Breaking Down Kings' Lineup Ahead of Mavericks' Late December Matchup

The Kings come into the matchup against Dallas with a 13-19 record.

Keenan Womack | Dec 30, 2024

Dec 28, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) dribbles the basketball during the first half against Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

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On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks travel to Sacramento to take on the 13-19 Kings, a team that has been disappointing relative to expectations this season. A franchise that just fired their head coach Mike Brown, former Kings guard Doug Christie has taken over, and despite the team's star power, they are a group in flux at the moment.

Their biggest star is point guard De'Aaron Fox, who is sixth in the NBA in scoring at the moment with 26.3 points per game. He also adds 6.3 assists, which is good for 18th in the league, meaning his a truly versatile lead initiator who adds a ton of value, especially as a slasher and playmaker. His back-court mate is Malik Monk, with whom he was teammates at Kentucky in college. Monk is putting up 15.8 points and 4.8 assists as well, making them one of the more dynamic backcourts in the NBA despite the team's struggles.

Their offseason addition, wing DeMar DeRozan, currently ranks second on the team in points at 20.9 per game, connecting on 48.9% of his shots from the field this season, though he is just 29.8% on three-pointers. He also adds 3.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, so he contributes in multiple facets on the offensive end.

Keegan Murray holds down the power forward spot and has had trouble with efficiency and defense this year. He's shooting just 41.6% from the field and 29.1% from deep, meaning he is not the stretch four that they would like for him to be for this roster. Despite these flaws, he is valuable in that he is second on the team in rebounds at 7.4 per game, giving him a role in the starting lineup.

Center Domantas Sabonis is another star for this team, averaging 20.9 points, 13.5 points, and 6.1 assists per game. His rebounding total has him ranked second in the NBA in this category, and his ability to facilitate from the post makes him an extremely important part of this roster.

The bench will feature Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, Keon Ellis, and Jae Crowder as the other players who average double-digit minutes. They have a tight rotation with only nine players averaging more than 10 minutes per game. Considering Dallas is down several players for tonight, including Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Naji Marshall, and possibly Dereck Lively II, they will have to rely on bench players to make up the deficit.

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Published Dec 30, 2024

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.