Team Record (12-8) 6th in the West, 2nd in the Pacific Division
Last week was a whirlwind for the Sacramento Kings, with only two games on the schedule. First, they faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans in a quarter-final of the mid-season tournament. Let’s just say it didn’t go as planned. Despite holding Zion to just 10 points, the Kings still managed to lose. It’s like that thing when you spend hours preparing a meal only to burn it in the final minutes.
But fear not, dear Kings fans, because the second game was a wild ride. Sacramento took on the Kevin Durant-less Phoenix Suns, and it was a roller coaster of emotions. De’Aaron Fox transformed into Quick Man from Mega Man 2, slicing through the Sun’s defense like he had the patented Quick Boomerang. He was unstoppable, whether he was driving to the hoop or draining threes from deep. Much like Quick Man, Fox knows he’s got skills and isn’t afraid to show them off. He’s quick, both in speed and decision-making, although sometimes he can be a bit impulsive. We love him anyway.
[Editor’s note: I am uncomfortable with describing Fox as a video game character other than StarFox. Zack has been appropriately warned about such behavior. – Greg]
Let’s give credit where credit is due – the Pelicans put up a fight. With CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III back in the lineup, they were firing on all cylinders. Every time the Kings looked like they were about to make a comeback, BAM! Trey and CJ would sink a timely three-pointer, knocking the wind out of our sails. Let’s just hope we don’t have to face them in a seven-game series come playoff time. That would be a nightmare.
Looking ahead, the Kings have four games on the schedule this week. Three of them will be on our home turf, where we’ll face off against the Nets, Thunder, and Jazz. Our other game this week is on the road, and it’s the dreaded second night of a back-to-back against the Clippers in LA. I predict we go 3-1 in the week, as I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll be dropping the game against the Clippers. What say you Kings fans?
- De’Aaron Fox: Foxy had a down week putting up 32 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists on 43% shooting. That wasn’t a joke, that’s actually a down week for him now!
- Domantas Sabonis: The real Sabonis stood back up after a few “down games” by putting up 20.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on 61% shooting; all in a day’s work for the big fella.
- Malik Monk: Our very own Jerry Reynolds on the King’s Herald show pod called Monk our third-best player multiple times now and it’s starting to have me second guess his ceiling.
- Keegan Murray: In the showdown against the Suns, Keegan put up a decent statline of 13 points and 4 rebounds. But what caught my eye was his versatility on offense. With a not-so-hot 1-7 from deep, Keegan had to rely on his newfound ball-handling skills, mid-post game, and fearless drives to the rim. And let’s not forget that moment when he took charge and waved off Harrison Barnes and the whole team, showing us that he’s got the confidence to handle mismatches.
- Kevin Huerter: Well, well, well, Huerter had himself a complete dud game scoring just 1 point on a 0-4 shooting performance in 17 minutes against the Suns. But hey, let’s not sweat it too much as this was his first clunker in weeks.
- Harrison Barnes: The Harry Barnes saga has been the talk of the town lately. I’m not hitting the panic button or suggesting any crazy trades…..yet but as I’ve suggested in the past, let’s give him a shot coming off the bench. As Mike Brown himself mentioned, there aren’t any plays specifically drawn up for him right now, so why not unleash his post-game against second units? Who knows, it might just be the spark he needs!
Mike Brown drops a Harrison Barnes truth bomb after the Kings' In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals loss to the Pelicans: https://t.co/S9uJyjzPV2 ????
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 5, 2023
7. Sasha Vezenkov: Sasha is shooting up the ranks in the Player Power Rankings at a season-high, seven. Since Brown has jettisoned Chris Duarte, also known to many as Fouly McBricks, Sasha has snagged up consistent burn in the rotation. He’s making his mark by stretching the floor and surprisingly holding his own on defense. In his last five games, he’s averaging nearly 8 points and 3 rebounds on 45% shooting.
8. Keon Ellis: Keon showed his scoring prowess, dropping 10 points on an impressive 4-of-6 shooting while handling defensive assignments against a variety of players in the win against Phoenix. Whenever he hits double digits in scoring, it’s a huge boost for the Kings, who rely on him for solid defense and smart ball movement. Keep it up, Keon!
9. Trey Lyles: Trey has had a slow start to the season in his seven games so far, averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds on 37% shooting. But don’t let that dim your excitement. Once he shakes off the rust and adjusts to playing more small ball with Sasha, I have full confidence it’ll be Trey Day again soon.
10. JaVale McGee: JaVale saw limited playing time last week, clocking in just 11 minutes combined in two games. And you know what? That’s actually a good sign. At this stage in his career, his minutes and role should be dependent on the matchups and the team’s frontcourt depth.
On the bubble – still holding out hope for our rookie stud Colby Jones to get another look with the major club at some point.
why can’t you be more like Lloyd Braun?
I’m ready to kick the tires on switching Barnes for Lyles in the starting lineup. More size, activity, and if I’m not mistaken, Trey never has plays called for him yet you feel his presence on the floor. And I love the idea of Barnes lighting up 2nd units with his post game.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while too. He’s not a terrible defender, and he’s a better rebounder than Barnes. We also need a little bit of nasty in the first unit, and Trey’s got that in spades.
The only real pause I have on this is that neither Keegan nor Trey have been very consistent from outside yet this season. Barnes hasn’t been excellent from out there but he’s been better than those two.
I think there’s a legitimate chance Sasha is starting by season’s end as well; he’s flawed, but that shot is for real, and he’s a better rebounder than Barnes as well as moving his feet better
The fact that the #9 pick from just 2 years ago doesn’t even rank anymore is telling.
Honestly, does Davion’s NBA career looking short or is just a system thing with the Kings? I guess my main concern is I don’t care how good a 6′ guard’s defense appears to be off the dribble, because if you can’t run the offense, hit shots or affect shots on the defensive end, I’m not sure there is a place for you on any current NBA team. He’s being outplayed by a 2-way player, and it really isn’t close.
Also, when are the Kings contractually obligated to give Keon a regular contract? Last I heard it’s 50 games (Keon is at 13) but possibly more importantly, not playoff eligible. Are those still the rules?
Players on-Two-Ways can play in up to 50-games, and are not playoff eligible. At any time, the team has the option to convert the Two-Way to a regular contract. Once converted, the player can play games beyond the original 50, and is playoff eligible. Basically, the Kings can wait until Ellis is at-or-near the 50 games mark and then convert him if they want to continue to play him in Sacramento. We’ve seen many teams over the last few years use up the Two-Way games to both save costs and maintain roster flexibility, and then convert players when necessary. In short, the Kings have full control over Ellis and there is nothing that really stops them from continuing to play him as much as they would like.
Cool, thanks for the clarification.
One little tidbit to that is Keon cannot possibly hit 50 games before the trade deadline. That means the Kings can keep him on a 2-way past the deadline and keep that last roster spot open if need be.
If they fill that last roster spot at or before the deadline, they will need to cut someone if they wish to convert Keon to a regular contract and possibly use him in the playoffs.
My completely butt-pulled guess says, barring some circumstance where a “can’t not take” player appears or a regression, any deals would be done with the thought of still keeping that last roster open for Keon, after the deadline.
That Coach Brown video has me dyin. Hell yeah!
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