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: Struggling to Find Consistency on Offense
The Sacramento Kings’ season has been a rollercoaster of emotions, marked by a glaring inconsistency in their offensive play. As a team that prides itself on a high-paced, versatile offense, the Kings have found themselves repeatedly let down by their inability to maintain this strength. This inconsistency has been a significant factor in their frustrating 10-13 start to the season.
Offensive Identity Crisis
The Kings’ offensive identity is supposed to be their hallmark, characterized by dynamic play and the ability to score at all three levels. Yet, this identity has been elusive. The team has shown flashes of brilliance, but these moments are overshadowed by prolonged periods of offensive droughts. In last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Kings managed to build a 12-point lead with impressive ball movement and off-ball cuts. However, they faltered in the second half, resorting to isolation plays and poor three-point shooting, ultimately leading to another disappointing loss.
The inconsistency is not just a matter of poor shooting nights. It’s a deeper issue of failing to capitalize on their strengths consistently. Players like De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have demonstrated their potential with standout performances, yet the team struggles to string together victories. The Kings’ inability to close quarters effectively and maintain momentum has been a recurring theme, often allowing opponents to claw back into games.
The De’Aaron Fox Factor
De’Aaron Fox is a pivotal figure in the Kings’ lineup, known for his explosive play when motivated. However, there’s a noticeable difference between his regular performances and when he’s “pissed off.” This version of Fox is a force to be reckoned with, yet it appears too infrequently. The challenge lies in finding a way to consistently tap into this level of play. Fox’s defensive prowess was on full display against the Grizzlies, where he showcased his ability to disrupt opponents. Yet, the Kings need this intensity on a regular basis to turn their fortunes around.
The Kings’ struggles are not solely on Fox’s shoulders. The team as a whole needs to find a way to deliver consistent performances, especially in the clutch moments where they have historically excelled. The presence of two of the league’s top clutch players, Fox and DeMar DeRozan, should be a significant advantage, yet the Kings have lost more close games than they’ve won this season.
The path forward for the Kings involves addressing these inconsistencies and finding a way to harness their offensive potential consistently. The Western Conference is unforgiving, and the Kings must start stringing together wins to remain competitive.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Kings’ offensive struggles and potential solutions, tune into the Locked On Kings podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Kings Podcast:
- The impact of Malik Monk in the starting lineup
- Criticisms and defense of head coach Mike Brown
- The role of Keegan Murray and his offensive challenges
- Analysis of the Kings’ defensive performance against Memphis
Dec 1, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick calls a play against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Delta Center. | Christopher Creveling/Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
If JJ Redick had approached the season signalling a measure of outward self-awareness that he, a former player with no head coaching experience and cohost of a podcast with LeBron James, was now head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, things might be different. If Redick had acknowledged that very obvious, and unique to our contemporary basketball moment of athlete-driven media elephant in the room, things might be different. If Redick had at any point, when asked about his new role in scrums wherein he knows the clips and audio of his answers will be immediately and robustly aggregated, balanced out his self-aggrandizing basketball sicko-hood, or answers where he likened head coaching to nothing short of personal destiny, with something like, It’s a learning curve, really anything a hair more measured, things might be different.
Things would not look different. The Lakers made no real structural changes to their roster in the offseason, so the team playing bad basketball now is the same team that was playing bad basketball last season under Darvin Ham (Redick is one game off the 13-9 pace set by Ham last season), but things might be interpreted, or reasoned with, differently. That kind of grace, for a struggling franchise with major conflicting timelines and high-stakes notions like legacy on the line, goes a long way.
There is such a fine line in coaching between collaborative and domineering, confident and arrogant, and many first-time head NBA coaches have learned the hard way what it is to lose a team, and lose them quickly. Nate Bjorkgren went into the Pacers organization not just hot but by many accounts scorching, and was expeditiously fired at the end of his lone year in Indiana. Jason Kidd may have traded in his string of short-lived head coaching appointments (Nets, Bucks — and surprise! — Lakers) for his current and seemingly steady job with the Mavs, but there is no doubt a type afforded the leniency of multiple failures in the NBA, and it tends to be white, male and abidingly faultless.
To Redick’s credit, he has vocally shouldered the blame of the Lakers recent, bad losses. When the team fell to the Timberwolves 109-80 to start the month, Redick noted their lacklustre effort was “looking more and more like it’s not an aberration”, correcting himself from a late-November blown effort against the Nuggets he said was. This week’s impressive loss to the Heat resulted in a two minute explanation from Redick that skimmed the existential and was anchored in the heavy weight of realization.
What’s difficult from here — beyond how the Lakers improve when their offensive energy is sporadic at best and their approach to defence has been to literally stand back and watch — is how to move forward into the long season still ahead, with the base level of competency and pride necessary for a cohesive team to function.
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
Biz The NBA will return to China in 2025; The first time since team executive Daryl Morey’s 2019 tweet signalled support for Hong Kong independence. (ESPN)
Feel Good Four Raptors rookies make history by playing in two games in one day. (SportsNet)
Recap The Kings’ shooting struggles were evident in their 115-110 loss to the Grizzlies. This game showcased both defensive lapses and offensive woes. Read the full breakdown for insights. (Sports Illustrated)
Preview The Kings will battle the Spurs at AT&T Center at 8:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
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Sunday, Dec. 8 | 6:00PM | Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA | Get Tickets
Kings @ Pelicans
Thursday, Dec. 12 | 7:00PM | Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA | Get Tickets
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Ayo Dosunmu’s Big Fantasy Basketball Night
Dec 5, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) looks to pass the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter/Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Washington Wizards, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the charge. Doncic’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, alongside Irving’s 25 points, highlighted their commanding performance. Despite a lackluster showing from P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie delivered solid contributions. The Wizards’ decision to start Marvin Bagley over Jonas Valančiūnas was puzzling, given Bagley’s inconsistent play. Bilal Coulibaly’s struggles continue, and Jordan Poole’s shooting woes persist, though his minutes remain encouraging.
In another matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a significant win over the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic’s 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists underscored his dominance, despite heavy minutes. Michael Porter Jr.'s defensive contributions were notable, with four steals and two blocks. On the Cavaliers’ side, Caris LeVert’s 21 points and Donovan Mitchell’s 28 points, six assists, and six triples were key to their victory.
The Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge with 30 points, five assists, and two steals. Cason Wallace’s defensive prowess was on display, contributing two steals and four blocks. The Raptors struggled without Jakob Poeltl, highlighting their lack of depth at the center position.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Kings podcasts.
The Sacramento Kings FIGHT BACK to Earn a Needed Victory Matt George breaks down the Sacramento Kings’ 120-111 win over the Houston Rockets, where Sacramento didn’t back down from Houston’s chippiness & physicality, beating them at their own game.
Keegan Murray is the Key to Saving the Sacramento Kings Season Matt George takes you inside Kings practice, where players and coaches are being very intentional about staying together through the early season struggles. Matt breaks down how Keegan Murray is the Kings turning around their season.
The Most Deflating Loss of the Sacramento Kings Season So Far Matt George reacts to the Sacramento Kings loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where the Kings dominated in so many areas but still lost thanks to 23 made three-pointers by the Spurs.
