I think we can all agree by now that this team makes no sense, right? With Kings dropping like flies to injuries and protocols, this team of course defies all sensible logic and starts a three-game win streak on a road trip. I’m not complaining – at the end of the day, I have to cherish any Kings win I can get – but my brain is also ready to explode. I am tired of trying to sift through my feelings towards tanking vs. not tanking, lottery implications, play-in probabilities, and the endless ways this franchise can continue to torture us. I miss the days where winning was explicitly good and losing was clearly bad. But I guess that is a life meant for other fandoms and not for the Kangzdom… Anyways, I’ll end my therapy session here since the Kings played against the Indiana Pacers tonight and I guess I’m supposed to tell you how it went. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings win, 104-93
Sacramento Kings: 104 PTS, 45.3% FG, 25.0% 3 PT, 71.4% FT, 21 AST, 11 TO
Indiana Pacers: 93 PTS, 43.4% FG, 36.0% 3 PT, 70.6% FT, 26 AST, 21 TO
The Sacramento Kings just made my brain explode. The Kings not only won their fourth straight game on the road, but they did so – and you won’t believe it – by playing DEFENSE. Whatever level of apathy, frustration, or anger you feel about this team and this season, your feelings are completely valid. But I do hope that there is still enough light in your heart to allow you to enjoy watching the Sacramento Kings play well. Two things can be true at once. We can hate that they lost nine games in a row (twice) and we can also love that the are playing hard and getting wins. It’s okay, I promise.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
- Defense? DEFENSE!: The Kings played what was quite possibly their best defensive game tonight, which was both enthralling and completely unexpected. After retaining the reputation as the worst defense in the league and without those who proved to be their most competent defenders so far this season in De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, & Harrison Barnes, no one expected this injured squad to provide much resistance on the defensive end. But they proved us all very wrong, and the stats back it up. The Kings forced 21 Pacers turnovers, collected 15 steals, tallied six blocks, and only allowed nine offensive rebounds. Beyond the numbers, it was just plain fun to watch. Hands were in passing lanes, deflections were rampant, and all of this defensive effort translated into offense for the Kings. The Kings’ bench squad even hosted a block party in the second quarter where we saw a handful of fun rejections from Damian Jones and Justin James.
- Winning Quarters: The Kings won the first three quarter tonight, extending their lead in each. Most impressive was how they closed out the first two. The Kings came out looking a little sluggish and sloppy to start and had us all worried that the back-to-back blues were going to get them as they quickly went down 12-6. But the insistent energy of Marvin Bagley III on the offensive end woke the Kings up and gave them a four-point lead to end the first quarter. In the second, we again saw the Kings close out an important quarter as they were able to extend a five-point lead to a nine-point lead in the remaining 90 seconds of play. Closing out and winning quarters has been a struggle for this team throughout the season, and doing so tonight helped them maintain a steady lead down the stretch of the game.
The Bad:
- Back Door: There were multiple times tonight where the Kings got caught with their heads turned and allowed the Pacers to slip to the bucket behind them for easy baskets. Even in a game where they played well defensively, these kinds of breakdowns end up being glaring as it highlights a defensive lack of awareness. But, I think it just goes to show how these types of slip ups can be absorbable when the defensive effort is consistent. When the Kings play with the intensity that they showed tonight, they can afford to have a few lapses. Their effort even stopped a few of these lapses from turning into points just by pure hustle on the recovery.
The Ugly:
- The Pacers: Indiana is going through it. We know this from Will’s preview and saw it first hand as Assistant Coach Greg Foster got into a yelling match with his own player, Goga Bitazde, in the middle of the game. The Pacers looked defeated, detached, and unmotivated down the stretch of the game. We as Kings fans know how it feels to watch a team that is lost in that way, so I hope the Pacers are able to figure things out. But I am glad and proud that the Kings were able to play from their own energy tonight and not play down to their opponent’s.
The King of Kings
No surprise here – tonight’s King of Kings goes to Marvin Bagley III for recording a season-high 31 points, with 24 of those coming in the first half. He also rounded out a double-double with 12 rebounds. As mentioned already, Bagley was the one to turn the motor on for the Kings as they fell down early to start the game. He showed a confident relentlessness in attacking the basket and made 12 field goals by the end of the first half. Physically, he looked much stronger in his attacks as he was rarely pushed out of position or stripped as he made his move to the rim. I love this version of Marvin Bagley III and I hope to see more of him in these next six games.
Up Next
Friday, May 7th vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 P.M. (PT)
Maybe no one likes playing with Fox
And/or Haliburton & Barnes even.
Damn, I totally forgot about Barnes . Okay maybe I should rephrase that: maybe bagley doesn’t like playing with fox. It’s still a very small sample size though
The Pacers are not holding it together very well!
They reminded me of us at various points of this season, jogging around, slow passes, very low effort.
Just four days ago they dropped 152 pts on the Thunder in a 57 pt win!
The didn’t look like they had anywhere close to that same fire in this game. They looked half-asleep out there. My assumption is that’s part of what pissed off Foster.
Oh, no, it was better than that. Apparently Foster was yelling at Bitadze over terrible defense, Bitadze went down the court and made a 3 and then on his way back told Foster to “sit the fuck down”.
Coach suspended, player tapped with an “undisclosed” fine. Sounds about right in a player’s league.
Wonder if the Pacers regret firing Nate McMillan ? Kind of a Kings and Rick Adelman idiocy !
Who should we take at number 14?
Lookin that way. 4-2 or 3-3 is very likely. Spurs game on Friday will probably determine if they make the playin, or miss by a game or 2. Total Kangz. Even if they do make the playin they will have to beat the Dubs twice to even get in the playoffs. Golden State only having to win one. Regardless, the KIngs will probably be picking mid lottery. Nothing to see here. Back to deck chairs for 2021-22.
We won’t lose enough to go mid lottery. We’re making a run at the 12th spot.
Actually, the play in tournament is a little different than how the bubble play in worked. This time, teams 7 and 8 play each other while teams 9 and 10 play each other. Winner of 7 and 8 becomes the 7 seed and is in the play offs. Loser of 7 and 8 plays winner of 9 and 10. Winner of that 2nd game becomes the 8th seed. So in essence, the 7 or 8 seed would need to win 1 game to make the playoffs and the 9 or 10 seed would need to win two consecutive games to make it. Just not against the same team. Still not a fan of the king’s making that their season goal, but it is what it is.
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-play-in-tournament
Whats F’d up is that the Kings were so disappointing this season with their extensive losing streaks, pathetic defense, embarrassing effort in addition to the lack of “a plan” by management as it changed course mid season that NOW… I think a lot of Kings fans are angry. I know I am. I’m not proud about it, I wish it weren’t there but it is. The idea of the kings making the play in tournament pisses me off. There, I said it.
Obviously I am a fan and obviously I’m still here paying attention for god knows what reason but this is a new feeling in the pain of being a kings fan for me. I think it might be spite which sucks. Really really sucks, I don’t want the kings to make the play in tournament out of spite for the way this organization, management and coaching staff has compiled and run this team. It’s been a disgrace.
How sad is that? Thanks Maloof’s, Thanks, Pete D, Thanks Mullin, Thanks George Karl, Thanks Demarcus, Thanks Vlade, Thanks Luke, Thanks Monte and a special thank you to Vivek for the last 5 years (I gave you 2 for free). Its been painful
Thanks for listening support group.
I hear you.
I can’t stand Vivek, so I don’t want him to experience any success. I don’t have faith that he won’t stop meddling or has the ability to build a good franchise. If he experiences any success, it will boost his ego and he will continue to ruin the team.
I hate to say it, too, but I’d prefer the team keep losing and Vivek to step down in shame.
Probably won’t happen. Vivek is shameless.
Ultimately, I have no control over it and just ignore it all. Sadly, because of Vivek, I’m lukewarm to any wins or losses.
I’m not going to copy and paste text from this, because it’s all really, really revealing. Read it again, and read it out loud.
I have no diagnostic capability, in person or online, but I’d feel a lot better if you talked to someone. This goes beyond joylessness into something else, and whatever it is, it can’t possibly be doing you any good. Please take care of yourself.
Clueless and incompetent
https://giphy.com/gifs/vivek-QPwB1cbDOnErqdHZ3H
You forgot to thank Malone for getting fired and Luka for being such a great can’t miss draft pick that we saved him the agony of playing here.
Yeah, the Kings have no business being bailed out by the NBA’s mini tournament of the mediocre and losers. They did not earn a playoff spot and should be awarded no second chance to redo their sad season in two games.
The 10th spot is still a longshot but if they do grab that spot they won’t have to beat the Warriors twice. The 9 and 10 seeds play and the winner of that game plays the loser of 7 and 8 and the winner of that game gets the 8th seed.
I think we can beat anybody with this defense. Wright has eleven steals in his last two games. We had 15 steals tonight, lots of deflections and were swarming on almost every play. This is a direct influence by the new guys, not Walton.
I agree with your point, in premise – the improved defense gives them a much higher chance of winning. I just think using tonight, and this Pacers team as a barometer is unwise. They were missing their starting paining guard and best ball-handler; they were missing their starting and best defensive big man; as well as a few high-energy bench pieces.
I’m enjoying the win for what it is; but it was a minor victory against an injured, listless team that is imploding.
Greg Foster – I see you big fella
Yes, like that player.
Could experts here help me understand the money/QO/RFA part for MBIII? Not opinions good or bad, just straight up numbers.
.. $11M next season 21/22
.. During 21/22 Kings can make QO of $14M
.. 22/23 RFA Kings can match any offer
or
.. During 21/22 Kings does not make QO
.. 22/23 UFA MB3 can accept any teams offer
is this correct? Thanks
Sacramento Kings Team Salary | Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News
Thanks I think I get it now.
6/29/22 Qualifying offer deadline on MB3
So if Kings offer, he will be RFA 23-24, else UFA 22-23
not quite. If they give him his qualifying offer by 6/29/22, then he will become a restricted free agent in July of 2022. At that point he can sign offers for a new contract starting in 22-23 (Kings can match any offer FYI), or accept the QO. If he accepts the QO, then he’d be a UFA going into 23-24. Technically, the Kings can also sign him to an extension this offseason as well. That would make it so he doesn’t even become a free agent in the summer of 2022. The extension to his rookie contract would just kick in starting in 22-23.
Ah ok, I’m always learning you guys. Thanks RORDOG WOOF!
If you really want to thank the Rordog, go to your local AMPM, buy a hotdog, stick every gross looking condiment on it that you can find, and then hold a candlelight vigil for it before Rory gets wind of it and scarfs it down at 3am.
I feel like this is a good time to remind everyone. The original RORDOG recipe is an AMPM hot dog with chili, nacho cheese, regular cheese, diced onions, jalapenos and those little tobasco packets.
The more refined version (personal fave is from Casper’s in the East Bay) is a footlong hot dog topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sliced onion, jalapeno, mayo and frank’s hot sauce.
This info should be pinned somewhere at the website.
Other than the mayo, I’m here for all of it.
Jeezbus H Christ. Squeeze Inn ain’t got shit on you and your heart attack on a bun, Rory.
Bagley > Hali > Fox
The Big 3 led by Bagley.
The future is bright.
KANGZ.
Don’t forget the extension for Walton!!!?
Typical Bagley, coming back to ruin the season.
LOL
I hate this team so much.
This team is like your first love, whom you lost your virginity to. Everything is great, the air smells better when she is around, but then you learn she’s since slept with Eric and Ryan, your two best friends since grade school. You’ve now given up all hope and realize that anything real is just a Hallmark slogan on a way too expensive piece of folded cardstock. You plan to walk away and to move to Homer, Alaska to “find yourself.” The ticket is purchased, but then your first love climbs through your window the night before you leave and makes you think there is a chance. She stays the night and gives you a four game road winning experience. She re-plants the seed. You let it root. Maybe I should stay? Maybe she is real. To Hell with Eric and Ryan. They are in the past. She is different now. She won’t do it to me again.
Will she?
Life finds a way.
This sounds like it could be a real story, do we need to start a go fund me to help with the cost of therapy?
I guess there’s no shame in losing your virginity to fifteen guys.
Fun fact, as of tonight Delon Wright is who needs to be kept after Fox/Hali
can he be extended?
can he start with Fox/Hali?
Wouldn’t be the KANGZ if every once in a while there wasn’t some random moment of goodness at the worst possible time
Next game next I guess
Lucy is busy setting that football up again …
Lucy already pulled the football. This is attempting to get up and getting kicked in the face.
I said a couple of days ago, you keep fighting for every win until you’re mathematically eliminated. Have to respect the professionalism of these guys to keep battling like this. Who would have thought but Friday date against the Spurs actually means something.
That should depend on the “you”. Yes, it’s incumbent on the players to be professional and play hard every game. But it’s job of the organization as a whole to do what’s in the long-term best interest of the franchise. Angling for the best possible draft position in what appears to be a very talented draft class would be far more beneficial than winning a bunch of late-season games for the slim chance to make the playoffs and get swept by the Jazz.
what if the extra revenue from making the playoffs is used on replacing the coach that got the Kings to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years?
(I don’t think this will happen, but it would be funny!)
Hilarious. 2021-2022 Front office budget TBD based on gate receipts of play-off game(s). The more games we win, the better the quality of the replacement coach!
True but you don’t start considering those things with 6 games left in the season with an outside shot for the play in round. The goals and objectives of the season should be defined at the beginning and yes they can be modified as events change but once the Kings made the decision at the trade deadline to position the roster better for a stretch run you don’t start tanking games at this point. I also think there is some cache value to the organization if the Kings made a great stretch run and got in to the play in round and additional value if they one just one game.
My disappointment doth not lie with the players of the royal court.
I haven’t watched a game in 2 weeks. I feel like if I tune into Friday’s BIG GAME to see how well the team is playing, Jakob Poeltl will reward me with a 20-20 night.
This team keeps pushing me and pulling me.
Credit where it’s due … good on Marvin for taking advantage of this opportunity.
Go Kings!
Speaking of credit…
I just wonder how many steals can Wright and Tyrese get if they both on the court together…
McNair really stole Wright from the Pistons…
p.s. I don’t know if I can say McNair also almost “steal’ S. Bey from Pistons too..(as Bagley played better lately…he took advantage against those weaker BIGs)
One word for Marvin’s game last night: la-dee-freekin-da!
Hey Mirann- Did you love his 0 assists 0 steals and 0 blocks in 35 minutes too? What a stat stuffer! And did you happen to notice that whenever there is a loose ball Marvin is wherever the loose ball is not?
He is too much of a prima donna to enter into a scrum!
And all his points last night were athletic-based vs skill-based. This is not a criticism but a point of fact. He went up against an opponent where his athleticism could be exploited. Against 25 out of 30 teams, that athleticism is going to get neutralized against more size or comprable athleticism.
Anytime Marvin needed to resort to skill, it was a predictable result: lousy post move, poor shooting touch, lack of savvy and craftiness. His post game is trash. He does not have that push shot like Holmes that would come in handy on the pick and roll, which he is terrible at too.
All this means is a game like last night is not consistently replicable and should be mostly discounted. What is another clue of this? Moe Scoreless strolling down Main Street for uncontested dunk like it is the pregame lay-up line. That opponent was awful, with their injuries, and 70 points midway through the 4th.
Okay, just to be clear, Marvin does deserve credit for putting in work during his injury. I did say when he got hurt he should be running sprints, heavy squat exercises and explosiveness training and basketball drills with his right hand, and the injury would be a blessing. Maybe we are seeing some of the effects of this. He’s able to hustle more, and that brings me to another point….
Theres NO bigger cherry picker in the NBA than Starvin’ (For Points) Marvin’!
He starts leaking out to get the cherry pick score before the loose ball is even secure. All he is thinking about is his box score and his next contract!
Delon Wright is a baller. When the trade was made, there were fans that said he was NOT much of an upgrade from Joseph. Uh, no. If Joseph was in the place of Wright last night we would have lost that game. Kyle Guy has fallen off the cliff, his game is in shambles because the coach dismissed him as an unplayable scrub and his confidence and sharpness reflects this lack of faith.
Terrence Davis is a future star. He needs to shoot 500 3s per day this summer and his star will rise to profound heights! Even in a game he could not buy a 3, he put his impact on the game with his hustle defensive intensity and good energy. He does this every game. He is one of my favorite players to watch because he plays the game the right way…unlike Starvin Marvin!
All your points on Bagley are solid and valid…….
I just remember one moment he really look for his teammate for a open 3…(but that player missed it)….
And Bagley calls for the ball during every single possession…….and the offense flow stopped at him…….
Look at this play, Davis passed him the ball, give and go…but Bagley…never looks to pass…and rather goes for a difficult shot inside the paint, used his elite 2nd jump and try to grab his own miss….(that’s always his signature move)………
Give me a break, y’all sound ridiculous right now.
“Must find something negative to say in spite of all evidence to the contrary, because consistency is a much better trait than objectivity.”
Yeah, you gotta pick your spots on these things. The Kings were a +27.5 points per 100 possessions last night with Marvin on the floor. Not the best postgame to Marvin-bash.
Yeah, Marvin playing better and having good games is a good thing for the Kings (regardless if you prefer to trade him or keep him).
I am rooting for that, not against it!
Just because y’all are dying to know, I agree withcha ya’z about Marvin.
I know that Bagley has played well the last couple games, but man, NBCSN seems to be force-feeding him on us. He is all they talk about, it seems like every commercial break just shows MBIII highlights, he has been interviewed after both games. Stop brainwashing me Kyle Draper!
hehe.. the “hope for next season” phase is kicking in full gear
Agreed, it has been a bit thick recently, but on the other hand, the criticism of Bagley has been completely out of proportion since his name was called.
The kid has flaws in his game, but none of them appear to be remotely as unforgivable as the one involving him not being Luka Doncic.
Agree with this take. They’ve been doing the same thing for over a decade, with every single draft pick that shows possible star potential– Tyreke (they went all-out with him), Cousins, Fox, Hali, etc. etc. It’s how they maintain interest from the broader fanbase. It’s extra thick with Bagley as a direct response to the anger at him being taken over Luka. The embarrassment of passing on Luka and narrative of Bagley being a bust and is so pervasive at this point, that they hardly have a choice.
Regardless of how cringe-inducing it can be at times, it doesn’t rile me up as much as the underlying issue, which is the franchise’s overall ineptitude under Vivek.
Remember, their job is to draw viewers. Not to provide non-biased insight and reporting.
My guess is that they are not doing any of that very well.
Absolutely. But trying to get fans excited about guys like Bagley is pretty much their only hope.
Better to try to get people excited than be Eeyore about everything. That’s what reading this place is a lot of times.
I don’t necessarily blame large swaths of this fanbase for being frustrated and upset and all that, not even a little. I tuned into the A’s game once it went on air because I had no real interest in watching the Kings beat THAT Pacers team.
Apathy, not anger, is the antithesis of love as we all know. I’m very apathetic towards this franchise, most of the time criticizing them seems a waste of time. And getting excited about Bagley’s play seems a bit of putting the cart before the horse, too. But that isn’t Marvin’s fault, he did what he was supposed to do. And I can’t blame Mark Jones or Doug Christie for thinking Marvin Bagley has All Star talent, I think so too. I saw Marvin make passes to players for shots that were missed.
Not everything around this franchise is a negative (if you don’t like Delon Wright, I don’t know what to tell you) but the push and pull of narratives and back and forth’s for now a half decade has brought the worst in a lot of people out consistently.
At least i have the A’s to be interested in, I don’t have to waste my time getting to invested in meaningless wins at the end of the season and so on. I was reading Sam Vecenie’s mock draft today, he had Keon Johnson mocked to the Kings. And I went “that might work. Can’t hurt if nothing else.”
This fanbase needs 2 or 3 years of good basketball in a row. We really do. Otherwise this nonsense will continue.
I had to listen to Vecenie’s pod on international prospects this morning after BHE crushed my spirits on Usman Garuba. Vicenie and Matt Pennie basically echoed what BHE said, but Vicenie did say Garuba would instantly become a fan favorite due to his kinetic/frenetic energy on defense and in transition. They basically said he’s the most disruptive switchy defender in the draft, but is a bit of a bull in a china shop on offense.
Point being, he’s still in my “want” list since I enjoy watching fun basketball first and foremost. I don’t think he’s a lottery pick, but I’d be pretty pumped if they got him by trading down into the late teens early 20s range.
I’m not sure Davis is a future star, but I am getting a solid young Wes Matthews vibe from him. At his cost per production he is making Buddy Hield all the more replaceable. If Buddy can be moved this summer and the Kings roll into next year with a backcourt of Fox, Hali, Wright, Davis rotation, I might be able to get behind it.
That is exactly what Wright and Davis did for the team, truly made Buddy expendable on the court.
I really hope they can trade him, even if it’s just for a fat TPE and 2nd round picks
I feel like we’d still need to take back at least two seasons of a similar contract to move Buddy right now. Going to be a tough go for McNair on that front.
And that is an excellent point. It’s a fairly safe bet that Wright and Davis will be on the roster at the start of next season, and for the right price, Harkless would also be worth keeping. When you start including Metu, DJones, Ramsey, and Woodard (the latter two who may get D-League time), you start to get a little short on chairs.
If you trade Hield, and end up .getting multiple players in return to match salary, you have a roster space problem. Some of them might be able to be sent down, and some might be waived, but unless you have a very promising young player in that exchange, you probably haven’t got much in return. It’s all in the unknown details, as ever.
And if you do manage a one-for-one trade with Hield, given his declining contract, it’s really all about the returning asset. I think Hield has improved his value quite a bit since the deadline, and may be discussed around the league over the summer. We do currently have a very nice set of guards in-house, and realistically, someone will get moved. Fox & Haliburton are staying, and Wright & Davis give you versatility in that they can defend wings. The new guys have also increased their values as assets, which is always good when trades start being thrown around.
With this particular group of players, an argument could be made that having five versatile athletes wouldn’t be a luxury. The new guys plus Haliburton really allow a competent coach to create good match-ups.
Well, this got out of control. Summer could be interesting on this front.
You don’t need to match salaries in the off season if the team has cap space
Buddy needs to go, and McNair will likely have to take on some bad deals to do it. Unfortunately, thats the disaster that Vlade left us with. This team does not need a stat stuffing, low bball IQ, prima donna. He is bad for the team and bad for the locker room.
Looking at the future contract list, it’s really hard for me to come up with any player that really makes sense in a Buddy trade.
I keep looking at some sort of Hield for Myles Turner deal, but I have no idea how fair that is or what other components would be needed to execute such a deal. Now, you do that deal and you’re likely not re-signing Holmes, at least not to anything more than an MLE.
I don’t think Indy has any interest in Buddy when they have so much invested in Brogdon, LaVert, Lamb and Warren. In all honesty, I really like Indy’s team and had higher hopes for them this year, but I think they just got hit hard by the injury bug.
I imagine it’s going to take an offseason for Caris Levert to get himself back to his former high level. There’s a mental and physical toll from cancer treatment, and that, combined with being on a new team, are likely the biggest factors in his inconsistent play. I love that kid, and I’m grateful to the doctors that diagnosed and treated him.
Maybe I am misinformed but I thought they said on the telecast that the removed tissue was benign.
(Not that it takes away from your larger point, just asking for clarification.)
Agreed from the standpoint that 99.9% of the deals that we discuss never happen. But given the current happenings in both Sac. and Indy, I doubt that either front office is all that reticent about shaking up their respective rosters, and that very few players on either roster are of the “not available” variety. That is to say, I don’t think the presence of anyone on the Pacers roster would necessarily exclude Indy from having interest in Hield.
yeah that was what I kept running into. I was like “it may not be the worst thing to have Steven Adams providing some toughness for a couple of seasons.” Then I remember there’s no way the Kings would be willing to invest ~$28 million total on two centers.
They don’t need to find a matching contract
I disagree. There are some teams out there with TONS of cap room and it’s not like Buddy is a trash player. I could see the Knicks missing out on most if not all A list players and being willing to take buddy for a 2nd.
Yeah, agree on Buddy. You’ve got to take salary back to get anywhere.
I’m really hoping Buddy to the Knicks can be a thing. They have the space to take on his deal and could use his floor spacing.
When it comes to Davis, it all comes down to cost this summer. If they can retain him for under $10M per that is basically Davis and Wright for under $20M while also replacing Buddy’s production which costs $20M. That is Moneyballing Buddy’s skillset, which I can get behind.
Is Davis RFA or UFA this summer?
I understand wanting to trade Buddy but then there are games like last night where it looks like he finally understands how to work the PnR properly and I end up thinking about how good a Fox/Hali/Buddy backcourt could be if Buddy was *consistently* making good passes to his roll man instead of chucking up contested shots when his defender goes over a screen…
Sigh. I hope they can get something good for him
He’s a restricted free agent, and there’s restrictions on the contract teams can offer him due to the Arenas provision. Without getting too into the weeds, the Kings can match any offer, and the first year dollar amount of the deal can only be the amount the Kings can offer him using their early bird rights (~10 million).
Hmmm, ok. As long as it doesn’t keep them from resigning Holmes I could be talked into a short term flyer on TD for $10M (but hopefully less).
Davis has enticing athleticism but he thinks his 3 point shot is way better than it actually is and is a complete knucklehead with the ball on a regular basis. He reminds me of JR Smith, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as the contract is right.
yeah I really don’t know what his value is. He’s only 23, so I think it’s an interesting roll of the dice. I just wouldn’t spend too much on multiple guaranteed years for an opportunity to roll the dice.
As a second-rounder in just his second season, Davis doesn’t have a ton of leverage. I’d imagine that it’s possible to keep him in-house without breaking the bank.
He’s got a glide, a float to his game, that isn’t that common, even among elite athletes. He’s appears to have a good foundation of defensive skills, and could turn into a super-sixth man/spot starter type of player. I hope he gets the chance to learn from a legitimate team of coaches.
Very good comparison! I think Davis’ floor is Deshawn Stevenson: hard-nosed player and high-volume shooter. Ceiling might be prime Wes Matthews, a really good role player.
That’s a lot of energy and exclamations for such a poor take
I hear you and your frustrations – your feelings and criticisms of Bagley are valid. But like I said in the article, I think Kings fans are allowed to feel two things at once. Yes, we can lament on the fact that Bagley has not yet proven himself to be a consistent or complete player. And at the very same time, we can also celebrate him when he does have an impactful performance like last night. I’m sorry to hear that you felt so disappointed about his performance last night, but hope you can find some silver linings to make you feel better – it’s kind of the only way to survive with this team!
Cmon Kangz, finish one game out of the playoffs and complete your destiny.
I think that really understates how ridiculous SA’s remaining schedule is. If the Kings win on Friday and the Pels lose to the Sixers (very likely), the Kings are probably the overwhelming favorite for that last play-in spot. Even if the Kings lose to the Spurs, if the Pelicans also lose Friday (again, a very likely thing) there would *still* be a reasonable chance of making the play-in.
As long as they’re in the mix Walton should be coaching to win. Sneaking into the playoffs, even in a backdoor way, would be far better for this team than a late-lottery pick.
Would fighting for a playoff spot and finishing one game out be better than finishing with the fifth worst record in the league?
Maybe? Being one game out this year would certainly motivate them for next year.
I think getting the a playoff appearance – any playoff appearance – would remove a lot of the win-now pressure on the front office and allow them to take a long view. Until they can eek out that 8th seed they’re simply not going to be able to take the steps necessary to build a championship contender.
Kings fans LOVE Bagley now. What is McNair to do now? Trade him or keep him? Or maybe it is time to trade Fox?
I love when people make up stuff just to offer a bad take.
Because the only Kings fans are those who are posting here. How humble of you.
You don’t think much of the rest of the fan base knows that pick should have been Luka?
And I know plenty of Kings fans who don’t post here…I’ve never sensed any love for Marvin Bagley
Hopefully what McNair is to do is not make decisions based on the small-sample-size-triggered bipolarism of the fans.
If the Pistons don’t get Mobley in the draft then Bagley for Saddiq Bey looks pretty good rn for them.
Let the garbage stats fool you Detroit!
Bad news! Bey is putting up as good or better garbage stats than Marvin right now.
garbage stats, how in the hell are you beating me in fantasy by more than 200 points? That’s garbage IMO.
If they need Mobley to anchor the defense as a center, then Marvin doesn’t really help them in that regard. Bagley can eat some minutes as a small-ball five, but stretch four is looking like his best fit. I don’t think his body type is going to allow much bulking up.
This is the worst possible outcome of the season. Vivek will feel like the team is finally coming around, Luke will make his case for another year at the helm, the draft pick will continue to drop, etc.. And how many times has the team done this…win meaningless games at season’s end to justify staying stagnant. Its amazing how much easier the game is when you have nothing to play for and no pressure.
Don’t worry. Tomorrow’s game suddenly became meaningful. You’re about to see the Kangz return in horrifyingly predictable fashion
I thought the same thing after the lost by 50 to a depleted Sixers team right before the trade deadline…but nope, they decided to push for the play-in.
If the Kings finish the season 5-1, then they’d finish with a WIN% that’s basically the same as Joerger’s last season (~47%). If that were to happen would that mean the team underachieved, overachieved, or met your expectations going into the season?
Stealing Rob’s gif
I think it means they would have to fire Walton so that they can hire the next coach to make the “playoff leap”.
If Toronto could fire Dwayne Casey, we sure as shit can fire Luke Walton.
I like the way you think
Met my expectations.
I feel like finishing strong is the lucy football situation though?
Underachieved….Going from 47% to 47% two years later shouldn’t be viewed as an improvement.
Meaningless wins are our specialty.
The only thing it contributes to is our continuity of being stuck in no man’s land…not good enough to go to the postseason, not bad enough to get a high pick.
based on past results this is probably accurate. I think it’s at least important to acknowledge that Phoenix and Memphis both finished in no man’s land last season. A smart/savvy GM that has all the relevant tools at their disposal should be able to put together a playoff-caliber team in Sacramento next season.
Obviously we don’t know that McNair is smart and savvy (compared to his peers), or if he’ll have the autonomy to use all the tools at his disposal, but their record does at least indicate this team is not that far away from being a top 8 team.
In the West, correct?
yeah
I really think Marvin would benefit from something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Teach him how to get comfortable with physical contact and feel where the other person’s body is more frequently.
I am going to hope that every Kings player has a clause in their contract banning them from participating in combat sports.
The training aspect of the sport, not the “competing to submit” someone else part of the sport.
Meh, I’ve trained in it. It’s practically impossible to “train” in the sport w/out free rolling with people and that’s when injuries would happen.
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