The Kings remain in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race with a 23-18 record, but they’re in the midst of their worst stretch of the season, having dropped a fourth consecutive game on Thursday. While road losses in Philadelphia and Milwaukee last Friday and Sunday were understandable, Sacramento blew a big fourth quarter lead in Phoenix on Tuesday and fell at home to a depleted Pacers team last night.
“It’s a lot of little things that are turning into big things,” Keegan Murray said of the Kings’ on-court issues, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
One of those issues is free throw shooting. The Kings’ 72.5% rate from the foul line this season is easily the NBA’s worst mark and the team made just 25-of-44 (56.8%) free throws in its past two losses.
“That’s two games in a row we shoot 50% from the free throw line,” head coach Mike Brown said on Thursday. “I’m not sure what it is. Today we shot more free throws in a shootaround than we ever have in a shootaround since I’ve been here. And yesterday, we shot more free throws in a practice than we ever have since I’ve been here.”
“You go back to the work. You get in the gym,” wing Kevin Huerter said. “You’ve got to build your confidence by trusting the work you put in. We shot ourselves in the foot. This is the third game in a row this has happened against three good teams. It feels like it’s all self-inflicted and that’s why it’s frustrating for us. It’s no secret. We can’t miss 14 free throws at home and expect to beat a team that’s this good, even with the players they have out. That’s stuff that we can control.”
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Despite the losing streak, Brown seems to have settled into a rotation he likes, with Huerter back in the starting five and Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Sasha Vezenkov, and Alex Len playing regular minutes off the bench, notes Anderson. “I hate to say this, but I feel fairly comfortable (with the current rotation),” Brown said prior to Thursday’s loss. “Now, that doesn’t mean I may not change again with the way our rotation is right now, but I feel fairly comfortable with what we’re doing right now, and I’m going to ride with it a little bit and give it an opportunity.” Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte, Keon Ellis, and JaVale McGee are among those not seeing regular playing time as of late.
- Anthony Slater of The Athletic outlines why the Kings consider Murray essentially untouchable in trade talks, writing that the team views the former No. 4 overall pick as a player who could round out a long-term big three alongside Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. “Keegan is a huge part of our future,” Brown said. “We rely on him for a lot and, to a certain degree, it is a little unfair. Because we’re a playoff team. There aren’t many guys that are in year two that are expected to do what he does.”
- Anjali Ranadive, the daughter of Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, has stepped down from her position as the general manager of the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate announced today in a press release. She’ll be pursuing a Ph.D. and focusing on her non-profit organization while assistant general manager Gabriel Harris takes on the day-to-day GM responsibilities in Stockton. “We are grateful to Anjali for her contributions to the Stockton Kings over the past two seasons,” Kings GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “Under her leadership the team has excelled on the court and is set for success in the future.”
- In other Stockton news, the Kings’ G League team added a former NBA first-round pick earlier this week, announcing in a press release that veteran swingman Shabazz Muhammad has joined the roster. The No. 14 pick in the 2013 draft, Muhammad last played in the NBA in 2018 for Milwaukee, but continues to try to make it back to the league.
You know what we need. Start doing your GM duties and make a trade or 2 and get people in here that will help, N O T wait for 2 more weeks til the Trade Deadline. Get busy GM McNothing Done !!
How would you feel if that trade brought back Zach Lavine?
Hard pass. He doesn’t fit the team in any way. Ball dominant no defense guard
right on
Yeah, I’ve never liked teams that wait right till the deadline…it’s like you’re wasting valuable weeks/games where you could have improved the team. And by the time the deadline comes around, there’s only 25-30 games left, so not much time to forge chemistry before the playoffs come around. But it’s not all on Monte, other teams with players to sell are usually at fault because they’re waiting until the last possible second to get the best haul…see who gets really desperate.
The guy I want is Caruso….for HB, Davion + whatever 1st or 2nd round picks. Then start Trey & Caruso with Fox, Domas & Keeg. That should infuse the lineup with a lot more defense and rebounding.
Brown needs to get Barnes out of the starting lineup desperately until they trade for someone. Forget the contract, dudes been awful
I haven’t watched that much of the Kings this year but has Barnes been that bad? His scoring is down but he’s still hitting his shots when he takes them and his defense seems relatively the same. Maybe he’s deferring too much to the other guys?
Awful may have been strong, but he has not been good. His defense has regressed, he just seems a step slower, and he doesn’t offer much else. He has been a decent shooter, but it seems more streaky this year than most. I think he would be MUCH better served playing with monk on the second unit.
Decent percentages with his shooting actually, like always so no complaints there. But he’s just remaining what he always was, an efficient & solid scorer/shooter but that’s it…and the D has slipped a bit since 5 years ago, understandably. But he doesn’t do much else, 2.9 rbs, and 1 ast per game doesn’t do it for me. Especially for a 6’8″ athletic, muscular guy…should be able to rebound way better than a bench point guard/shooting guard.
Kings need a move, pull the trigger. They have their collection of picks, Barnes, Heurter, and Mitchell are the guys to move. Keegan is a no, Monk a maybe but no one available is worth him.
Harrison Barnes and JaVale McGee for Draymond Green
GSW desperately needs to do something.
Barnes can return and play the 4, surely the defence can’t get any worse. The offence can run through Steph, with Barnes helping space the floor better. McGee gives them some real size and impact which they have been missing for a long time. Your asking a lot from Looney and McGee but you’ve got switchable wings/forwards in Klay, Wiggins, Kuminga and Barnes. Hopefully GP2 can return and help the defence enough
Curry Klay Wiggins Barnes Looney
CP3 GP2 Podzi Kuminga McGee
As for the Kings, Green is a real leader for them and will hopefully improve the defence enough. He and coach Brown have a fantastic relationship aswell. Barnes hasn’t been playing well and McGee is out of the rotation, this could be the big move which helps push them that but closer. He doesn’t help the spacing and will take away some touches but he’s a very high IQ player and with shooters in Hueter and Murray should give them great looks
Fox Hueter Murray Green Sabonis
Mitchell Monk Vezenkov Lyles Len