The Sacramento Kings fell to 1-2 to begin the 2025-26 season following their 127-120 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Kings' outlook for this season has been debated. Some believe they can reach the NBA Play-In Tournament, while others envision the Kings struggling for the entire year. While Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan lead an offense with potential, the defense has no shortage of uncertainty. Tim Bontemps of ESPN recently addressed Sacramento's defensive woes, via NBA on ESPN.
"They were an abomination watching this game in the second half," Bontemps said. "Austin Reaves got whatever he wanted. But I don't know how the Kings are gonna stop anybody this season."
Kings need a better defensive approach
As Bontemps referred to, Austin Reaves had a huge game. With LeBron James and Luka Doncic both out with injuries, Reaves dropped 51 points to go along with 11 rebounds and nine assists. Reaves deserves credit for playing well, but the Kings' defense certainly did not do much to contain him.
Sacramento is now allowing 117 points per contest to begin the new campaign. The Kings' star players find their strengths on offense -- which obviously does not do the defense many favors.
If the Kings want to build a true contender, they will need a better all-around defensive approach. Sure, offense is crucial in today's NBA. Players are capable of scoring at especially high levels. However, defensive shortcomings limit a team's realistic postseason potential. Sunday's game was a perfect example, as the Kings scored a respectable 120 points -- but still lost the contest.
One has to wonder if the LaVine, DeRozan and Sabonis-led squad will be able to come together and make a deep playoff run in the future. With defense an obvious issue, Sacramento may need to rebuild the roster and focus on a more balanced approach. The Kings would obviously love to prove the doubters wrong with their current roster, but the outlook is far from ideal to say the least.
The Kings will attempt to jump back into the win column on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder -- a contest that will be extremely challenging on the road. Upsetting the defending champions will require a complete team effort. The Western Conference clash is scheduled to begin at 8 PM EST in Oklahoma City.
Perhaps playing the underdog role will add extra motivation and lead to a Kings upset.