At some point, the Sacramento Kings were going to win a game this season. It was inevitable. But no one wanted to be the group that lost to the worst team in the league. That was the Mavericks, and the Kings got the job done by leaning into their bench a bit harder than they have been.
There's no doubt that there are some major issues with the Kings' starting lineup. Three out of those five players couldn't defend a base in laser tag against seven-year-olds. Plus, there seems to be some kind of issue brewing between Domantas Sabonis and Darius Acuff Jr. It's looking like an actual thing.
What the Kings haven't been doing is letting their bench guys breathe. It's hard with players like Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell injured. That doesn't mean that there isn't a long list of players who can contribute but aren't getting regular minutes or proper usage when they're on the court.
That's a big part of the reason why the Kings have started off the season so poorly. They have leaned on their starting five incredibly hard, seemingly with no plan for their secondary. This strategy, such as it is, hasn't been working. The Kings have needed to engage their benchers, which they finally did.
Sacramento picks up a win with support from their secondary
The starting lineup had a solid evening, including Acuff, who finished with 25 points, five rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Zach LaVine scored 23 points, while Precious Achiuwa led the defense with six points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
But it was the Kings' bench that tipped the scales. It all started with Malik Monk, who remains one of the best sixth men in the game. He dropped 24 points on the Mavs, as well as collecting one rebound, seven assists, and a block. It was good to see him get a lot of minutes and deliver in a big way.
Leaky Black also had himself a game, which included 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, and an impressive four steals. Emanuel Sharp made good use of his minutes, as well. He finished the game with nine points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. Black and Sharp were on point.
The real disappointment was seeing Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden get so few minutes. Even worse, neither Alex Karaban nor Jonathan Mogbo got in the game. While the Kings did make better use of their bench, and it led to a win, there's certainly still some work to do in that regard.
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