Matt George here, the host of the daily Locked On Kings podcast, with your daily Locked On Kings newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Kings and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Sacramento Kings: A Season of Concerns and Opportunities
With a record of eight wins and nine losses, the Kings are now a game under .500, and their recent loss to the Brooklyn Nets, 108-103, is cause for concern. While it’s early in the season, the team’s performance at home, a disappointing 4-5, is particularly troubling. There’s still plenty of time for the Kings to climb the Western Conference standings, but their current trajectory isn’t cause for much optimism.
The Kings’ Struggles at Home
The Kings’ inability to capitalize on home-court advantage is perplexing. Despite shooting well, they were outplayed by the Nets, who came in with confidence and shot nearly 49% from three-point range. The Kings’ 16 turnovers, resulted in 24 points for the Nets, highlighting a lack of attention to detail and physicality. This trend of slow starts and rallying from behind is becoming a pattern, and it’s not sustainable for a team aiming for playoff contention.
Coach Mike Brown has emphasized the need for urgency and physicality, but the Kings continue to ease into games. The question remains: who on the roster will step up to hold the team accountable? De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan are key players, but leadership needs to emerge from within the team to address these issues.
Leadership and Accountability
The Kings’ struggles are not just about execution but also about leadership. DeRozan, a recent addition, has yet to assert himself as a vocal leader. With Malik Monk out, the team lacks a strong voice to rally them. Fox, who had another solid performance with 31 points, needs to demand the ball more than he did Sunday, especially when he’s the hot hand. The Kings’ reliance on DeRozan in the second half, despite Fox’s form, was a questionable decision.
The bench’s performance is another area of concern. Scoring only nine points compared to the Nets’ 44, the second unit’s lack of contribution is glaring. Trey Lyles needs to step up, Colby Jones shouldn’t be playing over Jordan McLaughlin, and the coaching staff must make strategic adjustments to maximize the bench’s potential.
The Kings have the talent and capability to turn their season around, but it requires a collective effort. The players must embrace the game plan and execute it with precision and intensity. The coaching staff, led by Brown, must instill a sense of urgency and accountability within the team.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Kings’ challenges and potential solutions, tune into the Locked On Kings podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Kings Podcast:
- Analysis of De’Aaron Fox’s performance and potential as a leader
- The impact of DeMar DeRozan’s integration into the team
- A breakdown of the Kings’ bench struggles and possible solutions
- Insights into Coach Mike Brown’s strategies and adjustments
- A look ahead at the Kings’ upcoming games and what they need to improve
It was the three second violation heard round the world. Kidding, but it was strange enough that you looked to confirmation of what you were seeing to those around you, and/or rewatched the replay of it several times.
Posted up under the Raptors basket, Rudy Gobert had Scottie Barnes on his back in a mismatch and was calling to Julius Randle for the ball. Beyond the arc. Randle dribbled the ball, unhurried, as the shot clock ticked down. He’s eyeing the lane, would clearly prefer to drive, and even plants a foot to take off from when the whistle finally comes for Gobert, strolling out of the key nonchalantly, with all the urgency you’d approach a dental appointment.
Still frustrated, Gobert then needlessly hip-checked Barnes at the other end, sending him to the line and sending the Raptors up in the match and in momentum. Toronto won 110-105.
You can take your pick for what’s more worrisome, because the perspective shifts depending on the root of a few problems the Wolves face.
That Gobert opted to showboat his frustration is definitely the most obvious, in terms of visibility. It isn’t the first time he’s let his petulant side out on the floor. That Randle saw Gobert — impossible not to with his long arm up and waving — and chose to ignore him, dribbling the ball into oblivion instead, is another concern. The biggest question around the Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns trade was fit — for playing style and chemistry. A slight detail that nearly gets lost in the sequence is that Jaden McDaniels hustled for a really long rebound, swung it to Randle, and the urgency of that move was immediately sapped by what transpired.
Taken individually, these would be wrinkles for a working team to smooth by the next match. And yes, both Randle and Gobert addressed the sequence, with Randle prompting media to “name a perfect family” and Gobert saying “people think great teams are the teams where the sky is always blue”. Normally, I’d enjoy an athlete beginning with a euphemism, in this case, it feels like aversion.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Opponent The Sacramento Kings narrowly lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 108-103. Learn about the decisive moments and how the Nets capitalized on them. (Sports Illustrated)
Stat Discover the pivotal stat of the game that swung the outcome in favor of the Brooklyn Nets against the Kings. (Sports Illustrated)
Preview The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center at 10:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Legacy Nikola Jokic continues to redefine basketball creativity with his full-court swat attempt against the Lakers, nearly achieving an incredible buzzer-beater despite the constraints of the Trent Tucker rule. (CBS Sports)
Biz NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill discusses his investment in women’s sports and managing Team USA, highlighting his active retirement and commitment to sports development. (The Ringer NBA Show)
Rumor Western Conference coaches and executives are reportedly frustrated with the East’s playoff picture, suggesting a shift to a 1-16 seeding format to enhance fairness and competition. (Bleacher Report)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Ja Morant Is Set To Return And Impact Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Nov 17, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) takes videos with his phone after the game against the Denver Nuggets at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas/Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
As we wrap up another thrilling week in the NBA, it’s time to reflect on the standout performances and crucial player updates that could impact your fantasy basketball strategy. With six games on the slate this past Sunday, there was no shortage of action and intrigue.
Player Updates and Injury News
One of the most significant updates this week involves Ja Morant, who has been upgraded to questionable. The Memphis Grizzlies have a consistent pattern of moving players from doubtful to questionable before they return to play, so Morant’s return seems imminent. Marcus Smart is also off the injury report, ready to make his comeback. However, the Grizzlies are still without Vince Williams Jr., who is sidelined for weeks, and Zach Edey.
In New Orleans, the return of key players is on the horizon. While Herb Jones remains out, Jordan Hawkins is back, and CJ McCollum is expected to play soon. Dejounte Murray has been upgraded to doubtful, indicating he might return later this week. These returns will undoubtedly shake up the rotations and fantasy implications for players like BJ Boston and ElfridPayton.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been idle since Wednesday, and Alex Caruso, who aggravated a hip injury, is out again. This extended absence is concerning for fantasy managers holding Caruso. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dieng’s fractured finger will keep him out for three to four weeks, opening up reserve minutes for Dillon Jones until Jaylin Williams returns.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Kings podcasts.
The Sacramento Kings Offense Doesn’t “Go Cold”, It Freezes Matt George reacts to the Sacramento Kings loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, where the Kings offense managed just 29 total points in the first half.
The Best is Yet to Come for the Sacramento Kings - with Kings TV Analyst Kayte Christensen Matt George is joined by Sacramento Kings television analyst Kayte Christensen to break down the first 15 games of the season, how the Kings have handled their recent injury issues, and how this team will continue to get better.
What We’ve Learned About the Sacramento Kings with Multiple Stars Out Here are some of the lessons that we’ve learned about the Sacramento Kings while they’ve been without a combination of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis & Malik Monk.
