The Sacramento Kings‘ season tipped off last night, as they visited the Los Angeles Clippers on Opening Night. Originally, the game against the Clippers was marked as one that could be competitive for the Kings, but instead they were defeated by a wide 25-point margin. A big part of the reason was simply a lack of available players and a major lack of size due to injuries suffered during the preseason.
Sacramento’s Major Hurdle
While injuries are a major part of sports, generally they can be overcome if they’re spread out across different positions and different times. Instead, the Kings were hit with a number of injuries all at once that impacted the same spots in the lineup. As reported by James Ham, the Kings’ injury report for their opening night was extensive.
Point guards Malik Monk (left ankle soreness) and Ben Simmons (Achilles – out for season), were both absent from the lineup leaving Darrius Acuff Jr to fill a much bigger role than the team would’ve liked. As a result, Acuff had a disappointing debut which could lead to long-term implications if he doesn’t bounce back quickly.
Then, both of the Kings’ depth centers were also out of the lineup. Dylan Cardwell (left calf strain) and Maxime Raynaud (right patella subluxation) both suffered injuries in preseason that avoided the worst-case scenario, but their absences left the Kings with a severe lack of size in their front court. While their starting center, Domantas Sabonis, was in the lineup, he was the only player on the roster with a height greater than 6-foot-8. As a result, the Clippers were granted a major size advantage and they used it.
Looking Forward
It seems that Malik Monk will be the first injured player ready to go, as he was listed as questionable heading into the opening matchup in Los Angeles. Whether or not he’ll be able to play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night in the Kings’ home opener at the Golden 1 Center remains to be seen though.
Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud on the other hand, are expected to be re-evaluated in the near future based on the timeline given in the Kings’ original health updates on the duo. With that being said, their injuries were a bit more severe and re-evaluation doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be ready to go before the end of the month.
With Ben Simmons out for the season, the Kings may consider looking for another point guard option to help out Acuff, but it’s likely not necessary as Monk and Nique Clifford should be good enough to hold down the fort since the Kings aren’t expected to make waves this season anyway.
The Sacramento Kings’ 2026-27 season wasn’t projected to be a good one for the organization well before the opening tipoff, but as the offseason and preseason progressed, it seemed to come with even less optimism. The main questions remaining now center around just how badly this season could end up being for the Beam Team and only time will tell.
Kings Start Season With Abundance of Major Injuries