"Continue to play the right way": Mike Brown suggests Kings will maintain top offensive momentum with an additional twist on horizon
Last season, the Sacramento Kings had the top offense in league in terms of offensive rating. Coach Mike Brown wants to maintain that level of play while also adding a new level to their identity.
With a young team led by speedy point guard De'Aaron Fox, the Kings have always been a squad centered around pace. The focus of their offense is getting out on the break early and attacking mistmatches in transition.
Brown told Sportskeeda's Mark Medina about what he wants to see from his team in 2024. The longtime coach loves the brand of basketball they've established but feels physicality is an area they can improve in.
“We understand our style of play is extremely fast. We want to continue on that path because that’s who we are. That’s what our personnel is built for, but we want to add a level of physicality as well. We want to continue to play the right way and to play together.
"Last year, we played fast, played together and played the right way. Now we want to add a level of physicality to our identity. If we obtain that, that will pay off huge dividends for us moving forward."
While the Kings have built an identity around playing fast, they are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of pace. Last season, they ranked 12th in the NBA.
Mike Brown wants to get the Sacramento Kings ready for postseason basketball
The reason why Mike Brown wants to see the Sacramento Kings play more physical is because how their season ended last year. He felt that the team wasn't ready for the level of physicality in the playoffs, which led to their downfall against the Golden State Warriors.
One thing that should help them add physicality to their identity is their star big men. When it comes to physical centers in the NBA, Domantas Sabonis is near the top of the list. If he can buy in to their new brand of basketball, it should trickle down through the rest of the team.
Part of why Sacramento wasn't ready in this regard is because they had never been there before. Despite being the No. 3 last season, they drew the wrong straw in terms of playoff matchup. Along with being inexperienced, they had to debut in the postseason against Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Now that they understand the physical and mental demands of playoff basketball, they will be more prepared as they look to get over the hump in 2024.