Kings Star Duo Rank Top 3 in Defensive Stats

Most NBA media outlets make incorrect assumptions about the Sacramento Kingsthinking they are one bad defensive team.

THE improvements made by Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray have individually done phenomenal things on that side of the ball, but Sacramento’s defensive talent goes beyond that.

Domantas Sabonis is widely recognized for his awesome gamerebounds and physicality, but people criticize his defense way too much. While Sabonis doesn’t get many blocks and isn’t the biggest shot influencer, he still gets it done in the post.

BBall Index gave a list of the ten most impactful defenders in the NBA, placing Sabonis in third place.

Sabonis is ranked ahead of some of the league’s best shot blockers, but his best defensive ability is becoming a brick wall in the post. Sure, the Kings could use a more impactful shot blocker at times, but in the grand scheme of things, Sabonis’ interior defense gets the job done.

Another underrated defender in Sacramento is Sabonis’ star counterpart, De’Aaron Fox. The flamboyant point guard is one of the most talented offensive players in the NBA, but his defense is largely overlooked.

BBall Index compiled the top ten pickpockets in the league, with Fox ranking second in stealing the ball from the opposing point guard.

This statistic is not as surprising as Sabonis’ ranking, since Fox was tied with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the most steals per game (2.0) in the NBA last season.

Fox’s quick hands led to plenty of transition baskets for Sacramento, and his ability to get stops on defense isn’t talked about enough when discussing the Kings’ underrated defense.

The defensive improvements Fox has shown have been incredible, and putting him next to Keon Ellis in the backcourt going forward would pose problems for opposing guards.

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook And Twitter.

Ssubscribe on YouTube for Kings news videos and live podcasts!