{"id":113495,"date":"2025-12-30T10:26:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T10:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/113495\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T10:26:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T10:26:14","slug":"kings-testing-ideal-defensive-coverages-for-raynaud-cardwell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/113495\/","title":{"rendered":"Kings testing ideal defensive coverages for Raynaud, Cardwell"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the few bright spots in the Sacramento Kings\u2019 underwhelming 2025-26 season has been their rookie big men duo of Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell.<\/p>\n

Neither has been without flaws, but getting extended repetitions should play in favor of their long-term development.<\/p>\n

Having been drafted in the second round (pick 42 overall), it\u2019s unsurprising that Raynaud has played a more significant role than the undrafted Cardwell.<\/p>\n

In his 24 games, Raynaud has averaged 10.6 points and six rebounds on 54.1 percent shooting in his 21.7 minutes per night. In Sacramento\u2019s last 13 appearances, he has started on 10 occasions and logged 29.1 minutes per game.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Cardwell has made just nine NBA appearances and played 20+ minutes in each of their last five showings. Both roughly coincide with the time when centers Domantas Sabonis and Drew Eubanks were sidelined with injuries.<\/p>\n

Boasting a more defensive skill set compared to Raynaud\u2019s well-rounded offensive game, Cardwell has performed in clearly different roles, comparably.<\/p>\n

But no matter their offensive production, Kings head coach Doug Christie will continue to emphasize the importance of making an impact on the other side of the floor. As they work to determine the optimal ways to do so, the coaching staff has been testing all pick-and-roll defensive options to see where each player is best suited.<\/p>\n

Christie was asked about that process following Sacramento\u2019s 125-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a tough one with [Raynaud] and Dylan, I feel, because you\u2019ve got to experiment,\u201d he said. \u201cYou do it in practice, but practice is one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SACRAMENTO,<\/p>\n

(Photo by Eakin Howard\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Showing on ball handlers before returning to their matchups forces a heavy reliance on their other defenders to have proper rotations in response. Drop defense has also become more complicated in the modern NBA, as many ball handlers are comfortable stepping into long-range shots.<\/p>\n

The simplest way to survive, as long as defenders can, is to switch all positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the game, can we red \u2014 which is switching one through five \u2014 which would put him in a position where we want to see if he can move his feet?\u201d Christie continued. \u201cCan he stay in front and just keep the ball in front of you? If the guy shoots a three, make sure that you contest it without fouling, and then we rebound the basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Max] showed the ability to do that. So, sometimes we trust him in that. I think Dylan, Dylan is very good. A lot of the guards that he switches out on, I think he moves his feet, contest. So with both of those guys, as they continue to understand angles, they get better with their base and their fundamentals, it\u2019ll turn our defense into another layer, meaning that we can switch, keep the ball in front of us and be in the gaps and make teams settle for shots that they don\u2019t want to shoot, as opposed to the big pins down, now the guards trailing, big is not there. They\u2019re getting in the paint. Big is rolling. It\u2019s just a domino effect that, if Dylan and Max can switch out like I think that they can, it helps us mightily.\u201d<\/p>\n

There have been expected growing pains with that learning process. Still, Sacramento\u2019s focus for the 2025-26 season has shifted to developing its young talent, given its 8-24 record, which is only ahead of the 8-25 New Orleans Pelicans in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.<\/p>\n

While Luka Doncic picked apart those coverages last game, it\u2019s a valuable experience for both rookie bigs.<\/p>\n

Raynaud\u2019s understood the value of getting \u201cthrown into the fire a little bit\u201d with those coverages. \u201cWe\u2019re just trying stuff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"YouTube<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to see that logic in theory (or practices, to Christie\u2019s point), but it\u2019s a whole other ball game when non-lottery pick rookies are switched onto the likes of all-time scorers such as Doncic or Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n

Even their toughest collegiate matchups didn\u2019t create space to the extent most NBA teams do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not shooting step-backs in college like that,\u201d Cardwell said of Doncic after Sunday\u2019s loss<\/a>. \u201cSo that\u2019s where it\u2019s different for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not going to be a flawless process for either rookie, but experience is the best teacher. Maybe neither will end up as stellar switching onto dynamic ball handlers, but they\u2019ll never know or have the opportunity to grow into that without proper repetitions.<\/p>\n

Clearly, Christie would prefer them to be capable of that defensive coverage. With Sabonis expected to be sidelined longer, there will likely be more opportunities for both Raynaud and Cardwell to learn<\/p>\n

Their potential development, especially in that regard, could continue to grow into one of the best stories of the Kings\u2019 season.<\/p>\n

More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports<\/p>\n

The Sacramento Kings are a half-game away from being the worst team in the Western Conference, and teams are beginning to put out feelers as trade season approaches.<\/p>\n

Sacramento (8-24) has been heavily linked to teams in trade talks, but one team has pulled ahead of the pack in the rumor mill: the Milwaukee Bucks.<\/p>\n

Milwaukee has been one\u2013and quite possibly the only\u2013team with a legitimate interest in trading for Kings guard Zach LaVine, who has not played in a game since December 14th due to a moderate left ankle sprain.<\/p>\n

Read More:<\/p>\n

Report: Bucks monitoring Zach LaVine & Malik Monk<\/a><\/p>\n

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season<\/p>\n

Tuesday, December 30th\u00a0\u2013 @ Los Angeles Clippers \u2013 8:00 PM PT
\nThursday, January 1st\u00a0\u2013 vs. Boston Celtics \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nFriday, January 2nd\u00a0@ Phoenix Suns \u2013 6:00 PM PT
\nSaturday, January 4th\u00a0\u2013 vs. Milwaukee Bucks \u2013 6:00 PM PT
\nTuesday, January 6th\u00a0\u2013 vs. Dallas Mavericks \u2013 6:00 PM PT<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading\u00a0SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n

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