The Sacramento Kings need to invest in defense
As of right now, the Kings sit in 11th place in the Western Conference and own one of the worst defenses in the NBA. They rank 25th in Defensive Rating (112.8) and 28th in points allowed per game (113.8) which has hindered them quite a bit. The offense has been fine, though not great, ranking 20th in rating and 12th in points per game.
The Kings have to do a better job of limiting opponents offensively and that all starts with investing in the right pieces. Davion Mitchell was selected in the lottery in part because of his high defensive upside in the backcourt but he needs help. De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield are not getting it done on that end of the floor.
If the Kings really wanted to shake things up, they would make a blockbuster deal to go get a perimeter defender at the deadline. Jaylen Brown is one name that comes to mind but the real prize would be Ben Simmons.
Simmons gets a lot of heat for sitting out for mental health reasons, which is a horrible take to begin with, but it is even crazier to think he is not a star in this league. Simmons is arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA and the Kings could use him desperately.
Swapping Fox for Simmons would open the offense up to Tyrese Haliburton after he showed a ton of promise with Fox out of the lineup earlier this season. It would also improve the defense more than anyone could imagine. This is the first step of a new-look roster.