The Sacramento Kings ended their five-year run with general manager Monte McNair, appointing the experienced and well-respected Scott Perry as his successor.
Perry addressed the media for the first time in his new role during a 30-minute introductory press conference. The session was packed with valuable insights, but one particular comment stood out above all the rest.
Perry states the obvious about the team’s roster
During his media session, Scott Perry acknowledged that the Kings’ roster lacks sufficient ball-handling, length, and athleticism. This observation didn’t come as a surprise—these issues have been apparent all season. Despite the team’s talent on paper, the flaws in the roster construction have been a recurring talking point throughout the year.
When De’Aaron Fox was traded, I was hopeful Malik Monk could step into the lead guard role. He’s one of the league’s most underrated passers, and I thought he might be able to bridge that gap. But as the season played out, it became clear that was overly optimistic. Monk’s passing is impressive, no doubt, but his game is best suited to being a dynamic, spark-plug playmaker off the bench—not the primary initiator of an offense.
As for the roster’s lack of length, that’s been a recurring issue, especially with Domantas Sabonis anchoring the center spot. While he’s a skilled offensive hub, his presence alone can limit the overall size and athleticism of the lineup. Outside of Sabonis, the only rotation players with real size on the wing or forward spots were Keegan Murray and Trey Lyles. In today’s NBA, that’s just not enough.
These shortcomings were obvious long before Scott Perry arrived, so while it’s good that he’s already identified them, it’s not exactly groundbreaking. Recognizing the problem is the easy part—addressing it is what will truly test Perry’s ability.
What’s particularly interesting is that Perry didn’t mention spacing as a key issue, even though the Kings ranked just 24th in three-point attempts and 19th in percentage last season. There are a few ways they could address that internally: Keegan Murray regaining his rookie-year shooting form, or Sabonis becoming more willing to shoot from beyond the arc. But realistically, they’ll need to bring in more shooting—ideally players who also bring size and versatility on defense.
All in all, Perry seems genuinely excited about the opportunity in Sacramento, and that’s encouraging. He’s stepping into a situation with plenty of challenges, but if he can successfully address these roster gaps, the Kings might finally find some consistency—and maybe even take a real step forward.