There's an old saying that doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. If that is even remotely true, the Sacramento Kings' coaching staff may have gone completely off the deep end because that's exactly what they've been doing.
It's been a tough season for the Kings so far. They're one of the worst teams in the league, currently sitting at 13th in the Western Conference. Honestly, the Kings are barely staying ahead of the Mavericks and the Pelicans. If either team goes on a run, Sacramento could end up in last place.
There is a long list of reasons for this, some of which have been brewing for several years. The Kings are victims of their own bad team-building strategy. It's a roster loaded with some serious talent that doesn't really fit together in a way that makes the team a contender or even work.
From the outside, this problem has been apparent for some time. Yet, the Kings continued to stock their roster with shooters over defenders and put their focus on acquiring veterans over developing young talent. Those are macro-level examples of making the same mistakes. There are others.
The Kings keep repeating the same mistakes
On a day-to-day level, it's not much better. Fans watch the Kings do the same thing on the court every game, and most of it just isn't working. The worst of it might be the starting lineup. For two straight games, Russell Westbrook has played off the bench despite being the team's engine.
At the same time, the Kings continue to start Dennis Schroder. In the past three games, he has totaled five points, five rebounds, 13 assists, and one steal. He's shooting an average of 5.6% from the field over that time. In the Kings' most recent loss, he collected three assists. That's it.
Another prime example is Keon Ellis continuing to play limited minutes. Head coach Doug Christie preaches the importance of defense, yet the top defensive player on the team struggles to find minutes. In the last game, he had 25% of the Kings' steals and 66% of their blocks.
No one expects Sacramento to win a title this year, especially not everyone on the team. That doesn't mean that they should give up. Well, unless the plan is to tank the season and play for a better lottery spot. It's still tough to watch them make the same mistakes without adjusting for them.