Kings Rookie Maxime Raynaud Gets Honest After Blowout Loss

With starting center Domantas Sabonis out with a ribcage injury, the Kings were forced to play with even less of a presence in the paint than usual. Hartenstein took advantage, scoring a career-high 33 points to go along with 19 rebounds. Drew Eubanks, filling in for Sabonis, grabbed just one rebound in almost 24 minutes on the floor. 

One of the lone bright spots for the Kings on the night was rookie center Maxime Raynaud, who scored 8 points and grabbed 10 rebounds (4 offensive) in 23 minutes off the bench. Those totals for the game exceeded what Raynaud had contributed for the entire season coming into the game, as he had played just 30 minutes in three appearances prior to Friday night.

After the game, the rookie was at the podium to answer questions from the media. When asked what changed for the Kings between the first and second quarters, Raynaud said, “Obviously, we had a couple of defensive breakdowns. They made shots.” 

That may sound like an overly simplistic explanation of what went wrong for the Kings, but it perfectly encapsulates the core issue that this team faces night in and night out: an inability to play effective team defense for any significant stretch of time, much less for an entire game. 

Raynaud exhibited some admirable, if a bit irrational, confidence in his next statement. Referring back to the Kings’ 101-107 loss in Oklahoma City on October 28, Raynaud said, “I think we were there for 3 and a half quarters last time we played them on the road, so it’s a team that we can beat.” While technically true, many fans may take issue with that outlook after watching the Thunder’s dismantling of the Kings on Friday. 

When asked what aspect of the game has presented him with the biggest learning curve thus far, Raynaud answered plainly. “I mean, everything really. Physicality, speed of the game, being able to get to the next play.”  

The rookie continued, “Obviously, we have 82 games and it’s not even been 10 and it already feels like a full college season. So, being able to take care of your body, being able to play with a high level of confidence, and being able to understand how you can help the team…so that’s a lot of things that you have to take in and figure out.”

Unfortunately, it isn’t just Raynaud who has things to take in and figure out. The rest of the roster and the entire coaching staff do as well, and Sacramento looks for a rotation - or even a lineup - that can slow their opponents down for crucial segments of games. As of right now, they simply do not have it. 

The Kings will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.