This season, the Sacramento Kings may be the NBA’s most perplexing club. They defeated the defending champions once more before the All-Star Break, but they recovered to only barely defeat the Spurs.
They went to Los Angeles and defeated the Clippers handily after an ugly victory over San Antonio. Things appeared to be moving in the right direction for the team’s late playoff push, spirits were up, and the Kings were finally playing good defense.
But Sacramento’s worst enemy this season has been short-handed teams, as they fell to the Heat for no apparent reason when Terry Rozier, Jimmy Butler, and Tyler Hero were absent. Both the squad and individual players have had their share of ups and downs during the season.
Let’s take a look at some one-sentence progress reports for each of the 15 Kings on the roster as we approach what is likely the most crucial part of the season.
The beginning players
De’Aaron Fox: Unfortunately, Fox was in a bit of a rut prior to the All-Star Break. Despite his impressive progress as a three-point shooter and defender, Fox has been playing at an All-NBA level at various moments during the season.
Domantas Sabonis: The Kings big man is enjoying a fantastic season and is by far the most reliable player in the team. He leads the league in double-doubles, triple-doubles, and rebounds per game.
Keegan Murray: As he continues to work through the growing pains of being a young player in the NBA, Murray has improved as a defender and added more weapons to his offensive arsenal, even though his three-pointers aren’t falling as frequently as they did last season.
Kevin Huerter: The Kings have suffered on both sides of the court as a result of Huerter’s poor play, poor defense, and “only” 37.7 percent three-point shooting. Hopefully, Huerter will rediscover his groove for the postseason.
Harrison Barnes: Harrison Barnes doesn’t always have an easy time with the Kings; he normally doesn’t get many touches and is last in the offensive hierarchy in the starting lineup. Barnes usually does a good job fulfilling his role, but occasionally it isn’t enough and he virtually disappears.
The reserve guards, Malik Monk: Malik Monk, a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, has unquestionably been the Kings’ most dependable reserve player this season in terms of both playmaking and scoring.
Davion Mitchell: Davion Mitchell has been working hard on his shot, but the offense hasn’t developed yet. As a result, his output has significantly decreased, and he was temporarily removed from the starting lineup.
Keon Ellis: Despite not playing much towards the end of the season, Ellis has already had a good season after working his way up from the end of the bench into the rotation early on and ultimately landing a regular NBA deal.
Colby Jones: A 2023 second-round pick by the Kings, Jones hasn’t had a lot of opportunity to play yet, but he’s shown promise and has plenty of time to grow.
Chris Duarte, the backup wings, has been a roller coaster ride for the Kings. He went from starting to not playing to coming back into the rotation and providing Mike Brown with some quality minutes. The Kings took a chance on him to give them some 3-and-D minutes on the wing.
Kessler Edwards: Aside from one outstanding game against Minnesota, Kessler Edwards has spent the whole season sitting on the bench, mostly seeing just garbage time or a few defensive possessions.
The backup forwards Trey Lyles: After Monk, Trey Lyles has been the Kings’ lone reliable player off the bench. He has good three-point shooting ability, good size, and some flexibility at the five position.
Sasha Vezenkov: After moving to the NBA from Europe, Sasha Vezenkov struggled to adjust. He injured his ankle right before he appeared to be locked in for rotational minutes, so it will be interesting to see whether he can play any more minutes this season.
JaVale McGee, the backup big man, is a terrific pick-and-roll partner for Monk and has championship experience, but his inconsistent play makes it difficult for him to be a regular fixture in the Kings’ lineup.
Alex Len: Alex Len is dependable and always prepared for when his number is called. He does not, however, give you spectacular plays or movements worthy of a highlight reel.
