Malik Monk says Kings will have team meeting before facing T-Wolves

Nov 26, 2024, 8:44 AM | Updated: 12:14 pm

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

Expectations were high for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings, but through 18 games, those expectations have looked overblown.

The Kings suffered their fourth-straight loss on Monday night as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder coasted to a 130-109 win at Golden 1 Center.

Prized Sixth Man guard Malik Monk, who is also one of Sacramento’s most outspoken players, was out of action for the past two weeks due to a right ankle sprain. With Monk sidelined, the Kings posted a record of 2-5 while falling to 28th in bench points per game as they struggled to find reliability in the second unit.

Monk made his return on Monday night, scoring 14 points over 26 minutes during Sacramento’s losing effort as the Kings dropped to two games below the .500 mark (8-10).

Although the regular season is still in its early stages, Sacramento is putting itself behind the eight ball early, as the Western Conference has held to its preseason projection of a complete juggernaut.

The Kings’ 8-10 record has them currently sitting in the 12th spot in the West standings. In the Eastern Conference, Sacramento would be tied for the seventh seed.

Time is of the essence, especially with the Kings’ next matchup taking place on Wednesday night against another struggling team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have opened the season with a record of 8-8.

When Monk signed his four-year, $78 million contract to return to Sacramento in the summer, he stated that he would speak up when he feels the time is right. Following Monday’s loss, the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up told the media that De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and himself would address the team before facing the Timberwolves.

“I feel like we have a veteran team now, with a few young guys, so we know how to turn it around,” Monk said of the Kings’ rough stretch. “Domas is going to say a few things, I’ll say a few things, Fox will say a few things, and DeMar will say a few things. We gotta turn it around quick, though.”

Monk clarified that the team leaders often speak up following each loss, and that the veteran quartet will address the team before facing the T-Wolves in Minneapolis.

“I feel like we always say something after every loss,” Monk said. “[Tuesday] we’ll probably say something once we get to Minnesota.”

While the words relayed between Sacramento’s leaders may night mirror a more dramatic instance of a closed-door-players-only meeting, the point remains that this Kings team needs a reset. Whether that reset takes place during an open conversation, day off, or simply by playing a familiar brand of basketball and securing a much-needed win, Sacramento is in need of a moral boost.

It’s been ten days since the last time the beam graced the Sacramento skyline. We’ll see if the Kings can turn the page on a rough couple of weeks and avoid the franchise’s first five-game skid in the Mike Brown era (start of the 2022-23 season).

More Sacramento Kings coverage from Sactown Sports

For 24 minutes, it looked as if the Sacramento Kings had turned the page on a rough stretch that had dropped them beneath the .500 mark in the early stages of the regular season.

Then, the second half started.

Monday night’s game between the Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder ended familiarly for Sacramento, as MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (37 points) led his team to a 130-109 win at Golden 1 Center.

Although the Kings benefited from the return of Sixth Man guard Malik Monk (ankle sprain), Sacramento’s defense continued its recent track record of allowing opponents to get red-hot from the three-point line.

The Thunder finished the night 14-of-32 (44%) from the perimeter, which was more than enough to create the space needed to collect the win.

With the loss, the Kings (8-10) fall to 4-6 on their home floor this season in what was also Sacramento’s fourth consecutive loss.