"I can't deny, the defense is frustrating me," stated George Karl following practice on Tuesday.
Sacramento has lost three-consecutive contests and seven of its last eight while allowing an average of 114.7 points per game.
"We put a little stress on our defense with our bad offense at times," continued the Kings coach.
Although the team ranks 12th in the League in scoring (101 ppg), it falls to 30th on assists per game (19.9) and ranks near the bottom in both turnovers and opponent turnovers.
GameTime: George Karl
When asked what the Kings can do to improve over the final 16 games, Coach Karl stressed several key areas of emphasis as well as a revelation he's had since his return to the sidelines.
"I would say our ball pressure (needs to improve). We are allowing the ball to find the open man too easily. We are not controlling the ball in pick and roll situations (and we) are always in a help-and-recovery type of defense.
"The League is getting really good at (forcing) you into help-and-recovery situations. There are probably 10-15 teams now that play the way we want to (eventually) play."
The insight from Coach is intriguing as you look toward next season. Increased ball pressure and an improved pick-and-roll defensive strategy will probably be big end of season and offseason focuses for the Kings coaching staff.
Check out the complete interview with Coach George Karl following Tuesday's practice: