The Kings walked into Detroit tonight with a fresh round of Kangz drama to chew on. Hours before tipoff, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Shams Charania dropped a new report on Luke Walton’s job security, and to make a long story short, he is once again on the ‘hot seat’ following the Kings’ recent 4-game losing streak. Nothing like a little added pressure when you’re already reeling and need a win in the worst way.
Luke Walton started Chimezie Metu at forward over Moe Harkless for the 2nd straight game. Harkless actually fell completely out of the rotation tonight. That shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’ve watched him play basketball this season, but it’s a change to Walton’s rotation worth noting. I’d imagine that relying on a decent game from an unproven young player like Metu is not optimal when your job is seemingly in jeopardy, but that’s who Walton trusted in this moment, and Monte McNair hasn’t exactly given him a ton of alternative options.
The Kings jumped out to a quick 20-10 lead, and Metu made Walton look smart early. Chimezie dropped 7 efficient points and 6 rebounds in his first 8 minute stint, and to make matters easier for Sacramento, the Pistons could neither score, or pass the ball without turning it over.
Marvin Bagley (!) made a notable appearance for the first time since the 2nd game of the season. He looked rusty, but the Kings closed out the first quarter with a comfortable 32-12 lead.
The domination continued for Sacramento throughout the 2nd quarter. The Pistons put together one little run here that was quickly extinguished with more effortless scoring by the Kings. It was the closest the Pistons ever came to making this an interesting game.
Davion Mitchell, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson all played well off the bench and extended the lead that the starters built. I don’t want to completely downplay the beating Sacramento put on Detroit in the first half, but the Kings could’ve played Sim Bhullar and they still would’ve carried a double-digit lead into the 3rd quarter.
The Kings even managed to get through the 3rd and 4th quarters without disaster. De’Aaron Fox got his game going here, playing under control, pushing the ball, and knocking down some mid-range jumpers. The shooting percentage isn’t going to show it, but he was better tonight.
Detroit played better from the 3rd quarter on and more less matched the Kings in 2nd half scoring, but when you’re trying to erase a 20+ point deficit, simply score matching isn’t going to cut it. And it didn’t. The Kings cruised to a 129-107 victory in one of the easiest games they’ll play all season.
I’ve got to give some credit where credit is due. I was skeptical of Luke Walton’s decision to start Metu tonight, but I thought he played a nice role player game from start to finish. Metu has always struck me as a mistake-prone player with offensive potential, but questionable shot selection. Well, he kept those mistakes to a minimum, and his shot quality was solid. Metu finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds on 6-11 shooting from the field to go along with a few nice defensive plays as the cherry on top.
There really isn’t much else to say about this one. The Pistons had no answer for anyone on the Kings roster. Harrison Barnes was the only player who didn’t perform to his peak, but all of Richaun Holmes, Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox, Chimezie Metu, Buddy Hield, Davion Mitchell, and Tristan Thompson had good moments. You could say that playing the Pistons was just what the basketball doctor ordered for this team right now.
I’m not popping champagne after a blowout win over the Pistons, but the Kings dominated here. There is no other way to put it. The Timberwolves are up next on Wednesday, and while that isn’t going to be the strongest test, either, the Pistons make them look like the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. It should be more competitive than this one.
Kings win a game they absolutely needed, and Luke Walton lives to coach another day in Sacramento.
The Pistons were not hitting on all cylinders!
Perfect!
1) Monte re-signs Harkless to a multi year deal.
2) Walton starts Harkless for the first 11 games, likely due to a shallow wing rotation.
3) Walton starts Metu over Harkless just one game ago.
4) Harkless now receives DNP/CD while Metu gets starter minutes.
So who is more responsible for relying on Harkless this season? Monte for re-signing him and creating the roster imbalance for Mo’s need in the rotation, or Luke for starting him and just now switching to Metu while benching Harkless when his coaching position is jeopardy?
In all honesty, it’s probably fine to say both.
Nice win.
Now, can Walton.
It has been abundantly determined that he, in fact, cannot.
Can we beat the Pistons AND fire Luke Walton on the same night? That will be pretty awesome 🙂
Yes! a coach in the eastern conference was axed after winning COY the previous season!
That coach was Dwane Casey, the Pistons coach.
This win did not cure what ails us
What ails us starts with a Vi and ends with vek
Luke Walton lives to coach another day in Sacramento is bad
Next up, KAT will help us reach the Pukeless land
were definitely getting trounced by Minnesota
Once again not quite as bad as the worst team in the league.
This has been the organizational guiding light for a decade and a half.
just need more time to develop the young players.
And tape…gotta watch the tape.
13th youngest team. Sort of falls in line with the 13th pick they likely earn in the 2022 draft.
The only standard they truly uphold.
Glad to see Harkless demoted from starting. Don’t know how you go from starting to being out of the rotation. But whatever. We need a bigger body out there. Metu played well. Bagley didn’t look good, but glad to see him on the court too, and good to see TT too. I would much rather see any of those three on the court than Scoreless.
Only one real Scoreless around these parts…
Mmmmmm those delicious gold jerseys!
Great. A blowout win against a team that anybody, including a team of Sim Bhullars, could blow out, thus giving us some more time with Walton. Now watch the Kings play a sloppy, undisciplined game against Minnesota, but manage to barely win (perhaps at the buzzer) because the T’Wolves play just a little bit sloppier and KAT leaves in the 2nd quarter with gastroenteritis, thus further extending our exile in the desert of Waltonia while also confirming Waltonia is a playoff-less hellscape. Kangz, baby. Can’t wait for the next 4-game losing streak coming up just as soon as the team claws its way back to .500 against subpar and injured competition.
Man, so much shade in this thread for Bhullar, undoubtedly the greatest player in King’s history.
Sim’s numbers are as absolutely dominant as his stature. Nobody can touch him. Averaged a qudaruple-double per 36, with a net rating of +40. Swatted more than a quarter of the shots ever hoisted helplessly against his giant paws and dropped perfect dimes for nearly 80% of his teammates hoops.
As Sim would say: “Don’t bring that weak shit here, LaVine.”
Post game win thread and I’m sorry but it has to be done…even if it doesn’t feel warranted. Gotta dance when you can.
????I hate this team????
Why, after a year with most of these players, does Walton struggle with and switch lineups so often? You’d think he would know what he’s got with harkless, but he goes from starting g to DNP. I don’t get it.
He’s figuring out his rotation.
Yup, lots of new players to mix in this year, and unlike most teams, they only had the preseason to do it.
If the organization celebrates this win or determines it is a saving grace moment for the coaching staff then this organization is still garbage.
For too long the organizational culture has accepted losing and celebrated barely mediocre performance.
Beating the Pistons is not anything.
This organization will always be garbage since it’s guided by trash.
I viewed this as our championship game 7. If Detroit won I’d hoped Luke woulda be gone. But alas
Stop the thread… nothing sums up this game better. Great find. LOL
management still seems Clueless
Can’t wait for the episode when Fred rips off “Fox’s” mask and it’s revealed that Brandon Jennings kidnapped and replaced Fox this season.
That was Marvins showcase game? More like a Horror Show. Tony, you are too kind to call his game “rusty”. He had CoJoSlo isolated on the baseline and shot the ball onto top of the backboard. Maybe he can work this experience into a rap song:
Proposed Lyrics:
Damn I am bored
Gonna shoot this shot off the top of the board
CoJo cant stop me, less he breathe on me
Cuz he got halitosis
Move like he got scoliosis
Damn CoJo thought you was on my team
No one told me you flipped, traitor
Nothing but love for ya, see ya later gator
Where my agent at, get him on the line
Get my ass out of SAC in turbo time
Head to Detroit, thats where its at
CoJo and Bags, two legends in the makin
Shaking and baking and scintillatin’
Motor City is back
Marvin and Cory on the attack
Lethal and legend
Two basketball gods
Sent from the heavens
Feet on the ground head in the clouds
Shootin the ball so high it aint comin down
These clowns be aiming at the rim
I am aiming higher, top of the board
Should count for four points, not none
Rule committee be fools , wake up son
Just like this coach, what a fluke
Get me off this team before I puke
My shot be butter , pass me a dinner roll
I am gonna butter the roll with my shot
Wait that dont rhyme, oops another mistake
Just like my career, your boy cant catch a break
Another MB3 exclusive, all in one take
As I said last week, Mo Scoreless did not foster a spread offense. His defensive “prowess” did not compensate for his offensive ineptitude. He did NO favors to unleash Fox. You can see the spirit and energy level rise with Metu on the floor. Teammates like to play with him. Moreover there are now three legitimate threats from the arc – Ty HB and Meu – that have to be honored and open the floor for Fox. Of course Fox has to be better indivudually, but this move faciliates that.
I contend you cannot run a true spread O w/o three legitimate shooters and we have that now. Additionally Metu can set a pick for Fox in the delayed break to get him going downhill, which sadly he seems to need more of due to his decline in explosiveness. All of this was known before the season when this coach committed to Scoreless and DNP-CD Metu. We would also be further along in our team development and record if Davion was named the starter from Day One and Ty leading the second unit.
If you read between the lines, this coach said the second team was beating up on the first team in scrimages, and this factored into his decisions. What kind of flawed logic is that? Apparently, Buddy, TD, Davion, TT and Metu were having their way against HB Fox Ty Holmes and Harkless. Uh does that mean you have found your optimal starters? Does the outcome of scrimmages correlate directly with the rest of the league? Did you exhaust all viable possibilities behind the scenes to find the best mix, first team especially, including Metu as a starter, Davion as a starter, and even sliding Holmes to the 4 with Len?
I can answer the aforementioned questions: no, no and no! Instead, this coach is stumbling along and wasting precious games, Ws into Ls due to his mental dullness, discovering Metu is the better option than Scoreless only a few days ago. Even with the win last night, we should fire him for this egregious lapse in judgement. And this game better have been a one-off re: Marvin. One and done, giving DET a bitter taste of what they would be getting. Next game and indefinitely, I want to see backup minutes go to TD, slide HB down the 4 or any combo that excludes Bagley and Harkless.
If I am DET , after last night, I am not inquiring about Marvin, I am wanting to know what it would take to get Metu? The guy is a baller, especially when he is attacking the boards and being selective in his threes. He can do a pretty good job defending on the perimeter too. He has just enough mobility to make the opponent work to get clean and clear. None of this can you say about Marvin.
In our continuous pursuit of Simmons and Siakam, we could add Metu to sweeten the pot. Marvin is a big zero, anyone can see that, but if you are TOR or PHI and choose to accept Buddy, Bagley and three #1s, which allegedly has been proposed to PHI, and likely to TOR too, we can further entice them by adding in Metu. Metu is a talented throw-in the event Marvin washes out, which seems an inevitable at this point, change of scenery and all.
I do not want to lose Metu but if it gets us over the finish line to add Simmons or Siakam, especially Siakam, I am all for it.
Bagley’s return
So, Walton all good?
Also, man that Pistons squad is bad.
That first quarter hurt my eyes! I don’t think the Kings did anything special, that team just couldn’t make open layups, put backs on offensive rebounds, or knock down an open three in the first half if world peace was on the line!
Yeah man, I like Isaiah Stewart’s hustle and determination but when you get 7 offensive rebounds but shoot 4-11, while not earning a single FT, there is something wrong. That’s some Reggie Evans level basketball right there.
Pistons’ 1Q stats:
2-14 from 3 (.143)
5-25 FGA (.200)
0 FTA
I can’t recall seeing a quarter of NBA basketball like that.
Heck, even in that awful 3Q against the Suns, the Kings actually made a FT and hit 24% of their FGs! 😉
From a guy with that profile pic?
Avert your eyes on this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwdRWIwCEPo
I said, “I can’t recall” not “I have not.”
I only recall two games ever being played against the Lakers!
So, which Pistons players are we going to get/trade for M. Bagley ?
I don’t think they would trade Grant, Bey, and of course Cade…
So, would Bagley <-> K. Hayes a possible trade ?
(Then will McNair trade Fox for Simmons ? We got Simmons, and at the same time, keep the 3 guards lineup – Hayes, Mitchell and Tyrese)
I think they would trade Grant, in fact I think he is dealt somewhere by the deadline. He doesn’t fit their timeline or cap sheet. He’s a nice piece for a team looking for a third or fourth option on offense that may be willing to give up a pick for him. When he is your best player, like he is for Detroit, you are screwed.
Nothing of value. Diallo is the most likely piece.
josh jackson?
but, at that point, zero is better.
They still don’t run anything more complex on offense than pick and roll and iso ball. I am starting to move towards not firing Walton unless the wheels come completely off, since Alvin Gentry is the likely replacement and he has been just as involved in this trainwreck as Luke.
I wonder why they are not giving the ball to a posting Barnes near the paint , and let him either get the bucket or draw foul ? (It works every single time), and I just curious they are not running that play for a long time.
I have noticed when the others start playing stupid iso ball and are not hitting a shot, Barnes seems to be the only one who can break the funk by just muscling to the basket for a foul or easy bucket. Its like the “Harrison reset”, with him saying “stop playing this stupid and lazy brand of basketball”.
Gentry would be a disaster. The other thing that scares me. Gentry takes over the interim role. The team improves a little, gets into the playin and Gentry is offered the Head coaching position. It baffles the mind how Gentry has landed so many HC jobs. Only 3 winning season in 16 years of coaching.
I think James Ham and Sean Cunningham said today that this offense is mostly Gentry’s offense, so a no thank you to Alvin as an interim
Rico is definitely the flavor of the week right now.
I also heard that Ham was saying that our injury reports weren’t legit b/c Vivek/Matina were afraid it would impact ticket sales?
Just saw story on Marcus Bagley, Marvin’s brother.
This is going to come as a shock to many of you, but he is battling injuries again and can’t stay on the court. It’s been one physical problem after another since he started at ASU
Has Papa Bagley demanded a trade to the University of Arizona?
He did, UA said ‘no thanks’
The Kings win and the stay in purgatory, meanwhile the Pistons will get a high draft pick.
Kings win!!!
Oh what the hell, let’s dance!
Luke Walton:
Kings fans:
Kangz Kwiz: There are more current NBA head coaches (8) than there are current NBA players (5) that were active players the last time the Kings made the playoffs. List them.
(And there is always the possibility that I missed someone…)
Players still playing:
1) Vince Carter
-wait, Vince Carter is no longer playing? When did that happen? Can we bring him back to play the 3?
Badge Legend