Whenever I’m tasked with writing the recap for a Kings game, I try to open it up with a couple of paragraphs intended to give the game you’re reading about some context. A mini-preview, basically.
Well, it’s the end of the season, the games don’t matter (outside of draft position), and it was a long day at work. Any and all creativity has left my soul at this point, so if you need more context, go and read Will’s preview. It’s far better than anything I’d give you here.
Kings vs. Heat in Miami. Let’s get right to it.
Sacramento has been playing some decent basketball without De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis over the last week or so, but the Miami Heat, even on a 4-game losing streak, is a considerable step up in competition from teams like the Magic and Pacers.
The Kings managed to keep this game fairly competitive for maybe a quarter and a half, but there is just such a massive talent gap here that the Heat were able to take a commanding lead after the half, and never looked back.
Davion Mitchell has been playing some encouraging basketball as the offensive engine since taking on the lead guard role in the starting lineup, but tonight was not one of those nights. Mitchell couldn’t get his offense going against the Heat defense and while his stats looked alright by the final buzzer, when the game was in its most competitive state, he wasn’t getting much going.
Damian Jones had the most game tonight, dropping 15 points and 6 rebounds on 75% shooting. He even knocked down a three, and his energy was there throughout. It was another solid game for him offensively. Defensively, well, nobody played particularly well defensively.
The most noteworthy takeaway from this game was some somewhat extended minutes for Neemias Queta. He played 15 minutes, the 2nd highest total of his short NBA career, and didn’t do a lot with them, but it was still nice to see him running around a basketball court. I thought his screens were disruptive at times (also surprised he wasn’t called for more moving screens, several were close), and he had one nice dunk thanks to a Harrison Barnes pass.
There wasn’t much else here, but I hope the Kings keep playing him. It’s fun to watch something different, and he’s different.
Kings lose to the Heat 123-100 with no real lottery implications to report. Keep an eye on that Portland vs. OKC game that is about to tipoff, though. That could be a tank classic.
Next up, Rockets in Houston on Wednesday.
Operation: M.C.N.A.I.R.
Tonight’s charity is the Wildlife Care Association.
The Wildlife Care Association (WCA) is a non-profit, independent, volunteer-based association in Sacramento that is permitted by the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to care for wildlife. They take in more than 6,000 orphaned and injured wild animals each year.
You can donate here, and hit up Will via Twitter (@WillofThaPeople) or e-mail ([email protected]) so he can keep track of donation totals.
Spurs are now tied with the Lakers in the W column and 1 behind in the L column. For the 10th seed.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard
Nothing would make me happier than if the Lakers missed the play-in and are forced to do something this offseason that breaks up their “super team,” but I also don’t want to see them in the lottery. If they somehow get passed by the Spurs they would sit at #8, just two spots behind the Kings who currently sit at #6.
I might have to kick a puppy if the Lakers jump into the top 4 while also knocking the Kings back in the draft.
The pups are safe! New Orleans gets the pick if it’s top 10.
This isn’t true. The protections on the pick are quite unusual but basically the Pels have to not be in the top 4 or bottom 16 (playoffs) to give the pick to the Blazers.
The Pels also owe the Hornets a non lottery pick but that goes away if they don’t give it up this year.
Chances of the Pels making the playin (high) against them jumping into the top 4 of the lottery (very low now) are essentially what this comes down to.
https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
I too like RealGM
good information
That’s too much for me to process, just tell me when it’s over.
I used the same site but I’m just trying to save the puppies! The Lakers convey their pick to either NO or Memphis. To NO if in the top 10 even if it’s top 4.
My bad SS. I thought you meant the New Orleans pick! Clearly I wasn’t paying enough attention!
No worries
Sometimes I drink and peruse pick futures, so the possibility I make a mistake on protections is ever present.
i forgot they don’t even have their pick this year so yea it would be great for them to miss the play in
So even though the don’t own the pick they can still jump up and convey to NO or Memphis? What a cluster
This is quite likely Adam. I have Minny finishing at 7, Clipps at 8, Pels at 9 and Spurs at 10 although that could flip flop.
I have the current likely lottery order (without the 4 playin teams) as Houston, Detroit, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indiana, Portland, Sacramento, LA Lakers, Washington, New York.
FWIW.
yep
and “that pick” won’t help the LAL as much as it would help the SAS.
The LAL have no other young guys to build around- THT? Reaves ? ah…nope
SAS have a few
i want them to be embarrassed but have no chance in lottery.
There is no easy way to break up the super team- no one wants any of them in trade , Not for that money
I’ll take lebron for fox, Barnes and this years first round pick.
Stud, brittle, westbrick, hack and hack.
🤣
SAS will pass them What an embarrassment for my “favorite” team (to hate)
Kings remain tied with Blazers who lost a game won last night. 6 point lead with a minute to go and could not hold it and OKC made numerous blunders to boot.
I was Disappointed in Quetta but I do realize that it takes a few years for big guys to get good. Jones is so much better than Q now.
Neemias getting some game time is good
Can’t wait for the “Kings Face a Pivotal Offseason” articles.
It’s also interesting how we went from:
“Fox needs better players around him to be an impact player”
to
“Fox needs another All Star around him to be an impact player”
to
“Fox needs another All Star and good 3&D players around him to be an impact player”.
Next season we’ll see if Monte can find the exact mix of players to make Fox shine, and the team significantly better.
It will require Fox to play at a high level from the start of the season and eliminate the ‘inconsistent motor’ qualifier (something he hasn’t been able to do the last few seasons) and to raise his defensive contributions from ‘awful’ to ‘mediocre’ (which he also hasn’t been able to do the last few seasons). Some significant trends to buck, IMO.
Or maybe we’ll then get the “Perhaps Fox just isn’t an impact player” articles.
Prove me wrong, De’Aaron!
I will agree that there’s been too many moving targets. And the excuses are exhausted. Put up or shutup De’Aaron.
Yeah, hopefully Monte can find the right mix of players for next season. The duo Fox/Sabonis is a nice place to start, but the Kings still need a legitimate 1-2-3 punch.
Currently all I see now is Fox/Sabonis plus a few aging vets/fringe players, a couple of promising younger players in DDV and Metu, and a rookie in Mitchell with a lot of upside.
You never know what you’re going to get on a nightly basis, and the only 2 guys who can really light it up are Fox and Sabonis consistently.
How about changing the mentality to:
Fox is an impact player, but better utilized as a combo-guard who plays off the ball half the time, which not only improves his shooting percentages but also enables him to be a two-way player, while getting more players involved, increasing ball movement and making the team offense less predictable and more difficult to defend.
I feel like they tried that with Fox/Hali…no bueno…
Good point. that is something to consider, however it is not conclusive, and the logic of it might depend on Fox’s willingness to share the pg duties, and not his ability to play off the ball. If Fox is unwilling to play off the ball at times, he’s better coming off the bench in a Monta Ellis role (assuming the team does not continue putting out shooting guards with zero guard skills like Hield and Holiday)
The twist and turns we take to convince ourselves that Fox, under X or Y circumstances, could be an impact player (or another Monta Ellis, on a max contract), says a lot, doesn’t it?
Maybe next year will be different.
The same is true for most players who are not utilized well.
Is Fox not utilized well, or has he been found lacking in his most natural roles, and are we now trying to find him a different role, based on small sample sizes?
Aren’t most combo guards guards that can light it up from distance and help space the floor?
I think at this point we can pretty safely say that Fox isn’t an impact player. He is a good stats bad team guy. He could be on a winning a team at some point later in his career but he would have to completely change the way he plays. Not many successful teams have a lead guard that can’t shoot or play any defense. It’s just a recipe for continued failure.
At this point in his career Davion is a solid/great backup PG who can fill in capably when Fox is out. The uptick in assists has been great to see (and could raise his ceiling immensely along with his shooting)because he wasn’t a great passer early this year. His fit with Fox is not really a big concern for me at this point…
And you started your post with the correct context……..“At this point in his career.” More will be revealed…………next season. Cannot come soon enough
You are aware that his rookie season is better than players like K Lowry, J Holiday, M Conley, R Jackson, D Murray etc.. His ceiling may be higher as a winner than Fox’s .
Yeah, he’s still a mystery box after his rookie year.
He could be anything!
WE’LL TAKE THE BOX!
But he’s much older than those guys were. I like Davion…I think he was a solid pick but there have been a lot of “how does he fit with Fox” comments or “Davion has showed enough that we should trade Fox [for nickels on the dollar…emphasis mine as who wants a guy that we think is only marginally better than DM that is paid the max]. I think the only thing that really matters is finding a few guys that fit with Fox/Ox. Pretty simple combo but the whole league is looking for the same guys unfortunately.
Portland, losing to OKC in Portland… I give them much credit for their commitment to the tank.
one of the best tanking jobs I have ever seen. Had the game in the bag but found a few ways to lose it –to a team with zero names
Absolutely brilliant !
We should be just as committed but we aren’t smart enough for that.
Queta statline is rather unimpressive, but I thought he impacted the game. He showed to be nimble enough to stay with Adebayo on multiple occasions, forced some misses with good closeouts and I swear he blocked a shot in the first quarter. Offensively, he multiple picks that led to relatively open shots (six screen assists according to @SacFilmRoom)
Having said that, his fit offensively was a bit awkward as well. He set multiple ball screens when the ball handler had already given the ball up (not necessarily Queta’s fault) and the Kings failed to give him the ball on multiple postups (also not necessarily his fault). The Heat also did a good job packing the paint, which is easy to do when you have Metu, Holiday and DDV on the wings.
Again, I thought he had a positive impact on the game and hope to see more games with 15 or more minutes!
Nice to see Queta in the game. He had his moments but 15 minutes, the longest he has played in the NBA doesn’t do it for me. How can you judge a player in 15 minutes. He seemed a little lost last night but that is understandabe. He should have played more quite a few games ago and a lot in the next 6 games. We know what he can do in the G league but I want to see what he can do in the NBA. Another note. Justin Holiday,s another great shooting night. 1 for 6 from three. I guess the Kings want to show the league what a great shooter he is so a trade will matter. What else is there. I want to see more of Donte and Mitchell playing together. Donte is improving each time he plays. I hope we can keep him here next year. He can really help this team.
I’ve come to really be impressed with Damian Jones lately. His teammates are looking for him, and he seems to have a good idea what to do with the ball when he gets it. He’s exhibited some pretty slick moves in the past few games, and his repertoire of shots seems to be expanding on a nightly basis.
I’m not sure what the Kings are going to do with Damian in the off season, but it would be a shame to lose him at this point.
I feel there is very little chance for him to come back. A lot of things would have to happen to warrant him returning. Kings would likely need to move Holmes and Len, both of whom are on guaranteed deals next year, Jones would also need to want to return to the Kings and not test free agency, and the Kings would also need to be willing to pay him more than he is making right now to be a backup to Sabonis. I don’t think it’s in the cards.
I like Jones a lot but I agree with you. You might want to keep Holmes and if he is willing he would be a better backup than Jones. Holmes would really have to be a King under the circumstances.
I won’t argue that Holmes and Len won’t be here next year because they have guaranteed deals and may not be traded as you point out. But I would be very surprised by Holmes staying in Sac and Jones hasn’t made enough money to turn down an Alex Len offer unless he’s getting that somewhere else. Possible, no question. And D Jones is an UFA this summer after all.
That said, I think it comes down to acquisitions this summer as to whether Lyles, Metu and Jones return. I would say we have an idea how they fit with Sabonis, but a summer acquisition will likely change all of their statuses once way.
This is a mouthy way of saying there’s much in the air and only Sabonis and Fox are likely guaranteed spots on the roster next year.
I think it’s also important to note that very few Kings UFA have re-signed here in Sac in recent memory. Harkless and Barnes are the only ones that come to mind, and even then Barnes committed to his extension before free agency began. Other than Harkless, no other free and clear UFA re-signings come to mind.
Holmes qualifies as well after also signing as an UFA in 2019 to boot. But to your point plenty of UFA have signed. They just don’t stick around long.
That said, that’s why I think who ends up as head coach matters alot. And what trades they can pull off. But it’s possible they can’t make a trade worth much because there isn’t a deal to be had.
While it would certainly not be my preferred option, I can see a scenario where the Kings draft their guy at 7, say we’re starting Mitchell and Fox as the backcourt, resign DiVicenzo at whatever number it ends up being to be the main backup, and consider starting Terence Davis at the 3 with Barnes at the 4 and Sabonis at the 5.
I think the Kings might reach a little to get a deal done, but not overreach. And I suspect that deal happens. But it all comes back to who the head coach is. And I hope to all heavens it’s not Doug Christie. Not because I think DC13 can’t be a good head coach, but because Vivek Ranadive and the stink of his reputation being attached to you can be problematic. Especially for a first time head coach.
Mainly though, I want Monte McNair to pick his coach and I highly doubt it’s Doug.
I can see this too, and you almost can’t do this. That team wins in the high 30s if it stays healthy, and that (in my opinion) is a waste of a season. Now you’re down to your last year of Sabonis contract, where you must add wins or he’s likely to walk. The Kings can’t afford to wait that long.
This is another thing that can’t happen. It can’t be Doug Christie and it can’t be Alvin Gentry. I just don’t believe McNair is dumb enough to choose either candidate at the current time. (Not that they’re bad guys or even bad coaches, but they’re not the best candidates for this team today.)
If one of those guys gets picked, someone dumb is running things in the front office. I’ve had issues with McNair’s passiveness, but I’ve never believed he’s dumb.
I agree…need to nail the coach this offseason. Also need a better starting group, high 30’s seems generous given the defensive weakness of that group. Davion and TD need to come off the bench if we’re going to have a chance at the playoffs.
I can see that team winning 41 games is the biggest difference between us. Obviously the 15 game sample size with Sabonis and Fox isn’t a big one and familiarity will help some. And I get you factored that into your number. Along with a new head coaching search.
But I think a summer, a coach that could be around for years with a game plan better suited to the personnel (I was listening to James Ham on his podcast today and he made the point that the Kings were down an assistant almost all season after Gentry got elevated to the interim tag) and even an impact rookie could help you hit that mark.
Would I bet my life on it? Nope. I wouldn’t bet my job on it, either. But McNair took awhile to make his first big impact move and it might not be available over the summer to make his 2nd.
A new coach is warranted and , I agree with you not Doug. He is not ready and the stench of Vivek would overwhelm the choice.
it is possible that the pick could sart. .
only UFA are Jones, Jackson and Lamb. All others have a year- Lyles, Metu, Len
That gives some flexibility. and Woodard + Ramsey are released too.
DDV is a RFA
Coach will determine ultimately who stays and goes.
There are 2 second round picks- saved for two way?
If I had my choice now- find a way to keep Jones, trade Len, keep Q and trade Rashaun.
Then get a player in draft- hopefully one who can shoot and find a steal in second round (LOL)trade Holmes and sign a FA player
then it’s still a slog to the play-in
He is an URFA- so very, very little chance he returns. Kings have no power at all in this situation.
It is so strange seeing Dedmon after his Sac years. The guy in Sacramento looked like he had never played the game in his life, completely lost and awkward out there. Now, he’s less lost and awkward.
Luke Walton will do that to a man.
He looked like the organization that was telling him what to do.
Man, wish we could have an owner like Jed York…:
“We have two of the best people in the business,” York said. “And not to knock other people who have been there, but I don’t think I need to be involved as much because we have two people who know their jobs really, really well. And we help each other. … The results speak for themselves. There’s not much I need to do. I need to empower them to be successful.”
Week after next, a lot of fans are going to be highly upset when Gentry is named permanent coach and gets a 3-year contract.
Heaven forbid!
F
U
N
Worse yet it will be Matins and Vivek’s chosen one – Doug Christie .
This ^^^^ , the coaching hire will be as important as any player moves this offseason. Another player’s coach who coddles this rotation, with no accountability, would be disastrous.
Huge decision. If McNair hires the right coach this sorry ass franchise will actually have a chance to be relevant again. To make the playoffs. A small window of opportunity.
And it would mean McNair is runnin the show…..which I think he is for the most part now.
I believe the coaching hire will be a strong indicator of who is running the show. A “player’s coach” shows that Vivek is still meddling. A hard-nosed, results-driven HC shows Monte is the guy.
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