One Critical Stat Kings Need to Improve to Become Serious Contenders
While the Sacramento Kings have maintained a solid standing so far through the 2023-24 regular season, there remains some room for growth to take their success to the next level.
Midway through January, the Kings sit at a 23-16 record, enough for fifth in the Western Conference and second in the Pacific Division. Around this time last season, the team was at a 24-18 record, not too far off course.
However, considering how last year ended for Sacramento, the expectations moving forward should be a bit higher from where they finished in 2023. A 5th place finish in the West allows the chance for the Kings to be unable to hold homecourt advantage at any point in the playoffs. It’s an edge this team cannot afford to lose.
So what needs to change?
The trade market is always an option, but the deadline is about three weeks away. We know the Kings are expected to be active on that end, but it may take a second to find the right deal to improve this team.
In the meantime, there are still some internal adjustments the Kings can fuel some extra, necessary wins. That change just so happens to be free-throw shooting, an area in which Sacramento has struggled mightily.
As it stands, the Kings are currently last in the entire NBA when it comes to free-throw percentage at a low 73.3%. They also rank towards the bottom of the league in free throws attempted at 22.1 a night. It seems the lack of shots from the stripe is also on the mind of HC Mike Brown, considering his recent viral outburst voicing his frustrations.
However, while Brown was concerned about the consistency of the referees, the focus may need to be on the consistency of the team when given opportunities at the line.
We saw the problem during Sacramento's most recent game against the Milwaukee Bucks when Malik Monk came up short in two late free throws. It effectively allowed Damian Lillard to come down the floor for his game-winning buzzer-beater, dropping the Kings to their 16th loss of the year.
If you look at the majority of other contenders in the NBA, they tend to be mostly consistent in their free-throw numbers. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Boston Celtics all rank within the top 10 for FT%. It shows that if the Kings want to be a top-of-the-line team in this league, they have to knock down their free opportunities.
Another half of the season remains, giving the Kings an abundance of time to fix their concerns before the playoffs begin. Without any improvement, though, it will be much more difficult to trust this Sacramento team in a seven-game series where every shot matters that much more.
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