The Sacramento Kings entered Wednesday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers with the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA during the preseason.
Nothing that happened during the game provided any more answers.
“Like I (told) them early on, the road to success is full of potholes and always construction,” head coach Doug Christie said after the Kings lost 109-91 to drop to 0-3 on the preseason. “So this is not going to be a simple, easy fix.”
The Kings were blown out for a second time at home, giving their passionate fans at Golden 1 Center little to cheer. They trailed after three quarters in both home games — by 19 points to the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 8 and 29 on Wednesday.
Christie and his players have said adopting his defense-first mentality will be a long process, especially with a roster featuring players known for offense like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis.
Additionally, the Kings are expected to be without Keegan Murray, their most versatile defensive player who often guards opponents’ best scorers, until at least mid-November after he had thumb surgery Monday.
The lack of defense on Wednesday led to the Kings falling behind by 29 points through three quarters, despite playing rotation regulars before turning to deep reserves.
Alley-oop dunks, uncontested mid-range jumpers and poor perimeter containment were familiar issues. And there was little evidence Wednesday that the Kings are improving.
“We still got to pick it up,” LaVine said after scoring 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Sacramento was outscored by 15 points during his 28:25 on the floor. “I think you got figure out how to, even if you’re undersized or if you’re playing different positions, how to negate that.”
The Clippers shot 50.6% and got to the line 26 times compared to just 8 for Sacramento. The Kings trailed by 8 after the first quarter, then watched the Clippers balloon their lead to 20 by halftime, hitting 13 of 20 shots in the second.
Christie used 11 players in the second quarter, and none could consistently slow the Clippers, who were led by Kawhi Leonard’s 13 points in the frame. Backup forward John Collins scored 10 points in 4:44. Chris Paul’s 9 first-half assists outpaced the Kings’ 7.
“We see some guys, some units that play with an intensity that we want to play with, period,” Christie said. “And we have to find a way to hold down the fort at certain times of the game. ... There can’t be an excuse of why you don’t, defensively, give the effort, and attention to detail. ... Guys getting layups and dunks. It’s just unacceptable, period.”
Losing a third-consecutive preseason game capped an otherwise eventful day. In the morning, the team agreed to terms with former MVP guard Russell Westbrook and later inked Murray to a five-year, $140 million extension. Sabonis after the third quarter left Wednesday’s loss due to a right hamstring injury. The team said the severity was unknown.
There will be another practice Thursday before the preseason finale Friday on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, five days before traveling to Phoenix for the regular season opener next Wednesday against the Suns.
Christie faces several roster and scheme challenges ahead of opening night, and must find answers on the defensive end.
“This is on me,” Christie said. “I’ll figure out a way to make sure that these guys are doing exactly what they need to do. All I need from them is attention to detail and the effort. Everything else, I’ve always said I’ll take all the bullets for that. That’s what I’m here for. In my opinion, it’s never the players.”