De’Aaron Fox joined Draymond Green and Baron Davis on their podcast this week for an extended discussion about Fox’s career, his shoes, the Kings, and Fox’s future. Naturally, the comments about Fox’s next extension are getting the most attention, but I found a lot of the interview really entertaining and worth listening to. The full interview is available on YouTube, but here is the section everyone understandably wants to focus on:
Personally, I don’t take issue with Fox’s comments. It’s clear from both this section and the rest of the interview that Fox wants to succeed with the Sacramento Kings. Fox talks throughout the interview that he wants sustained success with the Kings, that he loves the city, that he loves the Beam, and loves hearing that other teams hate the Beam. I have zero issues with Fox holding the organization accountable for reaching a level of success before locking himself in for the remainder of his prime. And for anyone who wants to pin the blame on Fox for the team’s lack of success, I disagree, but Fox also openly discusses throughout the interview that he needs to continue improving, that the Kings defense is not good enough yet, and even talks about missing key free throws. I remain of the belief that Fox wants to stay here, but like us he wants this team to win more than they have. Immediately after saying he wants to see more from the team, he reiterates his love for the city and the community and that he would love to remain a King for his full career. If the Kings as a team can be better, Fox will stay. If they can’t, he’ll look at options. If I were Fox, I’d be approaching it the same way. I also remember that Giannis Antetokounmpo has held the Bucks feet to the fire more than once when he was eligible for an extension, and it spurned his team into making significant moves to improve the team.
For me, the most interesting part of the interview is the extended discussion around the Kings/Warriors playoff series. Fox rolls his eyes as Draymond blames Sabonis for their scuffle, and Draymond drags it out way too long making excuses and blaming anyone but himself, but later they get into the nitty gritty of the series. Draymond says the Kings were the better team, but the Warriors had the experience and the know-how that got them the series win. Draymond talks about the adjustments the Warriors had to make for the Kings game plan, as well as the attitude and intensity adjustments the Warriors had to make. As painful as it is to re-live that series, I always enjoy listening to players discuss the game-to-game adjustments and work that go into a series.
Overall, while I don’t generally want to listen to Draymond Green any more than I absolutely must, I did think this was a fun listen. Check it out if you haven’t already, and we can discuss it in the comments below.
See ya later alligator.
Basically he’s out. Can’t really say I blame him either.
Fox is putting pressure on Vivek on spending money. They could have used the MLE to outbid teams for the service of Naji Marshal or Derrick Jones Jr (big wings that we know we need); instead they chose to sit on it and spend veteran minimums on multiple guys.
Let’s see what Monte do this trade deadline and this upcoming offseason. They probably still tries to stay below the luxury tax this season so they will have the full MLE to spend in the offseason.
That’s how I see it too. Pressure on Vivek/Monte, which is exactly what I want from Fox. In the interview Fox talked about their lack of size and shot blocking when discussing their defense, and that was right after talking about how crucial defense is for any true title contender.
Agreed, and he definitely made it a point to say how much he loves the city. And it certainly is putting pressure on Monte and Vivek and MB. I’m just wondering do we really have the wiggle room to finagle meaningful roster improvement? I don’t know the nitty gritty of our cap situation so I’m really asking if that’s even feasible. And then also, if they make a move, will it be one that really makes an impact?
I keep hearing everyone talking about shooters, but I think we have plenty of shooters — they just haven’t been hitting shots. I think we need to address rebounding and physicality first, while not changing the flow of the offense. We consistently get outrebounded though and I think that might be the top issue. Rebounding also translates into positive +/- and defense. I don’t think any of the wings I keep hearing would significantly improve the team rebounding and most likely wouldn’t improve the defense either.
I think John Collins is the only one that rings all the bells. Rebounding, shooting, physicality, defense, passing, can even play small ball center. I’m not sure how the salary dynamics could work out at thus point or if they would be able to re-sign him and De’Aaron both, but I think he’s who we’ve needed all along. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad at a DDR-Collins trade and we might even be able to get a pick or two from them on top.
DDR to Miami, Duncan Robinson (Robinson has only a partial guarantee next year) and maybe something like Kelel Ware to Utah, Collins to Sac.
I really don’t see Monte moving DDR, but if there were a core “star” to move, I’d prefer it to be him.
As to Utah, Huerter and Lyles for Collins is still my preferred option, but I’d then want to start Collins next to Sabonis, slide Keegan to the 3, and bring DDR off the bench, but that’s unlikely to happen.
Let’s dream even bigger! Here’s my 4-team deal I just came up with and it works under the cap for all 4 teams:
Kings get:
Andrew Wiggins
Cam Johnson
Dariq Whitehead
Nets get:
Gary Payton II
Trey Lyles
Kevon Looney
Jonathan Kuminga
Heat get:
DeMar DeRozan
Kevin Huerter
Warriors get:
Jimmy Butler
Now, even though this works under the cap, I don’t know if the Warriors could actually do it because they’d be so close to their hard cap that they might not be able to even fill their open roster spots, but whatever, we’re just having some fun.
Kings add 2 wings with size. Brooklyn get expiring contracts and an inside track on Kuminga. Heat move off Butler without giving up on competing. Warriors go all in for another run with Steph and Draymond.
Here’s mine:
Kings get:
Gary Harris
Anthony Black
Tristan da Silva
Magic get:
Kevin Huerter
Colby Jones
Jordan McLaughlin
Kings get an expiring Harris and two prospects in Black and da Silva. Magic get much needed shooting help in Huerter for likely a deep playoff run.
Here’s mine
Nets get Huerter, Lyles, Colby Jones and Robinson 2 firsts and 2 seconds
Kings get Johnson Noah Clowney and Day Ron Sharpe
I would think that if Dennis Schroder cost the Warriors just a few 2nd round picks and an injured/expiring contract then Cam Johnson shouldn’t cost much more. 2 firsts is an awful lot to give up and the Nets have set their own bar.
I’d offer Huerter, Lyles and 2 seconds for Cam and Sharpe and see where it goes from there. Nets could always flip Lyles and Huerter, who both have value, at a later date for more.
Ok. Would you try and get Clowney flor say a first. IMO at 6’10’ and a lot of upside . Nets might want to keep him as their future but I would try.
Yeah, I don’t think he’s available.
Ok if we trade Huerter and Lyles that leaves Issac Jones as your backup PF. Do you think he can do the job? I like him but haven’t seen enough to make a rational decision.
The Kings are hard capped at the first apron due to the sign-and-trade acquisition of DeMar DeRozan. The first apron threshold is $178,132,000. The Kings cannot go over that no matter what this season. The Kings have total allocations currently of $172,229,541 according to Spotrac, so they have $5,902,549 in room to operate.
But there’s also the luxury tax to consider. That threshold is $170,814,000. The Kings can exceed that line, if Vivek is willing to pay the luxury tax. He would also be forgoing receiving a luxury tax payment. The penalties paid by tax teams get distributed among the non-taxpayers, which is a good chunk of money. Going into the luxury tax 3 out of 4 seasons also trigger repeater taxes which get even more punitive, so if the Kings did become a more legitimate title contender, the earlier they get into the tax the harder it will be to keep together down the road.
It’s also worth noting that if you pay the luxury tax, you end up with fewer tools available in free agency. The taxpayer MLE this season was $5.1 million, compared to the non-taxpayer MLE of $12.8 million. So there are legitimate reasons to avoid the luxury tax, but they also involve the assumption that you use those tools. This season the Kings have not used any of their MLE, and have not used the Bi-Annual Exception either.
Spotrac has the Kings currently sitting at $168,729,541 in Tax allocations (the salaries get totaled differently when it comes to what applies to the tax), so the Kings have $2,084,459 in wiggle room there.
This is a very long way to say that realistically, the Kings have about $2 million in room to operate in above their current payroll. The Kings are going to stay under the tax. I’d be STUNNED if they go over. Even if they went to the absolute max allowable number, it’s only about $4M in extra salary, so it’s not like avoiding the tax is keeping them from landing a major superstar this season. And spending that extra $4 million costs Vivek an extra $2 million in tax PLUS all the shared money he would lose out on it. It’s just not happening.
Yeah, I’m with you. There really is zero reason to go into the tax this season. If there were some final piece to this team to get it to a top 4 seed, then I could rationalize it, but it’s just not worth it with the way this roster is performing.
The hard cap is what’s really hurting the Kings right now. Since they have their full MLE, they could have traded a player into it, but now can only use what’s left under the first apron, which as you stated is just under $6M. That little money is not going to do much good in terms of roster improvement.
That’s another reason why I like DDR for Collins. I think their salaries match up pretty well, I believe DDR is like $27m and Collins is like $25m so could even save a little or put that savings together with the cap space and get another role player. I think Collins might only be signed through next year, whereas Demar has 2 years after this year. So that could be a drawback if we wouldn’t be able to sign both him and De’Aaron. But the extra year of DDR could also make it sweet enough for Utah to pull the deal.
Also the fit of Collins is just better I think. We would instantly go from an undersized team to a frontcourt with him, Keegan, and Sabonis where no player is under 6’9.” And then Keegan can guard the best player 1-3 where he can shine instead of having to guard fours and getting outmatched. And Collins gets buckets without needing to be a focal point, plus gives the desperately needed physicality, rebounding, and defense. Plus he’s damn near 40% from 3 so you don’t give up anything there either.
I feel like all the other options that have been mentioned are not physical enough, don’t rebound enough, don’t play enough defense, etc. I don’t think DFS or Gary Smith are really big time enough and certainly not Demar DeRozan caliber. Kuzma rebounds ok but he’s still kind of soft on defense and might want the ball in his hand too much.
I think it’s Collins and it’s always been Collins and it’s a shame they didn’t make it happen two years ago when he could be had for nothing.
All of that being said. The Kings still need size and defense. The money problem belongs to Vivek and Monte. They can still make moves for players that are obviously needed.
the core needs to show its worthy of trading future firsts for
Playing better and sustaining winning starts with Fox. He often takes quarters off, looks lazy at times, etc. Be the leader this team needs on the court. Look in the mirror and commit to being better from the start to the end of the game.
Saving up energy for clutch time wouldn’t be a thing if you hustled your ass off and dominated from the get go. Be better.
P.S.
I don’t blame Fox for the failures of this team. He is PART of the problem, not THE problem.
46 games from passing JT for the all time Sacramento lead. 55 games left in this season.
That’s a long time in Basketball Hell.
Cold world.
Welp, he makes it pretty darn clear that he wants to win, and it’s a factor as to why he didn’t sign an extension. The way I see it, the roster, as it’s currently constructed, is not going to “win” like Fox wants it to. The line has been drawn by Fox with the organization. Monte may have to swing for the fences (which worries me) or they may have to move Fox.
Monte can absolutely not go into summer, after not making the playoffs, with Fox’s possible extension hanging over their heads.
The trade deadline is less than 2 months away.
I mean, if any GM can sit on his hands while the rest of the world moves past him, it’s Monte McNair……
They can absolutely go into the summer with Fox’s extension unresolved. He’s still got a full additional season under contract. He can extend at any time. There is absolutely no reason they would need to trade him this season.
Well, put me in the camp that you don’t want to go in the final year of your cornerstone player’s contract, after you just missed the playoffs for the second time in a row, and he just stated on a podcast that didn’t sign an extension because he (and these are his words) “wants to see where the team is going.”
And he also said that if he sees something that makes him confident in where they’re going, then he signs tomorrow.
That would be great, but it hasn’t happened yet, which is why I stated the trade deadline is less than 2 months away. IMO, the pressure is mounting for Monte.
I feel if Fox doesn’t see something that makes him confident in the future, then going into summer after missing the playoffs yet again is a very risky situation for the franchise and Fox.
I’m with about the pressure being on Monte. I thought you meant they should trade Fox in the next two months, which is where I completely disagree.
No, I’m not saying they have to trade Fox, but I am saying it may come down to that if Monte doesn’t do anything else.
If nothing changes and the Kings once again miss the playoffs (which I currently feel is the most likely scenario that plays out) then the relationship between Fox and the front office may get very uncomfortable this summer.
If the Kings miss the playoffs again, I don’t think we’ll need to worry about Monte McNair handling the offseason.
That could very well be true, but doesn’t give me much confidence if Fox’s future either. Could be a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario. That goes for firing Brown as well.
Yup, and we know where this is likely headed.
Better to have control, act earlty and do calculated sales for assets then wait things out and let Fox and his agent dictate the terms.
I know nothing, but I think Brown goes under the bus and McNair gets another season, almost no matter what happens.
This front office is far too conservative. Sometimes you have to improve incrementally instead of waiting and waiting and waiting for a big move.
If Fox wants to be traded, it is most likely in the upcoming off-season right after he signs the extension. No need to worry about his trade value.
However, the thing about trading Fox is it does not address the systematic problem this team has. They are pretty much undersized at every position; point guard is the only position they are not. If Fox is traded, I’m pretty sure they will trade almost everyone else soon after (except Keegan, Carter and maybe Ellis).
I’m worried they trade away those players (Keegan, Ellis, Carter) for a “win now” move for someone like Jerami Grant or (puts palm to face) Kyle Kuzma.
Kuz’s value is pretty much cratered this season. You can probably have him for Huerter, Lyles and one 2nd rounder.
I don’t see Monte or Vivek wanting Grant. Too much money for Vivek’s taste or Monte’s cap sensibility.
Have some trust in Monte. He rarely takes risk. Not going to trade away his prized picks unless he is sure of the returing value.
Except for the pick that he gave away to get out of Holmes’ contract. And the pick that he traded for Huerter. And the pick that he attached to get out of Mitchell and Sasha’s deals. And various other 2nd round picks that they have sold.
But in Monte’s defense, he does not have a fantastic track record with the draft picks that he has kept. To this point, there is Keegan Murray, and um, er, uh… (He did snag Keon Ellis after the draft, to be fair).
Haha, those picks are not his prized picks though. He just does not seem to value late 1st round picks and below.
You think that he’ll have great trade value after he signs a Supermax? I have my doubts.
I don’t think he makes All NBA so he won’t qualify for the super max.
If he makes All NBA then the team must be heading for playoff, give him the supermax and continue to build the team around him and Sabonis.
Draymond Green seems like a selfish, childish clown, so I don’t want to listen to his podcast regardless of his basketball skill.
But to speak in general terms, I am totally okay with Fox putting pressure on the organization! That’s true even though I can see a path that involves dealing him for a reset! Ownership and the front office has proven arrogant and stubborn far beyond what’s been earned by their performance. The whole basketball universe can see the flaws in the roster (said flaws were apparently reiterated on the show).
Like Fox, I want the team from Sacramento to win. If the group that makes decisions is successful at that, great! If not, they should be called out for it, and pressure should be applied by those with leverage.
I just read the comments that Greg outlined. Draymond is a clown.
That’s why we call him Draymoron around these parts. Two years later not taking responsibility for stomping Domas is childish and clownish.
Draymond:Warriors
Beam:Kings
Kudos to Greg for listening to Mouth Breather blame everyone else.
Drone-on Green.
while I don’t generally want to listen to Draymond Green any more than I absolutely must – This
Find it tad weird how a week or so earlier he was calling Draymond a goof, for being one of the worst actors/whiners……’Draymond will clothesline you, then look at the ref like ‘what’d I do?’ Then wants to go hang with him on his podcast lol
He’s on a promotional tour – sell shoes! CurryFox1. He is being feetured on Draymond’s show (probably inroaded by Under Armour and Steph).
I think he should also sell other podiatric items: Focks Socks!™
De’Aaron’s the League’s fastest player: Racing Laces!
I believe that also for marketing purposes – playing the I love my team and the city (which he may – we do, after all) and the I’d like to see the team find ways to improve, and I want to improve – (no doubt also true) is just smart, and has little in the way of controversy, IMO.
If Sac can offer him a SuperMax – he’s taking it. Now – if they don’t perform well, it’s a lot more difficult to make those All-NBA squads, or DPoY which make those extra riches available. Winning is more than it’s own reward.
Do you want to offer him the Supermax and do you think we then have the financial flexibility to build a contender around him?
If he can carry this team to more wins – we can debate how much is “enough” – but let’s just say playoffs (6th in Wedtern Conf). Then win 4 or more games (Win 1st round) – he’ll go a long way towards justifying the SuperMax that Sacramento must give him. As I say above: if the Kings are 10th, he can likely kiss All-NBA goodbye.
He is on track to be the best player in the Sacramento era. Most games, points, steals, etc.
IMO – he is irreplaceable. In that a player of his caliber/talent is hard to get in a Sacramento jersey. He is in his prime currently. He can be better- I agree with Mike Brown’s push- he can be a superstar. I believe that. He can takeover games, consistently. He hasn’t, but the talent is there, IMO.
As for the money: It’s Jalen Brown money. Do you think if there was a Sac/Boston Fox for Brown trade, Sac would be better and Celtics worse?
I do not.
The money part is a management issue. Work your cap, collect your coaches and roster to formulate a winner based on your ownership and market. In terms of franchise value, Sacramento is not top 10. It is more difficult. But in the last five years, Denver and Milwaukee have rings. This season, Cleveland did little but add Kenny Atkinson and look like Championship contenders.
If De’Aaron Fox is eligible for the SuperMax, pay the man.
I’ve had this sort of argument before; rating our team and players against our own past is useless. We’re in competition with the rest of the league. Is Fox considered a top 25 player? Depends on the ratings,but hell be near the bottom of that list, if he makes it.
Nobody is untradeable or irreplacable.
If Vlade would have taken his head out of his ass and didn’t hate the guy’s dad, we would have a player who has consistently been a top 10 player in this league…
Yes, I would. Size matters (3 inches and 37 lbs.) and Boston’s defense is build around their switchability 1 to 5. Also, motor- and focus-wise, I think Brown is ahead of Fox. Probably BBIQ too.
Let me ask you differently; if Fox and Brown would have the same salary and length of contract, who would get a better return in a trade?
let’s do this:
Sacramento is in competition with the rest of the League. True dat. However, the Kings play in Sacramento. Do you believe that had the Kings drafted Wardell Stephon Curry or Giannis Antetokounmpo those individual players would be at their historical levels of dominance? If you do, I can’t agree. Judging Sacramento players in their relative peer groups is meaningful and the only method we have in judging those players – they are relative to the ownership, GM and Coaching in addition to the Association.
First, I clarify this as opinion and not an absolute. Of course, no one is irreplaceable. Even George Karl thinks so. And as you note: The full quote is:
IF Vlade… etc. Vlade was chosen by The dismissive little chap who continues as Governor of this franchise. That hasn’t changed. IF IF IF. No more frustrating combination of letters has ever existed.
Ah – this is the crux of our differences. The IF returns. I believe that the perceived worth/value/talent of Jaylen Brown and De’Aaron Fox hinge on their team success or failure. The legendary Bill Russell, for example, is the greatest not for his points/rebounds/blocks – Wilt Chamberlain’s statistics dwarf those (anybody’s) but for his 11 Championships in 13 seasons. His teams won. Wilt – not so much. I am proving your point, right? If De’Aaron Fox is so marvelous, why aren’t the Kings playoff regulars and Championship contenders.
I can’t argue that SwipaFox will have his bust in The Hall (maybe, right next to the guy who drafted him, Vlade) – that would be ridiculous. But I don’t see Jaylen Brown making Springfield either. And if we awoke tomorrow and it said Brown instead of McDermott on the #7 purple jersey, maybe the Kings would win more games, and maybe they wouldn’t. They both rank around the same on the MVP ladder, I suspect. There would be Earth movement, but no shattering, In My Opinion.
Joe Mazzulla would figure out how to adapt to De’Aaron Fox is all I can say on this.
Fun stuff to discuss. In Sum, Sacramento and De’Aaron Fox will, and in my opinion, should, head into the future together, SuperMax, Max extension, whatever. I hope it is with more wins than we are seeing now, and Fox’s paycheck, whether just plain enormous or OMG humongous, will reflect that outcome. Pay the man.
You recently commented that Fox is the type of player you build a contender around. Yet, here you say the lack of team success is not on Fox.
Can’t have it both ways. If Fox is someone you build a contender around – for 8 years mind you – then who else is to blame for the lack of team success?
We used to talk the same way about Cousins that we talk about Fox. Perhaps, Fox like Cousins, just isn’t a franchise player.
There is a lot of truth to that. Franchise players put their teams on their back and carry them to the playoffs. Whatever your personal opinions are of guys like Lillard, Butler, or even DeRozan, they have done that.
That said, even Dame & guys like Steph & even LeBron have flailed & failed when alone on an island in the West. You can put a bad team on your shoulders in the East. Not so in the West.
Didn’t they and Luka (and Harden) at least manage to win playoff series with equal or less support around them than Fox?
That’s true, but those first ballot hall of famers flailed and failed for no more than a season or two. Fox is currently 1-7 in just playoff appearances.
I don’t like to compare Fox to legends like Curry or LBJ, or even Lillard ,but if we are talking about franchise players, and max contracts, then a comparison may be warranted. I kind of feel like it’s comparing Steve Francis to Allen Iverson.
…and now that I’ve said that, I expect some blow back.
I don’t know. None of these guys were franchise players, until they were. Hell, Jokic wore the moniker of “not a franchise player” or “can’t be your best player” for years. Kawhi was a guy with that reputation, won a title, had the reputation shelved for a while, but eventually the conversation came full circle (due to lack of dependability).
Lost in these types of conversations is what the alternative is for an organization. I mean, the convo runs that there are just a small handful of players deserving of a max contract and/or being their team’s best player, and I think that this is a false narrative. The math just does not pencil out that maybe 8-10 teams pay a max contact (or more) while the other 20-22 “non-contenders” sell off to the contenders and all fight for the small shot at (for this next season) Cooper Flagg (and then pray that Flagg develops, and that you get lucky with enough other moves that he doesn’t eventually demand a trade and then you start all over again).
This roster is not an upper six roster in the West right now. I firmly believe that the issues on this roster lie in the margins and not at the top. That is, Fox (and Sabonis) are not the problems here. The problems are a glaring lack of talent at the 4, coupled with a lot of guards that cannot really play the 3 (especially defensively), which results in getting eaten alive on the wings. Additionally, Sabonis being selfless makes it easier to onboard DeRozan, but the net/net on that may not be a positive. In other words, DeRozan is an upgrade over Harrison Barnes when it comes to pure talent, but the fit is wonkier and it may result in you not getting the absolute most out of Domas (or Murray, for that matter). None of this has anything to do with De’Aaron Fox. And I think therein lies the concern that Fox has when it comes to the future of this permutation of the Sacramento Kings.
Well said.
The thing about building a team around a small guard is that you have to build with defense. Like the Warriors with Curry, the Cavs with Mitchell and Garland, and the Grizz with Ja Morant. They pair the small guards with 1st team All Defense caliber players (Draymond, Evan Mobley, or JJJ).
For us, we built with offense. When you build all-offense around a small guard, what usually result are one hit wonders (like one deep playoff run and done). Like Dame with the Blazers, Trae Young with the Hawks and “trending toward that” Haliburton with the Pacers.
Fox is different from those guys that he can play defense. We can still build a good defense around Fox and Sabonis. But time is ticking though.
Drafting Bagley severely hurt the rebuild. It would’ve been interesting if the Kings had drafted Luka or JJJ instead of Bagley.
Great take.
He doesn’t impact winning, he’s heading for another sub average ts% season and his defensive metrics have suffered. His spacing shooting has been back to bad this season
Brown has tried to motivate him for three years and he doesn’t have the innate motor – imprint – to play at a high level consistently
I’d move on
All I’ve seen from Greg is fandom, but no backing up as to why Fox isn’t responsible for the teams lack of success. Numbers wise or anything. The roster on paper is fine around him and Brown is a solid coach
Fox is Bradley Beal with worse shooting.
pretty sure the Wizards regretted signing him to his extension about 2 days after the ink was dry.
Hes a slightly above average player. Not an All Star, certainly not a franchise player. Fun to watch, but doesn’t scare other teams.
is it common for non all stars to be in the conversation for max / super max deals?
I’ve regularly discussed his 3 point shooting being part of the problem. And yet despite going from 36.9% from 3 down to 32.4% from 3, Fox is averaging essentially the same points per game as last season on essentially the same shots per game. He’s improved his 2p% after it dipped last year, something folks complained about last year. He improved his FT%, something we’ve complained about for years. Assists and rebounds are up from last year. And with his 3p% dropping he reduced his threes overall, and his overall FG% is up, as is his TS%.
I’m not here to absolve Fox of blame. He needs to be more consistent from 3 or take fewer of them. He needs to step up his energy and intensity earlier in games. He is capable of a higher level and he needs to get there more often. But I watch him lead this team in scoring and assists while also playing much improved defense. I see a lot of issues with this team that have nothing to do with Fox.
I think this team is lacking depth and the team’s shooters have been horribly unreliable this season. It baffles me that anyone watches this team and thinks Fox is the big problem.
Please don’t fandom.
No disagreement, just picking a nit:
Up from last year, but his TS% and AST% are down significantly from 2 years ago.
Fair! TS% I think is due to Fox still not attacking the rim like he did that year. He was getting more FTs and I’d love to see him get back to that style of play. I think Fox has developed his game to be less one-dimensional as a scorer but I wish he would utilize his best scoring dimension more often. I really think the injuries the last couple years made him scared to attack the rim as much.
I’m less concerned about assist%. Down from 29.6% last year to 26.3% this year, I don’t think that’s a massive decline and I think a slight decline makes sense within the context of this team this year. Fox has never been a pure distributor, and the Kings don’t ask him to be. A lot of his assists come from kicking out when the defense collapses on him, and this year the Kings have missed a ton of those open looks on kick outs. Domas, due to both other guys missing and due to less DHO and operating less from the high post, has seen his assist% drop from 33% last you to 25.4% this year. I don’t think Domas is playing worse or has become a less capable passer, there are just multiple factors that can impact that number.
If his defensive metrics are subpar and he is below league average ts%, his game is underwater
his scoring wasnt helping last year when it’s below average ts%
Fox has priorities and is playing his hand according to his priorities. Priority one is money. He did not sign the extension because he can earn more money signing later. Priority two is playing on a good team that will enable him to grow his brand by showcasing his success. He has peaked in Sacramento. If Sacramento does not raise the ceiling for him he is gone. Priority three is winning games and serious contention for rings. The ultimate goal is making money and winning.
A deal I would like to see happen is getting Draymond here. The culture and the lineup would greatly improve. Fox, Derozan, Murray, Green, and Sabonis is a lineup that many teams could not beat.
I don’t think that Draymond would improve the culture.
He is a competitor. This organization has not seen his level of competitive spirit in over 20 years.
Hoo boy, the injuries piling up again for tomorrow’s game.
They might be Upgraded!
If the kings let this go into the off season they will regret it. They need to figure this out at the deadline. Klutch sports and contract year value does not seem like a smart move.
you have 2 players with max value right that can bring you a load of draft picks and couple young players. They missed the opportunity after that play off season.
uh, we’re still rooting for the Kings to win, right? basketball game – root for your team to win, right?
or are we going to watch Doug McDermott try to stop both Lebron and AD on alternating possessions?
I don’t believe it’s a question of rooting for our Kings to win. It might be a question of when do the Kings and us fans realize when is the right time to root for change for success and progress. If the team keeps losing, then when is the tipping point for rooting for the change? Like many have said, we’re getting deeper into the season and it just doesn’t look promising. Frustrating for sure, but I’m riding with our Kings and Fox till the wheels fall off… or something like that. I know little
If Monte can get a couple of good bench players to help the starting five in playing time and production now not later then IMO they will be alright If he waits to the trade deadline it will be to late to vie for a playoff run and most teams have already traded for their respective teams the better players out their then it will cost him more rather than less.
You like the starting lineup the way it is? I still believe kings must of get that athletic PF, move Keegan to the SF his natural seeming position.. Who would you want them to get to shore up the bench?
If he makes All-NBA and the Kings offer that supermax bag, he is gonna stay.
Is that ideal if Fox gets a supermax BUT Kings fail to make playoffs let alone play-in?
Gotta trade him before that if they’re still mediocre of a team. If he stays, that’d be like waiving the white flag of being average for the next 5-10 years. Fox has put in 7years in Sac, I like to see players stick with the team that drafted them for at least 6-8years or so. Dame was a prime example of what loyalty to each other (organization and player) looks like. If it doesn’t happen after X amount of years then it’s probably not going to happen (especially in the Kings case where there’s never been any real traction of playoff runs)
Dame took them as far as they could go. At that point, try and find a compromising way to part ways IMO.
F Dreg-man. Stomps on a guy who’s laying on his back and takes zero accountability.
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