Doug Christie Praises Kings Rookie Following Strong Stretch

Not much has gone right for the Sacramento Kings this season. They are sitting at 6-18 and 13th in the Western Conference, have dealt with injuries all year, and almost every player is on the trading block with the deadline quickly approaching.

But there are a few bright spots that stand out for the Kings. Keegan Murray has been excellent since his return from injury, and rookie Nique Clifford has had some great moments throughout the first part of the year. But it's the recent stretch from fellow rookie Maxime Raynaud that really stands out as one of the best parts of the season so far for the Kings.

Following the draft, there was a lot of hype around Raynaud, and rightfully so. He's a 7-foot-1 big man who can block shots and knock down the three, something the Kings haven't had in ages. Raynaud had some exciting moments during Summer League, but overall looked like he would need some time to find his footing once preseason and the regular season got underway.

Nov 28, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (42) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

That's what makes his recent stretch so impressive. He's already shown improvement and is taking advantage of his opportunity while Domantas Sabonis out due to injury.

Over the last five games, Raynaud is averaging 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks on 59.6% shooting from the field and 42.9% from three. It's just five games, but those are incredible numbers for a rookie big to put up.

Look at 7’1” Maxime Raynaud running the floor hard & getting rewarded

That same hustle & energy that has earned him glowing reviews since being thrust into a larger role

He averages 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 66% TS over his last 5 GP pic.twitter.com/A0H31zVKpu
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) December 9, 2025

One of the biggest things that stands our early about Raynaud is his willingness to learn and get better. Over the first few games of the season, he wasn't getting much playing time, but he kept at it and is already improving without any confidence wavering. When asked about it after practice today, Doug Christie had nothing but praise for the rookie big.

"He's been really impressive. So you see him in the Summer League 'Red, watch out, screen's coming,' and I'm thinking, is he going to do that during the regular season when he gets around veterans? But he has," Christie stated. "There's some times where maybe he'll even call our the wrong coverage and that could be embarrassing for a young player and the vets get on you. But he is not bothered at all."

Christie went on to talk about all the little things that Raynaud has shown on offense as well.

"His presence on the floor, his connectivity on the offensive end, being able to DHO, setting screens, rolling hard, chesting the ball, running the floor, sprinting down the floor is actually what I asked him to do. And he did it, and I was just so proud of him. He has the ability, and we're still defining who he is and what he can be, but you just see so many different aspects of his game that are really really impressive."

Sacramento Kings HC Doug Christie talked about facing the Nuggets for the millionth time this season, Maxime Raynaud's recent addition to the starting lineup, Nique's growth 24 games into the season, and a playful dig at @DeuceMason from last night's Stockton Kings broadcast 😂… pic.twitter.com/PMQvEv4FFC
— Brandon Benitez (@BranitezSports) December 10, 2025

It's not the first time we've heard Christie praise Raynaud, and it certainly won't be the last. There's a lot that stands out from what Christie said, but what stands out the most is how coachable Raynaud appears to be. From the outside looking in, he appears to take direction well and work on what he's told, which is such an underrated skill in the NBA.

Pure skill is one thing, but when you combine it with wanting to get better and improve, that's how you can go from a late second-round pick to a possible starter in the league. And over the last stretch of games, we've seen Raynaud show he could do exactly that going forward. In a down year without much to be excited about, it's great to have a young player stand out as eyes turn towards the future in Sacramento.

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