On the long list of problems the Sacramento Kings have, number one has long been defense. That is slowly starting to change thanks to the rookies and younger players on the team. They are leading the charge when it comes to building a defensive indentity for the Kings that will keep growing.
Sacramento having bad defense isn't anything new. It's been an issue for a long time, though it definitely got worse during the tenure of former general manager Monte McNair. He seemed to like signing undersized guards with a shoot-first mindset and no defensive presence to speak of.
To be fair, that habit was enabled, if not encouraged, by Kings co-owner Vivek Ranadive. He's reputedly quite the micromanager and has been rumored to be the force behind the signings of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. That pairing hasn't panned out the way the Kings hoped.
Regardless of who is to blame, general manager Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie have been tasked with fixing the problem. That means signing players who are both bigger and younger with more diverse skill sets and the ability to play defense. And that plan is already having an impact.
The Kings' defense needs work but is noticeably improving
In their recent narrow loss to the Wizards, the Kings' defense was looking better. They managed to collect nine steals and eight blocks, which is an improvement. What's important to note is that a large portion of those numbers was picked up by rookies, two-way players, and younger talent.
When it comes to blocks, Dylan Cardwell continued to lead the way as he has in the last several weeks by getting three. Daeqwon Plowden and Maxime Raynaud combined for another three, totaling six of the team's eight blocks. Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan picked up the other two blocks.
It was a similar story for steals. Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, Devin Carter, and Isaiah Stevens combined for seven of the Kings' nine steals. The other two steals were accounted for by Zach LaVine and, once again, the Sixth Man spark plug off the bench, Malik Monk.
Beyond the stats, the defensive hustle coming from the younger players on the roster is evident. It's even starting to coalesce into a more recognizable and consistent identity. Still, it's going to take a lot of work to turn Sacramento into a defensive juggernaut, but the young core is there.