any move—that's not the mindset of the Kings this year.
Their goal is unquestionably to try and assess this group or evaluate who's worth joining the eminent charge. It's to mature them, to get them to grow. It's, maybe like last season, to make them feel the heartbreak of losing in the playoffs. It's all being done with the big picture in mind.
Maybe that doesn't work out, and if that's the case, feel free to light the torches. For now, they have to continue to bolster their foundation so that when the missing piece does arrive, it'll be all systems go.
The Kings are biding their time to some degree, but it's with a keen intent to be productive. It's hard to knock right now, but everyone's eager to see where it goes. So let's sit back and watch what happens in the final 28 games of the season.
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Wish Monte made a move but maybe in the off season hopefully he will do some wheeling and dealing. I'd really like to see them get a guy like Caruso, Herb Jones or Thybulle for the starting lineup.
Alright, .5 games better...no one can say the Kings aren't improving! But to be serious the West got much tougher than last year...and I think last season was kind of an aberration that Sac was able to win the division and get a 3 seed with only 48 wins, but it was awesome while it lasted. I still believe they might go on a 2nd half run like last year, could get as many as 17-20 wins potentially! Nice article, appreciate the content!!