After hiring a new general manager, Scott Perry, and officially naming Doug Christie as head coach, the Sacramento Kings are aiming to begin a fresh chapter in their basketball journey.
Last offseason, the Kings went all-in by acquiring DeMar DeRozan via a sign-and-trade deal. Unfortunately, the 2024-25 NBA season ended in major disappointment, with the team being knocked out in the Play-In Tournament for the second year in a row.
Now, under new leadership, the Kings appear to be charting a different course, learning from past missteps as they prepare for the 2025-26 season.
The Kings are using the Pistons’ model for success
Just a year after managing only 14 wins, the Detroit Pistons surged to 44 victories and came just two games shy of advancing past the New York Knicks in a playoff series — marking the sixth-largest single-season turnaround in NBA history.
But this leap wasn’t the result of chasing immediate success. Instead, it stemmed from the solid, long-term foundation laid the previous offseason. As the season approached, GM Trajan Langdon emphasized the importance of focusing on process over results.
“I don’t think the goal for us is wins and losses,” Langdon said at media day. “We want to win as many games as possible, but it’s about building a team that embodies a true Detroit Pistons identity.”
Langdon made it clear the Pistons were done with shortcuts. His vision was to create something sustainable — and that focus naturally translated into on-court success.
This context makes a recent press conference featuring Kings GM Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie especially encouraging. Echoing Langdon’s approach, Perry expressed a similar long-term vision.
“I think this year is really about establishing an identity… and a foundation of what it means to be a Sacramento Kings basketball player,” Perry said to the media.
For a Kings fanbase weary of quick fixes and short-term gambles, this message is a welcome change. It signals the possibility of real, lasting progress — and, with any luck, a future full of wins and brightly lit beams in Sacramento.