The 2025-2026 season has not been good to the Sacramento Kings, leaving fans feeling out of sorts with their team. But over the last few games, the Kings have shown some real fight, particularly in front of their hometown crowds. That is a difference maker in a tough time for everyone involved.
Sacramento is currently sitting at seven wins and 23 losses, the worst record in the Western Conference and the third worst in the league. This isn’t exactly a bold statement, but it’s not where the Kings want to be. No team wants to be where they are at this point.
What has been difficult for fans is that the Kings have all the pieces to be better than they are, but those pieces aren’t fitting together well. That’s a symptom of bad roster construction, a holdover from the previous front office, as well as bad coaching from their current staff.
The saving grace for the season has been individual performances from various team members. There are games when the league veterans stand out and others when the rookie core goes to work. And on those occasions when they get on the same page, the Kings pick up a rare victory.
Grit and grind are the best answers for the Kings’ issues
Sacramento is at their absolute best when they get in the game and grind out a win. Fans saw that in a surprising recent overtime victory over the Houston Rockets. It was a home game, and Golden 1 Center was treated to a Kings team that was unrelenting on both offense and defense.
Even in recent losses, that grit has been evident. The Kings might not have won either of their back-to-back games against the Blazers, but they still put up a good fight for the full 48 minutes. In one of those games, it was a full 53-minute effort in overtime.
Last night, the Kings lost to the Pistons. That was always a long shot given that Detroit is the best in the East as well as the second-best in the league. Regardless, the Kings thwarted what could have been another blowout with a strong fourth-quarter effort that closed the gap.
All of the problems the Kings have still exist. It’s going to take time to rebalance the roster and hopefully find a better head coach. As long as the current roster doesn’t give up, the fans will stick with the franchise and support them through the rebuild.