The Sacramento Kings are entering the 2024-25 season with both hope and pressure after a mixed 2023-24 campaign. Making the playoffs in 2023, they failed to live up to expectations, finishing with 46 wins and exiting after the play-in tournament last year. Injuries to key players like De’Aaron Fox hurt their progress, but the Kings have responded with big moves, including the addition of veteran DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal.
DeRozan brings much-needed experience and a scoring punch to the team, especially in the clutch, but questions still linger. The Kings’ defensive struggles from last season are far from resolved, and their ability to maintain an elite offense while integrating new pieces like DeRozan is up in the air. Can they make a serious run this year, or will they be stuck in the middle of a stacked Western Conference again? Let’s break down the challenges they face and what needs to change for the Kings to become true contenders this season.
Why The Kings Could Fail Next Season
The Sacramento Kings had a rocky 2023-24 season, and if they don’t address their glaring issues, the upcoming season could be another disappointment. While their playoff return in 2023 was a step forward, their offensive struggles in 2024 raised alarms, and the addition of DeMar DeRozan brings both hope and potential pitfalls.
One of the main concerns from last season was their offense. After being ranked as the top offense in the 2022-23 season, the Kings dropped off significantly, falling to 16th in offensive efficiency. Injuries to key players like De’Aaron Fox contributed to this, but even when healthy, the team struggled to find consistency on that end of the floor. Domantas Sabonis, the centerpiece of their offensive schemes, also faced difficulties when he wasn’t paired with sharp shooters like Malik Monk or Kevin Huerter, whose injuries hampered the team’s spacing.
DeMar DeRozan, while a strong scorer and clutch performer (second in the league in total clutch points last season), doesn’t exactly fit the Kings’ need for three-point shooting. Over the last five seasons, DeRozan has averaged just 31.7% from beyond the arc, which doesn’t help a Kings team that ranked 16th in the league in three-point shooting percentage in 2024. His mid-range-heavy style can clog the offense and limit floor spacing, especially with a center like Sabonis, who operates best in the paint.
Defensively, Sacramento is still away from being elite. They finished 11th in defensive rating last year, allowing 115.2 points per game, and often struggled to defend the perimeter, a crucial weakness in a three-point-heavy NBA. Teams shot well from deep against the Kings, with Sacramento ranking 29th for opponent three-point percentage. Their defensive issues are further compounded by the fact that DeRozan, although great on offense, is not elite on defense.
Additionally, the Kings’ depth is a question mark. While they have solid starters in Fox, Sabonis, DeRozan, and Keegan Murray, their bench lacks consistent production. Malik Monk, one of their best sixth men, was often relied upon to carry the offensive load when the starters sat, but beyond him, the Kings don’t have reliable scoring threats off the bench. They also traded away Davion Mitchell, a young player who provided some defensive intensity, in their deal to acquire DeRozan.
Another key factor that could derail the Kings is their lack of experience in making playoff runs. While they made a brief return to the postseason in 2023, their 2024 exit in the play-in tournament highlighted a gap between them and the true contenders in the Western Conference. Despite having talented players like De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings lack the postseason battle scars that teams like the Denver Nuggets or the Golden State Warriors possess. Playoff basketball demands a higher level of defensive intensity and execution, and the Kings haven’t shown they can rise to the occasion consistently.
Their interior defense remains a glaring weakness. Domantas Sabonis, while a skilled offensive player and rebounder, is not known for his rim protection. He averaged just 0.6 blocks per game last season, and opponents frequently attacked the paint with success against Sacramento, which ranked 17th in blocks per game.
The Kings haven’t addressed this issue in the offseason, leaving a vulnerability that teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, with Anthony Davis, or the Denver Nuggets, with MVP Nikola Jokic, could exploit in the postseason. Without a true defensive anchor in the middle, the Kings will continue to struggle against teams that can dominate inside.
Furthermore, the Kings’ over-reliance on their fast-paced offense might come back to bite them. While they finished second in pace during the 2023-24 season, their efficiency lagged behind, ranking just 13th in offensive rating. Speeding up the game can be effective during the regular season, but it becomes less reliable in the playoffs, where teams tend to slow the game down and play more half-court sets. Sacramento needs to find a way to generate consistent offense in slower-paced, high-pressure situations, or they risk being exposed when the game slows down in the postseason.
One of the biggest question marks for the Kings heading into the 2024-25 season is the health and durability of De’Aaron Fox. Although Fox is one of the most explosive guards in the league, his durability has come into question after missing some games over the past two seasons due to injuries. If Fox cannot stay healthy, the Kings will struggle to maintain any offensive consistency, as he is their primary creator and clutch performer. The Kings have no real replacement for Fox, and his absence would leave a massive hole in both their offensive and defensive schemes.
Why The Kings Could Be A Great Contender
The Sacramento Kings have plenty of reasons to believe they can make a serious push in the Western Conference this upcoming season. Offensively, the addition of DeMar DeRozan brings a veteran scorer who thrives in the clutch, pairing perfectly with De’Aaron Fox, who is already one of the best late-game performers in the NBA. Together, this duo could become one of the most dangerous in close games. DeRozan finished second in clutch points during the 2023-24 season, while Fox is known for his ability to take over late-game situations, as he was named the 2023 Clutch Player Of The Year. Their combined ability to create shots in tight moments should give the Kings an edge in those nail-biting situations.
Surrounding Fox and DeRozan with sharpshooters like Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter, and Keegan Murray only enhances Sacramento’s offensive firepower. Monk was a key piece last season, and Sacramento made sure to lock him in with a four-year, $78 million contract this offseason. Monk shot 35.0% from deep last season, while Huerter and Murray both hovered around the 36% mark. The combination of these perimeter threats and Fox’s playmaking makes it difficult for defenses to sag off anyone, leaving room for both Fox and DeRozan to thrive as creators, although Fox also made a huge jump in three-point efficiency, shooting 36.9% in almost 8 attempts per game, an even better fit for DeRozan.
Sabonis is another critical factor for Sacramento’s potential to contend. Despite a solid season last year, there’s reason to believe Sabonis can take another step forward. He was already a dominant force on the boards, finishing the season as one of the top rebounders in the league with 13.7 RPG, and was a key facilitator with 8.2 APG, often operating as the Kings’ secondary playmaker. If Sabonis can continue to improve his defense and add even more range to his game, his all-around contributions could elevate Sacramento’s ceiling.
Fox, too, may not have reached his full potential yet. After averaging 26.6 PPG last season, there’s a sense that the 26-year-old guard is just entering his prime. If Fox continues to develop his outside shooting and improve his decision-making in the clutch, he could reach a new level as a scoring superstar, further solidifying the Kings as a legitimate threat.
A comparison can be drawn between the Kings and the Clippers of recent years, specifically the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George duo (before George moved to the 76ers). Like the Clippers, the Kings aren’t necessarily a three-point-centric team, but they don’t need to be when they have two elite shot creators in Fox and DeRozan, along with a third star in Sabonis. Much like Leonard and George carried the Clippers in key moments, Fox and DeRozan can shoulder that same load for Sacramento, with the added bonus of having an All-Star big in Sabonis who can dominate the boards and facilitate.
What sets Sacramento apart from the old Clippers, however, is the depth of their perimeter shooting. While the Clippers relied heavily on isolation play from their two stars, the Kings have the luxury of spacing the floor with multiple three-point threats. This gives them a more balanced offensive attack, with the ability to mix pick-and-roll actions, off-ball movement, and post play from Sabonis. It’s a dynamic that, if executed well, could prove difficult for even the best defenses to stop.
Defensively, while Sacramento still has room for improvement, there is optimism that coach Mike Brown can get the most out of this roster. Brown has shown his ability to coach up defenses in the past, and with the Kings focusing on improving their interior defense, there’s hope that players like Sabonis can improve in rim protection, while role players like Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis can step up on the perimeter. If the Kings can become a better defensive team, their offense will be more than enough to carry them deep into the playoffs.
In conclusion, the Sacramento Kings are built to contend this season. With a potent combination of clutch scorers, strong perimeter shooting, and the potential for both Fox and Sabonis to take the next step in their development, this team could surprise the league. If they can maintain health and continue to gel as a unit, the Kings might just be one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference.
