In case you hadn’t noticed, the Sacramento Kings are not having a good season so far. Frankly, it’s been a rough couple of decades. As such, it’s time for a major rebuild that current stars such as DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and Zach LaVine will probably be happy to see coming.
While playing for the Kings has rarely been easy, it’s been worse than usual the last couple of years. The lack of development for young players, ill-advised trades, and an imbalanced roster have created a team with no rhythm and no chance to grow into being a contender.
That’s not the players’ fault. It’s become a dysfunctional environment to work in, making it difficult to succeed on the court. Plus, the new head coach and the new head office have a vision for the future that many of the current stars simply do not fit into. Change is coming to Sacramento.
Being on the current Kings’ roster is tough
The Kings actually have several star players. Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, and Russell Westbrook are all top-tier talent. The problem is that they don’t really fit very well. It was the previous front office that put most of them together.
At the same time, this can’t be easy for them. The Kings are on a brutal losing streak, which is part of their rough start to the season. On top of that, new head coach Doug Christie is pushing a defensive focus that most of these players just don’t fit into.
None of it is working, and the players are the public faces of that failure. The only way for the Kings to find success in future seasons is by beginning the rebuilding process now. That means many of these players are getting traded, and a lot of them will probably be happy about that.
A move from Sacramento could be good
Nobody plans to get into the NBA to lose. That’s where the current King’s roster finds themselves, which is not where they want to be. What’s going on in Sacramento simply isn’t working, and every player on the team knows it. There’s just not a lot they can do about it.
For players who are high-potential trades like Schroder, DeRozan, Sabonis, and LaVine, a change in scenery will probably be welcome. Honestly, it might be what they need at this point in their careers more than anything else. The best thing they can do for Sactown is help bring in new roster members.
It seems heartless to think like that. At the same time, things need to change in Sacramento. The current starting five is not working, not because they’re bad players but because they don’t fit together or in Doug Christie’s system. It’s time for both sides to move on.