Preview: Kings hope to beat Pistons, avoid first 5-game skid since 2022

Dec 26, 2024, 9:36 AM | Updated: 9:50 am

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The Sacramento Kings have been a winning basketball team over the past two seasons, meaning there have been very few stretches of sub-.500 play.

For the 2024-25 Kings, sitting below the .500 mark has suddenly changed from an early-season road bump into a legitimate concern that has brought the future of several members of this roster, coaching staff, and front office into question.

Sacramento (13-17) enters play on Thursday night having lost four consecutive games, meaning that a loss to the Detroit Pistons would hand the Kings its first five-game skid since January 2022.

The Pistons, a matchup that would be viewed as a get-right opportunity in recent years, are no longer looking like the doorstep of the league thanks to a 13-17 start–one that has Detroit in Eastern Conference Play-In territory.

In February, Sacramento suffered a stunning loss to the Pistons at Golden 1 Center that raised alarms around the fanbase as the Kings sputtered to the finish line of a season that ended without a playoff appearance.

Tonight, the Beam Team will look to avoid the same mistakes and light the Sacramento skyline purple for the first time since December 12th.

Sacramento Kings vs. Detroit Pistons Info

When: 7:00 PM PT

Where: Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA

TV: NBC Sports California, NBA League Pass (for out-of-market viewers)

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 2:00 PM PDT on The Drive Guys

Line: Kings -4.5, O/U 227.5

Tickets: Click here

Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Pistons coverage, beginning at 2:00 PM PST on The Drive Guys before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.

Turn The Lights Back On

The Kings’ offense was the main reason behind Sacramento’s impressive stretch of play that saw them win four of five games from December 3rd through 12th.

Since then, they have looked completely lost on the offensive end.

For the first time since March-April 2018, the Kings have failed to score 100 points in three consecutive games, a stretch that concluded with Monday’s 95-point outing against the Indiana Pacers that saw Sacramento shoot 36 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range.

The Kings are 0-11 this season when scoring under 110 points. When the offense runs dry, wins never follow, making Thursday’s matchup against Detroit (20th in opponent points per game this season) an important one for Sacramento.

Ignite DeMar

A significant reason behind the Kings’ recent offensive struggles has been the drop-off in production from six-time All-Star wing DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan burst onto the scene in Sacramento to start the season, but lingering back issues have halted the momentum built by the longtime NBA veteran. While DeRozan has been available and in the lineup over the past couple of weeks, he has looked like a shell of himself during the Kings’ ongoing losing streak.

In Sacramento’s past four games, DeRozan is averaging 10.3 points per game on 33 percent shooting from the field and 16 percent from three-point range. During the Kings’ loss to Indiana on Monday, DeRozan finished with just two points on one-of-seven shooting over 28 minutes of action–his first game since 2017 with two points or less in 25 minutes or more playing time.

De’Aaron Fox has taken on the bulk of the scoring load for Sacramento this season, but DeRozan was brought in to form a dynamic duo, especially in the clutch. That hasn’t been the case as of late, but the book isn’t closed on the DeRozan-Kings partnership, and a win over the Pistons would alleviate some of those pre-season concerns that have been validated in recent weeks.

Dialing Long Distance

Sacramento’s struggles from three-point range have been well-documented this season, but a matchup against Detroit provides the Kings’ shooters with an opportunity to break out of their recent slump.

Shooting 32 percent from deep during their four-game losing streak, Sacramento will face a Pistons defense currently ranked dead last among all NBA teams in three-point defense, as Detroit has allowed opponents to shoot 38.3 percent from the perimeter this season.

The Kings are 6-1 when shooting 38 percent or better from beyond the arc this season, while the Pistons are 4-10 when allowing teams to hit the same mark.

Sacramento is ranked 24th in nearly every three-point category (attempts, conversions, and percentage), but Thursday could act as a springboard that puts them back on track ahead of a tough upcoming stretch that includes matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors.

Rotations, Rotations, Rotations

One of the Kings’ most significant issues this season has been their rotations—or lack of stability in those rotations.

Head coach Mike Brown is constantly searching for the correct answers, digging deep into a roster with little-to-no depth at the forward positions and little bench scoring beyond Kevin Huerter.

While Brown has pressed several buttons, Sacramento could benefit from some longevity with those decisions, specifically with players like Keon Ellis, who has seen his playing fluctuate this season.

Over his past four games, Ellis has seen his minutes decrease from 32 to 21 to 14 to just five minutes played in garbage time during Monday’s loss to Indiana. For a team like the Kings with sparse defensive options, especially on the perimeter, playing Ellis consistent minutes off the bench could take some pressure off of known defenders in De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray.

Ellis holds his own in iso situations, is active in the passing lanes, and is no slouch on the offensive end either (40% from three-point range this season).

We’ll see how Brown’s rotations look against Detroit, but finding stability beyond the top six in the rotation would go a long way in building chemistry with this roster before decisions are made down the line.