The Sacramento Kings welcomed back De’Aaron Fox to the Golden 1 Center for the first time since the trade that sent the once face of the franchise to the San Antonio Spurs just last month, but it probably wasn’t the return he hoped for as the Kings dominated for most of the game and beat the Spurs 127-109. Zach LaVine, the primary return for Fox, scored a game-high 36 points in the victory.
Despite the final score, it wasn’t an end to end performance for the Kings, who actually started off quite slow. Fox, greeted by a smattering of boos every time he brought up the ball (although he did get a nice ovation during his video tribute at the first dead ball), got the scoring started with a patented midrange jumper right off the bat. Fortunately, this wasn’t a portent of things to come as Fox struggled for much of the rest of the quarter and game, scoring just 16 points on 6-17 shooting, including 0-6 from three. But the Kings also got off to a slow start in the first quarter, looking rusty and discombobulated. After the 1st quarter, the Spurs were up 26 to 20.
The second quarter was wholly different however. LaVine, who scored just two points in the opening period, came out aggressive, scoring 13 points halfway through the period, including a trio of three pointers. Sacramento’s defense also ramped up as the Spurs struggled to score. In the end the Kings outscored the Spurs 36 to 16 in that 2nd period, setting the tone for the rest of the game. LaVine ended up with 18 points at the end of the first half after his slow start.
Sacramento’s defense wasn’t nearly as robust coming out of the break in the 3rd quarter as the Spurs put up 34 points, but the Kings were even better, scoring 39 of their own. DeMar DeRozan came alive in this quarter, scoring 11 points. DeRozan put the Kings up by as much as 24 points with 4 minutes left in the quarter before the Spurs started making a little comeback, but the Kings managed to keep them at bay enough. Rookie Devin Carter also had his best minutes in a while, scoring five points in quick succession at the end of the quarter to build Sacramento’s lead to 19 heading into the final frame.
San Antonio started off the fourth period with three straight triples, cutting Sacramento’s lead to just 12 points with 10:04 remaining, setting off alarm bells all around Sacramento. Thankfully, LaVine was still there to calm the Kings down, and Keegan Murray also showcased some aggressiveness with some nice drives. The Spurs never really went away, with rookie Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan in particular causing some havoc on both ends of the floor, but the Kings scored enough to stem the bleeding and prevent San Antonio from getting any real life. The Spurs never got closer than that initial 12 points, and both teams were able to clear their benches with a couple of minutes left. This gave Skal Labissiere the opportunity to score his first NBA points since December 26th, 2019, and he delivered with 5 quick points, including a top of the key three pointer.
It was a much needed win for the Kings, particularly in how they did it. This was a dominant victory against an inferior and injury plagued team, and a much needed one after a tough loss against Denver the other night. Sacramento’s best players stepped up after a slow start, and every starter finished in double digits. Without Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, the Kings needed others to step up. Jonas Valanciunas once again filled in admirably, scoring 15 points to go with 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block in 27 minutes, while Keon Ellis was his normal active self on both ends of the floor with 10 points, 4 assists, 4 steals, 3 rebounds and a block. It was also really nice to see an aggressive Keegan Murray. Murray scored 19 points to go with 9 rebounds, and had a couple of very strong takes to the rim that resulted in And-1 opportunities.
The Kings as a team did a great job sharing the ball despite playing without a true point guard for most of the night, totaling 31 assists on 49 made field goals. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 7 but 8 players tallied assists, including 5 from Trey Lyles, which feels like it has to be a career-high (it’s not, he had 6 a couple games ago against Dallas). In every category that mattered, the Kings beat the Spurs. The Kings won the battle in the paint (50 to 36), 2nd chance points (30 to 16), and rebounds (51 to 36). Neither team turned the ball over all that much (8 for each team) either.
Sacramento executed their gameplan well and took care of business on the home floor. Now they’re back on the road to face a Clippers team on Sunday that they’ll be looking to leapfrog in the standings. The stretch run is going to be a gauntlet but if the Kings keep playing like this an hopefully get Sabonis and Monk back sooner rather than later, they should have a good chance at getting to the postseason.
Spur clicking cowboy dance! Kings win!
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Yo fox needs to shut down them boys dookie lol if wemby have more injuries that team is going to suck a lot
Lol wtf
I put this through GenZ Translator. Yes, a real site.
The Fox team really needs to beat the other team easily. If they have more injuries, that team is going to struggle a lot.
Thanks ????
The entire league, and fanbase, is in shock from Wemby’s “injury.” The pain hasn’t set in yet, or the realization that he has a disease. No schadenfreude here; It’s just sad on so many levels.
Being picked #1 is no guarantee of greatness. In other picked #1 news, I didn’t think Markelle Fultz had a great game yesterday. Did he get benched for Devin Carter?
How would you accomplish this sort of task? Would the goal be to create a temporary or permanent stoppage? Would you take an intestinal strategy, loading up on cheese and fried food, or possibly an external approach, using tape, or possibly glue? Might I suggest a previously used, but well conditioned wine cork?
Inquiring minds and all that…
Man that was a great game!
It’s official, we won the trade!
I have said we have for awhile now and as long as lavine can stay healthy I don’t think it’ll be close
Lavine is a better shooter (especially 3pt) and on-ball defender. Fox is a better ball handler, off-ball defender and very arguably distributer in the half court. Otherwise, I’m kind of neutral on the swap – Lavine’s 3 point shooting has been huge – but turning it into JV and Jake as well has been a big win
I’m still pissed that we didn’t go for Castle. But I guess we’re in win-now mode, whatever that may mean.
It means chasing a first-round playoff exit every year.
It’s not too late for you “old-timers” to realize Sac got the best of the trade, or that we got the best guard in the draft. Carter is getting his feet under him. Don’t stay home and miss the party!
Which sucks. But, the ten+? years we spent winning 20-30 games until we got Cuz and then bumbled around in the 30s sucked too. As did the time before we got Mitch, after the initial glow of having a team dimmed a bit.
I’d prefer a serious teardown and rebuild ala OKC or even Detroit. But since that’s not happening anytime soon, I’m just enjoying the ride.
The trade shortens our window more, but realistically our window is already short. Something needs to happen quickly or we’ll be flipping Domas for Kuzma and Poole
So I’m cool with seeing how good this can get. Maybe we top out at WCF losers, like last time. Not likely. Or maybe it’s a 2nd round appearance at two. Possible.
Trading deck chairs to finish 9th or 10th is worst case at this point. So hopefully Vivek gets tired of it and blows it up if that goes on too much longer.
I’m excited by the effort shown and the deeper more balanced roster. I’m excited by what Doug’s brought so far.
Really hope we can finish at least 8th. 6th would be fantastic.
In a vacuum – like if you were picking for an expansion team that was going to go for it – would you prefer Fox or Lavine?
If Castle was never on the table and Fox wasn’t going to re-sign what would you do?
No, I wouldn’t.
Trade him for as much picks and young prospects (and exprings) as I could and blow it all up.
So you just want to say fuck it all and blow it up? Spend another *minimum* of five years in the desert?
Better in the desert than the mirage we’re living in now. Thinking we’re seeing the oasis with water but never getting to taste from it.
The desert is pure misery
I have actually lived in a desert for a while. It’s hard but has a certain beauty. And it’s real. A mirage isn’t
The NederDesert?
LOL.
Lived in the northern Nevada desert for three years, it was/is the most favorite state I’ve lived in (5). There is NOTHING like waking up and smelling the dew on sagebrush in the morning. It’s definitely my plan for retirement, to return.
Your still digging. It starts to get cold (and lonely) down in that hole. Come back!
Please stop trolling. Enjoy the win, respect the opinions. If you are as happy as you purport, there is simply no need for this.
Ask yourself, who’s trolling who, Rob?
You. You are trolling.
Now that I’ve googled “internet trolling” to be sure I’m not missing any connotations I wasn’t aware of, I’m calm enough now, hopefully, to address your name-calling in a constructive and non-threatening manner.
I don’t see how suggesting Rik is following you, and others, down a rabbit-hole leading to nothing but futility, and self-defeatism, constitutes “inflammatory, offensive, or disruptive content online to upset others,” even if Rik has been here for 20 years. And I’ve nothing but love, and appreciation, for Rik, and his contributions here.
Now, Rik isn’t responding, so maybe I offended him. If that’s the case, I’m sorry Rik. I don’t think a troll ever apologizes for their disruptive behavior, and I’ve offered mine here before. Maybe I went too far, but I’m not a troll. It wasn’t my intention, to offend or inflame anyone, but rather to prompt some self-examination, and awareness of how your words effect the attitudes of others, and how you can, in fact, lead yourself into a negative mental feedback loop.
I have some experience with mental disfunction, having spent considerable time in therapy after working with people who are, for lack of a better term, “criminally insane,” as well as living with suicidal family members. I consider myself a bit of an empath despite my somewhat confrontational nature. Also, having lost 2 to 1 in my former cage-fighting career, I’ve taken far too many blows to the head, and I’m sure I’m dealing with the residual effects of CTE, which commonly means major memory loss, uncontrollable emotional outbursts, and eventually suicidal thoughts and ideation. I’ve also got some water on my ears, or so-called “cauliflower ear.” I fought at 155, and I walk around at about 165 today. I could cut and be ready for weigh-ins by 6pm tonight. I’ll be in town for the Suns game if you’d like to meet-up and confirm this face-to-face. I’m sure arrangements can be made; not to threaten you, or anyone else. Even with my deteriorating mental state, I still feel I can be thoughtful enough. You have engaged with me here in conversation before w/o hostility, and at times constructively.
Now I’d like to take a moment to address your attitude. You wrote yesterday that the Kings aren’t trying to “improve and become championship contenders,” and “They have never tried that and aren’t currently trying it now so I’m not particularly interested…” Theses are ridiculous statements, inflammatory, imo, and negative apparently for the sake of negativity. They’re derogatory and pyric (hollow) in that they serve no constructive purpose, or argument, and they’re completely w/o merit, or support. It’s simply trolling. I get tired of defending my team here all the time, and I don’t really have the time, or energy for these rants. Moreover, the pusillanimity of it all, tinged with the arrogance of making mindlessly derogative comments, constantly, is just irritating, and obnoxious, especially since this is supposed to be a Kings fan site.
As far as “fanning” goes, you seem, at least at times, fanatically anti Sacramento Kings. I’m not saying you don’t like the team, I believe it’s mostly directed at the mngt.. I don’t think I’m in any way better than you, or anyone, but I am saying your incessant bitching and whining is a detriment to this site and the enjoyment of others. In other words, if you can’t find anything good to say, maybe just don’t say anything at all. Or, at least, don’t expect there to be no blowback here in this forum. Again, IT’S A FANSITE! If you can’t take the heat, don’t go away mad, just go away! Either that, or grow a little thicker skin.
https://kingsherald.com/articles/threadiquette-2/
Thanks Rob I’ll check it out
I’m guilty of breaking the “moderator” rule. My bad.
I’m not offended, but I feel compelled to point out that you sure seem to offer a lot of unsollicited advice to people and “insight” into their state of mind (mine included) to people you have never met.
I can’t talk for FKAC but i don’t need it (and if i would, I would go to other places or websites), and it comes off as condescending, even if that is not your intention (and I think it isn’t).
We can discuss the Kings, we can even argue about soem matters. But you are going into directions that don’t entice me to keep talking.
Go Kings!
Taken on advisement. I can certainly see how the “rabbit-hole” comments were, at least a bit condescending, and no one wants to be lectured. Thanks for making me feel better about it. I’ll do better.
Cheers, mate.
We’re all Kings fans, but every one has his own view on the team and the path towards success and even what should be considered as success.
And it’s important to remember that my view is the only correct one. 🙂
Right Tehehe
I always find fascinating what some fans find derogatory or overly negative and what some find to be simply stating the reality of where the team is currently.
I don’t have any issue with you believing and stating here that you think the Kings are on the right track. I also didn’t call you a troll. I said you WERE trolling. I don’t believe you’re always trolling. I said that because you seemed to be making it your mission to make sure that everyone here was simply “enjoying the wins”. While at this point, winning is probably better than losing because we are too far ahead to keep our draft, it all feels hollow knowing the shelf life on this roster is 1-2 years.
You are correct to note that my issue is solely with management. I like the players for the most part. In this thread I’ve even mentioned my love for Keon Ellis, belief in Keegan Murray and affection for Skal.
Now, as for the evidence you say I don’t have, I quite literally mentioned the multiple, well sourced reports that have come out in the last few days about the owners daughter and her boyfriend convincing him to fire the coach against wishes of his front office and best player. I could mention the underwhelming trade return for Fox or the fact that management created the situation that necessitated his trade. I could mention hiring incompetent GM’s or undermining the staff and coaches at every opportunity.
I could go on and on but it is my sincere belief that the Kings have a hard ceiling on what the can accomplish because their ownership doesn’t allow high level success. I’m certainly not alone in this assessment either. I haven’t read one serious national basketball reporter who believes the Kings have any shot to get out of the first round and most don’t believe we’ll make the playoffs.
In conclusion, you do you man. Just don’t try to convince anyone else here that their opinions aren’t welcome because you see it differently. Your post ends with telling me to “go away” which sort of gets at the whole issue. I haven’t asked you to leave at any point. I’ve simply stated why I disagree with your view point. So, less of telling people how to fan and we’ll all be good.
I would say the mirage is pure misery. The desert isn’t so scary when you’ve stared at the mirage for 16 straight years.
Most King’s fans are content with medicority over sucking again…and I get it and respect it. Those of us that preferred a rebuild are on an island.
after 16 losing seasons the team is on pace for a third consecutive winning season and just picked up two unprotected future 1st round picks.
Would’ve been sweet if Vivek had said fuck it and blew it all up five or more years ago.
No, it wouldn’t. You would have entirely different complaints.
Most people expect a reboot to end up like OKC, Mostly, they end uo like Charlotte
Hard to say how the Kings’ reboot would have gone since they’ve never tried one.
Imagine the team Vlade could have assembled with PapaG as the centerpiece!
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PapaG lol that brings back misery
We never did an actual tanking reboot for almost two decades and yet we basically are the Western Conference Charlotte Hornets.
I’m fairly sure Charlotte fans would love to be the east coast version of the Kings.
We’re more like the Hawks or the Pacers at this point, IMO.
And while I’m normally about blowing things up, I’m interested to see what this roster looks like to start next season. Maybe it needs a complete retool, but I think Sabonis is a really good piece that can fit on a lot of different roster builds.
Not sure that’s the case anywhere else, especially at the wings, but I could squint and still see Murray as an impact player on the next really good Kings team.
I disagree.
The Hawks and Pacers have reached the conference finals in this decade. Only Charlotte has a longer drought of not winning a play-off series then us.
What can this team do to improve? Before the end of next season, Domas will become 30, LaVine 31, JV 34 and DDR 36.
SuperMidteam justyoungold.There are reports that Domas will ask clarity about the organization’s plan in the offseason. Do you think he will get answers that he’ll like and will trust that they will come to fruition?
I think calling us the Hornets of the west is painting with too broad a brush. Again, I think most Hornets fans would trade rosters and front office in a heartbeat.
We may not be in complete disagreement though, there’s definitely some pieces that need to go – but I do think there is some talent on this roster worth keeping going forward (see Rob’s reply).
I am with you that we’ve got what we’ve got. My hope is that we can spin DDR and/or Monk into a legit lead guard and legit 3-4. Retain JV & LaRavia. Hit the season with the new lead guard, new 3-4, Domas, Keegan & LaVine. Ellis, LaRavia & JV as your core bench, with the need for a backup PG as well.
This is the way.
I like the cut of your jib, sir.
One problem, the Kings don’t have the option to retain LaRavia, unless no one else is willing to pay him.
They can pay him, just not more than $5.1m. I think he can be had for that or less as of right now.
So, right now, that puts him in the range of some guys on rookie deals along with Ousmane Dieng, Trey Murphy… Kris Dunn? The best player I see in that salary range is Dario Saric at 5.168. Good luck making that deal. Maybe your right, maybe the FA market will be flooded this off-season. Realistically, he’s worth more than that or we wouldn’t be discussing him, especially if he keeps contributing into the post-season. I’d love to see him stay, but, at least on this one, I’m the one with little hope.
I vote yes on this plan Rob. I think Domas will likely age very well, JV is great value to contract, Jake might fill that almost forty year old Harold Pressley-sized-hole the franchise has had, LaVine might be in the right place for him and his skillset at this point in his career, and I think Keegan is a serious player who could make a huge leap at any time.
When using OKC as an example of a successful rebuild, I think what gets missed often is the huge hockey assist that Kawhi gave Presti & Co.
Kawhi, fresh off winning a ring with the Raptors, told the Clips that they had to get PG if he was going to sign there, and Ballmer made a gross overpay to OKC to make it happen. SGA, Danilo, draft picks/swaps (which netted Jalen Williams, Tre Mann, and Dillon Jones), with more collateral to go.
If Kawhi doesn’t make that urgent demand, or Ballmer was not a huge risk taker, where is OKC now if they do not have SGA, Williams, and more draft capital? Do they move on from PG anyway? Whatever they would have got from that would be impossible to be better than what looks to be a perennial MVP candidate and borderline all-star, with more opportunities still.
If you’re using the PG trade as the template, the player that Sacto is trading is Domas to get younger players while giving up a guy with a great rep who might be overpaid.
DDR and Monk are very good players on good contracts. Given the relative importance of the 5 in today’s game, we don’t want to pay Domas $50mm per year to do what he does — if you can add a young PG and/or a more athletic 4 for Domas, you have to consider it.
Other than Joker, your 5 shouldn’t be your highest paid player. Keeping Sabonis to be the #1 guy as he pushes age 30 would be like OKC keeping PG …. get younger, get more athletic, play the modern game.
You can win with Kevon Looney at the 5 if you have the right players at the 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Hey Watty. I wasn’t specifically using PG/OKC as a template, but to add context to the luck they have had with their rebuild. It was exceptionally fortuitous for OKC that Kawhi demanded the Clippers trade for PG as a condition of his signing with them, and that Ballmer decided to pay whatever they asked.
OKC getting SGA, and picks that led to Jalen Williams and more to come, is the primary reason OKC is the number one team in the West, not that Presti did some Process-express-lane sort of wizardry. He took advantage of a rare opportunity that was put in front of him, and I think it is a bit of a stretch to use that as an example for the Kings or any other franchise, as that sort of desperate move isn’t likely to happen again.
Point taken, but I think losing PG for whatever reason and landing SAG is a good example of “addition by subtraction “ that might inform how the Kings think about proactively trading Sabonis, which is what Indy already did — also improving because they added a very impactful & younger player in Hali.
can you imagine if Kings could reverse that trade right now and have roster of Hali, Lavine, Ellis, Murray, Monk, JV and DDR? Add a true 4/5 rim protector to play D and rebound….. that team is 10-15 wins better than a team built around Fox and Sabonis IMO.
I think keeping DeMar next year is better. Still a bucket getter. One of the biggest free agent signings for Sacramento in a while (sign & trade technically but more like a FA acquisition because he had to agree to the deal.)
The thing is, I think the contract Monte put him on, with a partial guarantee for his 3rd year, was designed to be trade fodder.
That sounds like you are trying to predict what the Kings will do in the offseason. I’m not doing that. I’m stating my opinion on what the Kings should do in the offseason based on current knowledge.
Uhhh, I think we both are stating our opinions on what the Kings should do in the offseason based on current knowledge.
Your comment speculated that the design of a contract is for trade fodder. Maybe you got confused as to which comments are responding to which.
anyway so now you’re saying the kings should trade demar in the offseason. I disagree. Good luck getting another quality FA signing if you do that.
Yes, there are contacts given out in the NBA that are done with foresight to be manageable and tradable assets. All parties involved are aware of this. Often times it’s a short term overpay for the talent and the players agree to it because it’s cash in hand. Bruce Brown was an example of this. More recently it was Isaiah Hartenstein getting $30M per year from OKC. These contracts are place holders with team friendly endings that will be used for deals down the road. IMO, DDR’s deal and structure is another example of this and good on Monte for doing it.
that not a bad option if things don’t work out, but DeMar is still a bucket getter on a team that could use one. To trade him because there’s a team option on his third year when it’s in the best interest of the team to keep him is faulty logic.
i will give you credit for knowing about the CBA, salary caps, MLE’s etc. but when I said a couple months ago that I thought you were our “guru” on those things, I was joking.
I agree that he’s a bucket getter. There is no denying that. My issue is fit. I personally feel having him on the court with LaVine and Monk is bad basketball. All three are bucket getters, but a 5 man lineup needs more varied and balanced roles. LaVine appears to be the long term plan with Sabonis. Those two need shooters and defenders next to them. If you can move DDR for a 3 and D PG and/or long wing, I think you pull that trigger.
It’s also a matter of timeline for me. DDR is going to be 36 before the start of next season and is shooting a career best from deep. There are only 5 dudes in the league that have played more games than him, and only 3 who are both older and make more money (LBJ, Durant, Curry). Father time catches up to us all. A good GM knows when to cash in those chips.
Okay, that’s more of a counter-argument. I think there’s plenty of minutes to go around and Doug Christie is showing that he can put the players in position to succeed. I’d wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds but if DeMar continues playing well I’d keep him for next year at least.
and now that i think of it, I think used the term contracts “expert”, not “guru”, still just joking.
For sure, let the season play out. There really is no other choice at this point. Kings may catch lightening in a bottle and all this conversation becomes irrelevant. If, however, they burn out in the play-in then something will have to happen because the team is capped out and will not have a draft pick.
Excellent point Adam. DDR has a very well defined and still premium skill set, the ability to create on his own, and the contract is short term and affordable.
Charlotte has never really rebooted which is why they are where they are. And now that they have new ownership and competent management they’ll probably be out of purgatory sooner rather than later.
Teams that are competent don’t spend five years in the desert. They spend like 3 and then they compete. OKC obviously is the best example but even Houston and Detroit have figured out how to have much brighter futures than the Kings.
Yes. That’s how the Spurs got Wemby and why the Thunder have the best record in the West. The Celtics got Tatum and Brown with top three picks. LeBron was a #1 pick. Luka was a #3 pick. Three of the Cavs top four players were top 5 picks.
Screwing around with mediocrity and #12 picks means you have to hit a Giannis or Jokic level lightning strike to be truly competitive.
To be fair, without vlade, we could have drafted Tatum and luka with those top 3 picks we had. We were given silver platters but chose poopoo
Castle was never going to be an option. SA knows what we know — Castle will be a better player than Fox in a year or two. Kid is a 6-6 man child that can score at all 3 levels. The path to glory for SA is going to be when Fox is their #3 option behind Wemby and Castle.
28.5% from 3. That’s his main improvement area.
Like ma y youngsters — LeBron shot 29% from 3 as a rookie
Only chance to get Castle, other players and better picks from the Spurs deal was if there were other teams bidding for Fox.The way he and his agent orchestrated the trade was they made sure to protect his new team’s assets. Tip of the hat to them.
If they thought Castle will be better than Fox, they wouldn’t have made the trade. Kings have done well with the Fox trade and are much better positioned for the future. I never wanted to pay Fox what he was going to get to keep him.
It’s time to get happy Rik. More time isn’t going to make it easier to admit you were wrong. I’m saving you a seat on the “Bandwagon.”
Over the last 20 years, Rik’s opinion on the Kings has been a lot more right than it has been wrong. And through most of it, optimistic wide-eyed fans have continued to push the “everything is different now!” narrative and they’ve been wrong just about every single time. Couple that with the corresponding articles from ESPN and the Athletic yesterday about how dysfunctional the Kings leadership is and you realize than any victory is pyrrhic at best.
I want the team to compete for a championship. The Kings have no interest in that at an organizational level. Therefore we are stuck with hoping they sneak into the playoffs and get crushed in the first round. I know that some fans are totally fine with that and if that’s where you’re at, then great!
At least one of their wings. Well, one more than we got so we could keep one.
Castle does keep playing better and better, but Sochan isn’t even hardly playing anymore.
He’s gone from 29MPG last season to 25MPG this season, which is the same as Castle “Hardly playing anymore” isn’t all that accurate.
Check his mins. in the last month.
MM for GM of the year, LFG!
What were the odds on Skal ever scoring another NBA point a couple of years ago?
It’s a good story. I always thought he had the skills to be a good player, but something is/was missing. I doubt he ever gets regular NBA minutes, though.
It was cool seeing the bench unit at the end of the game that was basically the Stockton Kings. Good for them.
It’s crazy to see him back out there and hitting a couple shots! Happy for him to get back out there and get another shot.
Thank god
HCDC is 20 wins and 11 losses – this is a 50 win pace on a decent sample size. Fuck everyone – these guys ae good. It wasn’t even some secret magic to make this team start winning, it was just playing Keon Ellis and not throwing the Jones’ out there to prove some weird point. HCDC plays rotations that make sense and match the game situation, coach Mike lived in another universe
The only caveat to that is the strength of schedule: the Kings haven’t really played that many good teams of late and have the second toughest remaining schedule. In the coming weeks, we’ll get to see if the Kings are indeed good. I’m not as optimistic as you are.
They are going to destroy most of those teams. OKC an CLE excepted – they’re really fucking good. The rest, though? Yeah, Sacrafuckingmento.
Yeah , and the thing is, we’ve entered the silly part of the season, with some blatant tanking teams and some top teams resting starters.
People worried about schedule don’t know ball or the Kings. If you’re playing well you can beat anyone, it can actually create big momentum. Also Kings (and most teams) always play up to level of competition, problem is they’ve always had problems closing out games. Blowing it at end of games is the definition of the Kangz experience, gotta turn that corner eventually if you want to be a legit contender.
JR pointed this out in the last pod and said Keon should be playing 35 mins a night. The fact that MB wasn’t playing Keon is weird.
The obvious is Keon starting and DDR off the bench and keep him fresh for crunch time. Again, these were JR’s points which were also obvious to everyone not named Mike Brown.
Christie and Kings are showing some small improvements, no need to start the heavy glazing.
As I said when the trade was made, and from a mile away, we were given draft assets to take the better player
Fox is an inefficient (sub league average ts% for two years now) volume scorer with no spacing and a bad motor, and just isnt worth a max or good yet the writers on here seemed to still be in love with him
Lavine has been putting up super efficiency coming into this stage of his career
I’m glad I finally don’t loathe a player on the team
You “loathe” De´Aron Fox? Your life must be exhausting.
Some pretty loathsome comments from Fox, but at the same time can’t blame him for feeling this way. I place most the blame on the FO. And that includes the trade, they didn’t have to trade Fox now or trade him to the team of his choice.
“I was like, ‘Yo, I’ve been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I’ll be going on my fifth coach,'” Fox said. “And I told them, ‘I’m not going to play for another coach. I’m going to play for another team.'”
“There was no f—ing list,” Fox said. “There was one team. I wanted to go to San Antonio. So, a lot of people are mad at me, saying I handcuffed the team by giving them a destination. Well, this is my career. If anybody else is in my position, you’d do the same thing. It’s not my job to help build your team. I’m not about to just go where they want me to go. I wanted to have a destination.”
I saw something comparing Zachs stats to Booker and they were about same yet perception is that Booker is so great and Zach gets a lot of criticism.
Keegan was aggressive, and didn’t hesitate. The mental processing was quick, which is usually the best thing for his offensive game. Defensively, he did well on Devin Vassell. That was a game changer because has cooked the Kings in the past.
I liked what Keon did offensively. He seemed to get in to the paint more than I have seen him before. His defense on Fox? He knew the assignment and executed it to perfection.
Clippers on Sunday. Who the heck knows if Kawhi plays in that one. Knicks on Monday. Looks like Brunson will miss that game. Take care of business.
Keegan is quietly leading this team in blocks and is amazingly 34th in total blocks in the NBA. There are very few wings/power forwards who have more blocks than him. I know some folks would prefer to have him play the 3, but think any team would be hard pressed to find an upgrade at the 4 spot over Keegan.
I’m fine with him at either spot. Collins-Murray? Fine. Murray-Cam Johnson? Fine.
True that. I just feel like the going complaint is that the team needs a true stretch 4 between Keegan and Sabonis. I’d argue the far bigger need is a legit lead guard.
Yep. And get back to spreading the shots around. Domas & Ellis are insanely efficient offensively, and Murray would benefit from being more integrated and less of an after thought offensively.
I love how much Keegan seems to love shot blocking, he really tries to swat opponents. Likewise he gets after it on the boards, and makes some fantastic two-handed rips taking the carom from the other team.
When Keegan is out there with another appropriately sized forward (Jake at SF or Trey at PF), I think the team looks so much more balanced, and Keegan is able to do so much more, that is why I agree so whole heartedly with Rob’s vision of using DDR/Malik to get another 3/4.
I’m with you both.
I continue to remain optimistic about Keegan’s future. He’s basically a 40% three point shooter since Mike Brown was fired which is weird but also interesting. Maybe he just had a slow start because the last couple months he looks a lot more like the guy he has been for most of his tenure here. My hope is his early season slump allows to re-sign him at a discount.
Everyone should get better looks if the D has to play Lavine out to 30-feet. With DDR and Fox in the lineup, you had 2 high volume players looking to score inside of 15-feet, alongside Sabonis who does his best work in the paint.
if you have the right spacing, all of Lavine, Ellis and Murray are going to shoot >40-42% on 3’s
Yeah I think we’re starting to see that come to fruition. There’s just a lot of space in the starting lineup when those three guys are on the floor.
I’m loving what JV is doing. Is there a way to play Domas and him together at times when he’s back?
Nah, start JV and bring Domas off the bench.
ZachTown Lets gooooo! LaVine the Beam!
The Kings are taking advantage of a weak part in their schedule but I’m liking the Fox trade more and more. I liked it from the beginning because it positioned us much better for the future but I actually think the team is better now so it’s a win win. You just can’t underestimate the value of a scorer like LaVine. Add in DeRozan and Monk and that’s three prolific scorers which is difficult to defend. These guys also make Murray and Sabonis more effective at what they do. The addition of Big Val is also significant. Probably the best roster we’ve had since the Chris Weber, Mike Bibby days. Good job by management with this one. Work to do but I like where we are positioned now.
/Hat Tip (a 10 gallon one tonight) to Coach Christie as Sacramento lays out the Spurs.
A special nod to Coach Luke Loucks who moves over to be a Division I coach for the Seminoles – from California’s capital to Florida’s. Thank you coach, you were a big part of the change from the 30 win seasons to the current competitive squad. Good luck Loucks, and thank you.
We have to give credit to Coach Christie as this team has had some convincing wins with not one, but 2 core players sidelined. Not a thing to take for granted, IMO, but we are.
Valančiūnas has been superb- Sac hardly misses their All-NBA, multiple category league leading Dominator, and the energy blast of Malik Monk has just been shifted to the Bulls paced offense of Lavine-DeRozan- JV (La-De-Va).
Defense seems also improved. We can ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that this is against the lower tiered teams, but that was an issue earlier in the season. Over the last 6 games , opponents averaged just 101.5 ppg
This race for the 6th spot seems over today with GSW 10-1 (!) since the Butler trade And the TWolves, and Clippers are tough – and It’s the Kings we’re talking about, but I have to say I am impressed with this team today and moving forward to these last 20 games.
Every game counts, and they may end up 10th but at least they are winning, and it’s interesting
It is nice to see this team win games that it should win, especially at home. It was roughly 2-3 weeks ago that we dumped a game to NO going into the break and absolutely shit the bed at home vs. GS coming out of the break.
At this point I see this team finishing over .500 but with fewer wins than last year for the second straight season. I also see the play-in and not a top 6 spot for the second straight season. Monte can profess that success isn’t linear, but success is also not backsliding in w-l and/or the standings.
Put another way, I’m not convinced. I’m rooting for the team, and enjoying the recent wins. I still have my doubts that the Fox trade will age well, and I’m not cancelling any of my April-May plans to carve out time for Kings playoff basketball. Still empty calories, though now with delicious bacon.
Not trying to pee in anyone’s Cheerios this AM. If you have bought into this team and its future, I hope you’re right and good for you, because a team that can post 50+ wins and make it into the playoffs and out of the 1st round is what we as Kings fans minimally deserve at this point. But I’m going to need considerably more convincing.
43-39, 9th seed, 1-1 play-in record, no trip to playoffs, no draft pick. That is my current prediction for what I would then term as a disappointing season. I really, really look forward to being wrong about this.
A team that annually competes for the post-season is what we dreamed about for 16 straight years. That’s what we’re seeing now. Don’t let one lucky season of easy success, (even though MB failed to win the big game again) ruin the ensuing competitive years. Enjoy the process, we deserve nothing this team hasn’t earned. It’s a step back for the chance to move forward past the malaise, out of the rut.
1st: build a talent pool, mindless of fit.
2nd: acquire stars.
3rd: start shaping a contender.
The stars wouldn’t align, but the talent pools is deeper than ever. Kings fans don’t “deserve” to start over from nothing, again. We have a head start now, why not take advantage?
Mindless of fit? That’s exactly what the LaVine Bulls did and what the Suns currently have. I feel like the only team that builds that way are the Lakers. They tend to completely ignore the draft and rely on free agency and trades. How many contending teams over the last few decades built a team by acquiring stars vs. building through the draft and developing youth?
Yes, mindless of fit, at least to begin, and I never said “ignore the draft.” Draft BPA, especially to begin the rebuild, acquire stars where possible to enhance the BPA(s). Worry about making the pieces fit later when there’s a chance to “go on a run.” There are going to be trades along the way that allow you to upgrade the talent level, but disrupt the fit. Kinda like the Fox/LaVine trade, and you may find that, although the pieces may not fit well on paper, the roster plays hard and over-performs. I think we’re seeing some of that right now with the current roster. We’re having trouble accepting the success this team is building because, on paper it doesn’t/shouldn’t fit. BTW, the steps above were outlined by Geoff Petrie years ago. I may not have it exactly right. It seems sensible and practical enough to me.
I was very impatient with the starting unit, and wanted it changed. Lately, their playing better, and I’m coming around. Now they’re missing a couple guys, and we’re seeing an alternate version play maybe even better. Kudos to DC for allowing that situation to play itself out, instead of spending clout making changes that could have left someone disgruntled. Doug has been doing a masterful job, and, imo, he’s showing that quality coaching is the key to success, despite the talent level, especially in the NBA.
As for building contending teams by acquiring stars, the L@#ers are probably the best example in todays game, maybe the Knicks, the Clippers. Houston built a team almost exclusively out of free-agency a few years back, which I hated, but they pushed GS to the brink of elimination, and may have won, if not for injuries.
I really don’t see that the Bulls, or the Suns, are built “mindless of fit,” but they weren’t built from scratch either. They (especially the Suns) tried to skip steps, much the way this Kings team was built. I don’t feel like there’s reason to go all the way back to step 1, but it’s why it has taken so long to build a strong talent pool, and why the team OBT (Original Beam Team) wilted, instead of grew. They tried to be contenders w/o the necessary depth in the pool. Too many holes they couldn’t fill. Look at the depth Houston has accumulated, Memphis also. It obviously helps to draft well.
Nope. For me, it is about incremental improvement in the win column and standings, being better than the sum of your conference competition, and making the playoffs. How are the Kings doing when that is the yardstick? 1 for 12 in the Ranadive era (not counting this season), in a league where 6-7 playoff appearances would be the median.
Kings fans don’t deserve an 8% playoff rate (Ranadive era) in a league sends 16 of its 30 teams there every year. Not one of the other 29 teams has been worse in this regard than the Kings during the Ranadive error.
There was a thread a few weeks back where everyone was saying how long they have been here as fans. It seems many of us have been here for long enough to have given up hope. Draper was upset for having been called a short-timer, and it made me realize, maybe short-timer’s a good thing. Too much Kings experience may be deleterious. Are you really being unbiased, or have you become jaded? I’ve been on the Kings bandwagon since HC Eddie Jordan. I’m endeavoring to be clear-eyed. We’ve seen some tough times, things have been much worse. Look around the league and see fanbases still suffering with talentless, teams with less assets, worse owners.
Asking (pleading) for Kings fans to come back to the light is not trolling. Sorry if it hurts your feelings. I’m not trying to dunk on anyone, but I’m right, and it’s becoming more apparent with each successive win. I don’t want anyone feeling like it’s too late to come back to the bandwagon after so much interagency. It’s hurting me seeing you all so distraught, and afraid to believe again. In other words, your “pissing in my Cheerios!” try, or no. I miss you all, and I want to see your heads back out of the sand.
The problem with the Kings never has been and is not presently about the fans. Not even remotely.
One man’s pessimism is another man’s realism. Whether one’s head is in the sand, squarely on their shoulders, or up the ass of Vivek & Co. is entirely up to them. And for the life of me, I’ll never understand why one fan’s realism is a problem for any other fan or their selected realism.
So stop worrying. I’m not distraught, and I’m not afraid to believe. I am, in my opinion, looking at this 9th place, .500ish team realistically. Your mileage may vary. Which is your right. Just please, please stop telling me how I should fan.
Sounds good, Rob, except the Vivek & Co jab. No one said Vivek has been good, (I’ve not seen it) and I’ve been laying him out in this forum for years now. I’d love to see him go, but objectively, there are worse owners, and we’ve had worse right here in Sac.. Off the top of my head, there’s Ishbia, in spite of his lavish spending, Dolan, in spite of recent success, the Addleson’s are a nightmare. Again, just trying to be unbiased, and un-jaded by the years of torment. If the Knicks can improve in spite of Dolan, surely all hope is not lost.
If the Kings make playoffs this season that’s improvement. They missed the playoffs last season, right? Therefore making it is growth IMO, particularly with all the changes happening mid-season with a coaching change, the Fox turmoil, and adding a few new veteran players.
They may not win as many games like last year but if they go 43-39 and advance to the playoffs via the play- in, that’s better than going 46-36 and missing the playoffs. I go off of what you did last year compared to this year. Some fans don’t and that’s fine. Each fan has different views of what is considered success.
I find it funny how people can view situations so differently. I certainly never dreamed of “competing for the post-season” as any type of goal worth striving towards. Trying to improve and become championship contenders is the goal I would like to the Kings to achieve. They have never tried that and aren’t currently trying it now so I’m not particularly interested in this current iteration of the team outside of my love for Keon Ellis and my belief that Keegan Murray can be an excellent player in this league.
These guys are great and so much fun to watch play. I think Ellis is easily one of the best (top 5) contracts in the NBA when considering production & impact versus cost, such value its crazy. I would actually offer an extension next year with a bump in his salary simply to reword him for his hard-work & improvement and try to extend his time here a bit longer.
And One:
After seeing a bunch of fouls they’ve called against Keon get overturned via challenge – NBA refs will soon realize that they can’t just assume Keon fouled someone because he made a ridiculous play that most humans simply aren’t capable of. He has hand-speed like a mongoose or cat, it’s insane sometimes.
Not what I was going for after being one Vlade tip out, one “not” fixed Game 6, a couple of Game 7 airballs and one Chris Webber knee from a championship.
Good on you for enjoying the ride though!
Agreed, Rob. Your last paragraph is where I’m at as well. The unfortunate side of that is Kings brass will just chalk it up to roster change and the “need more time to gel” narrative. The talking heads will repeat the same line as well.
If the Kings end up with less losses than last season, that will be 3 straight years of decline. I don’t know how anyone can honestly say things are getting better, especially with no draft pick or cap space going into the offseason.
Your obviously smart. Time to stop over-thinking.
For me- also a long time Kings fan (since 1985) we’ve had/been subjected to – a lower tiered product.
Winning has been fleeting. The chunk of time that Coach Adelman provided is clearly the high point, Second on that list are… the 2 Mike Brown seasons, and they can’t be compared.
That’s 41 seasons. And that’s the reality. Winning a championship or bust? Not here, because you’ll bust.
I have lowered expectations – otherwise I’d be a Celtic, Laker, Warrior, Spurs, Heat, and even a Knicks fan. I’d have aspirations that included playoff success with an occasional eye on the Larry O’Brien. These are the teams that go and down, but are most always up.
But I’m a Kings fan. It’s a reversal of mottos. What is down must come up.
To me – my priorities
This community. Sorry, but I both blame and relish you all. I’ve tried fanning in a “vacuum”. I switched to LA Clippers for a bit. And I like their ownership- they are well directed IMO. But I didn’t find their fan sites interesting nor fun. Back I came, here.
Happily I stay. (Thank you Akis, Greg, and all you others)
A competitive team. To me – >.500 ball, simply. Yes, I would prefer more. Until new ownership, I feel that expecting more is an exercise in disappointment.
So- bless you TKH (and long ago STR), and damn you Vivek.
Light that Beam! Go Kings.
Upgraded to realistic. Thanks.
aren’t the kings basically 20-10 since mike brown got fired? that doesn’t seem like things are currently an absolute disaster.
and given how many players needed to get integrated after the Fox trade, the record since the all-star break is at least a sign that things are looking up for the rest of the season
Yes! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills seeing the doomers here! The last 31 games have been at a 50+ win pace against a harder schedule than the first 31 games. I realize that there’s a few really hard stretches coming up but Memphis has been unravelling, Dallas has no dudes, and the Rockets/Clippers/TWolves have been extremely mid of late. This team, if it maintains the HCDC win%, should finish with about 45-47 and maybe even as high as the 5th seed (6th or 7th is more likely)
I don’t think anyone is denying that the Kings have done quite well under Doug. I guess I draw a line in the sand at the deadline. The record before is not much of an indication because the team is so different now. Since the arrival of LaVine and JV the Kings are an impressive 8-4. The issue for me is the only real quality win of those 8 is against Houston. The other 7 were the Pels twice, a AD less Mavs, Hornets, Jazz, an AD and Kyrie less Mavs, and the Spurs. That just doesn’t impress me when I see they lost to the Blazers, Nuggets, and Warriors in that span.
I don’t think any of us are rooting for an implosion at this point, but I’m also trying to remain realistic. Should they finish with 45+ wins actually make the playoffs, then fantastic. I guess we will just and see come April.
It definitely, feels, to me, like some folks are denying what we are all now seeing. As hard (and wrong-minded) as it is to rationalize/excuse a 10-20 win/loss record, it seems just as pathological trying to dismiss 20-10. and you have a strong argument, again there’s really no need to overthink it. With much empathy, all due respect for your positions, and opinions, you guys are making me wanna tell you:
“SHUT-UP AND CLAP!”
Totally get your points and where you’re coming from.
Personally, as a long time NBA fan, it’s easy for me to see which cores have ship potential and which are mediocre at best. I still don’t see a championship core with the Kings which is why none of this is exciting to me. They’re my favorite team, therefore, I am still here. But the reality is that if you’re two best and most expensive players are Lavine and Sabonis, you’re never sniffing a title.
The Kings and in particular Lavine and Sabonis are free to prove dubious fans like me wrong but their playoff track record, or lack thereof, says they won’t.
It’s very simple. If you want the fans that are skeptical or apathetic to join your side of this debate, all the Kings have to do is win a playoff series. If they win ONE playoffs series I’ll be willing to say I’m at least partially wrong. Let’s give it a month and see where we’re at.
Some people just don’t put as much value in seeing wins against limited/hurt/inferior teams. The HOU win was the only game where I was impressed with the level & quality of play. We’ll see how they play over the next 10 games.
Bingo.
Can you please define “value” for me, and “quality of play.” As I see it, it’s about wins and losses. It should be anyway.
Things are definitely looking up. I say what others have said — the roster talent today is better than it’s been since 2003 or 2004.
What happens next is critical, this isn’t a finished product. What I like? FO didn’t overpay a 2nd tier star in Fox like he’s an elite player. That would be like building a team around Bradley Beal IMO.
Moved on from HB, Huerter and D Mitchell — players that shouldn’t be in 9-man rotation for a good team.
Make the core Lavine (29), Ellis (25) and Murray (24). Keep JV and Laravia. Let Carter show what he might become.
Very good players who might not be the right fit for the team to improve next year to 50+ wins, but can get you back the right players in trade — Sabonis, Monk and DDR.
Sabonis puts up great numbers in the Reg season, but I need to see him show me something in the play-in (playoffs) this year to convince me that we wouldn’t be better with a different look at the 4-5 ….. if he’s going to be our highest paid player, he needs to have the biggest impact nightly in the biggest games.
THANK YOU!
Zach should have had 50+ tonight. Keegan maybe around 35. It was headed that way until DDR started hunting for shots. He had a nice game well. Feed those hot hands though.
Good win.
I think this is where the DDR fit is really wonky. While he is seen as clutch in the same way as Fox, DDR’s assist percentage hovers around 15-16%. Fox was at 26%, which is the same atmosphere as Monk & Sabonis. This may surprise those that have viewed Fox as not being a distributor. And for guys like Murray and Ellis (and even Sabonis), having DDR on the floor instead of Fox can have an adverse effect.
DDR has won some games for the Kings this season, no doubt about it. But his value may be somewhat diminished by the impact to the sum of the roster’s parts.
Even if they play well to finish the season, there are still foundational issues with the starting roster construction.
These are all concerns that need to be addressed in order to maximize the assets we have (or at least those that we want to retain). I think we’ve already discussed why DDR is the player best situated to be moved in a package to help acquire a new starting PG and/or PF.
Agreed. The hard part is for Monte to find a team that both wants a guy like DDR and has a starting caliber PG and/or SF/PF they are willing to trade.
The one I keep going back to is DDR and Monk for John Collins and Colin Sexton, but I’d imagine that would ruffle some feathers here at TKH.
“Sooner rather than later”. Thank you, Aykis, for writing this and not “sooner than later”. Always been a pet peeve of mine.
Nice win! Fox’s return game went about as well as I could hope. He got his standing ovation but also received some booing during play, both were earned and justified.
I liked seeing LaVine have an efficient, elite scoring night while Fox had his (typical) 0 for 6 from three.
I know some on here are not sold on this roster and like to point out the flaws but I am happy they are winning, happy the defense is better, happy for Keon getting minutes, happy JV is here, happy they are playing meaningful games this late in the season and happy they have a shot at the playoffs.
It beats the fuck out of worrying about fucking ping pong balls.
I enjoyed the game and had fun watching our guys have a stellar night. I have never been in the tank rebuild strategy because it alienates the fans that go to watch games. 90% (butt pulled assumption) of fans who want to spend money on tickets and merch dont care about Off/Def rating or PER. They want to see their team win, regardless of the team make-up. We here in TKH/STR are a different breed though as we see the minutae of the players, coaches, and the FO. But putting our hopes on pingpong balls is akin to hoping you win the Megamillions lottery.
The 76ers tanked hard during the Process and look where it got them? Noel, Okafor, Simmons, Fultz, and dare i say Embiid have not brought them a chip. When you take a chance in the draft, you are drafting for potential (nice 2nd jump, supposedly 3pt sharpshooters, etc.) I would rather have the Kings gain draft position organically…trades and getting a pick because our season was a disaster. However, i do not have much faith that this FO or owner can draft properly, unfortunately.
I know folks like to point out the failure of “The Process” in Philly as proof that a tank a rebuild doesn’t work, but a counter to that is OKC, Boston, Houston, Orlando, and now Detroit. Utah and Brooklyn appear to be following a similar path as those later teams. Philly set a blueprint of tank failure that others seemed to have learned from.
Boston never really tanked, Orlando is 6 games under .500, Houston got swept on the season by the Kangz and Detroit was awful for a decade before this season.
OKC’s tank worked out because they disposed of legitimate NBA assets in return for a zillion draft picks and SGA. It’s not a repeatable formula unless you’re dismantling a contending team (Brooklyn might be the closest to this, we’ll see)
I will add that PHX could probably pull off the OKC formula this offseason if they choose to do so but Sacramento just doesn’t have the type of assets to make that work. Nobody is giving you a decade of picks and swaps for Sabonis and Lavine
Utah?
They’re terrible? We have no idea if their tank is going to work out
They are almost identical in their rebuild strategy as Brooklyn.
Brooklyn started their rebuild by trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It’s pretty easy to get assets for a couple of HoFers
Ainge does not care how the team fares after his trades. All he does is fees his ego that he “won” the trade, damn the results. If he did, Collins and Sexton would have already been traded by now.
Ainge can be as stubborn as a mule, but he’s a proven damn good GM. He’s the architect of 2 completely separate Celtic championship teams with a full rebuild in between. He definitely cares about the results.
When people say “blow it all up,” are they not asking to follow the Process? Suck for multiple years in hopes of getting a number 1-5 pick? Other than Orlando and maybe Houston, those other teams got their picks with savvy trades for picks. And who did they trade for picks? Expensive and established “stars” which the Kings need in order to get more assets.
Fox for three, rims out. I sure don’t miss hearing that.
He’s actually been pretty terrible since the trade. His shooting number in particular have absolutely cratered.
I think he’s being asked to do much more in SAS w/o Wemby than he needed to do in SAC (w/ Domas and DDR) and his shooting hand is truly all F’d up. I don’t expect his shooting to get better during the rest of the season. If I were the Spurs, I’d shut him down and have him get the surgery now.
I was honestly surprised SAS didn’t shut him down already. Once Wemby went out for the season they should have given their youngsters playing time and joined the 7 or 8 team game of Capture the Flagg
I’ll give credit where it’s due, after a few games to get acclimated, Zach Lavine has been excellent. His numbers since joining the Kings would make him one of the most efficient players in the league if extrapolated out over a full season.
It’s true. So far he appears to be a clear upgrade on the offensive end over Fox.
I read somewhere that he is on a career best tear right now. Maybe he thinks he is still on a team opposing the Kings? Whatever the reason, nice to see someone in a Kings uni convert at G1C from deep at a high volume. More, please.
Yeah, he’s been having an insanely efficient year even before he came to Sactown. Switching teams caused some obvious problems for a few games but he’s picked it right back up post ASB (minus that dreadful Dubs game)
OT (though somewhat related): Kevin Huerter, as a Bull, had been shooting 39.7% on 7 3PAs per game going into their game with the Heat. He went 1 for 9 tonight, but was still +14 in their win.
I really hope Kings find a way to trade or bench DDR next season. Unfortunately the only way that would happen is if Sabonis asks out and the team packages DDR with him.
it would be ideal to get a PG in the lonzo mold (3&D& can make a damn entry pass), another big wing and slot Keegs to the 3. Until Keon gets a handle, he’s the 7th man after Monk.
The Celts have tax issues next season & $68m tied up in Jrue Holiday, Derrick White & Payton Pritchard. No idea how to make a deal work, however, as Boston’s motivation would be to take little to no contract back.
Third team with big exception or cap space
Monk and Keon should already switch lineup spots. They don’t need a “pg” and monk ain’t one anyways
They need someone who can handle the ball and make a pass of the bounce without losing it. It ain’t Keon, LaVine, Keegs or Deebo. Positionally speaking that leaves a pg or a lead ball handler…I can’t count the number of times JV is wide open under the rim but the pass is off by LaVine or monk.
Keon’s game is still growing rapidly. I’ve never thought of him as a starting PG either, but he looked more the part against SA than ever. I think they’re best with Domas initiating the offense anyway, so they don’t ask a lot of Keon at the point. Maybe he has more potential, in that role, than I was giving him credit for.
I see the sense of this but, what if Monk isn’t coming back this year? Then the “problem” solves itself, w/o anyone getting hurt feelings. What if Keon gets hurt? Monk goes from the bench, to the starting 5, back to the bench, and then back to a starter again? I’m now seeing some wisdom in DC’s patient approach, even if I was also calling for change as recently as a few weeks back.
I’m not denying what I’m seeing. However, it will be interesting to see ‘what we’re seeing’ after these next 10 games:
Clippers
Knicks
Warriors
Suns
Grizzlies
Cavs
Bulls
Bucks
Celtics
Thunder
I would have predicted 4-2 for the last 6, with a Houston loss, so they did better than I thought. Dallas is done without their stars. No big deal there. What do you predict, fellow TKH posters, for the next 10, a much bigger test for the Kings? I am going with 4-6, putting my heart before my head. I’m still predicting a #9 finish. Prove me wrong, Kings!
Feeling 5-5. Still a team that will win games they’re expected to lose, and lose games that they should win easily against both good and bad teams. Same as it ever was.
They’re catching the Knicks without Brunson on Monday, so my guess is 7-3. Losses to the Cavs, Thunder and one of Bucks/Celtics
I like it.
My heart says 5-5, but my brain is saying 4-6.
Go with your heart!
My asinine nostradumbass prediction says 6-4.
You don’t seem asinine to me, at all.
I’ll say 3-7. They’ll only be favored against the Bulls and Suns. Maybe the Knicks sans Brunson.
I’m being really optimistic here and maybe displaying more of my competitive nature as opposed to the team’s competitive nature.
Clips, we owe them an ass whooping.
Same with the Knicks and Warriors. I think we beat the Suns with no problems. We beat the Grizz in a close one (Jake’s revenge game). The Cavs are rolling and I believe will overlook us. We win that one in a nail biter. W vs Bulls. We owe the Bucks, they ended our win streak earlier in the season. We’re much more well rounded this time. Celtics get their lick back and we finally get the Thunder because this time, we throw the first punch at them instead of them putting us in the hole early. Of course this depends on our health as well.
9-1
Nothing is true and any thing is possible.
I love it!
I really like Jonas’ game. Think it’s possible the Kings feel like Domas may be out? Domas is probably one of my all time favorite Kings, but there’s no doubt he’s choked in playoffs.
would Love to see him and the team make the playoffs, and would love for him to play well there!
I’d love to see it also, maybe with a little better support, and relief, less pressure to anchor the defense. Expectations have likely been too high for him, coming from the staff, the fans and himself. JV and the other defensive upgrades should help.
Per Sean Cunningham, Monk out for Clips game while Domas out for Clips and Knicks games. Both cleared for on-court activities so that is a good sign.
Getting Monk back would be a nice boost for the SEGABABA against the Brunson-less Knicks. The same goes for Domas for the back-to-back set with Dubs and Suns.
[…] Kings are 5-2 since the All-Star Break and 8-3 in the past month despite dealing away homegrown star De’Aaron Fox and facing some injuries. That both goes to show the Kings’ depth as well as Fox being quite […]
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