The scoring power of the Los Angeles Lakers cannot be denied, even with Austin Reaves on the bench. Where the Sacramento Kings failed was shutting their scorers down. The Kings have been showing glimpses of a real defensive identity, but they need to be able to bring it every single game.
While his methodology and coaching style are more than a little suspect, Doug Christie's defense-first message isn't a bad thing. The Kings have been focused on offense for so long that any defensive presence they had has withered away and died. And you don't win without defense.
The irony of this situation is that the Kings' overall defensive rating is somehow better than their overall offensive rating. It's not by much, but the discrepancy is still there. That may be due to the current lineup the Kings are fielding.
Injured veterans and fired-up rookies are changing the Kings
As it stands right now, Sacramento has five players out injured, which includes starters Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. That should be a bigger problem than it is. The Kings are scoring about as well without them, and actually seem to be playing better defense with them on the bench.
The Kings are slowly building the defensive identity that Christie has been preaching about. It's gritty and lacks nuance, but it's slowly coming to fruition. Sacramento won two of its last three games before the Lakers' matchup, and defense was a big part of that.
What fans have seen are some drastic improvements on defense, particularly thanks to the play of their rookies. Dylan Cardwell, who is turning into a block machine, is a big part of that. His having zero blocks against the Lakers was definitely a sign of a defensive issue in that game.
A long-term defensive structure needs to be maintained
Saying the Kings need better defense is like saying Draymond Green needs to calm down. Both statements are incredibly obvious, as well as being drastic understatements. None of that makes them untrue, either.
The Kings have a good defensive starting point right now. It's something to build on. But it still lacks a full roster that is dedicated to it and the consistency that comes with it. Until Sacramento reaches that level, fans will keep seeing these wild swings on defense from one game to the next.
A long-term, stable defensive presence will take years to develop, even beyond the time of the rebuild. When it is complete, the Kings might finally be able to carve out a place for themselves in the NBA that fans can be proud of.