Rival scout slaps Kings with harsh Domantas Sabonis, roster problem

23/04/2024 03:57

After a 2022-23 season that saw them reach the playoffs amid a buzz of fan excitement, the Sacramento Kings sputtered out of the NBA Play-In Tournament this season.

Now, there are real questions about the Kings’ future and their roster makeup, per Howard Beck of The Ringer:

“At a glance, it's all a bit disorienting. The Kings won 46 games this season—just two fewer than they did a year ago. Fox and Sabonis were just as electrifying. The roster was largely the same, albeit dented by late-season injuries to Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter. Nothing really changed … except expectations. And, well, the entire landscape of the Western Conference.”

Of course, the difference between the two outcomes could be chalked up to the rest of the NBA Western Conference getting better around the Kings. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder, for example, made massive jumps this season.

But the excitement around the Kings has worn off, and roster issues could prevent things from getting better any time soon, per Beck:

“Not everyone is convinced, however. ‘I just don't like the way they're built,’ said a rival scout of the Kings. ‘They're running everything through [Sabonis] as if he was Jokic, but he's not Jokic. He's a hell of a player, but he can't shoot, so he can't really stretch the floor. It makes it a really static type of basketball.’ The scout also suggested that the Kings need a more traditional point guard next to Fox rather than a shooter, to allow him to thrive more off the ball.”

While Malik Monk is going to be a free agent, the team could elect to bring him back. The Kings also project to be under the salary cap for the next two seasons, so it’s not unreasonable to expect Sacramento to bring in reinforcements around the fringes.

Kings hope to exceed Play-In Tournament next year

Fans need to keep in mind just how far the Kings have come since GM Monte McNair and his staff arrived in late 2020. In his first draft, McNair selected NBA star Tyrese Haliburton at no. 12, a pick that was instantly called by many the steal of the draft. Just over a year later, McNair traded the still-developing Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers for Sabonis, an established two-time All-Star. Less than six months after that, McNair drafted Keegan Murray, who would set the NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made and make the All-Rookie first team while helping propel the Kings' resurgence.

Even though they lost in the play-in, the core of a high-level playoff team is now in place with plenty of room to develop into something truly special, which is more than the Kings could say for the last 15 years.

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