From the start of training camp, Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie has preached about how this season was going to be about defense, picking up 94 feet and stopping the ball. And from the start of the season, we haven’t seen the players do this with any sort of consistency. The lane gets attacked without much resistance, opponents go on long runs and then the best the Kings can do after that is trade baskets.
The fans have been asking this question since training camp: Can this team defend consistently with so many offense-first guards who have never been expected to be defensive stoppers?
After the 144-117 beatdown at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday in Sacramento, one of those guards, Zach LaVine, responded to a question about the team’s defense by referencing the personnel on the team.
“I think everybody is understanding that that’s the focus [defense]. I think that’s what they came into the season with obviously. Obviously, there’s a personnel thing with that as well. Guys can go out there and play as tough as they can on defense, I speak for myself, I think we’ve all been trying. I’ve been trying my ass off on defense, but you need a team collective, the right identity, sometimes you need the right personnel out there. You’re not going to ask Rudy Gobert to go out there and average 30, he’s a defensive guy though and that’s his job,” LaVine said.
Domantas Sabonis, who at the end of last season declared that the team needed a point guard (because they did need one), also brought up personnel Sunday after the Timberwolves loss.
“I think that’s still the expectation [defense], just a bit more depending on personnel and who and when. After the preseason games we kind of decided on that,” he said.
If the team’s two best players are referencing how personnel is important when focusing on defense, it just further supports what the fans have known for quite some time: this roster construction doesn’t make sense for a team talking about putting an emphasis on defense.
Not long before these comments, Kings fans were chanting “We want Keon” inside Golden 1 Center during the game because Christie hadn’t put him into the game through the first three quarters, just like in the previous blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Because why wouldn’t the fans want to see the team’s best on-ball defender play more on a team expecting defense?
The recent addition of Precious Achiuwa is a good start for the front office in the direction of having more defensive-minded players on the roster. It is just strange that it took Keegan Murray getting injured and a lot of bad performances to make an addition like that. Achiuwa is a patch, not a blueprint.
But here we are with the Kings sitting at 27th in defensive rating and 28th in points allowed per game.
Yeah, and sometimes water is wet. Anyone other than the morons running this org could have told you the personnel didn’t exist.
Is Vivek oblivious or deliberate when it comes to assembling a clearly shitty and mismatched team
As has been mentioned by many on this site, this team is build like a fantasy roster. It doesn’t matter the fit of the roster, just that it makes points. Dudes like Jordan Poole and Cam Thomas are on a shit ton of fantasy rosters, while glue guys in reality on winning ball clubs like Alex Caruso and Lu Dort have no value in fantasy.
It’s amateur hour in the Kings front office and ownership group
Sounds like he is volunteering to come off the bench.
Translation: “I’m not very good at this defense thing.”
I think he’s trying. In spots.
Compared to last season, Zach has looked better defensively. He went from awful to below average. The bar is low.
He’s definitely trying when it comes to his on ball defense, but he’s still deer in the headlights with his off ball defense, especially when they go to zone.
The biggest message that Doug could send to the guys not playing defense, is to limit their minutes. How great would it be for him to pull the entire starting 5 in the 1st quarter when they get down by 15? That would show the team, fans, front office, and owner that the roster ain’t working, and he is serious about “the vision” of defense first.
I suspect if he did that, then he would be gathering his belongings after the game and sent packing. But what else cam he do?
The guys that I see who consistently give effort defensively are Keon, Carter, Nique, Precious (small sample), Max. They aren’t world beaters defensively, but the effort is there with mixed results.
Until some changes are made with playing time, the words from Doug and Scott are just hollow, meaningless dribble. Do better.
You’d think this would be obvious, but we’ve seen these empty words from both Brown and Doug.
These comments from Doug and players about not having defensive personnel feels like shade to Keon. Justice for Keon
Looks like Nico Harrison will be gone.
Good by Dallas. They need to bring someone in to tear it all down and build around Flagg. How awesome would it be if it were Monte McNair who gets the job and gets Dallas back to relevance before the Kings ever do.
Traded the generational Luka and the GM is gone less than a year later. That’s Kangz level stuff right there.
The chef’s kiss is that new owner Patrick Dumont OK’d the Luka trade.
As usual owner supports trade possibly demands it and later accepts no blame for said trade .
Hey, at least they admitted the mistake.
Vivek proceeds to trade all our youth and picks for Davis
Davis fits the Kings profile perfectly. Over 30, All Star years ago, “big” name, defensive player, washed up. If I’m the Mavs, I’m working Vivek hard on this trade.
With enough draft picks, the Kings could put the Mavs in a position to rebuild quickly, and they’re the only team in the NBA stupid enough to do it.
What level of fuckery is this? First, you ok the trade of a generational player who wanted to stay, then leak to the media ahead of time that you are about to fire one of your employees?
Mavs owner on line 1: Hey Nico, make sure you come in today, ok? We have a big day ahead of us!
Nico (after reading Shams tweet): Sure thing boss. I’ll be there. *goes on and deletes info on scouting reports for next year’s draft and downloads financial files*
Mavs owner on line 2: So Vivek…about Davis…
Wait, they’re going to correct a major mistake, and THEN actually search for a replacement instead of having someone work internally against the existing guy, or negotiating with someone else while he’s still working there? What kind of insane hiring process is that?
One of the funniest things I’ve read here in quite a while.
The national media is hopefully picking up on the situation in Sac. Michael Pina over at the Ringer on his early season thoguhts has at #10 the Keon situation. “Who wants Keon Ellis, the Kings clearly don’t.”
What is a great thing to read is that the Bulls moved on from DDR and LaVine, and they are starting to win. Who could have seen that coming???
As for Ellis, it is a prime example of how to mismanage a player that is valuable to winning. Would Keon make this team be 7-3? No. But he would keep them in these games with his defense and shooting. Oh well, guess I will be rooting for him when he dons a different jersey soon. #FreeKeon
I don’t think it is a stretch to say that if Keon got traded and was given an opportunity, he could have a Dyson Daniels level of impact and growth…and Daniels can’t shoot like Keon.
Also interesting that Davion Mitchell is a starting point guard on 7~4 Miami .
The Kings have just had a weird valuation of players over the years. They move off guys quickly without giving them a fair shake so that they can make short-sighted moves to “win now”.
Like Keon and Carter. Both play defense.
Only because Herro is out
+1 i credit more the Heat system rather than the players. Did you guys see the game-winning play for Miami’s win last win? Perfect execution of a slip screen to free Wiggins for the alley-oop dunk. I could watch that shit all day. Unfortunately, the Kangz are the anti-Heat.
The Kings don’t tend to put players in to spots where they can succeed. The system doesn’t match player, and vice versa.
The Kings do have defensive players. Murray(out right now) Ellis, Cjifford, Carter( who in my opinion is still a good player but never plays to improve), Achiuwa and to some extent Raynaud.Players like Derozan, LaVine, Monk, Westbrook and Schroder don’t or can’t play defense.Even Sabonis who is a great rebounder is not a rim protector or interior defender. If we keep playing those non defenders we are doomed to failure. If possible and I mean possible we need to trade most or all of them. LaVine would be the hardest because of his contract and we still need scoring and IMO Zach is trying to play defense.
I’m not sure Doug is in control or even Perry. Unless Vivek steps down and let’s those 2 do their thing we are in a world of hurt. Vivek leaving in the 4th quarter remins me of Jerry Jones. He Vivek needs to be the owner and let those who know NBA basketball do their thing. Otherwise the Kings are doomed period.
And those non-defensive players are the highest minute guys on the roster (Keegan excluded because of injury), which makes the defense being bad very unsurprising.
Zach looks like he has had some good on ball defense in the games I have seen. Much better than previously.
Part of our defense woes also seem to stem from injuries. Murray out, Clifford injured early. Domas out for a period of time ( rebounding is a defense stat).
In the starting lineup DDR seems like the biggest problem.
I looked up defensive ratings a day or two ago, and Schoeder’s is the lowest of the starters.
And we were told that Dennis would be the head of the snake on the defensive end. Still not sure why they signed this dude.
Question to anyone willing to tackle the problem. What do we do with Schroder? Can we trade him? Can anything be done?
They can trade him right, according to fanspo. I don’t think they will. They could bring him off the bench if they traded Monk for some type of wing player? How bad would it look if the main offseason acquisition was jettisoned before Christmas, lol.
How many are left that have not traded for Schroeder? Those are the teams that might take him…like Dallas, who needs a pg right now.
In defense of Schroeder, he is a “good” player who can lead a group of team players, but not put up numbers on his own while getting left on an island by a bunch of 1-dimensional past-their- prime “stars”. I think frustration of realizing his SAC situation has also got into his head (and not just fatigue from a summer of basketball). Until they can trade DDR, it might be better to play Schroeder as the head of a second unit “snake” (with Ellis, Clifford, … and other guys who will give effort and are willing to play team D).
19 wins baby. You got this Vivek. Keep managing.
They should definitely send a message and bench those starters who aren’t committing to defense so we can all experience even more gems on the roster Vivek built.
Zach isn’t wrong. The issue isn’t with these players, per se. It’s with Vivek putting together fantasy teams where defense doesn’t count.
I think the problem is that in the past, teams could have offense only stars and still compete.
I’m not seeing that so much in today’s NBA. Even Curry plays good team defense.
And that’s really the thing. Everyone needs to play team D. In today’s switch happy defenses, they will come at your weakest link, but if the team D is strong, rotations can cover for a Curry.
You look at a guy like SGA, he carries the heaviest load on offense, so he doesn’t always cover the other team’s #1 offensive weapon. He picks his spots, but he’s playing team D and picks up deflections and steals that way.
And that’s the biggest problem with LaVine and DDR. You can’t have a good D if 2/5 of your players don’t rotate. GSW is 6th in the league right now in DRtg. They have no shot blockers. Team D.
One-dimensional players like Lavine are super overrated. OKC has all guys that can play both ends, that’s how they built their team. Guys that are pretty good on both ends are more valuable than guys that can just score or do one thing. Having complementary and versatile players is key, guys with specific roles.
What are you all talking about. the 2025 Kings are my go to on NBA JAM .
BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA !!
Badge Legend