Kings Putting Emphasis on Key Stat for 2024-25 Season

The Sacramento Kings are altering their philosophy ahead of this NBA season.

Feb 14, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings shook up their roster this offseason by adding six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan but didn’t have a huge turnover from last year to this. That means little tweaks to offensive and defensive schemes will be key with multiple returning players this season.

One of those changes appears to be crashing the glass and going for more offensive rebounds.

Domantas Sabonis talks about the Sacramento Kings' new emphasis on offensive rebounding. pic.twitter.com/OuxTge29qm

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) October 7, 2024

The Kings were middle of the pack last season with 10.8 offensive rebounds per game, good for 12th in the league. 

Domantas Sabonis mentioned that the Kings altered their philosophy at the end of last season to go for more offensive boards. While the specific timeline is unknown, over the last 16 games the Kings averaged 12.3 offensive rebounds per game.

While the Kings were 12th in the league in offensive rebounds per game, they finished ninth with 14.6 second-chance points per contest, putting their second looks to good use. Like their offensive rebounds, their putback points jumped to 16.4 over the final 16 games of the season.

For reference, the New York Knicks led the league with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game and the Utah Jazz led the league with 16.5 second-chance points per contest. The difference at the end of the season may seem slight, but it puts them in the upper echelon of teams in both stats.

Sabonis mentioned the numbers; points per possession are higher after an offensive rebound. The Kings averaged 1.16 points per possession last season, but on the second chance opportunities, that number rose to 1.27. Again, it seems minimal, but the numbers add up over a game. and especially a season.

Sacramento is highly emphasizing offensive rebounding this season.

Mike Brown spoke on the impact that could have on their game.

It’s not about just getting the oreb, but even just getting a hand on the ball and tipping it. pic.twitter.com/flLWzb6IpL

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 7, 2024

The key will be finding a balance between crashing the glass and getting back in transition, something the Kings excelled in last year. They were second in the league allowing just 11.8 fastbreak points per game, and most importantly, that number dropped to 11.4 for the final 16 games of the season.

They proved that they have the ability to go for more second-chance opportunities while continuing to get back in transition.

With the roster loaded with stars, Mike Brown is looking for ways that role players can make big impacts. Crashing the glass appears to be leading the way. Sacramento showed it at the end of last season that the change to the scheme can work, and now prepare for a full season of taking advantage of extra opportunities.

---

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!