Five Numbers To Know From Kings' Disastrous 30-Game Start

The Sacramento Kings are sitting at 7-23 with a handful of numbers that jump out from the disappointing season so far.

Dec 23, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) warms up before the game against the Detroit Pistons at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings didn't come into the season with many expectations, but I don't think many anticipated that they would be this bad. Sitting at 7-23, they've dropped to last in the Western Conference and have the third worst record in the league.

The season hasn't been a total disaster, as Doug Christie has leaned into playing and developing the young players, though. The last four games have been competitive, and even fun to watch, which is a great sign for the rest of the season as the priority of wins has decreased after the rough start.

With that said, here are five numbers to know after a little more than a third of season.

11

Throughout his first nine years in the league, Domantas Sabonis has been one of the most resilient players in the league, but so far this season, he's played in just 11 of the Kings' 30 games due to multiple injuries. And he's set to miss at least another month as he continues to recover from his meniscus tear.

The Sacramento Kings say that center Domantas Sabonis continues to progress through the current phase of his rehabilitation for a partial meniscus tear in his left knee.

He will be re-evaluated in approximately 4-5 weeks, based on his clinical progress.

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) December 20, 2025

In the 11 games, Sabonis has averaged 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 51.0% shooting from the field and 20% shooting from three. He's been involved in trade rumors all season, and will likely continue to be as the trade deadline approaches.

16.5

Coming into the season, many expected Keon Ellis to have a more prominent role in his fourth NBA season, but he's averaged just 16.5 points per game with two healthy DNPs thrown in as well. It's no secret that the Kings have a logjam at the guard position, and Ellis has been one of the many to suffer from that positional misfortune.

He's averaging just 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on 37.9% shooting from the field and 34.8% from three. Not quite the jump that many were hoping for. But Ellis is still getting steals at a high rate, with 1.3 per game in his limited action.

He'll be one of the key players to watch as the season progresses. The Kings can either trade him, as half the league is reportedly interested, or sign him to an extension. The worst case scenario would be just playing out the season and losing him for nothing in free agency in the offseason.

29 & 28

Dec 8, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) dribbles the ball while Sacramento Kings guard Zach Lavine (8) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Coming into the season, the hope was that the Kings' offense would be good enough to carry their poor defense, but it's been a surprise that the offense has been just as bad (if not worse) than their defense this year.

They currently have the 29th-ranked offense and 28th-ranked defense, which goes a long way to explain the third-worst record in the league. The only team with a worse net rating than the Kings -10.0 is the Washington Wizards at -13.7.

10.6

Part of what is making life so hard for the Kings is their constant battle to keep up with teams from beyond the arc. They are taking just 30.4 threes per game (2nd fewest), and making them at a 34.7% clip (22nd worst). That puts them at 10.6 made threes per contest, fewest in the league.

In today's NBA landscape, that's just not going to cut it. It's likely not going to be something we see change this season unless there are major roster changes, but it's something for Scott Perry and Christie to work towards as they retool the roster.

10.0 & 5.9

Dec 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte Divincenzo (0) dribbles the ball as Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) plays defense in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

While a big talk of Sacramento is who isn't playing, from Ellis, as previously mentioned, to Malik Monk and even Devin Carter, there's a player who's getting more minutes than many expected: Maxime Raynaud.

Part of it is injuries to both Domantas Sabonis and Drew Eubanks, but Raynaud has also done everything to earn his minutes of late. On the season, he's averaging 10.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 52.0% shooting from the field and 31.6% from three.

We all knew he had potential when he was drafted, but early in the season, Raynaud looked overmatched and like he would need a season or two to get his NBA legs under him. But he's improved exponentially early in his NBA career and is already gaining some national attention for his strong play of late.

In his last 11 games, the rookie is averaging 15.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 54.8% from the field and 38.5% from three. He's a key to what the Kings are doing on offense in the pick and roll, and has already improved on defense as a rebounder.

In a frustrating season that hasn't met expecations, he's one of the few true bright spots in Sacramento as the season trudges on.