Kings’ Mogbo Wants To Set Defensive Tone in G League

Jonathan Mogbo enters his third season on a two-way deal with the Sacramento Kings and wants to set the tone in the G League.

Mogbo said he wants to get his teammates going with his defensive intensity, whether it's rebounds, blocks or steals, at Stockon Kings media day on Saturday.

The 24-year-old impressed in the preseason, showcasing his defensive strengths. He averaged 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in four games, including a preseason best of 10 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 13 and five steals against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 10.

Sacramento has struggled on defense over the past several seasons. It finished with the third-worst defensive rating in NBA history and allowed 121 points per game, the fourth-worst.

A lack of perimeter defense and a shot-blocking center have compounded each other. Keegan Murray has been forced to guard shifty guards on the perimeter, and Domantas Sabonis has faced pressure to block shots, which they aren't elite at.

Mogbo isn't the greatest at either, but makes a concerted effort to fight through screens and contest shots. His activity in the passing lanes, paired with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, makes it easy for him to pick off lazy passes.

He was a spark plug off the bench in the preseason, and should Sacramento struggle with the injury bug, coach Doug Christie can rely on him.

Christie played him eight minutes in the road opener loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

The 2024 second-round pick had a strong summer league and preseason, earning recognition that the team should promote him to a standard deal.

Mogbo opened the Las Vegas Summer League with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the Kings’ victory over the Clippers. He also had a steal and a block to go with his totals.

Sacramento nailed one of its two-way signings this season. In 2024, Mogbo appeared in 63 games, averaging 6.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, while giving the Toronto Raptors athleticism and defensive intensity.

With a logjam group of wings on the roster, Mogbo's minutes decreased, as he averaged less than seven per game, seeing the floor in very limited spurts.

Now, he'll likely be a starter in the G League while he waits for the parent team to call him up during the season. Stockton opens the season against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Nov. 7 at Adventist Health Arena.