The 2023–24 Kings season has seen its share of highs and lows. In addition to losing to some of the lowest clubs in the league, they triumphed over some of the top teams in the West. While it is important to respect every NBA opponent, the Kings simply cannot lose to clubs like Charlotte, Detroit, and Portland.
Consequently, Sacramento, with a 31-23 winning record, is currently ranked ninth in the West. A large portion of this may be attributed to the team’s subpar defense and the offense’s lack of chemistry from the previous campaign.
A lot of it also has to do with players not performing at their peak during slumps or off seasons. Let’s examine three Kings who, in order to keep their jobs, require incredible second halves.
1. Chris Duarte
It’s hard to say exactly what Chris Duarte does for the Kings at this moment. Initially signed as a 3-and-D prospect, he went on to start 11 games. But he was benched and missed a lot of games because he wasn’t shooting well from three and was getting fouls.
Coach Mike Brown, in need of some positive energy, started him in the fourth quarter of the team’s game against Denver. Duarte won the Defensive Player of the Game title going into the All-Star Break. He will now probably get another chance to make up lost playing time, especially with Sasha Vezenkov sidelined due to an ankle ailment.
Duarte needs to play with the same vigor that he displayed against the Nuggets, or else he’ll probably be benched once more. A player who is incapable of winning is of no service to the Kings, who are attempting to return to the postseason.
Thus, for Duarte, the goal is to keep his employment as an NBA rotational player rather than to defend a particular position on the club. Due to injuries, he has never played more than 55 games in a season. If he can’t continue to be a regular in the Kings’ rotation even when healthy, that may turn teams away.
Duarte would also be beneficial to the Kings if he had a fantastic second half, particularly if it included strong defensive play.
2. Kevin Huerter
It’s no secret that Kevin Huerter is not a good defender. Even though he was making a lot of threes, it was understandable, particularly against a team that prioritizes offense like the Kings.
Mike Brown prioritized defense as soon as training camp got underway, understanding that the Kings needed to get better in order to win a postseason series. Huerter’s deficiencies on that end of the court were exposed as a result, and Chris Duarte briefly replaced him in the starting lineup.
Huerter is enjoying his worst shooting season since 2020–21, as if that weren’t enough already. The Kings suffer if he is not making shots and is outplayed on defense. Hopefully, Huerter will enter the All-Star Break hot and ready to play defense. He won’t be a lockdown defender, but his stature will help him make deflections. He has had some strong shooting performances in February.
If not, his employment could be in danger. Considering that Huerter is still a talented player, the Kings won’t deal him lightly. His three-point shooting did not simply vanish; perhaps, it will soon become functional again.
Huerter might very well be part of the deal, though, if the Kings want to move up for a 3-and-D starter in the summer and he didn’t perform well towards the end of the season. Ultimately, they had offered him for trade at the trade deadline. Or, who knows, perhaps Mike Brown will decide he wants a more involved defender in the starting lineup after Chris Duarte or Keon Elis emerge from the All-Star Break on fire.
Huerter needs to have a fantastic second half in order to guarantee the squad a postseason berth as well as to establish his position on the team.
3. Davion Mitchell
Unquestionably, Davion Mitchell is a talented defensive player, but his offensive game hasn’t quite clicked yet. His output has decreased along with his minutes, which have dropped from 27.7 to 13.2 per game since his rookie season.
Mitchell has been practicing his three-point shot nonstop, but despite his hard work, he is still only hitting 30.9 percent of them in games. Being on a team that lets the 25-year-old play with his offense during games may be advantageous.
He must, however, establish his position on this team as he is currently with the Kings. Coach Mike Brown has demonstrated in the past that he doesn’t always trust Mitchell to assist the Kings in their goal of winning. Playing Keon Ellis instead of him demonstrated that.
Mitchell has been performing well ever since he got his playing time back. However, Fine might not be sufficient to keep him employed. Prior to the trade deadline, the Kings had already made Mitchell available on the trade market. The holes in the roster remain the same, and no changes were made.
The Kings will likely make an effort to be busy this summer, and Mitchell might end up on a different team if he doesn’t have a fantastic remainder of the season.
