The Sacramento Kings’ rough start to the season continued Sunday with a loss to the Utah Jazz, dropping them to 5-16. While the final score tells part of the story, it’s the postgame comments-and the late-game execution-that really shine a light on where things stand for this team right now.
Let’s start with rookie big man Maxime Raynaud. With Domantas Sabonis still sidelined due to injury, the Kings have been leaning more on their young center, and assistant coach Doug Christie made it clear after the game that Raynaud is earning those opportunities.
“Yeah, absolutely, I think Max has done a great job,” Christie said. “He comes in, he’s highly attentive to the game plan, trying to execute the game plan at a high level. Understanding, he communicates really well.”
That’s the kind of praise you want to hear about a rookie-especially one who’s been thrown into the fire against some of the league’s toughest frontcourt matchups. On Sunday, it was Zach Edey, a towering presence who gave the Kings trouble all night.
And while Raynaud didn’t dominate, he didn’t back down either. Christie acknowledged the steep learning curve, especially when it comes to handling NBA-level physicality and leverage battles down low.
“But he’s a young player,” Christie continued. “So when it comes to leverage and physicality and some different things that he is learning right before our very eyes, that can be tough-especially with a big guy like Zach Edey or Jaren Jackson Jr.
These guys are huge. But he’s beginning to hold his own, and you can see that the game is slowing down for him.
So as it slows down and he continues to improve, his minutes are going to go up for sure.”
Raynaud’s numbers aren’t eye-popping-6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and just under 15 minutes per game-but they don’t tell the whole story. What’s more important is how he’s handling the moment. He’s not just filling in; he’s learning, adjusting, and showing flashes of being a rotation-caliber big in the making.
But while Raynaud’s development is a silver lining, the Kings’ late-game offense was anything but encouraging. After competing well through most of the game, Sacramento’s offense came to a screeching halt in the final five minutes. And Malik Monk didn’t shy away from calling it out.
“We were playing too much one-on-one instead of trying to find the matchup, swing, and then drive-kick,” Monk said postgame. “I feel like the ball just stayed, and I played a little part in that too, but yeah, it just stuck too much.”
That’s an honest assessment-and a necessary one. The Kings' offense in crunch time was stagnant, predictable, and ultimately ineffective. From the 4:51 mark in the fourth quarter-when the game was still within a single point-here’s how the Kings’ possessions unfolded:
- Zach LaVine missed a running pull-up jumper
- Keegan Murray had a layup blocked by Zach Edey
- Maxime Raynaud missed a deep three
- Monk missed a mid-range jumper
- Monk missed a step-back three
- LaVine missed another pull-up
- Murray split a pair of free throws
- Raynaud split a pair of free throws
- Raynaud hit a short floater
- Raynaud had another shot blocked by Edey
- DeMar DeRozan missed a long three
That’s 11 possessions. One made field goal.
Two trips to the line. Zero rhythm.
Monk, to his credit, didn’t just point fingers-he included himself in the breakdown and offered a simple, if not slightly exasperated, solution: “Pass the ball. Simple as that.
Easier said than done, though. A lot of guys have been in the league for a long time, been making shots, making plays for a long time, so we’ve just got to figure out when to take the shots or when to play off each other.”
That last line is key. This isn’t just about missed shots-it’s about trust, timing, and chemistry.
The Kings have guys who can create their own looks, but in crunch time, that can’t be the only option. The ball needs to move.
The defense needs to be forced into decisions. Right now, Sacramento’s late-game possessions are too easy to guard.
And while Monk, LaVine, and DeRozan all had their chances, it was Raynaud-again, the rookie-who was the only one to actually convert a field goal down the stretch. That says something.
The Kings aren’t out of time, but they are running low on margin for error. The pieces are there, but until the offense finds cohesion-especially in the clutch-it’s going to be tough to close out games, no matter how much heart the young guys show.
On to the next.