Sad But Simple Kings-Spurs Stat Shows New Low for Sacramento

It feels like just yesterday that chants of 'Light the Beam' were filling the Golden 1 Center, as De'Aaron Fox was leading the Kings to a surprise playoff run and drought-ending season. That was supposed to be the start of Sacramento's ascension, not the pinnacle that lasted just one short season.

But instead of the Kings turning that run into a prolonged stretch of success, they now sit last in the league with a 12-45 record and have a date with the draft lottery on May 10th. There are a lot of reasons the Kings' turmoil spiraled, and they got to this point, but the De'Aaron Fox trade feels like the icing on the cake that officially ended 'The Beam Team.'

Yes, the Beam is still around, even if it has been so rarely used this season (at least I think it is, truly hard to say after 15 straight losses), but that team has come and gone, as only three players remain from the 2022-23 season.

Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk are the only three players still on the Kings, and with Sabonis out for the rest of the season, that means that just Murray and Monk will suit up as they face Fox and the Spurs tonight. And with Harrison Barnes still having a prominent role on the 39-16 Spurs, that means both Sacramento and San Antonio will have the same amount of 'Beam Team' members on the court tonight.

Fox getting traded to the Spurs gets more attention than Barnes' departure, but losing the veteran wing had a bigger impact than many thought, not only from his on-court production, but also his locker room leadership. Now, he and Fox are the veterans helping lead the young San Antonio team heading into the playoffs.

Mar 7, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

It's easy to imagine another world where the Kings brought Barnes back instead of DeMar DeRozan, and they continued to build on the success they had with the two. But that, unfortunately, is just for dreams, and now fans are reminded of what was and could have been as the Fox and Barnes come in as heavy favorites against their former team.

The Fox rematch is starting to lose some of its luster, especially with the two teams headed in such different directions, but throw in the 15-game losing streak for the Kings, and things feel even more bleak heading into tonight's matchup.

Everyone knows that the 'Beam Team' has been dismantled beyond repair, but tonight is a reminder of just how far Sacramento has fallen from that magical season as they prepare to face two starters from the team that had Sacramento united.