The Sacramento Kings are off to the kind of start nobody expected to enjoy, but the bigger issue here is how little the young players are being used. For a season that is supposed to be about rebuilding and development, the early lack of run for Nique Clifford and Alex Karaban stands out fast.
Darius Acuff Jr. has had no trouble finding the floor. He’s the Kings’ starting point guard and, as the source notes, basically their only point guard, so his heavy minutes make sense.
But the same can’t be said for the rest of Sacramento’s rookie group. Emanuel Sharp has appeared in all three games, though he’s averaged just 5.3 minutes.
Karaban has had it even rougher, playing only the five minutes he got in the opener and then not seeing the court again. Clifford, meanwhile, sat against the Grizzlies despite being available.
That’s a tough look for a team that has leaned on the draft as one of its few bright spots over the last couple of years. Both 2025 and 2026 produced encouraging results, at least in theory, and the 2026 class needs actual game time before anyone can properly judge it. Right now, that evaluation is being delayed by the rotation.
There’s a clear argument for letting the younger group play through this stretch. Last season’s limited success came when the rookies were forced into bigger roles because veterans were hurt. That group, eventually known as the Beam Team, became one of the more enjoyable parts of the season because they were on the court together and developing in real time.
The Kings do have injury issues of their own, with Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell on injured reserve, so the roster isn’t exactly full of easy answers. Even so, the case for giving Clifford, Karaban, and Sharp more opportunities is obvious. They could be sharing minutes with Plowden, Achiuwa, and Acuff, building something that helps move the rebuild forward.
Instead, big minutes are going to De'Andre Hunter, Domantas Sabonis, and Zach LaVine, even though the source points out that all three are expected to be gone in the next season or two. If that group isn’t winning now and won’t be around much longer, it’s hard to justify keeping the younger players parked on the bench.
Clifford’s situation is the one that really jumps off the page, especially with small forward minutes available that could have gone to him instead of Hunter. The hope, at least from the source, is that things shift once Raynaud and Cardwell return. If that happens, a Beam Boys reunion could bring some life back to both the team and its fanbase.
In Other News...
Keegan Murray Is Caught In A Kings Problem That Keeps Growing
Keegan Murrays early-season fit has been complicated by more than just the usual opening-night rust. Between a preseason spent on limited minutes and the lingering effects of returning from injury, Murray has had to find his rhythm while the Kings keep adjusting the pieces around him. The result has been a start that has not looked as clean or settled as Sacramento would like from one of its key young forwards.
The bigger issue is the one the Kings seem to keep running into: a rotation that has not stayed still long enough for anyone to really settle into a role. Murrays spot has felt especially fluid amid those changes, and the uncertainty has shown up in his on-court consistency. For a team trying to build continuity, his situation has become another reminder that Sacramento still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Sabonis Is Doing Something Historic For The Kings Already
Domantas Sabonis has wasted no time putting his imprint on Sacramentos season, piling up rebounds at a pace the league has never seen in the post-merger era. Through the first three games, he has grabbed 52 boards to break Moses Malones old mark of 49, while also setting the tone as the Kings most important offensive connector. Even in an early stretch marked by losses, Sabonis has been doing the kind of work that keeps Sacramento organized and dangerous.
What makes the start even more notable is that the big mans production has not been limited to the glass. He is leading the league in rebounds per game and in assists for the Kings, and he has done it while showing improved shooting percentages from last season. For a team still looking to turn effort into results, Sabonis has already been everything the Kings could ask for, and maybe a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Just Exposed An Early Kings Problem
After an 0-3 start, the early frustration around Sacramento has already gone beyond missed shots and defensive miscues. Zach LaVines comments pointed to a bigger issue inside the locker room: a team still trying to settle in, with the acclimation process not yet giving the Kings a clear sense of direction from the front office, the coaching staff or the veterans expected to steady things.
The larger concern is whether the pieces Sacramento has invested in are actually being used in a way that matches the plan. There has been a noticeable disconnect between draft capital and in-game decisions, including limited run for recent first-round picks, and LaVines point about veteran leadership only sharpened the conversation. In his view, teams need a voice and a structure to lean on, and right now the Kings are still searching for both. [Read more 🡒]