When the media was let into the final moments of Tuesday’s Sacramento Kings training camp debut, players were sprinting from end to end in a full-court layup drill.
“Our narrative from myself and Scott [Perry] is we’re going to be the best conditioned team in the NBA,” Kings head coach Doug Christie said. “One of the top ones for sure.”
Playing a high-paced style of basketball is clearly part of the plan headed into 2025-26 after ranking 19th (98.91) in pace last season.
Perhaps the simplest way to get out in transition is by getting stops and forcing turnovers. Christie is asking his team to play full-court defense to apply pressure on both ends of the floor.
But, as he mentioned, that requires elite conditioning and capable depth. Christie said at Monday’s media day that he hopes to play 10 players due to their preferred, yet taxing, style.
“It’s tough, man,” he said Tuesday. “Conditioning is not for everybody. And then being in the condition to be the best conditioned team in this league definitely ain’t for everybody, but it’s what the Sacramento Kings is about.”
Pace and aggressiveness on both ends clearly play into the identity Perry and Christie are attempting to curate.
After their morning practice, the Kings were scheduled to meet up again at 5:00 P.M. With their preseason debut eight days away, ensuring everyone is in shape is crucial.
Key offseason acquisition and expected starting point guard, Dennis Schroder, had the benefit of playing for the German national team throughout the offseason, leading them to a EuroBasket Championship while earning MVP honors in the process.
The veteran guard is more than comfortable playing at the pace and defending to Christie’s standard.
“I mean, I did it my whole entire career,” Schroder said regarding full-court defense. “Make it uncomfortable for the opponent, and I think everybody else who is behind me has to follow and do the same thing.”
“If everybody’s doing it, I think it’s going to be really, really tough to score against us and play against us,” he continued.
It’s worth noting that Sacramento finished 22nd in defensive rating last season. While Schroder adds to that aspect of their game, they still have underwhelming defensive depth at the forward and center positions.
But it’s Christie’s job to make the most of what he has, which includes aiming to be the best-conditioned team in the NBA.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
Following a long, busy–and then very quiet–offseason, Sacramento Kings basketball is back.
The Beam Team tips off training camp this week as they prepare for October 8th’s preseason opener against the Toronto Raptors at Golden 1 Center.
Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis sat down with our very own Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross to discuss his thoughts on the Kings’ offseason moves, explain how he will be even more aggressive from beyond the perimeter this season, and much more.
Read More:
Domantas Sabonis on becoming the longest-tenured King, hopes for ’25-26
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Preseason
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, October 8th vs. Toronto Raptors – 7 PM PT
Friday, October 10th @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7 PM PT
Wednesday, October 15th vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 7 PM PT
Friday, October 17th @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7 PM PT
Regular Season
Wednesday, October 22nd – @ Phoenix Suns – 7 PM PT
Friday, October 24th – vs. Utah Jazz – 7 PM PT
Sunday, October 26th – vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6 PM PT
Tuesday, October 28th – @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5 PM PT
Wednesday, October 29th – @ Chicago Bulls – 5 PM PT
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