Zach LaVine didn’t need a big preseason stat line to remind the Kings what he can do. In Sacramento’s home opener, he flashed the kind of touch that made him such a dangerous scorer in the first place, giving fans a quick look at the version of LaVine the team is still trying to get back on track.
Last season was a mess for him physically. Back issues, a bad left ankle sprain, and then a torn tendon in his right pinky finger all stacked up against him.
That final injury required surgery and ended his season early. In all, LaVine appeared in just 39 of Sacramento’s 82 regular-season games, missing 52.5% of the year and never really getting the chance to settle in.
The stop-and-start nature of that season mattered, too. He kept going down, coming back, and getting knocked out of rhythm again.
On top of that, his fit with then rookie head coach Doug Christie never quite clicked, especially with Christie’s emphasis on defense and LaVine’s limitations on that end. That disconnect showed up in how he played when he was available.
This time around, the early signs looked different.
LaVine played only about 15.5 minutes, which made sense given the rust he still had to work through. He finished 4-for-6 from the field for nine points and one defensive rebound, but the box score only tells part of the story. The bigger takeaway was the confidence in his shot and the bounce in his game that had faded during last season’s injury stretch.
There was more life to him. More urgency.
Even on defense, he looked more engaged and willing to stay involved. He’s not suddenly turning into a lockdown stopper, but the effort was obvious.
For a preseason game against the Lakers, nobody was asking for a masterpiece. What stood out was that LaVine looked invested, and that alone was a step forward from much of last season.
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Lakers Followed Their Kings Win With A Performance Redick Couldn't Ignore
The Lakers came off their win over Sacramento only to look flat in a 124-98 loss to Golden State, and the result left JJ Redick with plenty to address even before accounting for the three key starters the team was missing. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler were all out, but the absence of firepower did not fully explain how little resistance Los Angeles offered in the first half.
Redick made clear he expects more than an excuse-heavy response in the next stretch, especially from a group trying to stay steady through injuries and lineup changes. Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Lakers with 15 points, while Yaxel Lendeborg topped Golden State with 17, a reminder that the game was decided well before the final margin became official. [Read more 🡒]
Keegan Murray Faces A Defining Kings Season For One Big Reason
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The concern is that the momentum of his early career has been slowed by a dip in shooting percentages since his rookie season and by the injuries that limited him to just 23 games last year. Sacramento does not need him to become a different player so much as it needs the version that can stay available and provide steady two-way value, because his health may end up shaping how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Have Finally Found Hope At Point Guard
Darius Acuff got his first NBA start at point guard for the Kings and gave Sacramento a much-needed look at the position it has been trying to stabilize for years. Drafted seventh overall with the hope that he could grow into the starting job, Acuff showed why the organization was so intrigued, putting up 19 points with two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in a performance that offered plenty to build on.
There were still the expected rough edges, including some turnovers and shooting inefficiency, but the overall showing hinted at real long-term upside. For a team that has spent recent seasons searching for answers at point guard, Acuffs debut as a starter at least gave the Kings something they have not had there in a while: a reason to believe the position might finally be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]