Well, the Sacramento Kings are on pace for just 18 wins after dropping another one to De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. This one stings a little extra because both former Kings, Fox and Harrison Barnes, had 20+ points each and were a big part of taking down the Kings, while Victor Wembanyama sat, and Stephon Castle went out partway through with an injury.
Sacramento got off to their patented slow start while the second unit started to make things interesting. The guard backlog isn’t anything new, but it is interesting to see who is the odd man out on any given night. On Saturday, it was Zach LaVine who played only 25 minutes and took just seven shots.
In his postgame press conference after the loss, Kings’ head coach Doug Christie was asked about LaVine and his thoughts behind his rotation.
“Just trying to find a lineup that’s working… Zach is who is he, he is who he is for us, but on any given night, we’re trying to find rotations that allow us to get over the hump and win a ball game,” Christie explained.
Oct 29, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) walks on the court during the first half at United Center | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Christie has his hands full trying to figure out a rotation that works, and there may not be a right answer.
The LaVine/DeRozan issue
LaVine was scoring 30+ at will to begin the season, but that was often at the expense of another player. DeRozan and LaVine have only scored 20+ on the same night in three games all season after the opener against the Phoenix Suns, where they combined for 59.
Sacramento’s best offensive players tend to cannibalize each other’s opportunities, and either there’s something that Christie hasn’t tried, or this is just the reality of how the roster is built. Christie at least seems to understand the trend when it comes to LaVine and DeRozan.
“Him and Zach, that’s what they do and on any given night it might be the opposite way,” Christie said.
FINAL: Kings fall to the Spurs 123-110.
👑 DeMar DeRozan: 27 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB
👑 Dennis Schröder: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
👑 Domantas Sabonis: 17 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 16, 2025
LaVine and DeRozan were both teammates on the Chicago Bulls and had similar issues getting going at the same time. Both players are more comfortable with the ball than without, which leads to a lot of disjointed offense where the ball doesn’t move at all.
Saturday’s game was a stark reminder of how real offense can supersede talent, with the Spurs dishing out 38 assists to the Kings’ 25. The modern NBA is all about using spacing and movement to get defenses into rotation and create open looks for your team. The problem is that you can’t get a defense into rotation without passing the ball and with all due respect, that just isn’t who Zach and DeMar are as players.
Christie is doing his best to try different things and get all of his stars going at the same time, but you can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.
“We’re trying to put those combinations together at the same time,” Christie admitted.
Zach LaVine gets the scoring started 👏 pic.twitter.com/phUfVTMzRJ
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 16, 2025
Christie will undoubtedly keep trying, as he should. Unfortunately, the writing has been on the wall with the Kings’ roster, and just changing rotations probably isn’t going to be enough to overcome all the issues the team has.
The Kings’ best game of the season was against the Milwaukee Bucks, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they were missing Monk, who is averaging 24 minutes per game this season. This isn’t a case of these players not being talented, either, even if they are a bit past their prime.
The Kings are simply asking their stars to be something they aren’t, and it seems a little sadistic to keep harping on things like sharing the ball and defense when that hasn’t been what they’ve built their resumes on.
A trade is really what’s best for both sides. Get DeMar on a playoff team where he can play meaningful basketball. And clear up the rotation (and spacing) for Nique Clifford to play extended minutes. https://t.co/NBgFGeVtga
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) November 15, 2025
This may be the right year for the Kings to finally fall below their normal level of mediocrity with the level of talent entering the draft in 2026. However, the flattened lottery odds don’t reward teams for being excessively bad anymore.
On top of the flattened lottery odds, the veterans are taking up valuable playing time for guys like Nique Clifford and Keon Ellis while the Kings continue to lose games. The easy answer is that the Kings just need to make a trade, and I agree with ABC 10’s Matt George that finding a new home for DeRozan makes the most sense for both parties.
Trade season is likely a few weeks away, but Scott Perry may need to lower his asking price on some of his veterans before fans lose interest. A trade in the NBA is much easier said than done, and while I don’t want the Kings to get taken advantage of, addition by subtraction is a real thing.
Recommended Articles