The Sacramento Kings got their first win of the season against the Mavericks, and Malik Monk made it hard to ignore what happens when he’s actually given room to operate. After a quiet start to the year, Monk turned in his best outing yet and looked every bit like the kind of bench engine the Kings need.
That wasn’t how the season had been going for him. Monk missed the opener because of injury, then was held to limited minutes in the next five games.
Some of that was tied to injury management, but there’s been more going on than that. Since Doug Christie took over as head coach, Monk’s role has shifted sharply.
He went from being the team’s top reserve weapon to a player who didn’t always know whether he’d even get on the floor. In the 2025-2026 season, Monk was a healthy scratch more than once for no perceivable reason.
The results before the Mavericks game weren’t pretty either. In the first five 2026-2027 games Monk was available for, he averaged 11.8 minutes per game, and every one of those games ended in a loss. Then came the breakout against Dallas: 30 minutes, 24 points, one rebound, seven assists, and one block, along with a +27 plus-minus.
Christie needs to believe in Monk
Monk has long been a fan favorite in Sactown, and he played a major role in getting the Kings back to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. But the bigger point here isn’t nostalgia. It’s that Monk gives Sacramento something it clearly needs: a bench spark who can steady the group and make the whole second unit function better.
That only happens if he gets real minutes and a consistent role. The scoring matters, sure, but the seven assists against the Mavericks may have been even more telling.
Monk wasn’t just hunting his own shot; he was setting the table and getting others involved. That’s the kind of veteran presence this roster needs.
The Kings have plenty of young talent with upside, but someone has to organize it. Monk is built for that job. The problem is that Christie doesn’t always seem to treat him that way.
The win over Dallas showed what an engaged Monk can do for Sacramento. He doesn’t have to play 30-plus minutes every night, but he does need a steadier place in the rotation and more chances with the ball in his hands. If Christie gives him that, Monk could be a major piece of the rebuild.
In Other News...
Zach LaVine Just Said What Kings Fans Already Fear
The postgame mood around Sacramento was already sour after the loss to the Lakers, and Zach LaVine did little to soften it. In his press conference, he acknowledged what Kings fans have been seeing for weeks: both teams have shaky defenders, and Los Angeles was able to take advantage of Sacramentos defensive issues when it mattered most.
It was an uncomfortably direct assessment for a team that has spent much of the season trying to find its footing on that end of the floor. The Kings sit 28th in defensive rating, allowing 119.4 points per 100 possessions, and comments like LaVines only sharpen the pressure on a group that knows the problem is bigger than one bad night. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Got Exposed By A Lakers Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Kings ran into the kind of problem that can unravel a game in a hurry against the Lakers: pressure, length and a defense that turned possessions into chaos. Los Angeles won 116-103 and did it with a disruptive edge, piling up 13 blocks and forcing 18 turnovers while Luka Doncic powered the offense with 40 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves added 21 points as the Lakers kept finding ways to make Sacramento pay for every mistake.
For Sacramento, the frustrating part is how familiar this can feel when the ball stops moving and the floor tightens up. The Kings had stretches where they could not get clean looks or settle into rhythm, and once the Lakers started converting those turnovers into points, the gap only widened. It was the kind of loss that leaves plenty to fix, especially against a team that is already looking every bit like an early-season problem. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Is Drawing A Wild Allen Iverson Comparison
Darius Acuff Jr. has barely gotten his NBA career started, but the early returns have already stirred up some big-name chatter around Sacramento. Selected seventh overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Kings rookie has opened the 2026-27 season averaging 25.6 points and 7.0 assists per game through early November, production that has been impossible to ignore for anyone following the teams fast start to his pro career.
On Sactown Sports, longtime Allen Iverson fan Kenny Caraway said Acuffs scoring burst and playmaking bring Iverson to mind, while making clear it was more a nod of admiration than a forecast of where the comparison might ultimately lead. For the Kings, it is the kind of early buzz that comes with a high pick who already looks comfortable carrying an offense, even if the conversation around him is only just beginning. [Read more 🡒]