Way back when, in January of this year, the Kings caught a break and got a surprise four days off when their back-to-back road matchup in Memphis got postponed. The Kings took advantage of this surprise R&R to win six of their next seven games and we all thought this could finally be the year where the Kings turn the corner. Ah, yes, those were the days… the foolishly hopeful days. Fast forward to today and everything has pretty much gone up in flames once again and the Kings are dangling a fire hose of hope above us but still haven’t shown whether or not they’ll turn the water on. With just three games left, the Kings have to pay their dues back for that early time off. They had their first of two matchups against the 9th seeded Memphis Grizzlies tonight. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings lose, 116-110
Sacramento Kings: 110 PTS, 43.8% FG, 41.5% 3 PT, 64.3% FT, 33 AST, 10 TO
Memphis Grizzlies: 116 PTS, 50.0% FG, 33.3% 3 PT, 83.3% FT, 30 AST, 18 TO
Well, it looks like they broke the spigot and there’s no water coming, folks. The New York Knicks lobbed one up for the Kings tonight by completing a comeback win over the Spurs and the Kings let it slip right through their hands. At least we know our fate for certain now – no play-in, no hope, no fun. How does the saying go? “16th time is the charm”, right?
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
- Good Game: After two blowouts against the tanking Thunder, tonight’s matchup proved to be much more important to both teams. The Grizzlies are chasing the Warriors for the 8th seed and the Kings were fighting for their chance to join them in the play-in tournament. All of this made for a heightened sense of urgency on the court. Both teams locked in on defense down the stretch and created as much of a playoff atmosphere as these two small market teams could muster. Midway through the first quarter we saw baskets being traded and multiple lead changes. Both teams went on some significant runs through the middle stretch of the game, but things remained close for all four quarters. As familiar as this disappointment is, the quality of an important game has not been common for this Kings team. Until the Grizzlies pulled the rug out from under the Kings in the last few minutes, we at least got to enjoy 45 minutes of good basketball and wonderment.
The Bad:
- Matador Defense: In just the second defensive play of the game, we saw the Kings’ worst defensive habit from the night form. As Jaren Jackson Jr. attacked the right side of the basket and gained a step on his defender, Moe Harkless threw one hand over in attempt to help his teammate and got called for the foul. This became a common theme throughout the night as the Kings played matador defense by only halfway showing themselves on the help side and either letting the ball go by or committing a foul from being out of position. This lack of commitment to team defense gave the Grizzlies enough space for all five of their starters to finish in double digits.
- Third Quarter Nap: The Kings entered the third quarter up by one point and left it down by six. They seemed to have left their sense of urgency, intensity, and energy in the locker room and they couldn’t really find it again until the fourth quarter. With the exception of some strong Justin James minutes, the third quarter was the Kings’ worst stretch for the night as they got outworked and outscored by the Grizzlies.
The Ugly:
- Final Three Minutes: The Kings had an explosive fourth quarter as Justin James, Chimezie Metu, and Terence Davis all hit big shots to get the momentum back in the Kings’ favor. They found their motor again and it led them to a 6-point lead with three minutes remaining. Did you feel hopeful at this point? I don’t blame you if you did. Just a few minutes before, the Spurs’ loss was finalized, and things just felt like they were falling in line for the Kings. But then things just unraveled. A Justin James turnover, an ill-advised 3-point look from Buddy Hield, an airball from Chimezie Metu – it all turned so dark, so quickly. The Grizzlies went on a 10-0 run to finish the game. Goodbye hopes, goodbye dreams, goodbye 2021 season.
The King of Kings
Shining as brightly as his neon green shoes, tonight’s King of Kings goes to Justin James for having the game of his life, scoring 31 points on 12 made field goals. JJ skipped the leaps and bounds and went right to the flying when it comes to a breakout performance. He showed comfort, confidence, and even some snarling swagger on the court and it was just downright fun to watch him play.
Up Next
Friday, May 14th @ Memphis Grizzlies – 6:00 P.M. (PT)
Buddy’s Bumbling Turnovers. One of the worst contracts in the NBA. Kings are stuck with Buddy for at least 2 more years. Not One of the other 29 GM’s would be idiotic enough to trade for this guy. Not in a million years and 20 mil a year later.
Also, don’t look at Bogi’s stats over the last two months.
Please stop choosing the players with no IQ over these seasoned Europeans Vivek and FO.
Just think of all the extra time we’ll have on our hands now not having to be tortured 3 times a week.
I prefer spending my free time complaining about the Kings.
Mirann we’ll be expecting one of your Identity Makeover updates. ð
Going to (sadly) toot my horn that I knew Buddy’s contract was terrible the moment it was signed. Massive amounts of money for a streaky, garbage-IQ basketball player. Going to hinder the Kings unless we get rid of him.
Shit. Kings haven’t made the playoffs since I was fucking high school. MADE THE PLAYOFFS. Not won a championship. JUST PARTICIPATING IN A PLAYOFF GAME.
What the hell. Godspeed, fellow Kings fans. You’re all champs.
See what happens when you play and develop young role players that are fighting for their NBA jobs rather than playing overpaid vets who know they just come to SAC to collect big checks.
*Resigns Whiteside for the vet minimum*
SEE Y’ALL AROUND DRAFT TIME AWESOME THK COMMUNITY! ENJOY YOUR KANGZ-FREE SUMMER AND BE SAFE! ð¥ð¥ð¥ð»ð»ð»
SEE Y’ALL AROUND DRAFT TIME AWESOME THK COMMUNITY! ENJOY YOUR KANGZ-FREE SUMMER AND BE SAFE!
Yes, this is good
I was entertained for almost 2 hours…which is more than I can usually say in the third to last game of the season. Is that good?
Progress? I think it’s a step by step process.
That could’ve been a CATastrophe.
That cat reminds me of the Kings. Slamson’s little cousin isn’t taking this well.
Going DOWN the steps. Yep, that’s the Kings.
Pick one. The Kings playoff streak will end:
a) When the Kings finish a regular season in the top 8 in the Western Conference.
b) When the league expands the playoffs to include 12 teams in each conference.
C) When the NBA introduces relegation and after missing the playoffs in the G League for another 5 seasons to make an even 20 (Walton gets a 3 year extension to ease transition during relegation), the Kings are up and comers as the #3 seed in the G-League playoffs under coach Mark Jackson.
Unfortunately, I think Vivek would tout finishing as a top 5 team in a relegation league as a massive success.
Of course! They would be moving back up to the big league. It’s all about perspective ð
The Kangz will miss the playoffs even if the league expands to include 15 teams in each conference for the playoffs.
I honestly have no idea when they’ll finish in the top-8 at the end of the regular season. Five years ago I predicted on the old site that they’d make the playoffs in the 2021-2022 season because Vlade would have to have been fired at that point. So maybe next year they finally figure something out.
Not that it matters now, but this play-in counts as making the playoffs is bullshit.
So we’ll get the 10th seed next year, get our ass kicked in the first play-in game, and that will count as making the playoffs?
Anyway, nice losing season … again.
I think the previous discussion about this had the following conclusions:
Midway through the 2nd i decided to go listen to the A’s game while I mowed the lawn. I don’t regret that one bit.
I figured we had lost when I came in and heard Kayte praising James in the postgame.
Yea we watched Jeopardy and then track and field.
Kayte also griped about the negative stuff going down on her Twitter feed after the game. Boohoo. Be a little more critical. First world problems!
X15 & counting.
I was a freshman in high school the last time the Kings made the playoffs.
What’s actually hilarious is that in 69 years this will be true.
Nice.
So, we’ll now have to decide what to do with JJ on a very small sample size, don’t we?
I’m sure we’ll take the right decision.
Chatter I’m seeing is reworking the current contract to tear up the ’21 option in favor of a new 4/$90M deal
Looks like Justin visited Ike Diogu’s hot tub machine.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7LxOWAkLHYCyAusIosaDLYhZ5_sQ7v0kiodTFHty0YAqWf7b16ZUarAg1qETh94at2udLJt_CSh2CnscfHHusFo5d33_c-MmJqF63I1eONd1CwA-uZi1WUj_7Cc2Rowx
I joked about the Ike Diogu part of the season the other day in which we fantasize about end of the bench players looking really good right now. In all seriousness, I’m not sure any of the Kings we saw play last night will be on the next Kings playoff team.
Yes, I remember. I thought that was brilliant and a perfect description of what we are seeing right now.
“This year it’s different!”
As ever:
Officially 15 straight seasons without making the playoffs. Tied for the NBA record. Only fitting that we break the record next year. Under Vivek’s continued stewardship, this goal shall be easily attained.
8 years since that douche took over the team and we are no closer to the playoffs or anything meaningful.
I’m wondering, can Vivek manage to break the record by himself? Like can he go his first 15 years owning the team without a playoff appearance? At this point I don’t think it can be ruled out. We’re already in unprecedented territory and his meddling has shown no signs of abating.
Does hope really die though if you never had it to begin with? 😉
^ Digital billboard! ^
Failure 2.0. The cutting edge. 2 minutes behind.
The idiocy and ego have been world class. Thanks Vivek
Telephone call 3.0 style!
I haven’t had hope for this year’s team at all and I’m still let down
Hooray, watch us get pick 15 in the lottery too
You know who really impressed me tonight? Louis Guy. I think he could be a keeper. I know it’s a small sample size, but he showed a lot of promise.
Don’t you mean Kyle King?
Not sure if you watched the game but I was clowning on Kyle Draper butchering his name like 6 times last night.
Can we change the logo on our jerseys to say “Losing Guys”?
Yes, I gonna agree with what you said. Louis King played decent in limited time, but not enough info about his defense, his offense seems good.
I agree he is a keeper.
King Louis once sang –
/revision/latest?cb=20150917044516

“Now I’m the king of the swingers
King’s play-in MVP
Never reached the top, Vivek just stopped
And that’s what botherin’ me
I wanna make the playoffs, mancub
And stroll right into town
And be just like those other teams
I’m tired of monkeyin’ around!
Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you…”
We loved it when Vivek said he only surrounds his himself with people smarter than him. Unfortunately we didn’t realize he was not quite as smart as clumping cat litter.
Yeah, and that he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
Three times is his absolute minimum.
Two seconds ahead.
15 years and counting!
Damn.
This is the only Sac Kings championship I’ll see in my lifetime. I know this to be true.
I thought I had read somewhere that some of the higher ups (Vivek) were actually pushing Malone and the coaching staff to win the summer league championship, and this was around when Malone’s relationship with ownership and the front office was souring because they were trying to hire an assistant coach too.
Only two games left until McNair announces he fire Luke Walton.
Or he can fire him on the 2nd to the last game to humiliate him for such terrible job he’s done and give fans some emotional compensation for the last 15 years of agony
Firing Walton is the MINIMUM he can do. And tell Vivek to fuck off with his meddling.
Listen to Amick’s interview yesterday on KHTK to find out that will never happen.
Was that word he used “malleable” or “pliable?” Something like that.
“Malleable”…brutal.
Shaped in His (Vivek’s) image.
From your lips to no one’s ears.
W O W
Are praising Vivek’s idiotic moves and elevate mediocrity written in the job description when people sign on for a job in this kangz organization?
The propaganda machine for having Walton back next season is running at full steam, I see.
Of course, these guys playing hard for a next contract or bonuses or even pride had nothing to do with it. It mainly speaks volumes about Walton, right?
Also, the absurd hapiness of people with the Kings are over the lowest of tresholds by playing hard for a stretch during which many other teams are already set for their play-offs spot or high draft pick.
Shouldn’t playing hard be a given? Or does that only apply when you are coached by guys like Spoelstra, Pop and Thibodeau?
Happy fans is not an absurdity.
It started about a week ago or so.
He is coming back, so buckle up.
Oh god, here we go. I could care less if players like or trust or care about Walton. That obviously has nothing to do with actual winning.
What a fucked up organization. Trying to convince us/themselves Walton doesn’t have the record he has. Ignoring his inability to coach D or at all,
The Kings are bad. Couldn’t even get to the 10. Bottom feeders. Worst D in league-historically bad. How the Fuck could you possibly believe this is the path forward.
“We’re nearly there! All we need is continuity! We were ravaged by injuries.” Etc.
It wasn’t just the injuries. It was COVID and the Russians and I’m sure Tulsi Gabbard had some role in the collapse of the Kings.
Wasn’t there a trip to India too?
Is there a single person working for Kings media that’s worth taking seriously? Kozimor maybe?
I like Kyle and Koz, I’ve never gotten the sense they’re water carriers.
And Koz hated Peaches at least as much as we do, so he’s got that going for him…
I didn’t realize Mark “In his bag” Jones was that desperate for a job with the Kings next year.
Yeah, the poor guy was halfway down and out.
He loves our farm-to-knife Butter-Jam-Jelly
Shillers be shillin’
Real World: Sacramento kings have the longest playoff futility streak and the worst defense in league history.
Mark Jones: PUT ON YOUR BUBBLE SUIT DOUG BECAUSE THESE KINGS ARE RUNNING THROUGH WALLS FOR COACH WALTON!
I’d honestly be more inclined to bring Walton back had the team legitimately tanked this season. I don’t like tanking at all but at a certain point this season it was obviously our best move. But nope. Not even after De’Aaron caught the ‘Rona and all signs pointed to bowing out gracefully, nah. That was exactly the right time for this team to start trying.
There’s zero feel goods to this season. Especially if Walton comes back next year.
Yep. This is the result when Walton actually tries (as he has for 5 years as a crappy HC!) You get historically bad defense when Walton is trying as hard as he can to win!
3.4 worse DRtg than the OKC Thunder, who have won 2 of their last 27 games! He couldn’t conjure a better defense than a team that deliberately played G leaguers in order to lose games!
Pugnacious?
Pack your bags Luke!
I had so much hope going onto this game that I watch all of the last five minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the NBA kept the play-in around so a few additional crappy teams, like the Kings, can have their TV network team hawk the crappy product right up until the end of the season (Source: 2020-2021 Sacramento Kings).
Grizzlies have everything to play for in the next game. Kings not so much.
I think it has no seeding implications for Memphis. They play the dubs last game of the season. Winner of that game gets an 8 seed.
8th seed would only need win 1 game. 9th has to win two.
I think either has to win one out of two, right? Maybe I’m misunderstanding how it works – I didn’t pay a ton of attention, since it was pretty obvious the Kings weren’t getting there.
7 v 8 – winner is in with the 7th seed. Loser plays against the winner of 9 v 10 for the 8th seed.
So 7 and 8 only need to win 1 game. 9 or 10 would have to win 2.
Ah, thanks.
Your Sacramento Kings: The “Larry Air” of the NBA.
I appreciate the handful of you that made mention of basketball in your comments.
Alternately, I appreciate the throngs that mention anything but Kangz basketball.
I generally agree, although in a game summary, I kind of like a little basketball talk.
After 15 years (8 Vivek) of the same mishigas, I sure get why this community would want to broaden its conversation.
The team gacked up a 0-12 run to close the game and nail the last nail in its coffin last night. Many of the comments in this thread are related (or at least adjacent) to that. Given the shitnanigans of this organization, I sure understand why some fans might be more focused on the macro than the performances of James and Metu.
In fairness ,the Maloofs also were owners during 7 of the Kings winning seasons ! Vivek is zero to date !
I love when Gavin pulls the fake phone call move for pictures!
The Maloofs fucked up because of the subprime mortgage crisis. Vivek Ruindive fucks up with money in hand. Unbelievably horrible incompetence.
And if you ever heard them talk, it was clear they weren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer.
I just threw up in my mouth seeing that meme
We need a basketball team to talk about basketball.
Hard to expect much focus on a meaningless, garbage-time NBA game when the bigger story is that the Kings were officially eliminated from the playoffs AGAIN.
I appreciate that TKH is not the “Let’s Cater to Andy Sims Blog!”
😉
So does this mean Luke has not been talking with the trainers until now?
He’ll have to watch the tape.
http://www.careshop.co.uk/2195-thickbox_default/blenderm-surgical-tape-125cmx457m.jpg
Apparently, he doesn’t watch the games while they are being played.
Wait I thought he said he talk with McNair daily? They haven’t already talked about the inevitability from his ineptitude?
The thing I hate abt this game is we could have seen 25-30 games straight with monster minutes from those guys who played so hard last night: Metu, Wright, James, Jones, Harkless, etc., plus had assets and cap space going into next season from the trades of Barnes, Holmes and/or Hield (and yes, I am making the assumptions those players, esp. Barnes and Holmes, were tradeable for a decent return at the deadline).
Instead our franchise is run by idiots who thought they had the goods to make a playoff run that everyone else in the room could see was a mirage. So, here we are, shaking our heads at another bad decision by our front office that has left us in another bad situation going into another season.
The front office never learns. I remember hoping and praying the Kings would trade a disgruntled Rudy Gay, after they had already let IT go for a box of rocks. They chose to hang on to him and he hurt himself less than a month before the deadline. He walked in the summer to the Spurs and the Kings got nothing for him.
It would not surprise me one bit if Holmes signs somewhere else.
Wouldn’t you?
The Grizzlies had as much if not more to play for than the Kings. I wish them good fortune in getting the number 8 seed.
This was tweeted last night, but the ESPN article in the tweet is old, right?
Yes, I believe this was from the article by Arnovitz, 2017.
Is DeMarcus Cousins or the Sacramento Kings the real problem? (espn.com)
So is it officially time to talk about the best part of being a Kings fan, which is the lottery and draft?
Without a jump, the Kings are currently in trade-the-pick territory for me.
If its outside the top 10, I’m with you. Trade the pick and maybe try to pry someone maybe like a Sabonis. Or do the Vlade special and trade the pick for multiple firsts.
I don’t see the Pacers trading Sabonis. Certainly not for as little as a late lottery pick. But I think there are multiple approaches to trading the pick that could make sense. Though I would put that decision point at closer to 7. I’m not especially enamored of the Johnson(s), Moody, Kispert, Bouknight, types that are usually populating that 7-10 range.
Yeah, that would be surprising. Sabonis is young, productive and on a longer-term, value contract.
Agreed. I’m more interested on the prospects between the 14th to late 20’s such as Asperen Sengun, Zaire Williams, Josh Christopher, or even a BJ Boston.
They would not trade Sabonis for Fox !
I think hope would have to have been alive at some point for it to be dead now. I don’t think there was ever a point in this season when I thought they were going to make the playoffs or even the play-in.
Badge Legend