Merry day after Christmas, beautiful people! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day with loved ones. And just as quickly as the Christmas magic comes to an end, so does the Doug Christie era in Sacramento. Alvin Gentry made his return to the helm for the Sacramento Kings tonight as they looked to hold off Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Terence Davis, and Louis Kings also rejoined the cavalry from the health & safety protocols holding cell. The Kings aimed to extend the Grizzlies’ losing stretch, while also stunting their own. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outome: Kings lose, 127-102
Sacramento Kings: 102 pts, 42.0% fg, 34.5% 3 pt, 88.9% ft, 22 ast, 38 reb, 18 to
Memphis Grizzlies: 127 pts, 47.0% fg, 30.0% 3 pt, 80.0% ft, 34 ast, 53 reb, 11 to
It was fun for about 28 minutes, and then it was torture for the rest of it. De’Aaron Fox had a dunk in the third quarter that brought the entire city of Sacramento down, but unfortunately, that included the Sacramento Kings’ ability to play the game of basketball as well. The Grizzlies made halftime adjustments, found their rhythm and chemistry, and left the Kings in the rear view mirror for the rest of the second half.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good
- Inside Out Action: When the Kings were hanging around in the first half, they found a lot of success on the offensive end with quick ball movement and inside out action. the Grizzlies were scrappy in the paint all night long, collapsing on any Kings’ drives, and getting their hands on the ball whenever they could. The Kings countered this collapsing defense by whipping the ball to the perimeter when things got congested and finding open shooters. Harrison Barnes benefitted from this ball movement by hitting 3-4 from deep in the first half.
The Bad
- Rusty Returns: The Kings had more depth to go to tonight with the returns of De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, and Terence Davis. Richaun Holmes also entered tonight’s game as just his second night back since his eye injury. However, aside from Terence Davis, who finished with 15 points off the bench, we saw some rust coming off these guys. Fox struggled from the field, scoring just 12 points, while Richaun Holmes struggled to even stay on the court logging five fouls in just 13 minutes. Bagley contributed a quiet three points in 10 minutes. Against this gritty Grizzlies team, the Kings just needed more positive contributions from their main guys. Hopefully more time back on the court will help this team find their chemistry again.
- Big Bully JJJ: Jaren Jackson Jr. was a BIG problem for the Kings tonight. He finished with 21 points on 10-13 from the free throw line. Jackson bullied the Kings’ bigs inside all night long, getting both Richaun Holmes and Damian Jones into foul trouble and forcing Tristan Thompson to enter the game in the third quarter. Thompson was not agile enough to provide enough resistance against Ja Morant on the defensive end as he came off of on ball screens, and Morant took advantage by scoring 12 of his 18 in the second half.
The Ugly
- That Deadly Third: It’s a tale as old as time. The Kings were able to keep up in the first half of this game, but once halftime adjustments are made, they were unable to respond accordingly. The Grizzlies put up a 40-piece on the Kings in the third quarter and ultimately exposed the Kings for who they really are. The Grizzlies worked out their miscues from the first half and began capitalizing on every defensive breakdown from the Kings by making the extra pass for easy buckets. The Kings, on the other hand, continued to get small flashes of individual effort, but failed to ever find a consistent team rhythm. Good teams figure out how to play together, while bad teams try to piece together individual plays. Typically, good teams will win, and tonight was no different.
The King of Kings
Tonight’s King of Kings crown goes to Moe Harkless for providing consistent defensive efforts all night long. He gave multiple efforts on the defensive end, providing help side coverage, and finishing with three blocks. Moe also contributed eight points on 3-4 from the field, fulfilling the responsibilities of his role nicely.
Up Next
Tuesday, December 28th vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 7:00 P.M. (PT)
Season. Over. Blow it up!!
Has a team ever fired an interim coach and named an interim-interim coach?
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe that is why Gentry isn’t pulling any punches? He figures the worst they can do is fire him, with pay included, which would only make Kings brass look all the more stupid.
I’ve been wondering if Gentry would ever quit? To quote the great Danny Glover, “I’m too old for this sh!t”
I think I say that every day at work these days.
How many coaches are on the Kangz payroll but are not coaching? Has any team ever done that?
Currently only Walton. All the others have already fallen off the books.
Likely Gentry next year. He has respect for himself. He won’t do this again.
How about Vlade and Peja?
I thought that Vlade’s premature extension was until the 22-23 season.
And he didn’t really resign , so either they baught him out or he still gets paid.
Guess we”ll find out
One advantage of Christie’s short stint as head coach is that he got to show that he, too, sucks. Now it will harder be (or, at least, it *should* be harder) for Vivek to roll him out as next HC.
I guarantee that Vivek thought DC did outstanding in his stint. V is probably pushing for the Gentry firing today.
The unintentional tank continues! This org must come to terms with how hopelessly shitty they currently are. Wholesale changes needed, and please give up on that pursuit of a play-in bid.
Two superstars solves everything, which I’ve given up hoping for. I’ll take the shit sandwich and laugh instead.
The tanking Thunder roll in tomorrow with the same record as these losers.
I just came to read the buddy hate comments
Buddy Chuckets you mean?
Buddy Yield.
oh I thought you were referring to Dummy Hield
Airball Field
Also, let’s look on the bright side. Kayte’s love for Teetee marches on undaunted!
Kings fans and media week one: I watch players on defense. I have clipped this play. Watch Mitchell close out.
Kings fans and media for 6 weeks: We need to play better defense. I won’t say who, but some players need to try harder. My ability to explain with video abruptly stopped 6 weeks ago
2 things:
1) is Vivek tired of owning a loser franchise and will he try to make it a winner?
2) is monte tired of watching this garbage and will he do anything about it or is he going to keep sitting on his ass and get paid?
No.
Yes.
Carl, you seem to be sure that Monte will actually make a move. From what I have seen from him so far…I’m not seeing any moves…
That was “Yes” to the last part of your second question! I hope McNair makes a move, and think he’s going to have to make a move or he’s going to lose his job, basically having done not much more than cash checks. But all we’ve seen from him for a year plus is nothing, so it’s not unreasonable to think that’s what we’ll keep seeing.
I think ultimately he does *something* because how bad does it look to sit in a GM job for two years for a hapless franchise with a bad roster put together by the worst front office executive possibly in the modern history of professional sports, do nothing with that roster and then get fired? I mean, even when you work for the worst (or second worst?) owner in the NBA, it isn’t a good career move, not to mention having some minimum level of pride in your work.
McNair hasn’t done anything to make me believe a deal to help this current season will happen. I see a dumpster sale happening after the season is lost. At this rate, it’ll be soon.
Monte does what Vivek let’s him do.
100%. Vivek is the problem.
Is it wrong that I was happy that Vivek’s family was sitting courtside with him to witness the disaster that their father built?
Did any of them vomit?
Re-sign Buddy Hield!
50 year deal!!!!!!!
Well, that sucked pretty bad.
Nice arena tho
My favorite parts of this season is stuff like Kyle Draper reacting to a Kings 3 that cuts the deficit to 17 like he’s announced a pick six to end a Super Bowl in overtime followed by Kayte commenting like a non-plused Vulcan. It’s pretty high concept they make no attempt to blend their styles as Fox and Heild don’t run and/or execute the team’s defense.
If you don’t like that..,you don’t like KangZ basketballz
So true. My favorite Draper line this year when Metu shot from the corner and hit the side of the backboard, and Draper, “wow! I didn’t know Chimezie had that in his game!!”
Kings are just wishing everyone a Merry Kangzmas!
When the Kings last made the playoffs the Grizz were led by Pau Gasol, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Miller and e-King Bobby Jackson. Since then, the bottomed out, traded Pau for his fat younger brother, drafted and traded Rudy Gay, built the Grind Squad roster that took them to lots of playoffs and a Western Conference Finals (much like the glory era Kings). They then traded off that team, tanked and rebuilt with Morant, JJJ, etc. They now sit at 4th in the West.
To be clear, while the Kings have dog paddled in purgatory for 15 years, the Griz have tanked twice and have rebuilt twice and look to become the up and coming team of the West for years to come.
Too many years working hard and watching tape but actually doing nothing.
Epic post.
“The Kings have dog paddled in purgatory for 15 years,”
Gold.
At least the players lised below, picked up by the greatest GM of all time, can thank the Kings for earning at least 500K-2M while wearing the Kings jerseys.
Papagianis
Bhular
Malachi Richardson
Stauskas
Kyle Guy
Labissiere
Giles
Frank Mason
Ray McCollum
Justin James
Justin Jackson (where is he now?)
and many more i just can’t remember.
All these are Vlade’s Hall of Fame signings!
Only a half game closer to the 10th seed than last in the West. Tied with a team thats actively tanking lol. This is so pathetic.
Thinking 10th is a seeded position that should be cheered for is even worse.
Much of the Kings media sincerely thinks that chasing 10 late into the year … so they can not advance out of the play in …. will excite casual fans. That’s delusional. I do think casual fans would tune into the second play in game. Is the plan really almost 50 more games of this garbage basketball, delivered by a (except Jones drop ins) cut rate announcers and hosts, so we can try to make the play in, hoping to win the play in, then hoping to win 2 games in the first round and thereby hope too make the region remember they used to like the Kings at some point between 2 and 20 years ago? Even for Vivek, that’s bonkers
Folks, I’m starting to think they’re not that good. Call it a hunch.
The only positive culture change is Gentry’s post game appearances.
Luke simply coddled shit players. “You guys have to try harder. Don’t worry I got your back. I am going to tell the world how hard we work.”
Gentry now tells the team they suck and then makes it clear to the media how bad they suck. Calling out soft players that should not be playing NBA games is a step in the right direction.
Currently there are only 5 teams in the league with a worse record than the Kings. Four of those teams (OKC, Houston, Orlando, Detroit) were never looking to win games this year. The 5th team, New Orleans, has been missing their best player all year.
The Kings, meanwhile, are still talking playoffs, and according to their GM, ARE a playoff team along with their former head coach Luke Walton.
They are either pulling a total grift on the city of Sacramento and their fans or are too stupid to recognize their own futility. I’m guessing it’s a bit of both.
At this point I think it is criminal to take my kids into that arena to see this garbage.
The landfill is cheaper for the same product.
COTD.
Don’t raise your kids to be Kings fans. Take them to warrior games
I have already started pointing out players and teams that are worth following. Letting them choose. No more forced Kings games. There is no justification for it anymore.
I’m definitely going with a grift. A new GM is of course going to push the idea “the team is actually really good, no really.”
If they’re grifting, they’re even doing a bad job at that. At least cut salary with promises of later improvement.
Yesterday was the first time I thought there might be something sinister going on here: If they can get people to stop showing up and not caring for a few seasons in a row, could they convince the NBA to let them move the team?
Didn’t they sign like a million year contract with the city to prevent that from happening???? (Not that it can’t happen, even with a contract)
I don’t think that the 3rd quarter troubles result from the opposition making better halftime adjustments.
82 games is a LONG slog. Also there are no rewards based on margin of victory or for winning quarters.
the smart strategy against a team like the Kings is to just stay in contact for the first 24 minutes or so and then push. There’s another game tomorrow or the next day, likely vs a stronger opponent. Get a W while limiting fatigue.
A popular crutch with Kings’ media over the years is “we showed thru x quarters that we are right there even with them — we just have to ‘learn’ to keep playing that way for 48 minutes!”
No, that ain’t it.
The Good news is we don’t need to face the Grizzles again in remaining season…..
Bad news is we still have to play the remaining season.
Rooting for the Washington Generals has always been Sysiphean. Time to push the boulder again.
I’m watching ‘The Defeated’ right now, and I find that more uplifting than watching the Kings these days.
When will the Kings organization and its enablers quit faking it and just let them tank for real? You know, out in the open. So we at least we know there’s a plan. What they’re doing now is a non-tank tank, or a stealth tank. But the fans deserve the respect of knowing what the management is up to. That’s not three dimensional chess, or ‘the process’. It’s respect, pure and simple. It’s the least they can do. I’m so f—king tired of ‘Buddy sucks’, ‘they don’t try hard enough’, etc, etc, etc. We just keep circling the drain. Happy Holidays…
Don’t worry, Vivek knows what he’s doing.
Any chance you guys can buy the “Third Quarter Collapse” name from the ORL SBN site?
I have proposed a plan that we need to put all bench warmer like Ramsey, Woodard, King, Queta, Mudiay to play the 3rd Qtr instead of the routine starters…
Those guys would definitely plays hard…and they may escape and survive in that 3rd Qtr curse.
“The Grizzlies put up a 40-piece on the Kings in the third quarter and ultimately exposed the Kings for who they really are.”
That’s an awesome line Mirann. I love reading your recaps, they’re the best on the blog.
Love this on ESPN’s recap. Bring on the embarrassment.
Ouch!
Loser mentality outlined in a simple sentence.
I hate to agree with such a bastard as Amin Elhassan, but he was right, Ja Morant is who De’Aaron Fox thinks he is.
Wasn’t there a group of commenters here about a month ago offering the opinion that Fox didn’t show enough emotion even when the Kings made highlight plays?
They’re not wrong….look at him shooting free throws….he has all the time in the world yet he still chooses to not even take time to breath just chucks it and then scratches his head thinking why his FT % is so low
The end of next season can’t get here quick enough.
Was watching Bjelica Xmas game. Hope he stays healthy and win with the Warriors. As for Wannabe-Vivek, go Suck It
Ridiculous, worst in 34 years,…
Gentry or Best Hyperbole Ever?
Don’t drag me into this shitshow.
Trade Fox, Holmes, Barnes, and Hield. Use Thompson and Len for salary filler. Get as many expirings and draft picks as possible. Take back bad contracts if picks can come with them.
If I can figure that out, how hard can it be?
Apparently it’s too hard of an idea for Vivek Ranadive to wrap his head around.
It’s better to just keep the team together and shoot for the play-in tourney I guess.
Vivek probably thinks, if I do that, who will want to come and pay to watch games???
funny thing is that the number of people that are paying to watch games is dwindling regardless. But it’s okay he is a genius and knows better!
Spoiler alert; I am going to put as much energy and passion into this comment as the Kings do in games.
Whatever. I don’t care anymore.
Stay active on this site, Rik.
We enjoy your comments!
TKH and the nice people here is what makes for a good read.
Thanks, sonny.
I like it here too, and I’m not gone. But I have the feeling that I have said everything I wanted to say, and the rest is just repeating myself over and over again.
I have managed to stave of apathy for a long time, but I think I am at that point now.
Welcome
You might be one of those where it comes and goes. That’s the island I happen to be on, but Apathy Island is a big mofo as you will no doubt discover.
it has come to this…
Kings make the playoffs first?
or:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10343387/amp/NASA-enlists-24-theologians-assess-world-react-discovery-alien-life.html
Let’s hope it’s the MonStars, who will proceed to relocate to Sacramento.
I’m so excited. Maybe they could find a SF, a true PG who can shoot and a 7’7″ rim protector for the Kings.
And put Vivek Dumbranive on that James Webb telescope.
I mean SF, PG and a Center from outer space.
Put Vivek in the space station for a decade and maybe the Kings can get to the playoffss.
I think the Kings should do away with a traditional head coach and GM set up.
Vivek would take on the title of Basketball Grand Poobah and make all front office decisions. Next, they would adopt a raffle based system where there’s a drawing to determine who will be the head coach on a nightly basis from among fans in attendance. Vivek would just draw the name of a Kings staffer out of a hat for road games.
The results would probably be about the same, but maybe it would make things a little more interesting for the fans at home.
Today is Basketball 3.0…tomorrow is 4.0. The game will be disrupted and evolve at a rate so fast failure is not possible because there is not a comparison.
I was at the game yesterday and the fans don’t even bother booing anymore.
Sad
It’s not like the team responds anyways….no one cares so why should the fans care?
Badge Legend