The Sacramento Kings offense was stellar last season, finishing first in the league in points per game (120). De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis and supporting cast often dazzled their way to high-scoring games before the beam shot into the air, signifying their prowess on the offensive end and reminding the rest of the league the Beam Team has arrived.
There are hints of new wrinkles being added to that already explosive offensive strategy this season. Specifically, head coach Mike Brown told reporters he wants his players to read what he wants to do offensively quicker and better and with more space. He intends the offense to be more free flowing with better space, combined with the ability to cut harder. If somebody bumps them or takes them away from the play, they need to be able to counter it with a cut in another direction because of the spacing.
What Brown intends to be largely different this season, however, is the defense.
“We had the number one offense in the history of the game last year, and obviously we have talented offensive guys. It is what it is, and that’s a lot of their strengths. But in the same breath, in my opinion, and I’ve been a part of six NBA Finals or something like that with three different teams, and in my opinion, you have to be able to defend,” Brown said.
The consensus within the organization is clear: For the Kings to move beyond being a good team to compete for championships, a defensive overhaul is paramount.
The Kings were 24th in defensive rating last season, up a few spots from 27th in 2021-22.
General Manager Monte McNair, during Media Day, emphasized the necessity of transforming the Kings from merely an offensive spectacle to a well-rounded, consistent and formidable contender. His head coach Mike Brown has mentioned specific defensive principles throughout preseason and training camp he is emphasizing:
- Pick and roll defense
- Physicality without fouling
- Using the baseline/sideline for help
- Defending dribble hand offs
- Transition defense
Let’s start with the pick and roll defense.
“One of the things that we emphasize here, when we’re defending the pick and roll, which we weren’t good in last year, we were 30th in the League. … But when you’re on the ball and you hear the command, whatever the command may be, you have to send the ball toward the screen,” Brown told reporters. He emphasized how his players have to get into the ball on the pick and roll, stepping into it to use physicality on defense.
So in on-ball and pick-and-roll scenarios, he wants his players to engage the ball handler aggressively and navigate around the screen simultaneously. It’s essential for the team to be prepared to absorb contact. Physicality is a cornerstone of Brown’s defensive philosophy and he said there are guys on the team who need to get better with the physicality of the game for the team to take steps. He noted after the first preseason game how he liked how his team was taking charges.
“I think we took five charges or something like that. And that’s part of the physicality that I said that we have to have. We have to give up our body for the betterment of the team because we’re not necessarily big, especially that starting group,” he said.
They have to be physical without fouling though. Excessive fouls may lead to dissatisfaction from Brown, but his preference is for the team to err on the side of being overly physical and then receive guidance to dial it back if necessary. He favors this approach over playing passively, which would result in opponents not feeling the defensive presence due to a lack of fouls.
Outside of physicality, the use of the floor’s layout is key. Brown was considered the defensive coordinator of the Golden State Warriors during his time as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr. And one of his main principles on defense has long been keeping defenses from slashing to the middle of the paint to try to keep the ball on the baseline or sideline, which provides built-in help. This element of sideline pressure defense was emphasized recently to reporters as he pointed out a lapse by Sasha Vezenkov.
“He gave up middle a couple of times, and we’re a no middle team. He’s got to keep the ball on the sideline,” Brown said.
Dribble Hand Offs (DHOs) also gets significant attention in Brown’s defensive playbook. His approach is to be proactive, not reactive. Brown stated after a preseason game, “They tried to run a couple of DHOs with hot players, and in that situation during dribble handoffs you’ve got to get into the body.” This reflects his principle of disrupting offensive flow and not letting players get comfortable in their sets.
Brown’s perimeter defense principle is clear-cut: limit the best shooters. He explains his approach by differentiating players: “We have guys that are labeled hot and not hot. And the guys that are hot, that means we have to get them off the line. We can’t allow them to shoot a catch and shoot three. They have to at least dribble, sidestep three. And if they do, we contest, but we stay in the play and we try to rear view contest the best we can. So, they have to either do that or they have to drive the basketball and then we have to trail behind and have our defense come across and trap the box.”
Here, Brown’s principle emphasizes forcing primary shooters into less comfortable situations, whether that’s a side-step three or driving into a well-fortified paint.
In term of measuring adherence to these principles Brown has an analytical approach: “We give them grades defensively. There’s six actions that we have that we track analytically to give them a grade.” By grading players based on their position, Brown underscores the principle of accountability and consistent defensive effort.
Lastly, transition defense, has emerged as an area needing more alignment with Brown’s principles. Brown recently stated, “we went through stretches where we just didn’t communicate in transition.” His principle of communication and quick defensive setup in transition is vital, with an emphasis on “taking care of the transition game and being physical without fouling.”
In dissecting these comments, the takeaway is evident: while the Kings may remain an offensive force, Brown is laser-focused on instilling his defensive principles to elevate the team’s championship aspirations. Hopefully, this helps ensure that the beam becomes synonymous not just with offensive flair, but with comprehensive team victories.
PreSeason – that wonderful amorphous blend of hope, worry, anticipation and anxiety.
The incoming rooks look super: Wemby, Scoot, Miller, Keyonte, GG, Coulibaly, Amen -etc.
The players we site members were interested in: Naz, PJ,
The maybe breakouters: Simons, Kuminga, Gary Trent
The Stars- established and upcoming look as talented as ever or more so- Steph, AntMan, Tatum, etc.
The West looks tougher, the League looks tougher (sorry Charlotte) – the hype of it all is caffeinated!
Should be a great challenging season- but with the expectation of improvement of the Kings it’s already making my crossed fingers cramp – and it’s only 2 or 3 games of PreSeason!
Will the Kings be stronger on Defense?
Yes! I don’t know! I hope so! Maybe! Of course they will!
This is safest: Light The Beam!
Anyone going tonight?
I do hope that the inconsistencies of this pre-season are due to trying out new things.
Noting that the starters have played about twenty minutes per game ought to strongly indicate that this is exactly what’s being done.
yeah, I think in our 1st preseason game vs Raptors, every player on the roster got at least 7 mins of time…that’s a lot of
lot ofdifferent lineupsI think that’s whats happening. The starters with Duarte outplayed the Warriors last night. That was one new thing. What I thought was tricky on Kerr’s part was leaving Kuminga in at the end of regulation and overtime while Brown kept his reserves in. If we had maybe Murray Lyles or perhaps Barnes in there too it might have ended differently.I like what Brown did not Kerr as he gave those players a chance to win the game. Liked what Ellis did. Also Jones. Slawson plays his heart out. My biggest concern right now is Huerter and Mitchell. They should be playing better.
PS No comparison between Barnes and Vezenkov. Barnes looks good but maybe Sasha needs experience in the NBA. So far I was wrong about him replacing Barnes.
I hope they become more physical overall. There were times last year where it seemed we would get bullied when the refs swallowed their whistles for stretches of a game.
Every pre-season, it is the same mantra: defense, defense, defense. It is a broken record about instilling principles, demanding focus, garnering commitment, even resorting to signed contracts. Then the season starts with a womp-womp and thud.
Barring glimpses and fools gold, It is an opponent’s revolving door to the front of the cup. Promises made and dashed. Fingers pointed. All talk followed by idle action, a hackfest and parade to the free throw line by the opponent six minutes into a quarter.
Unless we are magnificent on the other end, or close to it, we are not going to win, or we will require late game heroics from Fox. It is not a recipe to go deep into the playoffs. But there is more foundational issue at play.
It is futile to talk about defense, defense, defense, without the requisite personnel. It is stupid to try to fit a square peg into a round hole then fret why it doesn’t fit. You would not expect to score 110 PPG with a team of bricklayers, then lament why shots goes every which way but through the net.
It is mildly arrogant and delusional for a coach to presume his masterful scheme is going to work with featherweight midgets in proverbial cement shoes. There is no dawg to your defense with pussycats abound. It is misguided to think because you had exemplary moments of playoff defense, that intensity and execution will carry over in December vs Hornets.
“If only the guys would try harder..” or “want it more..” or “if effort was not so sporadic then the stops would be had…” is another psychological trap to muddle the truth, given the competitive pride inherent to every professional. Defense should be subject to less variance than offense, rather than what we were subject to last season.
The reason we were 30th in pick and roll defense was not primarily because we didn’t try, or overconfident and lackadaisacal at home, it was because the collective talent was lacking. It was not about ultimately scheme, mindset or lineups combinations, it was about collective skill.
The only way to solve the real problem is to identify it (done) and address it (see below).
This is why I like what I am hearing from this coach recently. He gets it, after his personal choke job in Game 7, choosing TD over Davion to enable Curry to 38 FGAs. This coach, when not gagging under durress, gets animated and borderline giddly elaborating on the nitty gritty of defensive technique and execution, thereby tipping his hand as to his likely plans.
Duarte starting tonight is more than an experiment. I suspect he will be our starting SG opening night. This is not a fearless prediction. It is a relative no-brainer.
Huerter is better equipped, at 6’7’ to check SFs than SGs. Duarte is ideal at SG as a defender, able to guard up (PG) and down (SF) in switches. He makes sense because he will not be asked to create his own shot with Fox and Ox, and Keegan featured too. Duarte is superior at changing ends off steals and quick hits off of makes. Huerter is comparably slow, less able to keep up with the fastest PG in the NBA than the newcomer from IND.
It is easy to gauge the basic difference between Duarte and Huerter defensively. Duarte can sit down in his stance more than Huerter, imagine and invisible chair, who tends to assume more of an upright stance to prevent the blow by, usually achieving the opposite. Duarte is more agile and aggressive while navigating picks and making himself a nuisance without fouling. He’s not in Davion’s class, but his size could make him more versatile.
Duarte needs to be mindful of protecting the ball, making the simple reads and exploit the open looks he is going to get to cement a starting role for more than a couple or three 5-game stretches to start the season, the likely trial period he will be granted.
It sucks when Fox (or Davion) is offering iron clad resistance on the perimeter, and with one swing pass to the man Huerter is guarding, the defensive possession breaks down. It is NOT a question of Huerter “trying harder”, though it would have been nice if he came to camp little leaner and meaner, a la Tyler Hero, to gain an improved quickness in order to create separation and chase guys off picks.
After laying a turd in the playoffs, I hope a fire would have been lit under him. Maybe he’s playing possum until the games count, but it seems he dropped another deuce regarding his summer regimen. I am not giving up on Kevin. His shot is pure, his hot streaks are a sight to behold, and he has a crafty midrange. He’s a decent team defender too.
This season is about redemption for Kevin, but ultimate redemption will have to wait until the playoffs, for him and the team. Until then his role needs to change.
Consider this macro perspective. We can get about 80 PPG from our Top 4 Scorers: Fox (25 PPG), Domas (20 PPG), Keegan (20 PPG) and Monk (15 PPG). Then we need only cobble together another 40 PPG from the remaining 5-6 rotational players, to get to a potent 120 PPG. This translates to 8 PPG per non-primary scorer or 5-10 PPG among this group. That’s NOT a big ask.
It means that defense-first players beyond our Top 4 can and should be prioritized. Fans may quibble with the notion that Keegan can get to near 20 PPG after scoring 12 PPG in his rookie season on 10 FGA per game. Given his effeciency (60% TS%) and offseason dedication, mentoring under a one-on-one master, there’s NO reason his FGA should NOT increase +4 to about 14 FGA. If he maintains his effeciency, that’s 4 PPG added. Next get to the free throw line 2X more per game (4 FTAs) add another 3-4 points to get to near 20 PPG.
The increase in usage in direction of Keegan has to come at the expense of someone else. That someone is Kevin and HB, simply because amongst our scorers, neither are dynamic as the Top Four. And if Kevin is shooting less, he is less valuable to the team. Bench role is justified in favor of the (far) superior defender.
BREAKING: Any Kings fans who roots for JaVale McGee to succeeed is indirectly rooting for Sasha to be no more than a garbage time player, or someone who sees action only when the team is sputtering, experiencing foul or injury issues, hence an afterthought, from MVP to to DNP-CD. Sad!
When McGee became available, I suspect a role was promised to secure his signing. Playing time guaranteed, at the outset at least. McGee did not enjoy his time in Dallas, implying the coach was “bullshitting” him and it was “deflating” to run up and down the 4-5X without touching the ball. From give-Luka-the-ball and get out of the way to a high post offense had obvious appeal. But what about from our end? Is this guy any better than Len? And what about the opportunity cost re: Sasha?
I am skeptical about McGee but await to be persuaded. His size is great. His game is meh. He can start impressing by not getting torched by Christian Wood, making offensive fouls on high picks, and swatting shots into the field of play instead of the first row.
Based on his steady emergence and fearless shot making in the playoffs, Lyles has earned a rotational spot, until he unearns it. He’s solid in his status and standing. This coach is not sending HB to the doghouse either based on his meek playoffs. HB is below average as a wing starter, but he’s still a pro who will cling to whatever game he has left through work ethic and guile. Do the math and there is NO time available for Sasha.
Lyles strikes me as a fixture. He’s too good and confident and versatile as a two position player to relinquish his role. McGee is less of certainty. Both Duarte and McGee are going to have to fail, to consistently underwhelm over the first 10-15 games before Sasha gets to play and Huerter returns as a starter.
To elevate ourselves from fun story to finals contender, a comprehensive identity must be forged beyond two All NBA players. It would be safe for the coach to “run it back”, be content with entertaining the masses and easily defensible decisions. That’s not the plan. There’s a more audacious vision in which growing pains and creative tension are sought. This commendable pursuit includes defense, defense, defense. This time, for the first time, it may not be just talk.
Very well stated. I appreciate your thoughts. I will keep a close eye on the defense especially from Duarte and Huerter now. Interested to see if Duarte starting for D and Huerter off the bench for SF happens.
Thanks for the insight!
No prob buddy
…..concise
I don’t think the defense will improve much. The two real weak links are Huerter and Barnes. To me, compared to the powerhouses in the league. They are borderline starters. That would apply to Duarte, as well. It matters little if Huerter is guarding 2 or 3. He will get torn up by every athletic 3 in the book. Saw
it last night. Wake up to reality. He’s not fast nor athletic. He’s a poor one on one defender. A mediocre team defender.
Barnes is going to give you that 15-16 a night. Defensively, you’re not going to get much. Keegan is an asset offensively. But it was obvious when matched up against Beasts like Wiggens and Kuminga. The kid has no shot. Lateral quickness and speed he is lacking big time.
That leaves Fox. Who is playing some nice D in the preseason. Sabonis is serviceable.
The bench is a mystery. The Davion experiment is coming to a close. He cannot run the offense. He’s 25. He’s a defensive stopper. But you can’t have him on the floor if he’s not producing offensively. Sasha is what I expected. Bloated expectations by Kings brass and purple sunglassed fans. The guy is a real liability out there. Makes a bad defense worse.
The Kings also don’t have the luxury of playing a bunch of teams missing all their stars. Albeit last year.
Team is certainly playoff bound. But Championship contender? Not in this world. They essentially rolled it back.
Kings are banking for a monumental jump for Keegan. Fox becoming a 2 way player with and increased 3pt shot.
But the Kings are going to win games with offense. They don’t have the personnel nor the DNA type players that set the tone defensively in the starting lineup.
This is a twenty year quest at this point. Brown has two……maybe three players on his roster that will try to play defense.
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