Kings Need New Offensive Identity After Lost Season

When the Sacramento Kings ‘Beam Team’ broke the franchise’s nearly two-decade playoff drought in 2022-23, it was powered by one of the best offenses the NBA had ever seen.

That team not only led the league in offensive rating (118.6) but also set a record at the time. Since then, offenses around the association have only continued to improve, and that once-record ranks 12th in history.

Head coach Mike Brown wanted to raise the floor of a bottom-10 defense, but that team’s identity was built on offense. De’Aaron Fox won the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award as the leading scorer and closer. He and Domantas Sabonis made the All-Star team in their dribble-handoff-heavy offense.

Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Malik Monk, and rookie Keegan Murray provided exceptional spacing around them. Two of those players remain on Sacramento’s roster, but Murray is at a notably different stage of his career.

That is where the contrast between Sacramento’s best recent offense and last season’s version becomes most obvious. The Kings lost the spacing, shooting volume, and shot profile that modern offenses rely on.

Last season, Sacramento ranked 26th in offensive rating at 110.6. Perhaps the most jarring and harmful numbers were its dead-last ranking in three-point attempts at 30.2 per game and 29th-ranked three-point percentage at 34 percent.

That is a tough recipe in the current NBA, where the best offenses are not only highly efficient but also emphasize ideal shot profiles.

Four years removed from that postseason appearance, Murray is no longer a rookie and instead starting the first year of a five-year, $140 million extension. At that price, Sacramento needs him to be more than the spot-up shooter he was as a rookie.

Replicating that offense would be a tall task for a 2026-27 squad that features different strengths, but they could benefit from finding an offensive identity and some semblance of success on that end.

The obvious built-in improvements should come from better health, as they were consistently hit with unavailability last year.

Zach LaVine played just 39 games, Sabonis played 19 after never previously appearing in fewer than 62, and Murray saw the floor for only 23. De’Andre Hunter appeared in just two games after being acquired at the trade deadline before a season-ending eye injury.

The addition of rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who is expected to become a long-term centerpiece after being drafted in the lottery, should help, but likely won’t be without typical first-year growing pains.

Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Sacramento Kings drives against Seth Trimble #55 of the Washington Wizards in the third quarter of a 2026 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

In Summer League, Acuff consistently drew extra defensive attention, and Sacramento used his ability to create space to benefit the players around him. The context is substantially different from regular-season basketball, but those flashes still spoke to the type of offensive dynamic he could eventually provide.

Expecting him to play anything near the season Fox had back then would be unfair, but he provides a dynamic they’ve lacked since. That may be the baseline for where Sacramento’s next offensive identity starts to take shape.

Given Acuff’s comfort in isolation and pick-and-roll, along with LaVine’s similar strengths as an on-ball scorer, Sacramento may be better suited to lean into mismatch hunting than trying to recreate the dribble-handoff-heavy structure that defined the Beam Team.

That shouldn’t lessen the importance of Sabonis, but his role may need to look different. Rather than being the constant starting point of the offense, he could be used more as a connective hub once defenses are already in rotation, whether that comes through short-roll passing, second-side actions, handoffs after an initial advantage has been created, or capitalizing on a size advantage himself.

For that to work, the spacing has to stretch the floor. A potential starting lineup of Acuff, LaVine, Hunter, Murray, and Sabonis should have enough theoretical shooting if Murray bounces back and Hunter provides real volume on the wing. But after finishing last in three-point attempts and near the bottom in percentage, Sacramento cannot afford another season where defenses feel comfortable loading up on the ball.

Current head coach Doug Christie has made his desire for a defensive emphasis clear, but the roster still raises fair questions about how much realistic progress is possible on that end. Being towards the bottom of the league on both ends is a recipe for disaster.

Replicating the Beam Team identity may not be feasible, but finding a new one on the offensive end could lead to a more competitive season than Sacramento’s 22-60 record last year.

Hunting and capitalizing on mismatches feels like the most logical path, whether that comes through more traditional pick-and-roll, dribble handoffs with Sabonis, or some combination of both. That could be complicated by in-season trades, but until moves are made, Christie’s job is to turn the available pieces into something cohesive.

If the Kings spend another season without a consistent strength on either end, it is hard to imagine Christie remaining in that role.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Would Russell Westbrook be the perfect mentor for Darius Acuff Jr.?
• Why Doug Christie deserves another full season with the Kings
• Why Zach LaVine Could Have Trade Value Next Season
• Report: Kings weighing Westbrook return, Oladipo possibility
• Sources: Zach LaVine will not be bought out by Sacramento
• Who will be Sacramento’s backup center: Raynaud or Cardwell?

What is the next Sacramento Kings Offseason Event?

The start of the 2026-27 season is quickly approaching for Darius Acuff Jr. and the Sacramento Kings.

Sacramento will begin training camp in late September as they prepare to begin preseason play on Monday, October 5th when they face Luka Doncic and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to stay tuned to Sactown Sports all offseason for roster updates, schedule announcements, analysis, and much more.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule

• August TBD – 2026-27 NBA Schedule release
• Late September – NBA training camps begin

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Preseason Schedule

• Monday, October 5th vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7 P.M. PST)
• Thursday, October 8th @ Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 P.M. PST)
• Saturday, October 10th @ Golden State Warriors (5:30 P.M. PST)
• Tuesday, October 13th vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PST)
• Friday, October 16th @ San Antonio Spurs (7:00 P.M. PST)

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