Brown, McDermott praise the reliability of the Kings bench in the middle of Monk’s absence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan nursing injuries, is on the Kings bench to step up.
The unit did just that in Sacramento’s 127-104 win on Wednesday night over the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center, powered by remarkable offensive performances from Jordan McLaughlin, Trey Lyles and defensive contributions from Keon Ellis.
Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s practice, coach Mike Brown noted that the expectation for his bench is to continue to deliver solid performances.
“Yeah, both of those guys were big for us,” Brown told reporters. “Even Keon was big for us coming off the bench.
“He didn’t score like the other two guys did, but he gave us versatility on the defensive end of the floor that helped a lot in a lot of different ways. Our bench needs to continue to step up and do what they’re good at doing and make our starter’s jobs a lot easier.”
Entering Wednesday’s loss, the Kings’ bench posted a lackluster start to the 2024-25 NBA season. That, however, had to quickly change when DeRozan became unavailable to Brown and Co. after halftime due to a lower back strain.
McLaughlin and Lyles understood the task and turned in their best performances this season, combining for 24 points and six rebounds. McLaughlin, who logged a season-high 15 minutes on the floor, scored 11 of the 24 points, while Lyles, who averaged just 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds before Wednesday’s game, made three 3s on five attempts.
Overall, not only a positive sign for Brown, but also motivation for Sacramento role players such as forward Doug McDermott.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” McDermott told reporters. “Jordan had a great night last night, kind of running the show off the bench. Keon was great too. I’ve got to step up. I’ve got to play better and shoot better, just keep being aggressive.
“When your number is called, you have to be ready. Obviously, we know we have a huge chunk now, so we have to step up. It’s a joint committee, not just one guy.”
With Kings sixth man Monk out for at least two weeks with an ankle injury and the severity of DeRozan’s injury still unconfirmed, the consensus in the Sacramento locker room is that all players — including those on the bench — will need to make their presence felt. .
At the end of the day, as starting guard Kevin Huerter alluded to, it’s part of the job description.
“It’s great,” Huerter said on the bench after stepping up. “Those guys are definitely capable. I thought Jordan played very well. He has played very well in the past opportunities he has been given.
“That’s great. Keon looks good. Everyone knows this is the NBA: Guys are going to come out. It’s a long season, and everyone has to be ready to play.”
