Identity crisis: Can the Kings improve defensively while maintaining their fast pace?
Over the first two months of the season, the Kings forged a bold new identity as one of the fastest and most exciting teams in the NBA, but they haven’t looked like themselves lately.
They were flying up the floor in a blur and pouring in points at a dizzying rate, ranking among the league leaders in scoring and pace. Defense was optional and best served down the stretch as dead-legged opponents faded in the fourth quarter, but the numbers over the past three weeks tell a different story.
The Kings (24-23) struggled at both ends of the floor Monday in a 123-94 loss to the Brooklyn Nets (25-23). Their effort at the defensive end was disappointing for a team that had been showing signs of improvement.
Over the previous 10 games, the Kings were fifth in the NBA in defensive rating, holding opponents to 107.1 points per 100 possessions. For the season, they are 22nd at 110.3.
“We know defense is what we needed to work on,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “Offense is never the problem.”
That might not be true anymore. Over those same 10 games, Sacramento was 16th in the NBA in pace and 19th in scoring, averaging 109.5 points, down dramatically from their season average of 114. The Kings have been held under 100 twice in their last three games.
None of this will be any easier Tuesday when the Kings visit the Toronto Raptors (35-13), who rank among the top 10 in the NBA in offensive and defensive rating.
“We’re playing hard on both ends,” Kings small forward Iman Shumpert said after last week’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers. “I think this is the best place we’ve been defensively. We’ve got to keep playing this way because we’re exerting so much defensive energy (that) ... it’s getting into our legs when we’re shooting the ball. We haven’t been able to shoot the ball like we normally shoot it, but we’ll get there as long as we keep playing a certain way. Your body will adjust.”
That didn’t work against the Nets. The Kings shot 41.9 percent from the field. Fox was 4 of 14. Shumpert was 1 of 10.
Power forward Nemanja Bjelica, who shot 54.5 percent from 3-point range in October and 48.6 percent in November, has made 28.1 percent of his 3-point attempts in January, diminishing the floor-stretching threat that created space for teammates earlier this season.
Rookie big man Harry Giles III said the Kings started to emphasize defense more following a stretch in which they gave up 130 points to the Golden State Warriors, 132 each to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder and 127 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“(We’re) starting to take it personally, not wanting your man to score and not wanting to see somebody else dominate us,” Giles said. “We’re young and we’re fast, so I think we can make it hard on teams.”
That sounds good in theory, but the Kings might be sacrificing something offensively as a result of the extra effort on defense. It could be taking a toll on Fox, who is shooting 27.6 percent from 3-point range in January after making 45.7 percent in November and 40 percent in December.
“We’re asking him to be the engine that drives a very fast car and he’s been great at it, so picking and choosing your spots when you can get up and start our defense (is important),” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “I think when we are not as effective defensively it’s because of our pick-up point. Teams are just walking and you see a guy with his heels on the 3-point line, just kind of standing there. We need the pressure because we’re not built bulky or strong. We’ve got to push people out on the court with our pressure a little bit.”
The Kings have managed to stay in playoff contention while trying to find the right balance. They know they need to maintain their identity on the offensive end, but they believe defense could be the key for a team trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2005-06.
“We’re locking in on it as we get into the second half of the season,” rookie forward Marvin Bagley III said. “We know defense is going to win us games, so we’re trying to work on it every time we step on the court in practice. ... Defense is going to have a big part of how well we do or how far we get.”