The Sacramento Kings are limping into December, and not just metaphorically. With injuries piling up and a brutal early-season stretch that ranks among the worst starts in franchise history, the Kings are staring down another tough matchup Wednesday night against the surging 13-5 Houston Rockets.
The injury bug hasn’t been kind to Sacramento, and things could get even trickier in Houston. The Kings will be without their All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, who’s sidelined with a partial tear in his left knee meniscus.
That’s a massive blow to a team already struggling to find its rhythm. Sabonis is the engine of Sacramento’s offense - a high-IQ big who facilitates from the elbow, crashes the boards, and keeps the ball moving.
Without him, the Kings lose not just production, but identity.
And the hits keep coming. Reserve guards Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder are both dealing with injuries of their own.
Monk, nursing a sore right shoulder, didn’t practice Monday but is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game. That’s a positive sign for Sacramento, because Monk has been one of the few consistent sparks off the bench this season.
Through 18 games, he’s averaging 13.9 points and 2.2 assists while shooting an efficient 45% from the field, 40% from three, and 87% from the line. Those are Sixth Man of the Year-type numbers, and the Kings badly need his scoring punch and energy if they want to hang with a Rockets team that’s been playing with confidence and cohesion.
Schroder, on the other hand, is questionable with a right hip flexor strain that’s already cost him the last two games. Since moving to a reserve role, the veteran guard has quietly found his groove - averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists while hitting 38% from deep.
That’s a notable jump from his 30% clip as a starter, and it highlights how the shift to the second unit has helped him settle into a more natural rhythm. If he can’t go, the Kings will be even thinner in the backcourt, and that’s a tough ask against a Houston team that’s been defending at a high level.
Here’s how the full injury report looks heading into Wednesday’s Western Conference showdown:
Sacramento Kings Injury Report
- Domantas Sabonis (left knee, partial meniscus tear) - OUT
- Malik Monk (right shoulder soreness) - PROBABLE
- Dennis Schroder (right hip flexor strain) - QUESTIONABLE
- Dylan Cardwell (G League) - OUT
- Daeqwon Plowden (G League) - OUT
- Isaiah Stevens (G League) - OUT
Houston Rockets Injury Report
- Steven Adams (right ankle tendinopathy) - OUT
- Fred VanVleet (right knee ACL repair) - OUT
- Tari Eason (right oblique strain) - OUT
- Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle surgery) - OUT
- Isaiah Crawford (G League) - OUT
So yes, both teams are dealing with injuries, but the Rockets have found ways to win despite them - thanks in large part to their defensive identity and balanced scoring. The Kings, meanwhile, are still searching for answers on both ends of the floor.
This rough start has some fans wondering if it’s time to lean into a rebuild - or even a full-on tank. And while tanking has become a buzzword in NBA circles, it’s not a quick fix.
Sure, it can work - but it’s a long, uncertain road. The Oklahoma City Thunder are often cited as the blueprint.
After a decade of playoff runs, they tore it down and started fresh. It wasn’t pretty at first - 22 wins, then 24 - but they stayed the course.
They drafted smart, made savvy trades, and now they’re back in the mix, with a young core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a roster full of promising talent.
But here’s the thing: even OKC’s rebuild took years. And it started while they were still in Seattle, when they acquired a first-round pick from Phoenix by taking on Kurt Thomas’s contract - a move that eventually led to drafting Serge Ibaka.
That pick turned into a domino effect: Ibaka to Orlando for Oladipo and Sabonis, then Sabonis and Oladipo to Indiana for Paul George, and finally George to the Clippers for SGA and a mountain of picks. That’s the long game, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
So if Sacramento does decide to go that route, patience will be key. Tanking doesn’t guarantee a turnaround - it just gives you a shot. And in a league where flattened lottery odds have made it harder than ever to land a franchise-changing player, there are no sure things.
For now, though, the focus is on Houston. The Kings need to find a way to compete - with or without Monk and Schroder - and show some fight.
Because even in a season that’s off to a rocky start, there’s still time to right the ship. But it starts with effort, execution, and maybe a little bit of health luck.
Tip-off is set for 5:00 PM PT from the Toyota Center.