The Sacramento Kings will begin their regular season campaign significantly shorthanded after losing a second starter to injury during the preseason. All-Star center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain that will keep him off the court for the team’s opening games. This development comes as a substantial blow to a team already adjusting to the absence of forward Keegan Murray.

Sabonis suffered the injury during an October 15th preseason contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. Medical imaging confirmed the damage as a Grade 1 hamstring strain, representing the mildest form of this type of injury. The Kings organization announced the big man will be re-evaluated on October 25th, effectively ruling him out for at least the first two games of the regular season.

Sacramento opens its schedule Wednesday night in Phoenix before hosting Utah for its home opener on Friday.

The three-time NBA rebounding champion joins Murray on the sidelines, creating significant frontcourt challenges for coach Doug Christie. Murray recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and will miss several weeks. Domantas Sabonis averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6 assists per game last season while leading the league in rebounds for the third consecutive year.

With both Sabonis and Murray sidelined, new head coach Doug Christie faces early-season lineup challenges. The Kings are expected to rely on Dario Saric, Drew Eubanks, and Isaac Jones to fill the frontcourt gaps in the short term.

This injury reshapes Sacramento’s early-season plans and tests its roster depth before the campaign even properly begins. The team now faces the challenging task of navigating their opening games without their primary interior presence and rebounding force.

Moreover, the Kings’ trouble doesn’t stop here, with the regular season knocking doors, analysts are expressing their doubts with Sacramento’s current roster, about which let’s discuss further.

Insiders double down with a harsh reality check for the Kings

The Sacramento Kings have finally secured veteran guard Russell Westbrook, ending months of speculation by signing the former MVP to bolster their backcourt. However, this addition has prompted NBA analysts to deliver a sobering evaluation of Sacramento’s overall roster construction and prospects.

The consensus suggests the team faces significant challenges in the competitive Western Conference.

Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor immediately expressed concerns about the team’s composition, telling ESPN’s Bobby Marks, “Bobby, I’ll tell you what, when I look at the Kings roster, I just see a bunch of weird, ill-fitting names together. The roster feels like a big mess to me.”

Marks agreed with this assessment, stating bluntly, “I don’t think they’ll make the play-in.” He described Westbrook as “must-see TV in itself because of the roller coaster ride of Russell Westbrook” but questioned the overall fit.

Marks acknowledged individual talent, noting “there are a lot of guys I would like on my team, but not together.” He specifically mentioned Domantas Sabonis, DeRozan, and Schroder as players he’d want on his team separately, but expressed doubts about their collective compatibility.

The situation is complicated by Keegan Murray’s absence, with Marks estimating the forward won’t return until around Thanksgiving. Westbrook is expected to come off the bench rather than start, continuing the role he’s embraced in recent seasons.

Despite coach Doug Christie’s emphasis on defense, analysts believe the roster leans heavily toward offensive firepower without cohesive defensive identity. Marks concluded that Sacramento is “at best, contending for a playoff spot” in a challenging Western Conference landscape.