Doug Christie on where the Sacramento Kings are midway through the season

Jan 22, 2024, 5:02 PM

Buddy Hield #7 of the Indiana Pacers goes up for a shot on Domantas Sabonis #10 and Keegan Murray #...

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Buddy Hield #7 of the Indiana Pacers goes up for a shot on Domantas Sabonis #10 and Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on January 18, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings assistant coach and former player Doug Christie joined “The Drive Guys” to discuss the team’s recent tough stretch, their upcoming road trip, and the state of the team.

Monday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks is game number 42, unofficially kicking off the second half of the NBA season. Through 41 games, the Kings are 23-18, the same record they had at the midway point of the 2022-23 season.

“The expectations of the outside world aren’t necessarily expectations of what we expected of ourselves, so those normally never match because we have super high expectations of ourselves,” Christie said when asked about the team’s performance through 41 games. “From that standpoint, we haven’t hit the bar the way that we would as far as winning and losing goes. But the attention to detail, the willingness, the coming to practice, the grinding and doing all the things that we’re going to need to do to be, what we would consider, an elite team at the end of the season when it counts the most. That is what we are building toward. So not at any one point in the season can you judge all of that.”

Additional topics discussed include:

  • His memories of Mike Bibby and the big shots he took for the Kings
  • The bond he has with former teammates
  • Free throw shooting slumps and how the Kings could get past their current issue
  • The mood of the team and how coaches are keeping morale high
  • Sasha Vezenkov’s development and how he’s responded
  • Respecting their opponent when the star players don’t suit up

Click here to watch and listen to the full interview with Doug Christie.

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