Doug Christie Addresses Kings' Major Struggles After Loss to Grizzlies

After a couple of wins, the Sacramento Kings have come crashing down to earth. The Kings fell to the Memphis Grizzlies 115-107, marking their third consecutive loss. Sacramento is now 5-16 on the season, and in sole possession of 14th place in the Western Conference.

Kings head coach Doug Christie took the podium to discuss a variety of topics after the most recent loss.

Opening and Closing Struggles

Christie first discussed the bench lineup having to dig the starters out of the holes they frequently dig to open halves. Sacramento’s starting lineup of Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Drew Eubanks was outscored 8-0 to begin the game, and to open the second half.

Christie harped on general readiness to open halves, explaining that “we’ve gotta make sure we’re warm, we’re ready to go, locked in, ready to execute, then defend on the other end.” Put kindly, this is disappointing to hear about a veteran team that consistently mentions needing to improve its “compete level.”

Kings head coach Doug Christie talks about tonight's 115-107 loss to the Grizzlies, navigating landmines of the mounting frustrations, the spark from the second unit and the minutes from rookie Maxime Raynaud. pic.twitter.com/bxTeDm85lG
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) December 1, 2025

We did not see the bench unit that ended the first quarter on a 12-0 run to give the Kings the lead after the first quarter after that one stint. Christie said, “We were trying to get back to it, then they ended up going, I think big, I’d have to go back and look at the film. Sometimes the game dictates how it goes.”

Interpret this how you want, but I do not put much stock into this answer. Given their personnel, Sacramento would be undersized regardless of what combination he chose to run. At that point, why not try the smaller lineup to see if you can run Memphis out of the big lineup?

Further, the increasing frequency of use of the “watching the film” response brings back (bad) memories of another former Kings coach’s cop-out answer of choice.

Unsurprisingly, Keon Ellis was on the floor for the duration of that 12-0 run. Even less surprisingly, Ellis did not see the floor again after being subbed out several minutes into the second quarter.

Nov 26, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) reacts to a call during the first quarter of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

In addition to the poor starts to halves, Sacramento really let this game slip away down the stretch. They were outscored 32-20 in the fourth quarter, scoring just four points in the final 4 minutes as the Grizzlies took the win.

Christie remained optimistic, noting that “some of them were decent shots, we just didn’t knock them down… that’s where execution has to come in… these aren’t things that we have not talked about and gone over… But, there were a lot of guys out there doing the right thing.”

For a team with so much experience, it might actually be more disappointing to see late leads slip away than it is to see the starting lineup get off to such poor starts.

Injuries Presenting Opportunity for Youth

It is hard to see the Domantas Sabonis injury through a glass-half-full lens. Sacramento was already very thin at center, and now starts journeyman Drew Eubanks for seven minutes to open each half. What was once a strength is now a glaring weakness.

One positive from Sabonis’s absence is the extended run for rookie Maxime Raynaud. The 42nd overall pick has now played over 20 minutes in each of the last two games, adding nine points, six rebounds, and three assists on Sunday night.

Maxime Raynaud looks so much different than opening night

Maturing with playing time

Keep playing him!
— SactownPete (@PMasih007) December 1, 2025

The stat line is promising, but this matchup was a baptism by fire - Raynaud was consistently matched up against Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. Edey, a former top ten pick, has three inches and 50 lbs on Raynaud, and Jackson Jr. is a two-time All-Star and DPOY winner.

Nothing was easy on either end, and Raynaud fouled out in 22 minutes. Conversely, Edey had a career night, posting 32 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks. Jackson Jr. had a modest night on the stat sheet, but his presence made things difficult inside as well.

Despite the tough matchup, Christie had plenty of praise for the young big: “He communicates really well… he’s beginning to hold his own, and you can see that the game is slowing down for him, so as it slows down and he continues to improve, his minutes are going to go up for sure.”

This is a promising development for one of the players Scott Perry noted as a key young player in his sit-down with Sam Amick last week. Ideally, Raynaud plays well enough to keep the backup center position once Sabonis returns.

Navigating Mounting Frustration

It is no secret that this Kings team is not good. As has been repeatedly mentioned here, most veterans on this team have been on teams that at some point missed the playoffs or finished below .500. However, most have not been on a team this bad in their careers.

Christie provided some insight into how the team leans on one another to get through times like this:

“There’s a lot… it festers even as we go home, and you come in tomorrow… You have to try to hit it head-on, be as honest as you can possibly be… that’s why this is a team sport, and in those moments, that’s where you lean on each other and help each other… there’s a synergy that has to be there.”

There is not much to unpack here. It is not fun to be on a losing team. When Christie mentions synergy and helping one another, it can certainly be interpreted to mean he wants the players to play more for each other and the team.

“You’ll see it out there from time to time… but the ability for it to be there consistently lies within each individual to go out there and continuously execute and be willing to sacrifice… defense is about sacrifice. Rebounding is about sacrifice. Sharing the ball is about sacrifice.”

Considering that defense and sharing the ball are the pillars on which Christie seeks to build this team, it is clearly imperative for the players to buy in and give a little in some areas where they are probably more accustomed to maximizing to help the team more closely align with Christie’s vision.

The schedule does not get any easier from here. Sacramento is back in action against the Houston Rockets (13-4) on Wednesday.

Opening and Closing Struggles

Injuries Presenting Opportunity for Youth

Navigating Mounting Frustration

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