The Sacramento Kings are now 0-3 on the season, coming off a home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Keep in mind, we have yet to see this Kings team at full strength, with Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell still injured and Keegan Murray missing Sunday night's game, but things are not looking great.
The Kings had a chance to take down the Grizzlies to pick up their first win of the season, but crumbled down the stretch. It feels like that will be a common trend this season for the Kings, but there are some other mistakes the team should be able to clean up more easily. First things first, after three games, we can already see some interesting lineup decisions.
In Sunday night's loss, the Kings rolled with a four-man bench unit of Malik Monk, Emanuel Sharp, Daeqwon Plowden, and Jonathan Mogbo. Do you notice anybody missing? Maybe their 2026 first-round pick, Alex Karaban, and 2025 first-round pick, Nique Clifford.
Why are Karaban and Clifford sitting on the bench?
We cannot blame the Kings for experimenting with different lineups, but this is an obvious head-scratcher. Why are Clifford and Karaban stuck keeping the bench warm?
Clifford, 24, was viewed as a shoo-in for the rotation heading into the season. He is coming off a productive rookie campaign that only got better as the season progressed, and many expected him to have an improved sophomore year. After three games, he still hasn't received the opportunity to prove it.
From playing 16 minutes in the season opener to two minutes on Friday to a DNP-CD on Sunday, we have to wonder what Christie is doing with the sophomore guard. Sure, the Kings have a loaded backcourt with Monk and Sharp also competing for minutes, but we have to see Clifford play more.
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Karaban, the 23-year-old rookie, was expected to have somewhat of a role in the Kings' rotation this season. The franchise traded back into the first round of this summer's draft to select Karaban, but he has logged a total of five minutes through his first three games, including two DNP-CDs.
For a player who has a high basketball IQ, can shoot from deep, and at least tries on defense, why are the Kings not even trying to put Karaban on the floor? Are the Kings already regretting trading up to draft him? There are plenty of questions about what the Kings are thinking with both Karaban and Clifford, and it is hard to think of any viable answers.
Playing the wrong guy
Things would be a little different if the Kings had a real reason to keep Clifford and Karaban on the bench, but Christie played Daeqwon Plowden for 16 minutes on Sunday night, the second-most of any Sacramento reserve. No knock on Plowden, because he has had his moments where we see the vision, but it is hard to understand the decision to play him significant minutes while Clifford and Karaban rot on the bench.
Granted, Plowden is shooting 50% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, which helps keep him on the court, but it's not like Clifford or Karaban have had much of a chance to showcase their efficiency.
When the team is fully healthy, it will be even harder for Clifford and Karaban to earn their spot, which makes us wonder what the Kings have in store for these two players who are supposed to be key pieces of their young core.
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