It's not often that the second game of the season feels like a 'must-win' game, and for the Sacramento Kings, tonight isn't really a 'must-win,' but it is safe to say that it feels like a 'must-compete' game for the perpetually rebuilding franchise.
The Kings had some solid takeaways in their opening night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, but it was another blowout loss in the end, with an early run by the Clippers that put the game out of reach just minutes into the game. Beating the Portland Trail Blazers is going to be a tall task for the Kings tonight, but that's how every night feels when you're stuck at the bottom of the standings. There aren't going to be any easy nights for Sacramento this season as they try to claw their way out of the NBA basement.
But there's a difference between losing and losing. Falling short in competitive games is one thing, but losing nightly by 20+ is another, especially when paired with the Kings' disappointing franchise history.
Going back to the preseason, the Kings have had the lead for a total of 10:58 minutes throughout the six games. As a reminder, that's 288 minutes of basketball. So, to say the least, the Kings have been playing from behind from the jump this year. That not only makes it hard for the players and coaches, but for fans as well.
Fans on the Brink?
Sacramento fans are as loyal as they get, but even Kings fans have their breaking point. Games are being turned off, tickets are going to be harder to sell, and it's going to be hard or impossible to bring in any new fans.
That doesn't necessarily have a direct correlation to the players and the games, but in a city like Sacramento, the downtimes are felt even more, as this city and team are connected at the hip. From a fan perspective, it just feels like the Kings are already losing any semblance of positive momentum they had from the offseason, and another blowout loss tonight isn't going to help.
Team Hanging On
From a team perspective, it already feels like there are cracks at the seams. Doug Christie is talking about game plans not being followed; Domantas Sabonis is taking subtle jabs at Darius Acuff Jr.; we still aren't sure exactly what's going on with Malik Monk. For a team that's trying so desperately to build a culture and identity, they have the feel of a team that's on the brink of collapse, instead.
— Full Court Press (@fcpnba) October 23, 2026Domantas Sabonis says Kings are best when he reads the defense as an offensive hub.
Domantas Sabonis: “Move the ball. Get me the ball more so I can swing it and get guys open. You know, we took a lot of one-pass shots, pick-and-roll shots without passing the ball, you know,… pic.twitter.com/eUSObjJZLG
New Year, Same Trends
It's also important to remember that none of the trends we are seeing from the Kings this season so far are new. They were bad on defense and offense last season, and they are bad at defense and offense again this year so far. They didn't take or make enough threes last season, and it's more of the same now. The list goes on. They got blown out time and time again last season, and so far through five preseason games and one game that counts, they have four blowout losses.
These aren't new problems for the Kings; they are the same trends with a new(ish) roster. Sacramento doesn't have to win tonight, but they need to do their best to at least keep the game competitive. Going against the Blazers, who just scorched the Suns with a 43-12 first quarter, it's imperative the Kings come out ready to go tonight. And even more so for their home opener. If not, things could get ugly real quick in Sacramento.
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