3 Most Important Stats That Need to Change for Kings 2026-27 Season

The Sacramento Kings have no shortage of stats that will need to improve next season if they hope to work their way back into the postseason picture. They finished last season with the 28th-worst defense, 26th-ranked offense, and the third-worst net rating in the league. It's safe to say, they struggled in almost every facet of the game.

That leaves ample options to look at ways they can improve. They likely are still years away from making their way back to the postseason, but hopefully, they won't be battling for a top lottery spot next season like they were this year. And even if they are, improving on at least one end of the floor would be ideal, regardless of record.

If they want to make quick improvements from last season, here are three stats that are going to be the most important for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Three-Point Shooting

Mar 22, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) shoots a three point basket during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

Standing out clearly at the top of the list is three-point shooting, and not just the Kings' ability to knock them down at a better clip. They need to improve their efficiency, volume, and three-point defense, running the full gamut of the spectrum on scoring and defending beyond the arc.

They finished the year averaging 10.3 made threes per game, shot 30.2 attempts per contest, and shot 34.0% on the looks. All three of those were the worst marks in the league, with the 34% tied for last in the league with the Brooklyn Nets. Not only did the Kings not take enough threes, but they missed them more than almost everyone, putting themselves in a big hole from deep almost every single night.

And, unfortunately for the Kings, the three-point woes didn't stop there. Opponents shot 37.9% from beyond the arc against them, the second-highest mark in the NBA. Sacramento needs to lean into to the three-point shot, and start defending it better if they hope to make any progress next season.

Age

This one is a bit of an outlier as a true 'stat,' but the Kings need to get younger. For a rebuilding team at the bottom of the standings, they don't have any young players to build around. There are the three rookies in Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell, but they are 24, 23, and 24 years old, respectively.

That's great for having them be able to plug and play so early on in their careers, but it limits their upside for the future. The draft will certainly help, as would trading some of the veterans on the team, but the Kings need more young players with potential.

Whether it be second-round draft picks, undrafted rookies, or free agents, Scott Perry and the front office should find some young guys to take a flyer or two on as long-term development projects.

Assists

Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) makes a pass to center Maxime Raynaud (42) while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) and forward Draymond Green (23) in the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

With Doug Christie returning for another year, the emphasis will once again be on passing and ball movement. The Kings didn't win much last year, but when they did, it was either because one of DeMar DeRozan or Russell Westbrook led them to victory, or because the team was able to move the ball and generate easy looks in the offense.

But that didn't happen often throughout the long season. They finished the year with 25.5 assists per contest, good for 20th in the league. But in their wins, they averaged 27.7 assists per game, which would have tied the Indiana Pacers for 12th. It's still not incredible, but getting into the top half of the league is a great start.

All of this is going to be easier said than done, given how much work the Kings have to do, but hopefully Perry can make some smart, savvy moves that put Christie and the roster in a better position next year to start chipping away and climbing up the leaderboards in not just these stats, but in the standings as well.

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