While the season is still young, we’re starting to get to the point where we can start looking at trends throughout the NBA. The Sacramento Kings are 1-2, and have had some good signs of life, but also some worries that many people saw coming.
While three games are still a small sample size, let’s take a look at three numbers that stand out early on in the season for the Kings.
The first number that jumps off the page is the Kings’ average of just 36.7 rebounds per game, which ties them with the Brooklyn Nets for the fewest in the NBA. That’s a drastic dropoff from their 44.2 rebounds per game last season.
They were without Domantas Sabonis in the first game, which hurt them on the boards, but even with the best rebounder in the league the last two rebounds, they’ve been beaten drastically on the boards. So far this season, they’ve been outrebounded 148-110 throughout the three games.
We all knew Sacramento was going to struggle with size this season, but it’s a glaring issue through three games. Keegan Murray coming back from injury will help, as he’s the team’s second-best rebounder, but they’ll need to find a way to match their opponents on the glass while they wait for him to return.
Oct 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) controls the ball against Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Domantas Sabonis returned quickly for the Kings following his hamstring injury, but it still doesn’t look like he’s clicked with this offense. The number that stands out for the All-NBA center is his four total assists through his two games so far.
With one against the Utah Jazz and three against the Los Angeles Lakers, that puts him at 2.0 per game. He’s one of the best passing bigs in the game and averaged six assists per contest last season. Even that was a dropoff for him, as he averaged 8.2 the previous year.
Sabonis doesn’t have to get back toward eight per game, but two per contest just isn’t going to cut it. His teammates knocking down shots will help, but he’s also only averaging 6.0 potential assists per game, compared to 9.5 per contest from last year. Hopefully, this is just an odd small sample size while the offense continues to click.
And now for some good news. After a dreadful season from three last year, both shooting and defending, the numbers have flipped for the Kings. So far this year, they are shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc, and limiting opponents to just 31.0% from deep.
That puts them tied for the second-best shooting percentage and the third-lowest opponent three-point percentage for the league, which is definitely a recipe for success going forward.
Malik Monk has especially started the season on fire from beyond the arc, making 12 of his 19 threes, good for 63.2%. And Russell Westbrook has made a surprising five of his ten attempts.
The numbers will likely even out as the season goes on, but it’s a great sign for the Kings. If they can continue their strong three-point defense and shot making, while fixing some of the other issues that we’ve seen, including those above, they could put themselves in a position to win on any given night.