Kings Notes: Murray, Ellis, LaVine, Raynaud, Westbrook
The Kings‘ season has been defined by injuries and losses, and both continued Sunday night against Milwaukee, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes in a subscriber-only story. Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis were both forced out of the contest as Sacramento ran its losing streak to five games while dropping 15 of its last 18.
Murray, who recently returned from a calf strain, hurt his left ankle in the third quarter. His season debut was delayed until November 20 while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, and he has only been available for 19 of the team’s 36 games. The 25-year-old forward is considered one of the Kings’ few untouchable players heading into the trade deadline after receiving a five-year, $140MM rookie-scale extension in October.
Coach Doug Christie wasn’t able to provide much information on the injury after the game. “I don’t know yet, so it’s not even for me to speculate,” he told reporters. “Obviously, we’ll get everything and you guys will know as soon as we do.”
Sacramento also lost Ellis, who suffered a left thumb injury and only played five minutes. The 26-year-old guard has been the subject of trade speculation, with the team reportedly seeking a protected first-round pick in return.
“It’s hard, man,” Christie said of the constant injuries. “You feel for your kids, first and foremost. It’s just difficult.”
There’s more from Sacramento:
- There was some positive injury news on Sunday as Zach LaVine returned to the court after missing nine games with a sprained left ankle, Anderson adds. He came off the bench for the first time since being traded to the Kings last season and finished with 20 points, three rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. LaVine said he didn’t have a target date to return, but was waiting for “whatever day my ankle felt best.” (Twitter video link from James Ham of The Kings Beat)
- Maxime Raynaud was in the starting lineup after getting a clean bill of health following an injury scare. The rookie center had to be helped off the court after hurting his left leg on Friday, but an MRI revealed no structural damage. “I just got really scared that one moment, felt like your knee twist a little bit like that,” Raynaud said. “Just glad the MRI came out clean.” (Twitter video link from Sean Cunningham of KCRA News)
- Russell Westbrook had a 21-point night and reached another milestone by passing Oscar Robertson to move into 15th place on the career scoring list. He’s now the leading scorer among all point guards in NBA history.
Injury Notes: LaVine, D. Jones, T. Young, J. Smith, C. White
After missing nine games with a left ankle sprain, Kings wing Zach LaVine will return to action on Sunday against Milwaukee, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. Rookie center Maxime Raynaud will also be active after having an injury scare in Friday’s loss to Phoenix.
LaVine is reportedly one of several players the Bucks are monitoring ahead of the trade deadline, so it’s an interesting coincidence that he’s returning today.
Here are a few more injury-relates updates from around the NBA:
- Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a right knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Boston and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (All Twitter links here). According to Murray, Jones limped to the locker room after being fouled by Payton Pritchard in the fourth quarter. It’s a disappointing development for the high-flying Jones, who just returned to action on December 28 after missing several weeks with a sprained MCL in the same knee.
- Hawks point guard Trae Young missed his fourth straight game on Saturday at Toronto, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The four-time All-Star has been battling a right quad contusion. Kristaps Porzingis (return to competition reconditioning) was also out for the second night of a back-to-back, which was expected, Rowland notes (via Twitter).
- Bulls big man Jalen Smith has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Charlotte, head coach Billy Donovan said after the game (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Smith has been ruled out of Monday’s contest at Boston after being diagnosed with a concussion (link to injury report). On a brighter note, guard Coby White has a chance to return Monday — he’s questionable with what the team is calling right calf injury management.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Raynaud, Schröder, Post
The Clippers ranked 29th in pace during a catastrophic 6-21 start that almost ruined their season. Instead of speeding up, they’ve slowed down even more during their six-game winning streak, writes Law Murray of The Athletic, ranking dead last in pace but first in both offensive and defensive rating. They’ve also been number one in their rate of attempted free throws, while allowing the fewest three-pointers in the league.
Coach Tyronn Lue credits the turnaround to the players’ willingness to stay committed to the things that are necessary to succeed.
“Just having humility, continue to keep working hard, pay attention to detail, executing and then just being unselfish, sharing the basketball,” he said. “Allowing our other guys to make plays and be aggressive offensively. The ball’s going to find Kawhi (Leonard) and James (Harden); it’s going to get back to them eventually. And just those four things. I just give those guys credit for just coming in and continuing to work when our back was against the wall. So when you keep working hard, you keep coming to work every single day, you’ll get the results eventually. That’s what we’ve been able to do.”
Murray notes that a large part of the credit goes to Leonard, who has topped 40 points three times during the current streak after never doing it more than twice in a season. The return of Derrick Jones Jr. from an MCL sprain has solidified the point-of-attack defense alongside Kris Dunn, while John Collins is posting his best rebounding games of the season and Nicolas Batum has been winning his minutes by a wide margin.
“I just think everybody’s urgency just went up as a group,” Dunn said. “Understanding that it’s starting to get — not late into the season, but we’re getting into the thick of the season, and we want to just turn things around. … I just try to do what I do. I think everybody knows what I was brought here to do, and I just try and do it to the best of my ability.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- An MRI on Kings rookie center Maxime Raynaud showed no structural damage to his left leg, a source tells Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (subscription required). Raynaud had to be helped off the court after a collision in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game.
- Kings guard Dennis Schröder said he never gets nervous around the trade deadline, even though he’s been dealt multiple times in his career (Twitter video link from Sean Cunningham of KCRA News). “I always give everything for whoever I’m playing for,” Schröder said. “I’m doing it for myself first, for my family and then of course for the organization who I play for.”
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr isn’t concerned about Quinten Post‘s three-point shooting, even though the second-year center has regressed from 40.8% last season to 33.3% now, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). “I think it’s all part of being a young player, gaining the confidence,” Kerr said. “… QP is in his second (season). The game has to slow down. You have to feel that sense of calm and confidence.”
Pacific Notes: Raynaud, Doncic, James, Knecht, Allen
Kings rookie big man Maxime Raynaud is hopeful he didn’t suffer a significant injury on Friday, Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee reports. He had to be helped off the court during the fourth quarter after injuring his left leg while attempting to set a screen for Russell Westbrook.
“I’ll be fine,” Raynaud said. “It was just scary. … I think it was just an unpleasing sensation you’re not used to.”
Raynaud will undergo an MRI on his left knee in Sacramento on Saturday. The second-round pick has appeared in 25 games (11 starts), averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per night.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Luka Doncic and LeBron James didn’t have any trouble blending their talents on Friday, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times notes. The Lakers‘ superstar duo led the club to a 128-121 win over Memphis. Doncic made 17-of-20 free throws while scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists. It marked the first time since March that Doncic and James have scored at least 30 points in the same game. “It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive.”
- Dalton Knecht got a chance to play some minutes off the bench on Friday but the Lakers wing didn’t do much with his playing time. He went scoreless in 11 minutes, missing both of his shots. However, Knecht won’t be judged on offensive output alone. “Play hard – that’s been the biggest playing emphasis for him all season,” coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “He’s not going to be judged on whether he makes or misses shots. That helps. When you go through a stretch and you feel like your team isn’t playing hard, you got to play the guys that are consistently playing hard.” Knecht’s role has been reduced drastically this season after he appeared in 78 games as a rookie.
- Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his eighth consecutive game on Friday but he’s close to returning from a right knee injury, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He did (five-on-five on Thursday). That’s a big step,” coach Jordan Ott said. “And then it’s just the response back, which was great. Now he just wants another one. We’re right there.” Allen will participate in another five-on-five again before he comes back to action.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named December’s Rookies Of The Month
For a second consecutive month, former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).
Flagg, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 35.5 minutes per game in 13 outings this past month for the Mavericks, making 51.6% of his shots from the floor and 80.8% from the free throw line.
While Dallas still hasn’t looked like a playoff team – the Mavs went 6-7 in December – Flagg is showing why he was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft class and is considered one of the best rookies to enter the NBA in the past decade. He’s the NBA’s youngest player, having turned 19 on December 21.
Although Flagg has taken over as the betting favorite in the Rookie of the Year race, that’s through no fault of Knueppel, who showed no signs of slowing down after his hot start to the season. In 12 games in December, the Hornets sharpshooter averaged 20.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.2 APG, with an outstanding .500/.462/.903 shooting line.
Only Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry have made more three-pointers so far this season than Knueppel, who knocked down 4.0 per game in December and now has 117 on the season.
Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, Pelicans big man Derik Queen, and Kings center Maxime Raynaud were also nominated for the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, while Nets guard Egor Demin, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Wizards guard Tre Johnson were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
Scott Perry Hopes To Turn Kings Into ‘Sustainable Winner’
The results haven’t been encouraging in Scott Perry‘s first season as general manager of the Kings, but he remains focused on building “sustainable” long-term success, he said in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
Perry, who was hired to run the team in April, discusses numerous topics in the lengthy exchange, including his approach to the upcoming trade deadline. Sacramento owns the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 8-25 and has several veteran players who could interest other teams, such as DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schröder. Perry plans to listen to offers over the next five weeks, but he hasn’t determined that certain players will definitely be moved.
“I’m always going to work the phones,” he said. “I’m always going try to figure out how we can improve the team, both short and long term, if possible. But I want to be prudent and opportunistic in doing that. I’m not somebody who does things out of panic. So, it’s got to make sense for us. So, we’ll see.
“But obviously we know we’re far from a finished product, so we’ve got to be open to getting better. And this is one of the vehicles that you have at your disposal in trying to get better. It’s seeing that there’s a trade that makes sense and fits for not only you, but it’s got to fit for the other team or teams that you’re involved with.”
Perry recognized when he took the job that it wouldn’t be easy to transform a franchise that has only made one playoff appearance since 2007. That came in 2023, and the Kings have been trending downward ever since. They’re currently on pace for the worst record in franchise history, but Perry made it clear that he’s not looking for a “quick fix” to salvage this season at the expense of the future.
“I was hired to build a sustainable winner,” he said. “So, I’m sure there’s an anomaly somewhere, but I don’t know of many quote-unquote quick fixes that turn into being sustainable. And my vision, which is shared by top to bottom ownership and everybody in the building, is to build a sustainable winner. I think that takes a little more time than quick fixes. You got to make appropriate decisions in that at least give you the best chance to lay a foundation to grow into something that’s sustainable. And so that’s what we’re at.
“… What is a quick fix? It’s probably for that season or maybe one other season. But hopefully, my goal and vision is to get to the point that once you become a playoff team you can stay there for a while. And that’s when you get your chance to sustain it.”
Perry admits he’s still in the “evaluation stage” with the franchise as he tries to decide which players to keep. Amid the losing, one positive has been the performance of the team’s rookies. Second-round pick Maxime Raynaud has been a pleasant surprise, especially since moving into the starting lineup after center Domantas Sabonis was sidelined with a meniscus injury. First-round selection Nique Clifford is getting regular rotation minutes, and Dylan Cardwell has been a valuable big man off the bench on a two-way contract.
Perry calls all three rookies “very hard workers” with “very good basketball IQs” and indicated that they’re the type of players he wants to build around.
He also discussed the decision to give Keegan Murray a five-year, $140MM rookie-scale extension in October. Murray hasn’t posted outstanding numbers during his first three-plus NBA seasons, but Perry views him as another building block for the future.
“Another tremendously hard worker, high character guy,” Perry said. “In this league, you can’t have too many 6-8, 6-9 versatile players. The guy has shot the three-point ball at a high clip since coming to the league, even though his numbers are down this year. He missed the first month of the season and is taking a little while to get his rhythm back, too. We’re matching him up with everybody on the other end, but that’s a tribute to his defensive versatility. So, here’s a guy that we put on point guards and we put on centers and all positions in between and he doesn’t flinch. He takes on those assignments. That’s invaluable.
“When you talk about build a team, he’s young, he’s 25 years old. So now we’re coming into the window of hopefully what’s going to be the prime of his career. I see him as being a very important part of establishing that sustainable winning. You need high character, versatile two-way players – as many as you can get. He was here and he liked it here and it’s been good to work with him.”
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Green, Raynaud, Murray, Hachimura, D. Jones, Allen
Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required) has a prescription for fixing the Warriors that includes trading Jonathan Kuminga and removing Draymond Green from the starting lineup, at least on a temporary basis. He contends that significant changes are required to jump-start a team that had lost three straight games coming into tonight and is in peril of slipping out of a play-in spot.
Ostler argues that Kuminga, who will be eligible to be dealt on January 15, has become too much of a distraction because of his up-and-down play and his constantly changing status in coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation. Kuminga returned to action Thursday after being held out of the previous three games, but he played just 9:31 and missed four of his five shots from the field. Ostler believes Kuminga still has trade value because there are rival teams who think he hasn’t been given a legitimate chance to succeed and he would be better off if he’s freed from Golden State’s system.
Green should come off the bench for at least a game or two, Ostler adds, due to his persistent turnover issues (3.3 per game this season compared to a career average of 2.3) and his poor shooting (39.1% coming into Saturday’s game). Ostler predicts Green would accept the move and it would allow the team to surround Stephen Curry with at least three other shooters in the starting lineup.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Rookie center Maxime Raynaud will be the Kings‘ starting center “for the foreseeable future” after Friday’s announcement that Domantas Sabonis will miss at least four-to-five more weeks, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required). The French big man, who was taken with the 42nd pick in this year’s draft, has been productive since moving into the starting lineup, averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists over the past five games while shooting 53.4% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Coach Doug Christie juggled his starting lineup on Thursday, Anderson adds, moving Keegan Murray from power forward to small forward, which the organization views as his “future” position.
- Lakers coach J.J. Redick said “the hope” is that Rui Hachimura will only be sidelined for three-to-five days with groin soreness, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Hachimura started to feel discomfort in his hip area during Thursday’s game at Utah. Redick also said Deandre Ayton (left elbow) and Austin Reaves (left calf) are both making progress and could be ready for Tuesday’s contest at Phoenix.
- Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Derrick Jones Jr., who’s sidelined with an MCL sprain, has begun playing in five-on-five scrimmages, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Murray suggests that Jones might be able to beat his projected timetable for a return in early January.
- Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his second straight game tonight with soreness in his right knee, but he’s expected back soon, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “No setbacks. He’s doing more and more every day,” coach Jordan Ott said. “It’s going on the right direction. Then we’re hopeful that it continues and he’ll be out there soon.”
Kings’ Domantas Sabonis Out At Least 4-5 More Weeks
Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who has missed a little over a month with a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, continues to make progress in his recovery. However, he will be out at least four-to-five more weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Brenden Nunes of Sactown Sports 1140).
Sabonis experienced knee soreness after a November 16 game at San Antonio and subsequently underwent an MRI, which revealed the meniscus tear. The Kings confirmed a few days later that Sabonis would be checked out again in three-to-four weeks; it has been just over four weeks since that initial announcement.
While Sabonis was unlikely to be selected to his third All-NBA team in 2025/26 anyway with the Kings holding one of the worst records in the NBA (they’re currently 6-21), today’s update will officially make him ineligible, as he has already missed 16 games and will not be able to meet the 65-game requirement for major postseason awards.
The Lithuanian big man, 29, has led the league in rebounds per game each of the past three seasons, earning one of his three All-Star nods and both of his All-NBA berths during that span. In 11 games this season, Sabonis averaged 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.2 minutes per contest.
Sabonis’ name has popped up in several trade rumors in ’25/26. But an in-season move appears increasingly unlikely, given that, even in a best-case scenario, he wouldn’t be back until January 16, about three weeks before the February 5 deadline, notes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter).
With both Sabonis and backup center Drew Eubanks (thumb fracture) out, the Kings have been leaning heavily on rookie second-round pick Maxime Raynaud to man the middle. The French big man has filled in admirably of late, recording career highs of 29 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s overtime loss to Portland.
Doug Christie Rips Kings For ‘Shameful’ Compete Level
Since Kings head coach Doug Christie vowed on Tuesday that his team would “get it right” following a shaky start to the season, Sacramento has lost back-to-back home games against the Nuggets and Hawks. Wednesday’s defeat to Atlanta was especially one-sided, as the Kings fell behind by 44 points before ultimately losing by 33 and extending their winless streak to four games.
Immediately after sitting down for his post-game media session on Wednesday, Christie referred to Sacramento’s compete level as “shameful” (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of KCRA 3). He then proceeded to express his frustrations with his 3-9 club over the next 12 minutes as he fielded questions from reporters.
Here are a few of the most notable remarks from the Kings’ head coach:
On the Hawks’ 33-8 advantage in fast-break points on Wednesday:
“(That) says that you’re not getting back, you’re not communicating, you’re not building walls, you’re not being physical. … Listen, this ain’t about anything but competition and effort, period. You can play that team 10 times and I doubt you would get a result like that – especially after this, play them nine more times – not if you’ve got no damn pride.”
On representing the Kings the right way for fans in Sacramento:
“Put on the jersey, represent it properly. These people need to come into the turnstiles and they need to be proud when they leave here about the product that they see, not f—ing embarrassed. Unacceptable, period. It is. This is a simple one, this ain’t even hard.”
On the Kings’ struggling starters and whether he’s considering lineup changes:
“You’ve got to. I mean, those guys are -31 (DeMar DeRozan), -38 (Domantas Sabonis), -34 (Russell Westbrook), -20 (Dennis Schröder). You’ve got to.
“They need to look at themselves and say, ‘When we’re competing at a high level, we’re playing against anybody.’ We were (within) three points or whatever it was going into the fourth (quarter) with Denver. Milwaukee, you compete all the way to the end. And then you just do that? That’s wild. And that’s not anything except tying your shoes tight and saying, ‘You know what? I’m about this life and I’m going to represent properly.'”
On subbing out his entire starting lineup just over two minutes into the second half:
“There’s people that will actually do things the right way. Might not be as talented, but guess what? That’s when the hockey shift came in. We’ve got some young kids. You know what they’re going to try to do? They’re going to try to compete. Now, Max (Maxime Raynaud) is not as talented as (Kristaps) Porzingis yet and he got into trouble, and Nique (Clifford) got back-cut. OK, but it ain’t from a lack of effort. It ain’t from a lack of want.”
On the Kings’ lack of physicality:
“I was embarrassed. I wish I could’ve put on the jersey. At 55, I would’ve showed you better than that. At least I’m going to use all six fouls. I can’t move, but I’m gonna foul the s–t out of somebody. Like, people just running around, running down the lane, not grabbing nobody.
“And then (the Hawks are) just grabbing, holding, pushing so much that the refs are like, ‘That’s how they play.’ Because that’s how we should play, and the refs should say, ‘That’s how they play. Can’t call them all.’ But our (fouls are) blatant because we ain’t touching nobody. We’re not physical. So as soon as you do touch somebody, it’s a foul. And then you’re looking at the ref crazy. Nah, can’t say really too much to the refs, because the refs can’t help you on this.
“This is all an individual saying, ‘We bringing it.’ And they can, they have. And I’ll be damned if they will.”
On how he would like his veterans to respond:
“I would like them to lead. … Because we’ve got young players in there watching this. And I’m going to text every one of the young players, ‘That’s not acceptable. Do not even think about even trying to equate that that is OK. Do not do it. I will not let you do that, because that s–t, it ain’t cool.’
“They need to lead. What do you want for your team? What do you want for this city? If you want something more than what that was – because that was trash – then lead them. Talk to them. Demonstrate for them. Go out there and show them.
“Listen, maybe you’ve only got 10 minutes of, ‘Man, put it down.’ Well, if that’s what you got, then that’s what you give. Not floating for 30 and playing for 10. Play the game. The game is to be respected. There’s a way to play this game (and) that ain’t it.”
Kings Notes: Murray, Raynaud, Clifford, Carter, Defense
Keegan Murray has had an up-and-down start to his career with the Kings after being selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, from starting in a playoff Game 7 as a rookie to two straight ninth-seed finishes as the team added more scoring options, resulting in a decline in his offensive responsibilities. However, going into training camp, the 6’8″ wing is excited about the changes head coach Doug Christie has implemented.
“I feel like there’s more movement going around, which we didn’t have last year,” he said after practice, per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link).
Murray spoke about his offensive role and how he can contribute on a team with so many offensive shot creators, incuding Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis.
“They’re using me more than they did last year, just coming out of the corner and in transition and things like that,” he said. “Just knocking down shots, being able to have the ball, touch the ball is the biggest thing when you’re talking about flow. When you don’t touch the ball for five minutes, it’s hard to get into a flow.”
Last season, Murray saw his shot attempts drop from 12.7 per game in 2023/24 to 10.8 while his usage rate fell to a career-low 15.0%.
According to Murray, Christie’s stated directive to shoot 10 threes a game is less a specific goal and more a reminder to him to stay aggressive at all times and look for his shot. He also noted that the addition of Schröder will help with his defensive workload, as he can still focus on the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer without having to defend as many point guards as he did last season.
We have more notes from around the Kings’ training camp:
- Christie spoke highly about rookie center Maxime Raynaud and what he brings to the team. “He’s a super-skilled big man that has the ability to do a lot of different things on the floor,” Christie said after training camp (Twitter video link via ABC10’s Matt George). He noted that the seven-footer will have to adjust to the NBA’s physicality and floated the idea that Raynaud’s ability to shoot could allow him to play the four at times next to Sabonis. Overall, Christie was impressed by the rookie’s training camp performance. “He’s been great in practice,” Christie said. “He talks at a high level, his communication skills are great, and I think his teammates love him. His passing, his shooting, he’s done well.”
- In the same media session, Christie spoke about rookie Nique Clifford. Clifford was named to the All-Summer League First Team after averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 45.8% shooting from three, and that versatility was the main point Christie hit on when discussing how he could use the 23-year-old wing. “Do I see him playing some point guard?” Christie asked. “Yes, because of his skill set, but he’s also gotta be out there with a secondary ball-handler… It’s good for him to face Dennis in practice, because that’s about as high a level [point guard defender] as you’re gonna see in the NBA… his skill set says to me that he can play all the perimeter positions.”
- Finally, Christie spoke about 2024 lottery pick Devin Carter, who was limited by injuries to just 36 games as a rookie. Carter struggled to find a rhythm during Summer League, posting shooting splits of .405/.289/.593, but Christie is unconcerned. “Devin has grown immensely from Summer League to now,” the Kings’ coach said. “He’s in way better shape. He’s understanding and reading the game better. From the point guard position, he’s beginning to understand things. When you’re at the free throw line, you’re already calling out the play, you’ve got something in your mind, what are we running? On defense, making sure everyone’s set. And a guy like Dennis is going to help him too because [Carter]’s not a natural point guard, but he’s gonna play that position sometimes… and he’s fearless, he’s not scared of the moment.”
- Standout backup guard Keon Ellis spoke about the team’s defensive areas of focus in training camp, tweets George (video link). “I think just certain situations, not over-helping when you don’t need to, to give other teams advantages,” he said. “He’s really trying to emphasize everyone picking up 94 feet. It’s tough, but that’s kind of what you have to do to win. So that, and being physical, making sure on every catch you’re up, you’re getting a hand on them so they know you’re there.“