We are just two weeks away from the conclusion of the 15th season in a row of roasting in basketball hell. Hold on to your butts, people, we’re almost there. The Mavericks came into this game on the second night of a back-to-back and the Kings were riding the one-game win streak they started in LA against the Lakers. And considering that the Kings have bested the Mavs both times so far this season, this had potential to at least be somewhat fun to watch. Let’s see how the Kings did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings win, 111-99
Sacramento Kings: 111 PTS, 55.6% FG, 39.3% 3 PT, 62.5% FT, 27 AST, 19 TO
Dallas Mavericks: 99 PTS, 42.0% FG, 17.1% 3 PT, 80.6% FT, 15 AST, 16 TO
I wish the Kings could have just played the Dallas Mavericks 72 times this season. With five Kings in double digits and huge performances from Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield, and Delon Wright, the Kings remain the Mavericks’ worst nightmare. Our hearts all collectively shattered as we watched our beloved rookie exit the game with a leg injury in the third quarter, but the Kings rallied together to pull out the win for their young leader.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
- Defensive Energy: The Kings showed a consistent amount of energy throughout the night. It got them into some early foul trouble, with five players entering the second half with two or more fouls, but it was encouraging to see them being aggressive on the defensive end. This energy forced the Mavericks into 16 turnovers and allowed the Kings to produce offensively in transition. One of the best transition plays was a Buddy Hield pass up the sideline to Terence Davis in the corner who took two dribbles down the baseline for a dump pass to a trailing Damian Jones who then had an acrobatic finish for the and one. It is this version of the Kings that we all love to see.
- The Wright Guy: No De’Aaron Fox. No Harrison Barnes. No Tyrese Haliburton. This did not set up a good scene for the Kings entering the fourth quarter. Despite a 15-point lead, knowing that Luka Doncic was still on the floor gave the Kings a tall hill to still get over in the remaining 12 minutes. But Delon Wright saw things differently – he had eight of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and each one came at important moments down the stretch.
- Buddy Shooting: Buddy Hield found some early shooting success as he hit 3-4 from deep in the first half and finished 6-10 for a total of 27 points. It’s been well known for awhile now, but Buddy Hield can certainly shoot the ball. His biggest hit came with 1:37 remaining in the fourth to give the Kings a strong nine-point lead.
The Bad:
- Buddy Dribbling & Passing: While Buddy has proven his worth as a 3-point shooter, he has yet to show consistent strength in other offensive skills. Buddy had four turnovers tonight and even a few other near turnovers. His passes are often weak and easily picked off and his dribbling consists of mostly east to west movement rather than north towards the rim. My biggest concern isn’t that he keeps trying to do more (he did have some success tonight in getting to the rim), but that Luke Walton seems to freely allow him to. My ideal version of Buddy Hield is a 2-3 maximum dribble limit whenever he touches the ball. His shooting is too good to waste time and energy on him trying to create his own shot. Instead, I would love to see Buddy learn how to move off of the ball and find sneaky screens for catch and shoot 3s. But until he has a coach that implements an offensive system for Buddy to thrive in, I feel as if Buddy is unable to reach his full potential.
The Ugly:
- Defensive Execution: The Mavericks were without two main scorers tonight in Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. This left the obvious Luka Doncic, who averages 28.6 points per game, and the next leading scorer after him is Jalen Brunson, who averages 12.4 points per game. It would seem that the obvious defensive strategy would be to force the ball out of Luka’s hands and challenge other Mavericks to have career nights. Instead, the Kings stuck with single coverage on Luka all night. Although a relatively slower night for him (30 points, 6 assists), the Kings suffered in foul trouble for most of the night because Luka was able to bully his way to the line going one on one.
The King of Kings
This one was easy. We got the very best version of Marvin Bagley III tonight as he finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. By the end of the first half, he was already having his best game we’ve seen. But when Tyrese Haliburton exited the game with a leg injury, we all wondered who would step up to carry the load, and Bagley became THAT dude. All night long he looked confident, active, and agile. With those three things, we saw him attack the basket with decisiveness and grace at the rim. He still had some turnovers from mishandling and improper footwork, but these were easily overshadowed with his consistent effort and skill. One play that particularly stood out to me was in the second quarter when Bagley looked to attack Maxi Kleber with a spin move but lost the handle on the contact and lost the ball out of bounds. In a game where there were complaints after every play, Marvin Bagley III chose differently and instead immediately ran back on defense. Compared to his draft counterpart, Luka Doncic, this had humility and sportsmanship radiating off of Bagley’s body and he certainly outshined everyone tonight.
Up Next
Tuesday, May 4th @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:00 P.M. (PT)
With this win the Kinds got passed by two eastern conf. teams. Who knows where to find out how the lottery odds actually break-down? I feel like I need to know just exactly what this means… in terms of ping-pong balls.
I was about to edit out my mistake and noticed “The Kinds” kind of fits them.
tankathon.com
As a Kings fan, it should be bookmarked until Vivek sells the team ð Tankathon probably owes half their clicks to Kings fans over the years.
Thanks. This is awesome! I can’t understand how I never looked at it before.
Your happy now…but 5 years from now when you have clicked for the 5,000th time trying to figure how the Kings can move up, you’ll wish you never saw it. Hahaha
Book it or stamp it or whatever. Agreed Kings fans deserve residuals from this site
In what is already a lost season, there is no need for Tyrese to rush back
Tyrese:
The new guys seems to start to gel. Lose Walton may yet see another season
This team lost by 50 at home a few days back.
There’s been plenty of 40 and 50 point losses this season lol it’s one game in a long season
“But look how Luke got them to rebound from that loss, even without Barnes and Fox! We are clearly on the right track”
Can’t you imagine Vivek saying this to Monte shortly after reading the profit & loss statements? I can.
Right, but I am supposed to put a lot of credence in the last two games?
Maybe we should just look at the season as a whole and avoid small sample sizes.
No, you and no one should. But none of us own the team. I remember the team having a nice little win streak before the trade deadline kept a lot of players around when most of us knew they should have been traded.
There’s been plenty of 50+ losses around the league this year. It’s not just the Kings who have lost by that margin.
Not the only one this season but it stuck out to me: OKC lost at home to Indiana by 57 last Thursday. I remember Dallas losing to the Clippers by 51 early in the season. These losses are up league wide, it doesn’t mean much IMO.
In the context of this particular question, I think it does mean something. Am I really supposed to believe that this team is rallying around Luke Walton?
I have no idea what you should believe. I just don’t think these lopsided losses mean as much given the frequency around the league.
I don’t think they mean much either. That’s really the context of the discussion, that these individual games don’t really tell us much.
How many times have we been bamboozled by the last 20 games of the season? When the team is already eliminated from the playoffs, have zero pressure on them, and squeeze out a few
meaningless wins. This is where we are, these are meaningless wins. Hopefully, Monte and Vivek will pay attention to the part of the season where the games meant something, and this squad failed miserably.
Absolutely. And there are plenty of bad teams who have won a few games in a row.
I don’t know where I’ve argued this is a good team. Certainly good pieces moving forward, but this is a very incomplete group overall. And that isn’t especially surprising, I said this team would struggle defensively at the beginning. I’m more surprised they might top 30 wins than anything.
I think Otis and I both predicted 31 wins. Just need them to finish 4-4 baby!
It gets tiring and boring being able to so easily predict this franchise!
I mean, in the last 15 years they exceeded expectations once? That lone 39 win season in Joerger’s last year when most though they would win about 25 games?
I’m sure we all 100% agree with you, but we all know these are the 2 games that Vivek will bring up at season’s end when decisions need to be made. Remember those 2 games where we beat LeBron, AD and Luka in the same weekend?! These guys are finally finding their groove!
Yeah, I think that gets to the question of how much control Vivek has over process. I’m hoping McNair wouldn’t be fooled by a few wins against disinterested teams.
The trade deadline moves (or lack of) makes me think Vivek is still heavily involved. If that was Monte’s decision, then we have bigger problems. I can’t wait for this offseason, mainly b/c we will get a clear picture of who is running the show:
8 games left, and the Kings still aren’t technically eliminated from the playoffs! This is basically the same point in the season as when they entered the bubble. The Spurs have lost 3 in a row! The Kings have 3 remaining games against OKC! 1 game against the Spurs! Their last game of the season could be meaningless to the Jazz, so they bench their starters! Walton may be going down, but he’s going down fighting!
(lol jk they’ll finish 3-5, and get the 9th highest lottery odds)
A “strong” finish will make Monte’s job more difficult. Vivek RUINdive will have ammunition for Lose Walton’s “let’s give it one more try”
The Mavs still haven’t figured out what hit them!
Relative newcomer here. Love this site. Thanks for letting me crash the party.
I’ve been listening to the opposing team’s TV announcers the past few games. In each broadcast, the announcers have made comments along the lines of: You look at the Kings roster and you can’t figure out why they have such a bad record.
I know I’m in the minority here, but I agree with the out-of-town broadcasters. If Fox and Barnes are playing, and you add Tyrese (hope he’s OK), Holmes, Bagley, Buddy (not consistent, of course, but OK he is an elite shooter), Wright, Davis, Metu, Jones, and Harkless, is this team REALLY so much worse than, say, the Mavericks?
The problem is the coaching. Full Stop. Period. This team should not be a bottom-feeder. Walton seems to have no passion, doesn’t seem to understand what making an in-game adjustment is, and he doesn’t hold his players accountable. He’s the only coach I’ve seen who can watch his team lose 7 games in a row and choose to NOT make any lineup changes. And his postgame speech after a loss is like watching a bad remake of Groundhog Day: Our guys need to play with more intensity, we didn’t suck as much in one period, so we need to do that more often, and we’re gonna look at the film.
I can’t help wondering what this year’s record would be if we had a coach like Terry Stotts or Quin Snyder. But OK I would be satisfied with almost anyone who would at least show a tiny bit of passion and hold players accountable. I’ll keep dreaming.
Yeah, agree that this roster isn’t as bad as many think – we just don’t have the superstar level talent needed to really compete in the West. Oh, and as you noted, we need an upgrade on the coaching side.
Fox is a superstar tho
Sure, sure.
Is too. You’re just a stubborn dumbass platypus who can’t admit he’s wrong.
I feel like I’m back in the Cousins era.
Except this time you’re wrong.
Nah, I’m not wrong – I don’t think you can start talking about him being a superstar until (1) he makes an All-Star team, and (2) his team isn’t outscored by 4.5 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.
I do think he has a higher ceiling than Cousins, and he has improved somewhat this season. So I could see him getting to that All-Star level, but it’s a big jump from that to superstar status.
I’ll need some examples of superstars whose presence on the team fails to elevate the team to even mediocre NBA status.
I just think the term is meaningless, so it’s fun throwing it out there. He’s basically top 20-ish right now in terms of overall impact. Top 10 is attainable if he can evolve as a shooter, and figure out how to be more consistent on the defensive end of the floor.
I agree that the term is largely meaningless and also overused (Fox being case in point! 😉 )
“attainable.”
That’s the key word for me. He has potential to be a high impact player. So far though, he is a really good player whose good play on the court has translated into very little team success.
Before this devolves into a parade of “it’s not all his fault,” of course it’s not all his fault. He can’t carry a bad team into the playoffs or a mediocre team into a conference finals all by himself! Come on, that wouldn’t be fair to put that kind of expectation or burden on him. It’s not like we are asking him to be a superstar or something! 😉
Yeah, blaming the teammates for his lack of success is really the defining argument AGAINST him being a superstar.
According to this graph, he isn’t top 30 yet.
https://twitter.com/AndrewDBailey/status/1389260480674340865?s=20
Nah, this is the RPM thing gone amok. Duncan Robinson, Clint Capela and Lonzo Ball aren’t superstars either.
I don’t really believe you should judge scoring guards based on how their advanced stats look from a defensive perspective. I don’t think they really know how to isolate a player’s defensive impact when they play on a team that’s bad definsively, and carry that much of an offensive load. Put Fox on the Sixers, and the defensive metrics look better through osmosis. This is one of those things that does require “watching the tape” IMO. Fox has the “superstar” ability to take over any game, and look like the best offensive player on the floor. He does need to be more consistent defensively, but the stats are going to look artificially bad for any player on a really bad defensive team.
Your statement above was that Fox is a superstar player. Not “potential” superstar, which seems more acceptable/arguable.
Regardless of the defensive debate, a superstar basketball player doesn’t have a negative net rating over the course of a full season.
How ’bout we compromise and say Fox will be a superstar if he continues on his current developmental trajectory? To me, that means he’s always been a superstar, but just not fully formed. I get why some folks would prefer wait-and-see approach though.
Also, net ratings can be deceiving obviously. If the coaching staff feels like they need to use Fox with some garbage lineups, then that will artificially deflate his on/off numbers. In the ~800 minutes he’s played with the starters/finishers the team’s net rating is >7.
Nope. Next season is season 5. He needs to make a big leap, not another small one.
As far as net ratings – true superstar players don’t have a large negative net rating over the course of a basketball season – much less having a negative on/off net rating differential.
Whether it’s deceptive or not, I’ve been unable to find a superstar player whose team doesn’t outplay the opposition overall when they are on the floor or whose team plays better with them off the court.
You’d have to have a pretty soft definition of superstar to elevate Fox to that level.
By the way, congrats on getting to the FB finals – I would love to blame my injuries/COVID absences for my loss, but I don’t think I was winning that even with a healthy roster.
Finals should be a hell of a matchup!
Thanks! I basically went from the best team a couple months ago, to a team that needs every bit of luck just to advance. BHE looks like the heavy favorite for sure. BUT, maybe the good luck streak will continue.
“Fox has the superstar ability to take over any game”
So why doesn’t he just do that so the Kings can be in the playoffs?
I am not greedy, he could just do that in half the games and we get there! 😉
Ok, whatever. I’m not going to try to convince you that Fox has an elite ability to take over games. Like it’s probably happened over 20 times this season alone. He’s scored the 12th most points in the entire league this season. He has the most points scored in the 4th quarter as of today. A fox drive is one of the most unstoppable plays in the NBA. He’s been going toe-to-toe with every superstar in the league all season. Like what exactly are you arguing here?
If I’m understanding your point, it’s that Fox’s flashes of superstar level play means he is actually a superstar player?
By your standards, we could argue that the Kings are a championship caliber team right now.
Again, I think the debate is whether he’s an All-Star level player at this point.
“flashes” is like when Harry Giles makes one step back corner three.
I think one step back corner three would be a “flash”, not “flashes”.
cool.
Just to put the driving thing in perspective. Fox is ahead of Doncic by 41 point in total points scored on drives this season. Fox and Doncic are the only two players who’ve scored over 700 points on drives. Bradley Beal is the only other player to score at least 600 points on drives. Since nba.com started tracking points on drives back in 2013, only James Harden in 2017-18 has scored more points on drives per game than Fox has this season.
By the way, Fox’s NetRating in the 4th quarter is -8.8 (the team is -2.7 overall in the fourth).
Not Fox’s fault, but not the sign of a superstar.
At some point, winning matters. And this team has been almost depressingly worse than last season’s. There ain’t a superstar on the roster right now, how matter how hard you squint.
Again, I just don’t like using team stats for stuff like this. It’s an interesting factor, and could technically indicate his individual impact doesn’t translate into team success, but there’s too many variables outside of his control to know if it means anything.
I completely agree with you, if we’re talking about most NBA players. I disagree with you when we’re debating superstars.
The NBA is the one sport that a high-end player heavily impacts overall team performance.
So IMO the real hallmark of a superstar is that his team outperforms the opposition over the long haul when he’s on the floor. It’s statistically tried-and-true/verifiable. That ain’t Fox (yet), but I hope that changes.
Seems to me we’ve just identified the key factor that distinguishes a star from a superstar!
or the factor literally means nothing. Look at the defensive on/off stats for Kawhi in San Antonio. They can be highly misleading.
Or it means everything.
to me a superstar is a star player who has a profound impact on team performance.
One who turns a bad team into a mediocre team or a mediocre team into a true title competitor.
Greater team success is integral to superstardom and it’s why it should be reserved for only the elite few players who do that virtually single handedly!
I love Fox, he is the highest level of talent the Kings have had in a long time but he has yet to put this team on his back and drag them into a even a mediocre level of team success!
In the 2016-2017 season, the Spurs allowed 8 points per 100 possessions less when Kawhi was off the floor versus on the floor. Is that because Kawhi is bad at defense? Of course not.
You can’t just say “here is a team stat that’s dependent on a ton of variables, and that’s empirical evidence that a player is not a superstar.”
Ultimately, we’re all cherry picking stats to back up our assertions, but we all at least need to be capable of understanding what stats are worthy of cherry picking. How 5 players perform when one player is on or off the court is just not that meaningful in this discussion IMO. Fox’s on/off was +5.7 two years ago for instance. Does that mean he was better then than he is now?
Personally, I focus on overall team success as opposed to individual stats when discussing this topic.
In the 2016-2017 season, the Spurs outscored the opposition by 8.7 points per 100 with Kawhi Leonard on the floor. That’s the point.
I’m not cherry picking in the slightest. I’m looking at full seasons for high-end players, and I’ll wait to hear about one that has a negative net rating when they are on the floor.
my point is that team on/off stats and individual defensive catch all stats can be misleading. It’s like using PER to prove why a guy who gets a ton of uncontested defensive rebounds and putback dunks is elite.
You seem hyperfocused on the on/off numbers, which are really secondary to me (and admittedly, more dependent on factors around the franchise).
But the fact that the team is significantly outscored by the opposition when he’s on the floor (over time)? That’s a pretty telling statistic.
why are they ranked so high? Is it because the defensive catch all stats are probably not good indicators of true impact? I could be wrong, but I doubt Duncan Robinson has a bigger impact on defense than Fox has on offense. Also, Willie Cauley-Stein’s defensive impact last season was greater than Fox’s offensive impact this season. I guess one could use that as an argument for why Fox isn’t a superstar. I just think it means the defensive catch all stats aren’t that meaningful at this point.
How are you measuring Fox’s “impact on the offense” (statistically), and how does that impact compare to other guards in the league who are held in higher regard?
as I said it’s a combination of stats and tape. For instance, the stats say Fox is elite at making very difficult shots. The tape says he needs to attempt those shots because there isn’t a better alternative. And that’s what I think some fail to appreciate. He’s carrying a huge offensive load and converting at a super high percentage when you take into account the shot quality associated with his FGA based on how opponents defend the Kings with Fox on the floor.
What are “very difficult shots”…midrange?
There’s definitely some editorializing here. Personally, I think Fox’s style of offense is liable to be unsuccessful in the playoffs (should he be able to get a team that far) and he’s liable to break down physically.
He needs to get better shooting from distance. That will create a more repeatable, sustainable offense IMO, and might save him some energy to play a little defense.
Shots off drives. Just look at the leaderboard. It’s the shot type that’s most scaleable since it doesn’t rely on much other than individual ability. He’s basically the leader in both volume and percentage.
Is that considered a “very difficult shot”, comparatively?
IIRC, that’s a stat that Isaiah Thomas exceeded in as well.
IT wasn’t a superstar either, but obviously an All-Star caliber player. Nothing to sneeze at there.
And IT never came close to Fox when it comes to volume or efficiency. Like not even in the same stratosphere.
Overall efficiency/volume or just on drives? It has to be the latter.
As with the on/off thing, it feels like you’re hanging your hat on one isolated statistic.
By the way, Isaiah is a career 87% shooter from the line. Another reminder that Fox needs to improve his shooting before he can be considered a superstar.
IT’s best season he scored 9.8 points on drives per game. Fox is at 13.3 on MUCH better efficiency.
Fox is having one of the greatest seasons ever scoring on drives to the basket in the history of the NBA. It would be like if a RB had the most YAC due to a combination of leading the league in catches and avoiding tackles. That is the type of skill that puts players in the elite echelon IMO.
Well, or back to 2013-2014 right? Doesn’t appear that leaderboard goes back any further.
LOL I’m pretty sure if he’s been as good as Harden the year he was the MVP, then there’s not much competition outside of Harden.
At the end of his 4th season, Harden was shooting 37% from three (on volume), and 84% from the line (so over 60% true shooting).
So this is a nice stat, but assuming it’s relevant to Fox becoming a superstar is still specious IMO.
okay well then I guess we just disagree about the importance of driving to the rim in the sport of basketball. By they way, your boy George Karl is with me on this one.
You’re lashing out. I’m not disagreeing that it’s important, I’m just not understanding how that can be all you need to call him a superstar.
And I still think you were editorializing about it being the most difficult shot in basketball.
Lashing out?
You’re welcome to stab him anytime, Rory.
I won’t do that. Playing for the consolation in fantasy is bad enough.
Slow burn. I respect that.
You are right. A different coach could make all the difference with this roster. Just look at Thibs in NY. He’s the single reason that team has made a 180. Until Walton is gone, it doesn’t even matter if LBJ were on the roster. and history backs me up on that one.
We had that guy twice and fired them.
Malone
Joerger
And Joerger was fired bc he was too hard on the players. I hope that was another stupid Vlade decision, but my gut tells me Vivek would have made the same call.
I want to agree with you on the roster, but when I look at the Kings roster, I see many average to below average players, with the exception of Fox, Hali, and Holmes. At times we can look like world beaters, and then we can rip off a 5 game losing streak, looking like we may never win again.
I 100% agree with you on the coaching, and that has to change, but the Kings track record on coaching changes lately hasn’t moved the needle to much.
It’s yet to be seen, or to be determined, I guess if the Kings current problem is a simple coaching change.
Agreed. A 35 win roster isn’t going to start competing in the West with no changes.
Your point is fine but you have to have assets to make compelling changes. I’m not opposed to moving Bagley but not for a second rounder. I proposed Bagley for Roby but I don’t think OKC does that. Buddy I think is underwater so do you want to move him for a less onerous liability. Barnes is probably a decent trade chip but it seems without knowing he wasn’t as marketable as many thought. We don’t have much cap space so I doubt free agency brings back anything significant and the last thing we need is another bad contract. So with that said, you either knock it out of the park in the draft or package that pick with something else and try to find a couple of missing pieces but a miss there and we’re back another 5 years. The kings are in a state of conscious conflict right now not knowing which way to go. It appears to me they are not in the mode to take a step backwards in the hopes of moving 3 steps forward, So with that said maybe you trade the pick for something young but a little more NBA ready. A 7th or 8th pick in this years draft for Roby and either Brown or Maledon seems like a decent haul. Roby to just 23 and signed for 2 more years after this year and Maledon is still 19 and Brown 21 and both signed for 3 more years. We’d have to get really lucky to match a haul like that with the 7th draft pick.
Great win Kings!! Now we only have the 8th worst record for in the league! I smell a win streak.ð¤ð
Make that 9th.
Only watched highlights but it looks like Bagley and Buddy played well. I guess Bags is trying to impress another team? The Mavs commentators were praising him all night it seems.
What did you think of his defense? I was at work, didn’t see.
I gotta watch the whole game, but from the recap ^^^^ it seems he wasn’t too shabby!
it was a lucky game. If he can play like this consistently then I’ll eat my words
With the caveat that I wish the Kings had drafted him, watching Doncic play is such a miserable experience. Just constantly bitching at the refs while getting a ton of touch calls in his favor. It’s so annoying.
Yes it is annoying.
But I think if he was a King, a lot of us would compain just as much, genuinely believing that he doesn’t get enough calls.
And some of us would be able to brush it off and just enjoy watching him play in a Kings uniform.
Luka complains almost as much as Doug and Kyle. Annoying in both cases.
Plus, he’s got a target on his back. I’ve seen him take many a cheap shot against a variety of teams.
I mean sure, we can talk about his attitude but between him and the guy we picked only one of them has gotten their coach fired, soooo…
Luka Donbitch amirite?
Ooh, now do Fox! 😉
PS – I don’t disagree but my disdain for player bitching goes far beyond Luka!
I mean, most people don’t like it and want the league to act.
But when a star player gets ejected, people start whining about refs thinking they’re the bigger stars and stars should be in the game at the end and all that stuff.
I know. I am whacky. I wish they would through out more stars until the players get the message to reduce the crying!
The technical foul leaderboard could be mistaken for an all-star roster
In rugby and field hockey only the captains can talk to the refs, politely. Break the rules and take an early shower.
I wish the NBA would install the captain rule.
Let the coach and the captain on the floor speak to the refs. That’s it.
PS – I played rugby for 12 years. It works.
I owned a rugby shirt once.
Luka does seem to be on another whining level, but he’s not that much different than most superstar-level players. I think he’s also aware of it, so hopefully he’ll clean that up over time.
I wonder if it will help when he’s got better talent around him and doesn’t have all the pressure on his shoulders.
Kayte had one of her more cringeworthy moments after the game when she stated that it’s hard to watch Luka because he complains to the referees so much. Then, right after expressing this, she compared him to Demarcus Cousins in terms of barking at the refs. Not one of her better moments. I’ve really tried to like her for years but I can’t stand her attitude or the angles she takes on just about everything.
Tonight I caught myself saying under my breath; We’re never going to be free of Kayte and Doug, are we?
Ladies and gentlemen your Kings new coaching staff
they’d be so much better. how sad is that.
I agree with Kayte.
I usually turn the postgame off. I find her insufferable and there’s no point in complaining about it anymore. I’d turn Doug off, too, but that’s more challenging because of the live game factor.
Man when Tyrese went down I thought he almost assuredly had a horrific knee injury. That hyperextension was scary. I really hope he’s ok. Not for this year but for next. I guess we’ll find out what happened after his MRI tomorrow. There’s absolutely no reason to play Tyrese, Fox or Barnes again this year.
Random, but Bagley actually played pretty well! I mean, that ship has almost assuredly sailed but good for him. I hope he can find success on his next team.
Bagley played pretty well? I though he was the best player on the court last night. My eyes were wide open watching him. Like wow! Who the hell is this guy?
I’m probably in the minority here, but I believe it would be a big mistake for the Kings if he’s not on the team next season. Of course, if he wants out, not much the team can do about it, and he will have a next team.
Good post. I think when you consider the alternatives, your position is the correct one. I doubt his trade value is very high right now and he has an intriguing skill set which to me requires a deeper look. These calls to release him or trade him for a second round pick really have no logic to them. Now if we can snatch Isaiah Roby for him, I’d make that trade.
“No logic to them?”
I see a guy who cannot pass, cannot set a screen and plays iffy defense in every game I’ve seen him play in.
He has a good game. Great for him.
Great games from Bagley are really more of an aberration.
Wanting to trade a guy who has a one-dimensional game in a league where multidimensional players are the greatest asset is quite logical.
And where are your changes going to come from? Is anyone actually serious that we should walk into next season with a new coach and the same roster? That seems crazy to me.
I don’t think it’s crazy to walk into next season with most of the same roster in tact plus the top draft pick as long as the coaching situation changes.
Fox, Hali, Wright, Davis, Buddy, Barnes, Bagley, Holmes, Metu, Jones, draft pick.
Some for of rotation with those players could do some damage with the right coaching staff.
I would like to move from Buddy’s contract plus I think we have the pieces to replace him more so than say a Barnes.
I could envision (at this point) Bagley’s ultimate ceiling as a solid bench piece on a good team. And at less than 3,000 minutes played in his career, I’m not convinced this is the best Bagley will ever get.
I think the key to Bagley is still to find out whether he can actually become a consistent stretch big and find a way to function within a solid team defensive scheme. Considering his athletic gifts, improvement in those areas raises his ultimate ceiling.
Would love to see one more season of Bagley with a better coaching staff.
At this point, I’d give him another year.
Why not? Get another look to see if he can make a jump and I’m just not confident with what the Kings can accomplish without his money on the books or through the draft given where they are likely to be picking.
Also, I’d like to see what a coach who understands players and their fit/role in an actual plan would do with him.
Also, I am clearly at this stage of my Kings team building fandom:
I agree with your Bagley point unless we are underestimating his trade value
With the 9th pick of the 2021 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings select.. Alperen Sengun!
HEADBAND Bagley.
I am currently eating crow.
Certainly Bagley has development needs but a 6′ 10 guy with that kind of athleticism, that ability to run the court and a perimeter game that may be evolving, is not someone I’m ready to give up on. We need to give him heavy minutes the rest of this season and in the off-season put him on a program where he improves his strength and physicality. The verdict is still out on Bagley and last night was an encouraging sign.
OKC seems to be in love with draft picks and I really like some of their young talent. If the draft balls deliver us a pick of 7 or below, I would offer that pick to OKC for Isaiah Roby and either Theo Maledon or Moses Brown. Not sure OKC would take that deal but I doubt we could get that kind of a return with a pick below 7. Certainly Roby, Maledon or Brown are not finished products but they are likely further along that players projected to be drafted in the 7-10 area. Given where the Kings think they are, Roby, Maledon and Brown with some decent NBA minutes under their belts are better fits with the Kings timeline.
So the King are dealing the number 7 pick for a very fringe starting power forward (Roby is a year older than Bagley right now) and on this team a clear back up point guard?
I’d take my 40-50% swing at getting a decent starter with the pick…plus I have the 10-20% chance of landing a player that turns out to be more, which I think we all identify the Kings need more high end talent.
You make the point those OKC players could be more win now type players with mins under their belt, but I don’t see how they are a marked improvement over Delon Wright and Bagley right now for next year. Roby then is free agent, just like Bagley.
Maledon and Brown are 19 and 21 respectively and signed through the 2023-2024 season at very reasonable amounts around $2 mil per year. Roby is signed for 2 more years after this one. Its not a question of either Wright or Bagley who have just one year remaining, its in addition to them. I honestly doubt OKC would do the deal but if they would we should jump at that. These guys are young and making great strides and next year because of their experience this year are likely to be much more NBA ready than an 8th draft pick. Because of Roby’s play, OKC may covete him more than Bazely which is why I’m somewhat skeptical OKC would take that trade. They do have a duplication of young talent in certain spots and they have an unlimited amount of options given their stockpile of draft picks and young talent. It’s really a no brainer for the Kings and a somewhat long shot OKC does the deal. I don’t know if we swapped Buddy for Horford in the deal if would help but I’d also do that. I thought the rebuttal would be that OKC wouldn’t do that deal not it was bad for the Kings.
Yeah no thank you to the #7 pick for Roby and a throw in
I doubt you’ve seen any of those 3 on OKC play. We have 3 games coming up with OKC, pay attention and then comment.
I’ve seen Roby plenty, I don’t think he is worth the #7 overall pick for a variety of reasons. Perhaps step back from your ivory tower and then comment.
The trade proposal wasn’t for Roby straight across so keep reading and then comment. Your 0 for 2 on this post alone.
II would be astounded if the Kings made that deal. Maledon is going nowhere but 20 mins max on this team, barring injury. Roby and a back up point hardly feel worth the 7th pick in the draft, even if it’s a crapshoot.
I said Roby and a throw in, you keep on swinging and missing…I feel bad for you
Kings of winning all the games I want them to lose and losing all the games I want them to win. Never failing to disappoint me, pure Kangz!!!
Badge Legend