The Sacramento Kings’ preseason record isn’t the real issue right now. Two exhibition losses don’t mean much on their own. What does matter is that the same old three-point problem is already showing up again.
That was the Kings’ biggest offensive flaw last season, when they finished as the NBA’s worst three-point shooting team. They attempted the fewest threes at 30.2 per game, tied for last with a 34% success rate, and made just 10.3 per contest. Moving on from DeMar DeRozan should help, but Sacramento still has to make a deliberate push to get more volume from deep.
So far, the preseason numbers haven’t offered much comfort. The Kings went 4-of-23 from three in one game, then 10-of-36 in the next.
That leaves them at 7.0 made threes per game on 23.7% shooting through two outings. It’s a tiny sample, sure, but it lines up with last season’s trend in a way that’s hard to ignore.
What has stood out, though, is one player’s willingness to fire away: Emanuel Sharp. He has taken 17 of the Kings’ 59 three-point attempts so far, which works out to 29% of the team’s total from one player. For comparison, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, and LaMelo Ball have accounted for 26%, 33%, and 24% of their teams’ threes per game, respectively.
Sharp’s case isn’t built only on shot volume. His defensive edge is part of the appeal too, and that combination makes him a strong fit for what Sacramento needs. The Kings need players who will keep threes coming, and Sharp has already shown he’ll be aggressive in that role.
The fit could get even cleaner with Ben Simmons in the mix. Simmons can handle the offense from the forward spot, which would let Sharp stay locked into defense and spacing. The same logic applies alongside Darius Acuff Jr., though the backcourt pairing with Acuff brings more high-volume shooting than the Simmons combination does.
One clip from preseason summed up Sharp’s value neatly: “Four-point play for rookie Emaneul Sharp!(he missed the FT but still)He's 2/3 from 3. The rest of the Kings are 0/3 from deep. pic.twitter.com/eqpXU6CN5V”
More help is coming. Keegan Murray and Malik Monk will add more shooting once they’re back, and Zach LaVine has played limited minutes in the first two games.
Even then, Sacramento’s aim should be bigger than simply climbing back to league average. The ceiling has to be higher than that.
That goes back to what Doug Chrsite said during his time as interim head coach, when he talked about the team getting up 50 threes per game. If that’s the target, Sharp can’t be parked on the sideline. He’s played with the confidence of a veteran, defended the way the staff wants, and looked like one of the clearest bright spots in Kings preseason action so far.
In Other News...
Kings Already Face A Ben Simmons Problem They Can't Ignore
Ben Simmons arrived in Sacramento carrying the sort of baggage that makes every offseason addition feel a little more complicated than the last. The Kings took the gamble anyway, betting that a fresh setting could help a player whose injury history and broader career detours have made him one of the leagues most scrutinized names. For a team trying to stay relevant in a loaded Western Conference, the appeal is obvious enough: if Simmons can give them even a slice of his old value, he changes the look of the roster.
The problem is that the expectations around him are already moving faster than the Kings likely want. Some around the league are talking about Simmons as if he is ready to reclaim an elite level immediately, which only sharpens the pressure on a player who has yet to play a game for Sacramento. The Kings would prefer a slower ramp-up and a more careful return, with an eye on both his physical condition and where he is mentally after so much time under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Have Heard This Story Before And Its Concerning Again
The Kings are back in familiar territory this fall, with another round of questions about the mood inside the building before the games even start counting. At a preseason dinner, owner Vivek Ranadive addressed the team, and the message quickly became a point of debate after NBA insider Zach Lowe described it as a roast that took aim at players and staff. For a franchise that has spent plenty of time trying to project stability, even the conversation around a dinner speech can feel larger than it should.
Scott Perry pushed back on that framing, saying the speech was meant to motivate and inspire the group rather than tear it down. Still, the public disagreement has only added to the sense that not everything is perfectly settled behind the scenes, especially with Kings insider James Ham pointing to ongoing internal issues connected to why some players have missed preseason action. The details there remain unconfirmed, but it is another reminder that Sacramento is once again trying to keep the focus on basketball while the off-court noise lingers in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Head To Golden State With Two Big Roles Suddenly In Focus
Sacramentos preseason has opened with back-to-back losses to the Lakers, and the quick turnaround to Golden State offers the Kings a chance to see where some of their new pieces fit before the games start counting. The early focus has been less about the final scores and more about the roster mix, with rookie Emanuel Sharp also expected to get a look as Sacramento tries to sharpen its three-point shooting.
The bigger spotlight is on the frontcourt rotation and the questions it raises for the starting group. DeAndre Hunter is being pushed by Precious Achiuwa, while Ben Simmons is part of the same conversation as the Kings sort through a competition that could shape how they open the regular season. Sacramento still has plenty to learn in preseason, but this trip to Golden State should offer a better sense of which combinations the staff trusts most. [Read more 🡒]