Numbers Reveal Winning Formula for the Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings got back in the win column last night against the Memphis Grizzlies thanks to a strong all-around game on offense and defense.

After a four-game losing streak where the Kings struggled to take care of the ball, they took down the Grizzlies with 35 assists and just 12 turnovers.

In the previous four losses, the Kings averaged just 23.8 assists and 15 turnovers per game, with the offense often looking forced and disjointed. Last night though, they got back on track, pairing the strong defensive effort with great ball movement that got everyone involved.

That is a growing trend with this newest iteration of the Kings' roster, with the numbers backing it up. The Kings have played 18 games since Zach LaVine made his Sacramento debut, unofficially marking the start of the post-trade era.

Kings had a total of 35 assists tonight as a team. Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan & Zach LaVine were the Kings' 3 leading scorers, and also combined for 22 of the 35 assists.

Not a coincidence that the Kings have this good a night offensively when the defense is also really solid.
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) March 18, 2025

During those 18 games, there is a literal line in the sand drawn with the Kings assist numbers. They are 7-1 (.875) when they record at least 28 assists during the stretch. When they fail to hit that mark, their record plummets to 2-8 (.200).

Ironically, they lost the game in which they recorded the most assists (38 vs. the New Orleans Pelicans). But the fact remains, after a strong 18-game sample size the Kings must move the ball if they want to win.

It's not just the assist numbers that back it up, but the more in-depth passing numbers as well. In the nine wins, the Kings averaged 282.6 passes and 46.2 potential assists per game. (Potential assist as defined by NBA.com's stat glossary: Any pass to a teammate who shoots within 1 dribble of receiving the ball.)

In the nine losses, both of those numbers drop to 267.8 and 42.7.

It's not just that the Kings are making more shots in their wins, which is a common argument when looking at assists, but they are generating more looks for their teammates.

The Kings have put themselves in a difficult situation with just 15 games left. It's going to be hard for them to climb to the 8th seed, but it's also going to be hard for them to fall down to the 11th seed. That puts them likely in the play-in tournament needing to win two games.

While it will be challenging for them to climb up the standings, they can at least spend these last 15 games dialing in what works best for this roster. And all the numbers point to passing the ball as being one of, if not the most, important parts of their games.

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