The Sacramento Kings’ season has been a rough ride so far-and that’s putting it lightly. But what’s really jaw-dropping isn’t just how much they’re struggling, it’s how they’re struggling. Somehow, a team built to score is failing to do even that, and the numbers are backing it up in a way that’s hard to ignore.
Let’s start with the defense, because that’s traditionally been the sore spot for Sacramento. Watching them on that end of the floor, it’s clear they’re still trying to find any sort of cohesive identity.
There are a few guys out there giving effort, sure, but as a unit, the Kings just don’t have the structure or communication to consistently get stops. That’s not a surprise to anyone who’s watched them this year.
What is surprising, though, is that their defense-despite all the issues-is technically outperforming their offense. Sacramento currently ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 119.6 points per 100 possessions.
That’s a bottom-tier number, no doubt. For comparison, Oklahoma City sits at the top of the league defensively with a rating of 103.4.
That’s a massive gap.
But here’s where things get even stranger: the Kings’ offense, which was supposed to be their strength, is actually worse than the defense.
Yes, you read that right.
Sacramento is currently 29th in offensive rating, putting up just 108.5 points per 100 possessions. That’s second-worst in the entire league, ahead of only the Indiana Pacers at 108.2. And there’s not much breathing room between them.
This is a team that came into the season with offensive firepower in mind. When you’ve got scorers like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on the roster-guys known for creating their own shots and putting up points-it’s fair to expect that the offense would at least be middle-of-the-pack. Instead, it’s been anything but.
To give you some perspective, the Denver Nuggets currently lead the league in offensive rating at 124.4. No one’s expecting the Kings to match that kind of elite efficiency, but sitting near the bottom with this kind of talent? That’s a red flag.
It’s one thing to be bad on one side of the ball. Every rebuilding team goes through that.
But when you’re near the bottom in both offensive and defensive efficiency, that’s when alarm bells start ringing. It’s not just a slump-it’s a signal that something foundational needs to change.
So if you’re wondering why the word “rebuild” keeps floating around Sacramento, this is why. The Kings aren’t just underperforming-they’re broken on both ends of the floor.
And in the NBA, that’s not a formula for survival. It’s a call to hit reset.