The Sacramento Kings desperately want to make the NBA postseason this season. They are currently tied for the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 15 years and do not want to become the sole owners of that record by missing them a 16th straight time.
They will have some work to snap that streak as they are currently 12-17 on the season. That has them in the final spot of the NBA Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference, but the team would like to put themselves in a better position than the one they are currently in.
Looking to shake things up, Luke Walton was fired as head coach when the team was 6-11. Alvin Gentry took over on an interim basis and has gone 6-6 thus far. While that is better, for the team to make some noise they need to improve on defense.
The Sacramento Kings are, once again, among the worst teams in the NBA in playing defense. After setting the record for the worst defensive rating in league history last season, they are 26th in defensive rating this season according to Basketball-Reference. They are 29th in points allowed per game and while they are solid defending the 3-point line, teams face little resistance on 2-point attempts.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Pressure Mounts For Kings To Make De’Aaron Fox Trade
A big reason for the team’s lack of success defensively is starting point guard De’Aaron Fox. As pointed out by Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Kings have hemorrhaged points with Fox on the floor at a rate that would be worst in the NBA. With him off the court, they would have the best number in the league.
Just how bad has it been? With Fox, the team has a defensive rating of 116.4. Without him on the court, that number plummets to 97.9. Part of that has been bad luck for Fox, as Lowe shared that opponents are shooting an ice-cold 31.7 percent from the 3-point line when he sits. When he is on the court, they connect at a much better clip.
While the Kings’ struggles defensively don’t fall exclusively on Fox, those numbers are certainly not encouraging. He has a lot of work to do on that end of the court as he is too often caught out of position or his lack of technique torpedoes the Kings’ chances of getting a stop.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Pressure Mounts For Kings To Make De’Aaron Fox Trade
His lack of attention to detail is unacceptable for a team looking to make a push for at least the chance to play for a spot in the postseason. Standing 6’2” with a 6’6” wingspan, Fox has the length and athleticism to be a real pest on that end of the court.
Getting him to play at even a slightly below-average level, instead of near the bottom of the NBA poor, would help the Sacramento Kings turn things around and improve their chances of landing a playoff spot.
