3 Burning questions following Sacramento Kings lackluster trade deadline

Can the Sacramento Kings improve defensively from within?

The one thing everyone seemed to agree on going into the trade deadline was that the Kings top priority should be someone who could help defensively. Whether an interior defender or a perimeter defender, the Kings had a much bigger need on that end of the court as opposed to the offensive end.

Offensively, everything has been great. All season long the Kings have been among the top offensive groups in the league. That has carried them to their strong record despite their struggles on the defensive end.

After failing to bring in a defensive-minded wing to bolster their rotation, Mike Brown will have to find answers from within. Sacramento is among the worst teams in the NBA in terms of opponent’s field goal percentage. They are the only team with a winning record that ranks that poorly at getting stops.

It’s a hard formula to find prolonged success with. At certain points, shots aren’t going to fall for any team. The ability to get a few stops is what makes games winnable when the offense isn’t firing. The Kings haven’t been able to do that, though, and it has been their fatal flaw this season.

That will continue moving forward unless something changes. Now, that change most likely has to come from within. Whether or not that is even possible is debatable.

The Kings need to find a way to be better defensively while the starting five is playing together. Additionally, Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles will need to see the court more when the opponent has an elite scorer. It’s hard to see how internal improvements could come.