Bizarre lineup debacle shows how dysfunctional the Kings are right now

Feb 13, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) and Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) talk against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Feb 13, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) and Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) talk against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

After a couple of years of respectability, the Sacramento Kings are starting to look like the dysfunctional organization that they have been known for being for the last two decades.

A few weeks ago, the team seemed to have a strong hold on one of the play-in spots, but after losing eight of their last ten games, they are now in serious danger of missing the tournament spot entirely.

Not to mention that their mismanagement may have been responsible for chasing De'Aaron Fox out of town or that one of their current stars (Zach LaVine) recently stated that "the vibe is not good" around the team.

Simply put, the team is spiraling, and that makes this bizarre lineup debacle in their game against the Portland Trail Blazers seem like a strange form of poetic justice.

The announcer doesn't even know who is starting for the Sacramento Kings

Before this matchup, Malik Monk missed the Kings' last three games as he was battling an illness. Prior to that, Monk had started in the previous 45 games that he played in. So, you would assume that he would start now that he is healthy again.

That is what the Kings did when they set their lineup tonight, and that is clearly what the sheet they handed their arena announcer read on it. However, something strange happened when Monk's name was called during the introduction of starting lineups. Instead of Monk coming off the bench, it was Keon Ellis who ran onto the court.

This wasn't just some mental lapse on Ellis' part, either. When the game began, Ellis was on the floor, and Monk was watching from the bench. But the fact that the Kings listed Monk as their starter and the answer thought as such just shows how bad things are in Sacramento.

Moving forward, is this a sign of things to come? I get the decision from an on-court perspective. Their starting lineup certainly needs more defense, and Ellis is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game right now.

Still, I'm sure the way this situation was handled won't sit super well with Monk. Will this cause a rift between the electric fan favorite and his employer?

Who knows. One thing is for sure, though, and it's that the Kings are an absolute mess right now.

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