After starting the season an uninspiring 13-19, the Sacramento Kings are winners of seven straight and now sit at 20-19 – putting them firmly back in the playoff race in the ever-competitive Western Conference.
When a team puts together this kind of turnaround, there is no single variable that you can point to that is solely responsible for the mini-miracle. However, there is one metric that has really stood out during this span.
The Clutch Kings
Before the seven game winning streak, the Kings were eighth in offensive rating and 17th in defensive rating (and 14th in net rating, per NBA.com). In the last seven games, they are fifth in offensive rating and second in defensive rating (and third in net rating).
When you have De'Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis on your team, it is not hard to see how you have a top five offense, especially when you already had the eighth-best offense in the league when you were struggling.
What is interesting is how much the Kings have improved their defense without making any major changes to their roster. Some of that has to do with them giving more minutes to their defensive ace, Keon Ellis. Some of that has to do with them getting their first round pick, Devin Carter, back from injury (another talented defender). Some of it has to do with the change in coaches and the new life Doug Christie has breathed into this team.
But the part that is really intriguing about this defensive transformation is how well the Kings have been defending in the clutch. Heading into the season, many people expected them to be a good clutch offense (since they have both Fox and DeRozan on the roster). However, for most of the year, they have been a borderline terrible clutch defense. That is, until the last seven games.
A big part of the Kings' recent turnaround has been their clutch execution, especially on the defensive end.
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) January 14, 2025
Clutch Stats Before Streak
6-13 record
119.0 OFF RTG (8th)
118.3 DEF RTG (25th)
During Streak
4-0 record
119.5 OFF RTG (11th)
65.1 DEF RTG (1st)https://t.co/FE9W6kHqgN
In their first 32 games, the Kings were 25th in clutch time defensive rating (per NBA.com). In the last seven, they have been the best clutch defense in the association. This was a big point of emphasis for head coach Mike Brown before he was dismissed. So, it is interesting to see such a radical shift with Christie now leading the way.
Playing well in the clutch has been essential to the Kings' winning streak, as four of their last seven games have been tightly contested.
Is there some luck baked into their recent clutch play? Probably. Will the Kings continue to be the best clutch defense in the NBA? Probably not. Is the fact that their recent run has been powered by great defense awesome? Most certainly.