After starting the season with six consecutive losses, the Sacramento Kings finally picked up their first win on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, but they quickly went back to their old ways. On Wednesday night, they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-103.

Luka Doncic led the way for Los Angeles with a 40-point outburst, and the Kings did not have enough firepower to keep up. Still, they put up a valiant fight, but it just wasn't enough.

As the Kings fall to 1-7, it is much easier to focus on individual performances, rather than the disaster this team has quickly become. After Wednesday's loss, let's take a look at which Kings players are trending up and who is trending down:

Riser: Darius Acuff Jr.

Obviously, Darius Acuff Jr.'s ascension has been the highlight of Sacramento's disappointing season, and he continued to shine in Wednesday's loss. Acuff Jr. has been on a historic stretch over the past few games, but in this loss, he had a bit of an off night.

Acuff Jr. had an inefficient night, shooting 8-24 from the field and 3-11 from beyond the arc, but we should be impressed that he still put together a strong performance. In a battle against Doncic, Acuff Jr. held his own, finishing with 22 points and 12 assists.

Regardless of how cold Acuff Jr. is, he continues to look like Sacramento's most capable player on offense. He makes good reads, finds his spots, sets up his teammates, and rarely takes bad shots. Sure, plenty of people are criticizing his high usage, but this Kings offense would be lost without him. It continues to become clear how valuable he is to this franchise.

Riser: Dylan Cardwell

Dylan Cardwell finally made his season debut after missing the first seven games with a calf strain, and he did not disappoint. The Kings missed Cardwell's defense, rebounding, and energy, and he stepped up on Wednesday night, even in limited spurts.

Cardwell finished with four points and six rebounds (four offensive) in 13 minutes of action, and he quickly reminded everyone what the Kings have been missing in his absence. The Kings finally have a true backup center, and as he gets adjusted to game action, he should continue to make a positive impact.

Dylan Cardwell is back with a bang 💥 pic.twitter.com/3CFE6tmalL

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 5, 2026

Cardwell was the only player on the Kings to finish with a positive plus/minus (+4) in Wednesday's 13-point loss, and we can see why.

Riser: Leaky Black

The Kings' biggest surprise this season has been Leaky Black. They signed him to a two-way contract a week before the start of the regular season, and he has quickly made more of an impact than expected.

Doug Christie has obvious trust in Black, as he has played 49 total minutes over the last two games, and he was actually a main reason why they were able to earn their first win of the season against the Mavericks.

Doug Christie on Leaky Black: "He's an NBA player."

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) November 5, 2026

In Wednesday's loss, Black finished with three points and six rebounds, but provided energy and a defensive presence to help the Kings' second unit. He did not have as strong a performance as he did in Monday's win, but he has been pleasantly surprising so far.

Faller: Malik Monk

Malik Monk had a rough start to the season, but finally found his footing in Monday's win over the Mavericks. He had 24 points and seven assists in their lone win, and that is exactly what they need from him.

In Wednesday's loss, though, he was back to being the Monk we saw in his first five appearances of the season. Monk was really bad for the first three quarters, with just four points on 2-11 shooting from the field and 0-5 from deep. Fortunately, he caught fire in the fourth quarter with nine points on 3-3 shooting from beyond the arc, but the Kings need him to be more consistent.

Malik Monk heating up in the fourth 🔥 pic.twitter.com/y7OVZJpwE1

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 5, 2026

It is hard to excuse Monk's poor three quarters because he found his rhythm in the fourth. He is the lone veteran in the second unit and needs to be a steady playmaker for this struggling Kings team. Until he puts together some more consistent performances, it is hard to imagine Monk being the high-impact guard the Kings need him to be.