It will have been just about 24 hours since their brutal beating in Bean Town when the Sacramento Kings take on the Atlanta Hawks on their second night of a back-to-back. Atlanta is currently on a four-game win streak steered by Trae Young and a blooming cast surrounding him despite the team’s similar trade rumor woes.

The 53-point loss is still fresh in the mind’s eye of the Kingdom, and hopefully the players are able to thread the needle between short term memory and recalling vividly how that beatdown felt. How they choose to come into this afternoon’s contest should be spry and bouncy, with the indication to this fanbase that they care about the repercussions of these terrible losses.

“I just feel like the attitude and focus isn’t there.” Richaun Holmes told media following the game.

His sentiment- that a locker room lost doesn’t have the morale put up a concerted effort against a .500 team in the Celtics is disappointing to say the least. This team has not given Sacramento many flashes of hope this season, but to hear straight from the source that those notions are felt amongst players and personnel makes it that much more difficult to understand and accept.

Every game until the trade deadline feels important, as for some players this will be curtains for their time in a Kings’ uniform. Is there a lack of effort because the front office hasn’t been clear with its intentions for this roster? The rumors surrounding the team as of late have secured the Fox-Hali tandem, but that leaves thirteen other men who are on the chopping block.

In the next fifteen days, the Kings owe it to this franchise to turn it around: come out strong and aggressive against these mid-level teams and at least pretend they want to win. Otherwise, the tanks should come rolling in and we’ll just chop it up as one of the most disappointing seasons in the last decade.

How to Watch/Listen: NBC Sports California, Sports 1140 KHTK

Opposing Perspective: Peachtree Hoops

SAC injuries/absences: De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (Left Ankle Soreness), Damian Jones – Questionable (Left Ankle Soreness), Chimezie Metu – Out (Knee)

ATL injuries/absences: Bogdan Bogdanovic – Questionable (Knee), DeAndre Hunter – Questionable (Back)