The Sacramento Kings Have Issues

Forbes

3 days ago

The Sacramento Kings are in No Man's Land. The organization have plenty of talent, but it's not particularly cohesive.
Let's look at two of the biggest challenges they face.
Impossible to build around Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis is an elite basketball player, full stop. He's the best rebounder in the league, one of the best passing big men in the history of the game, and his scoring efficiency, especially near the rim, is elite.
So what's the issue?
It starts and ends with the fact that Sabonis, for all of his strengths, has two major weaknesses that makes it virtually impossible to build a truly competitive team around him. He isn't a long-range threat, nor is he an elite defender at the center position.
In the NBA today, the three-point shot is simply vital. If you don't have it, you better be great at everything else, including defense, and that's where Sabonis comes up short, despite the valiant effort.
The Lithuanian big man can't be the last line of defense, and even if he were to get a teammate that could, that teammate would also have to cover for him in the spacing department.
Essentially, in order to maximize the play of Sabonis, he'd need to be paired with a player so unique, it basically describes Victor Wembanyama. And that's just not feasible.
As such, the Kings will have to make a call, and probably soon, as to whether Sabonis is a keeper, or if they have to try something new.
Of course, teams are aware of the shortcomings attached to Sabonis, so you also have to wonder if anyone out there is willing to pay up to acquire him.
Zach LaVine is miscast as a primary player
Dating back to his days with the Bulls, LaVine was never a genuine number one guy, even if he sported high efficiency, and an excellent scoring touch.
LaVine has to play in a role where he's set up by an elite playmaker, and where his off-ball capabilities are maximized. This doesn't happen when he spends too much time on the ball.
This isn't to say LaVine doesn't have a role. Unlike with Sabonis, LaVine can technically fit in everywhere, as long as there is a player better than him on the roster, who handles the ball, and makes decisions.
Here's the problem. The Kings don't necessarily have that, despite the passing acumen of Sabonis. The fact that Sabonis isn't a floor-spacer means defenses know where to guard him, and that makes it more predictable to shield his passing patterns.
Therefore, LaVine can only play off of Sabonis to a certain extent, when he actually needs to be in a much larger role roaming around.
Malik Monk has taken steps as a playmaker in recent years, but he isn't a natural floor-leader by any stretch of the imagination.
The Kings are finding themselves a bit stuck, given the above. There isn't a realistic solution that makes both the Sabonis and LaVine issues fall into place. Keeping De'Aaron Fox would have certainly helped, but that was never a thing, especially as LaVine was a part of that trade.
Where the Kings go from here is anyone's guess, but whatever they choose, it'll be a tough path back to relevance.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.