Week in review: Kings still searching for elusive first win

Kings start 2022-23 season with 0-4 record

Kings record: 0-4

Kings record on the week: 0-4

Winning cures all. This is the best untested statement during the last 16+ seasons of Kings basketball.

Due to a lack of games, this is the first official week in review for the 2022-23 Sacramento Kings season. The opening week and half was not for the faint of heart. Reader beware, it gets a little ugly from here.

Sacramento opened the season with a brutal loss at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Kings looked like they had the Blazers finished off in the fourth, taking a five point lead with just 4:51 remaining. The Kings hit just two more shots as the Blazers pulled away for the 115-108 win.

Game two pitted the Kings against another big time Western Conference opponent in the Los Angles Clippers. Paul George was incredible for the Clippers, dropping in 40 points over a variety of Kings defenders. De'Aaron Fox was nearly as effective, finishing with 36 for Sacramento.

In the end, the Kings shot just 15-of-26 from the free throw line in a 111-109 loss. Rarely do you see one stat stand out so glaringly. A mental breakdown cost the Kings their first win of the season.

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Kings regressed on the defensive end in the first half where they allowed a robust 89 points in the first 24 minutes by the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings didn't go away in the second half, which showed some resiliency, but the final outcome was a 130-125 loss that didn't look anywhere near that close.

To finish off the week, the Kings dropped their fourth straight, this time falling to the Memphis Grizzlies by a final of 125-110. Harrison Barnes shook off his slow start to post 20 points and rookie Keegan Murray added 18 in his first NBA start, but the Kings were out-muscled and out-hustled to fall to 0-4 on the season.

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Injuries

Keegan Murray missed the first game of the season due to a bout with Covid-19. He was cleared for Game 2 and currently leads the Kings in minutes per game at 36.7 per game. 

In the loss to the Grizzlies, Kevin Huerter collided with Desmond Bain and left the court with what was later deemed left shoulder soreness. He returned to the court to play four minutes in the second half and told The Kings Beat that he felt okay following the game. Huerter is listed as probable for Saturday's game against the Miami Heat.

Player of the Week: De'Aaron Fox

Fox got off to a horrible start last season and he vowed to not let that happen again this year. Now in his sixth season in the NBA, the speedy point guard is living up to his full potential, averaging 30.5 points, 5.8 assist and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range. He hasn't been able to get his team over the hump for their first win, but you can feel him trying to will the team to victory.  

Themes of the Week

  • The Kings are still searching for an identity on the defensive end. There are signs of improvement, but overall, they are allowing too many transition buckets and points in the paint. Without a natural shot blocker on the court, the team needs to do a better job of pushing their opponents to the sidelines and the pick-and-roll coverage has been a mess. 

  • Barnes looked out of sorts through the first three games of the season. He took just five attempts from long range, missing all of them. He awoke from his slumber on the fourth game, which is a positive development for the Kings moving forward.

  • The bench is struggling to find an identity. Mike Brown turned to a stunning 14 players against the Grizzlies and still found no answers. Malik Monk is starting to take a leadership role on the court with the second unit, but Brown needs more from Davion Mitchell, Richaun Holmes, Terence Davis and any other player who steps on the court.

Stats of the Week

  • 12: Mike Brown went deep into his roster in the first half of the loss to the Grizzlies, playing 12 players in an attempt to stem the tide. It didn't work, but it plays into the "stay ready" mentality that the Kings' coaching staff is preaching. 14 of the 15 rostered players saw action in the game, although some of that came late in the game when the final outcome was already decided.

  • 40: During training camp, Brown said he was looking for roughly 40-42 3-point attempts per game. Through four games, that is exactly what his team is averaging. Sacramento is third in the league in 3-point attempts per game, but unfortunately, they are tied for 21st place amongst NBA teams at just 33.8 percent from long range.

  • 1: Chima Moneke made an appearance against Memphis on Thursday, which marked the first time in NBA history that a player from UC Davis has logged a minute of game time. Moneke grabbed two rebounds and dished out an assist in his six minutes of action. He was active and could earn time as a disruptive spark plug off the bench.

Tweets of the Week

Kiwi(s) down:

Having some fun with the rookie:

Moneke gets sent back and forth from the Kings to the Stockton Kings for the 100th time:

Fox on Murray moving into the starting lineup:

Weekly Reading

Weekly Podcasts

What's next?

Kings vs. Miami Heat, Golden 1 Center, Saturday 3PM

Kings vs. Charlotte Hornets, Spectrum Center, Monday 4PM

Kings vs. Miami Heat, FTX Arena, Wednesday 4:30PM

Kings vs. Orlando Magic, Amway Center, Sunday 2PM

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