The Sacramento Kings' big change to their starting 5 reeks of desperation

The Sacramento Kings made a big change to their starting 5 and it reeks of desperation from a team that is scrambling for answers.

It's been anything but a strong start to the season for the Sacramento Kings. At 9-12, the Kings are currently sitting outside the top 10 in the Western Conference standings and are quickly losing ground. In the past few weeks, it seems as if things have gotten progressively worse for the Kings. They're just 1-6 in their past seven games and 4-9 in their last 13 games. Even after the big move for DeMar DeRozan during the offseason, the Kings look like a team that has lost its way.

In an attempt to try and solve some of the team's issues, the Kings have made the desperate move of inserting Malik Monk into the starting lineup. As one of the premier sixth men in the league, this move is quite telling. In many ways, the Kings believed that there was no other option as they looked for a spark. At the same time, this also has to be considered a desperate move, especially at this point in the year.

In his first start, Monk did perform well. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Still, he didn't bring the spark the Kings had hoped as the team still fell to the San Antonio Spurs at home.

The Sacramento Kings continue to search for answers

As the Kings continue to search for answers, it's hard to blame them for the decision to shake up their starting 5. However, this is one of those moves that will be almost impossible to reverse. The fact that the Kings lost after the bold decision makes it look even more desperate. But, then again, this is where the Kings currently find themselves - as a team desperately looking for a spark that could alter the trajectory of their season.

If there's any good news for the Kings, it's the fact that they're not all that far off from being in the mix in the West. Despite a 9-12 record, the Kings surprisingly have a positive net rating. They also have a top-10 ranked offensive rating. Eight of the team's 12 losses have come by single digits and seven of them by five points or less. The team hasn't been able to win close games this season and it's catching up to the team.

This early in the season, it would be foolish to give up on the Kings. However, the fact that they're already resorting to desperate moves is not a good sign for where this team is. There is clearly at least a tiny bit of panic taking place behind the scenes and it's certainly something to keep a close eye on as we get deeper and deeper into the regular season.