The Kings didn’t get the Summer League ending they were chasing, but they did leave with something useful. Sacramento wrapped up its tournament with a 2-3 record after a three-game skid knocked out any shot at a third Summer League title, then answered with a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
For coach Chris Darnell, the final result mattered less than what the group revealed over the course of the week.
"The biggest thing for summer league is the evaluation piece for our players and seeing, you know, obviously what their strengths are, but like can we find out anything new about our players or the things that we've been working on this summer that they're ready for or maybe we find out they're not ready for it," Darnell told Sactown Sports' Brenden Nunes.
Sacramento’s best offensive showing of the summer came in that finale. The Kings opened with a 31-point first quarter and finished with a balanced attack that had six players, including the entire starting five, reach double figures. With Dylan Cardwell out of the consolation game, the offense looked looser and more connected.
Darnell said the difference came when possessions didn’t die with the first option.
"I thought today was our best game, like getting to the next action when a play stalls out," Darnell said. "Instead of playing ISO basketball, now guys are running into actions creating advantages and confusion for the defense, and the result of that was that, like you said, it was more balanced box scoring."
One of the clearest examples came from two-way guard Adam Flagler late against Charlotte. After rookie forward Alex Karaban drove downhill, Flagler drifted to the left wing and knocked down a wide-open three to help push Sacramento ahead.
Darnell also gave two-way forward Jonathan Mogbo a bigger role in the offense, using him more as a playmaker at the top of the key and asking him to attack Charlotte’s switching defense.
That kind of movement and spacing could matter for Sacramento next season, especially with three-time All-Star center Domantas Sabonis healthy. Sabonis’ passing gives the Kings a chance to run more off-ball actions around him, and the Summer League group offered a glimpse of who might fit best in that setup.
The rookie trio of Darius Acuff Jr., Emanuel Sharp and Karaban all showed they can shoot and keep moving without the ball, which is exactly the sort of skill set that can work next to Sabonis.
The Summer League run ended sooner than the Kings wanted, but Darnell said the team finished the right way and gave the staff valuable information on the rookies and two-way players.
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