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Going into the season, fans had hoped for a more encouraging outlook, but that optimism failed to materialize. The Kings did not suddenly correct their issues in the preseason finale against the San Antonio Spurs and may have even regressed. It was another blowout defeat for Sacramento, marking their fourth loss in five preseason games.
The manner of the losses has been as troubling as the defeats themselves. Preseason scores can fluctuate as players move in and out of lineups and rotations remain unsettled, yet the fact that the Kings were outscored by a combined 74 points—an average margin of 14.8 per game—cannot be overlooked.
But even that statistic fails to capture the full extent of the problem. Most of these games were effectively decided early, and the time spent in the lead illustrates the Kings' disastrous preseason. Across their 240 minutes of action, Sacramento held an advantage for only 10 minutes and 58 seconds total.
Several players cycled in and out of the rotation, and Malik Monk has yet to appear on the court. Three-point shooting remains a persistent issue. The list of reasons for the Kings' struggles is long, and perhaps the most concerning aspect is that there appears to be no clear solution in sight.
It is certainly possible that everything clicks for the Kings, but at this rate, that outcome seems unlikely. Even if Sacramento needs 10 games to find its footing and establish a rhythm, the team could be 2-8 by then and fall into the same trap as last season, when the year was essentially over before it began.
Key Analysis
Viewing this preseason as anything other than a wasted opportunity and a failure is difficult. Even to reach 30 wins this year, the Kings need everything to go perfectly, and four blowout losses along with fewer than 11 minutes of lead time demonstrate how far they still have to go. Despite players returning from injury compared to last year, Darius Acuff Jr. looking legitimate, and Ben Simmons in full comeback mode, Sacramento faces a very steep climb.
If this were merely a five-game preseason trend, it would be less concerning, but it is exactly what was seen from the Kings repeatedly last season. Sacramento consistently fell behind early, and games were over in a matter of minutes. These five preseason games were a chance to carry momentum from an exciting offseason into the regular season, but that momentum is now completely gone—just like the Kings' leads in these games.