The Kings are off to a historic start to the 2022-23 NBA season, posting an 11-9 record that's the franchise's best through the first 20 games since 2004-05.
And on defense, they're just getting started -- with All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis playing a pivotal role.
Morgan Ragan, NBC Sports California Kings pregame/postgame host, broke down just how valuable Sabonis has been on defense.
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SIGN UP HERE Coming into Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento is ranked No. 22 in the NBA with a 114.0 defensive rating.
But over the Kings' last five games, the team has posted a defensive rating of 109.8, which would rank seventh in the league.
After Sacramento's 137-114 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, coach Mike Brown said his team's performance was their "most complete defensive game" yet. The coach lauded his squad for not only executing their defensive responsibilities but communicating on the floor as they did so.
And while second-year pro Davion Mitchell's on-ball defense -- arguably among the best in the league -- has been a highlight to the Kings' season so far, Sabonis' ability to serve as a defensive anchor in the middle has been just as important.
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In 32.2 minutes per game this season, Sabonis' defensive rating of 111.6 is Sacramento's second-best behind Terence Davis (110.1, 13.3 mpg).
Sabonis' latest effort, a near triple-double against the Pacers, showed just how valuable he is on both sides of the floor.
And even though the 7-foot-1 forward only arrived in Sacramento less than a year ago via trade, Sabonis' communication skills on defense have helped him build trust with his teammates.
That vocal and physical presence has allowed Sabonis to evolve into more than just a big who protects the rim and blocks shots. Not only is he contesting shots with his presence alone, but the 26-year-old gets better every day with his active feet hedging on screens and verticality at the rim.
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Sabonis' fundamentals on defense are solid, and he has finished that prowess off with one of the best defensive rebounding percentages in the league.
At 8.8 defensive rebounds per game, Sabonis ranks seventh in the NBA.
As the Kings look to build on their solid start to the season and end their 16-year NBA playoff drought, it's clear they have a defensive anchor in Sabonis.