There are too many problems with the Sacramento Kings to work through in just one article. But the two biggest things holding them back are their complete inability to put a decent trade package together and their over-reliance on their veterans.
For anybody in the cheap seats who hasn't heard about this, the Kings' roster is wildly out of whack. Doug Christie wants to bring in a defensive focus, but the roster lacks defensive players. Most of them are shoot-first scorers who aren't great at passing or rebounding. It's not ideal.
Over the course of the offseason, fans were hoping for some major trades to be made. The rumor was that they were trying to move Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Devin Carter, both to make roster room and to free up a bit of cap space to work with. None of that happened.
The only major moves they did accomplish was trading the best backup center in the league for someone who definitely isn't that and spends a lot of time on the bench. Plus, they added Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook to the roster as replacements for De'Aaron Fox at point guard.
Major problems plaguing the Kings
The Kings' trade ability is hamstrung by the value of the players they have to work with and their cap space issues. It will be very difficult for the front office to make any real moves in the next couple of years. Until then, the team needs to do better with the players they have available.
Through the first few games of the season, fans have watched the Kings lean too hard on their starters and veterans while rookies and young guns barely get minutes. At this point, the Kings and one and four, so it's safe to say that their strategy is not working at all.
Other teams in the league are finding success by trusting their young players, such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Ryan Rollins. He's entering his fourth year in the league and finally has the opportunity he's been looking for. In the first few games of the season, he's on the verge of superstardom.
The Kings have large scale problems with their roster and can't seem to address them through trades. At the same time, they simply are not managing the assets they do have well at all. Something needs to change and soon, or Sacramento will be a bottom-tier team for the next several years.