From the Kings:
Kings forward Kevin Huerter was fouled at the 5:25 mark of the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, December 14, taking a hit to his left shoulder. Imaging revealed a minor AC joint sprain. He will be listed as day to day moving forward.
The AC joint is part of the shoulder and, yes, the left shoulder is the same shoulder Huerter injured last season and had to have surgery to repair. Listing Huerter as day to day indicates this probably isn’t too serious, and I’d be willing to guess some of it might be an abundance of caution given the previous injury history of that shoulder.
The Kings next play on Monday, facing off against the Denver Nuggets. They’ll then have another 2 days off before playing the Los Angeles Lakers. Hopefully the extra days off will minimize the number of games Huerter misses.
We’ll hope Kevin has a speedy recovery.
This team has 5-7 good players, so ay injury to one of them isn’t good.
Any word on Lyles’ timeline?
I’d put it at 4 good players so far this season, but potato/potatoe
The current 5 starters have been good. Keegan a bit inconsistent offensively, bit the defense and rebounding has been solid.
Huerter and Ellis have been fairly inconsistent. They don’t get much else from the bench players. They need quality depth, but I don’t know if they can get that through trades.
Are the Grizzlies and Pelicans a couple of those teams that are “built for injury”?
Tomorrow Dec 15 the trade season officially starts, and Kevin Huerter has been a fan castoff for trade since his disappointing play last season.
His injury shouldn’t influence that much, but it might- who knows? Having the other injured trade piece (fan-wise), Trey Lyles also makes this a bit worrisome.
Trading an injured player is always a worry – though they have to pass the physical or the trade is not completed but has to sour the deal.
In other injury news – terrible shame to see Sixers rookie, Jared McCain with a knee injury (lateral meniscus) that may have him out for an extended period (listed as indefinitely). he was just named Rookie of the Month for the Eastern Conference. Hope he recovers fully and soon.
Yeah, horrible for McCain. I wish him, Huerter and Lyles a speedy recovery.
OT: did anyone else enjoy the defensive intensity and battle for each rebound in the OKC-Houston game?
Yes, I did! For the bit of the game I saw. Both teams! It was marvelous.
Yeah “marvelous” is on the money. I enjoyed every minute of it.
As Sengun adds weight and gets stronger, he will be a real force. I loved his feistiness.
Speaking of injury news…any word on the progress of the Kings draft pick…Carter had been cleared for practice a few weeks back with another official update in January.
Had same injury as Huerter who was gone 8-9 months. That would put Carter in position for January on court work and a February play-date. Maybe.
He had better be good- and worth the 2 thirds season lost. McCain and Knect have both looked pretty good and Kings passed on both.
Considering 2/3rds of a season is about 1% of the entire history that the NBA has ever existed then drafting Carter was not worth it unless he is a near all-star.
Very Kangzian move by the team’s draft authority to make this pick when the team is hinging on 20-years without a playoff win. Im not sure that there are many teams that would have been dumb enough to draft Carter when you look at lost player development time of your most prized rookie, not to mention the lost revenue of fans that like to come to ballgames just to see their highest-picked rookie play ball.
But yeah lets just keep not talking about Carter and pretend there’s nothing to talk about here while Sac journalists play gatekeeper of the franchise instead of offering some true investigative coverage.
passed on McCain, Knect and Tristen Da Silva.
Better be good and worth it- Monte said “drafted for the long haul”
OKC drafted Topic and he will not play at all this year
Meow we’re talking!
Everything I’ve seen indicates he’s still on track. I’d expect an update in the next few weeks. He’ll still need to work through returning to full contact, working up to 5 on 5, etc, and then he’ll need time to actually practice with the team. I’ve had it in my head since the start that he’d probably see actual game action after the All Star break because then he’d have had some time to get some real practices in, but we’ll have to wait and see. It could be sooner than that. The good news is we haven’t heard reports of any setbacks or delays.
Trade deadline. Started today. Unusual for trades to occur first day. Nets desperate to lose games and get cap space. Poor Jordi. Shroeder to duds. They gave up and expiring deal on a hurt guy and got a guy with a year on contract but will play.
Rumor is that Kings are being conservative and think this roster is good enough- for the most part anyway.
I am really not sure of that- if Kings had beat Pels by 40, then ok but a 2 point win, while a win, just reveals a lack of fire.
If Kings are convinced Carter is a player, then while different than Hueter, I would let Huerter’s shooting go and go get C. Johnson. Nets want to trade. Lyles would have to go as well and Nets might like his expiring deal.
Kings would be thin on bench- Dougie, Jae, C. Jones and I. Jones do not bring fear to opponents.
I suspect that the bunched up West teams will all try to make moves. Musical chairs.
Huerter and Lyles are not the only Kings players available for a trade. There are many other players available for a trade. Two injured players that have underperformed when healthy are not likely trade targets for other teams.
Technically, all 15 are available but DS, Fox, Monk, Keegan and DDR will not be traded. Ellis has a very team friendly deal. Teams may “target” them but they are not going anywhere
Jae and Dougie are only valuable as throw ins and have to wait before they can be moved
Robinson, Len, C and I Jones and J-Mac will not bring much value except a deal fillers.
That leaves Lyles and Huerter as the only assets that will bring value unless tons of future picks are included. Salaries still have to match
In your opinion yes. Who you say will not go anywhere is a possible scenario but not at all definite.
In my opinion the league views Lyles expiring deal as a throw in to make a larger deal work in the mid season. Huerter is an asset but not what he was. I do not think he will return what is needed for this team.
Your opinion and my opinion matter very little in the NBA trade world. I am just pointing out that Huerter and Lyles are the fan favorites to be traded. These two players are not the actual NBA business side favorites to be traded.
We must not forget that this is the Kings and they may decide to ride this roster for the next five years without any changes.
I’ve come to expect little from Monte.
I am still trying to understand the thought process of going after DDR. And if it is mostly based on the simple and flawed premise of “better (35 year old) talent beats fit” then I have little hopes for this franchise, because that may be true for a lottery team, not for building a contender.
There seems to be a whiff of desperation surrounding his recent moves (DDR, Dougie and Crowder) that seems to match Brown’s attempts to find workable rotations.
I see these moves as potentially placating ownership. The “do something!” imperative being fulfilled at low cost / low investment.
Could be but I am not sure.
I know ownership is our favorite scapegoat, but earlier in his tenure Monte said in an interview (and I am paraphrasing) that he is staying disciplined and looking for bargains.
So it can totally be that he whiffed on other deals due to his “discipline” and just saw DDR as a bargain.
But when it was clear he hadn’t filled the holes with his deals, Monte started pressing and brought in basement bargain deals like McDermot and Crowder.
I’m beginning to think this is the case. Monte cleared cap space with the Toronto deal between the first and seconds rounds of the draft then sat on that space a full week before the S&T for DeRozan. I too am wondering if it was a “settled on” move as opposed to planned on move. I’ve mentioned that it now reminds of of Vlade clearing cap space in the infamous Philly deal in hopes of landing some free agent fire power, only to whiff in free agency and “settling” on Rajon Rando. Both Rando and DeRozan are flashy names that turn heads, but really don’t fill the “fit” category.
Yeah, makes sense.
I have my issues with Monte, but comparing him with Vlade “what is a stretch provision?” Divac makes me cringe.
I think its entirely too early to even think of comparing Monte with Vlade as GMs. One brought some actual front office history and experience to the job.
Its hard to know what is happening during these perceived “whiffs.” A patient fan understands it takes 2 to tango a trade, so have we “whiffed” if the other team doesn’t accept our offer? Especially if they’re asking for the one asset we refuse to part with, whatever that may be? I don’t think so. You pivot, until you find something that works within your framework.
My biggest problem is that their framework appears to be small ball. Its very Daryl Morey, and I can’t stand it. 3 out of Monte’s 4 picks have been guards. And I’m surprised we didn’t end up with Ivey, honestly but its absolutely why we didn’t draft a guy like Knect.
But to compare the experiences of having Monte at the helm to Vlade is ridiculous. Monte, again, is at least a bona fide GM making bona fide GM deals, whether you like how fast he moves or not.
Hoping the large gap between games makes the number of games missed minimal. When Huerter is on this team is difficult to beat. When Huerter is on our bench is shallow enough. Without Huerter the real challenge becomes the instant decline in quality of play at the seventh man.
I’m not sure I understand. You just stated above that “two injured players that have underperformed when healthy are not likely trade targets for other teams,” but then just stated that “when Huerter is on this team is difficult to beat.”
How can Huerter have little value on the trade market, but when he is on the Kings are hard to beat?
To that end, I think the league knows the kind of players Lyles and Huerter are. They are seasoned vets that have value. Huerter is a proven shooter and Lyles is a solid rotation man on an expiring deal. I’m sure there are teams that would value them.
When Huerter is on this team is difficult to beat. He has been off more than on this year. He just came off a long term injury and this is his second injury after that. Streaky and injured players are not a highly desired asset. I want Huerter to get back to his averages consistently.
Lyles has not been a solid rotation player this year and has also come off of a long term injury only to be injured again. Underperforming and injured is the best description of Lyles this year. Lyles being average is barely cutting it anywhere at this point.
Both players have value and are assets. What they were means very little. The current reality of what they are matters most. If we look at what players were then getting Crowder is the steal of the century.
They are not the trade assets that will return the players that are needed to improve this team. A trade is a two or three way deal. The deal must benefit parties other than the Kings.
Nets are trying to tank. That’s why they traded an 18 ppg player for one out for the year (Melton). Melton has value to them because he can’t play and his contract is ff the books end of this year and they icked up 2 second round picks
Would they value Huerter plus and expiring Lyles + a pick for C. Johnson?
Lyles has value because he can lower next years cap for someone. Robinson, Len and J Mac the same
Trades these days are as much about the salary cap leverage as about the talent level
Over paying for Cam Johnson does nothing for the Kings. The Kings need to benefit from the deal as well. Brooklyn may see salary cap value in Lyles knowing his contract is gone next season. It is unlikely Brooklyn sees Huerter as a player they want to obtain and keep for a few years as part of a rebuild. He has not shown he can play consistently from a statistical and an injury stand point.
We will see what happens. It is likely that both you and I are surprised by what does or does not happen.
Would love to do that deal if the Nets go for it, and if it works trade-machine-wise. I can see the Nets asking for more since C Johnson appears to be the current front- runner for prized trade targets.
Cam is Huerter.
Why give up Huerter, Lyles, and a pick for Huerter named Cam?
where’s Mr. Miyagi when we need him?
Waxing off somewhere, most likely.
that doesn’t sound very poetic
It’s poetry in motion.
I hope Jae Crowder has been working on his conditioning. I see a steady diet of Dougie Buckets with a side of Chowder on the menu.
If Dougie rains 3s like he did against Utah then G1C is going to lose it’s mind.
I can totally see Brown looking down his bench for Huerter, but then remembers he’s hurt. He instead signals to Dougie McBuckets while avoiding eye contract with Keon Ellis.
So let it be written…
Interesting posts including a chart which looks at points off made spot-up threes vs. allowed points off spot-up threes per game.
The Kings are dead last. Live by the 2, die by the 3.
https://x.com/HPbasketball/status/1868701392195694950
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/6Pxri/1/
Kings entire B-ball ops reaction
Thanks for this all too graphic representation of what aggravates my acid reflux.
YIKES that is as bad or worse as I think we all assumed.
Badge Legend