LeBron’s fourth-quarter run uncovers Kings’ early-season weakness originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Leave it to LeBron James to expose the Kings’ biggest weakness two games into the 2024-25 NBA season.
The 39-year-old superstar scored 16 points during the Lakers’ 21-0 fourth-quarter run, propelling Los Angeles to a thrilling 131-127 win over Sacramento on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.
In doing so, James not only proved his undeniable value in his 22nd NBA season, but also made it clear that the Kings’ glaring weakness early this season is defending.
The Kings’ defense scheme, which didn’t lack any physicality or tenacity last season, had no answers for James and Co. late down the stretch, especially in transition after giving up turnovers.
“We were just trying to get stops, you know,” Kings center Domantas Sabonis told reporters on Saturday. “LeBron was kind of LeBron. He went off.
“He did his thing, and we were careless with the ball on the other side instead of scoring or taking good shots. We had a couple of turnovers there that helped them make that run.”
Los Angeles won the rebounding duel 45-32 and offensively outrebounded Sacramento by eight. Sabonis, who ended the night with his first triple-double of the season, led the Kings with 12 rebounds, with guard De’Aaron Fox coming in second with five.
James finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, handing the Kings their first loss to the Lakers since Jan. 7, 2023, leaving Fox in awe of the future Hall of Famers’ dominant longevity, which he believes won’t be seen again.
“I mean, guys his age are playing at the rec,” Fox said. “Obviously what he’s done in this league throughout his entire career has been amazing. And what he’s doing right now, still, in Year 22, will probably never be replicated.”
Over the offseason, coach Mike Brown’s defensive structure was questioned, which ranked as high as No. 2 late last season.
Late into the preseason, Brown expressed concerns with Sacramento’s 3-point defense, which was a major deficiency in the Kings’ season-opening loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On the other hand, general manager Monte McNair, who bet offensively by signing DeMar Derozan, expressed no worries weeks earlier about his decision to not upgrade the defense over the offseason, pointing to the Kings’ defensive strides last season as a replicable formula.
Both Brown and McNair managed to retain a bulk of the roster behind Sacramento’s feared defense late last season. Perhaps it’s just a matter of time before the tides turn.
But so far, that’s not the case for the winless Kings, who, as James pointed out, have a glaring defensive problem that requires immediate attention.