I hope you all took your Maloof brand Never Hungover before going out last night, because the Sacramento Kings are back in action to kick off the new year. The Kings are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that also had a terrible start to the year and is attempting to claw their way back into the play-in picture. Which scrappy disappointment will prevail?
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Wednesday, January 1st, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBCSCA
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
5 New Years Resolutions
Exercise More: Joel Embiid’s missing this one with foot sprain. Philadelphia is also without Sacramento native Jared McCain, who is out for the year with a meniscus injury, and KJ Martin is out with a foot injury. The Sixers are also listing Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, and Kyle Lowry as questionable with various maladies. The Kings don’t have an injury report quite that long, but the issues are at a key position. Keegan Murray is considered Doubtful with left ankle soreness, and Jae Crowder is questionable as he continues to deal with lower back soreness. I get it, Jae, my back also tightens up when I sit for a long time. Devin Carter is also out, as he continues to build his conditioning.
Procrastinate Less: Let’s hope the Kings can start the year off on the right foot and stick to their resolution for at least a day. Don’t wait until the Sixers are up double-digits before you start trying hard. Let’s execute from the start of the first quarter! Please? I’m begging you.
Quit Smoking: I know it’s the same resolution every year, but I believe this is your year, Vlade!
Save Money: Mike Brown is last year’s money, Vivek. Don’t stress. This is the year you’ll make smart financial decisions. And hey, look at that, you’re already avoiding the luxury tax!
Positive Mental Attitude: Let’s all spend the day believing that the Kings really did turn a corner in the Mavericks game. Let’s embrace the possibility that Doug Christie is a new voice and can turn this season around. Let’s believe that the season isn’t over! We can embrace this positive mental attitude, at least for a few hours.
Prediction
De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Maxey give us a show for the ages. Domantas Sabonis dominates inside. Trey Lyles digs deep and puts up enough fight to slow Paul George just enough. We swoon over how many forwards Phily has. Kevin Huerter resolves to boost his trade value so he can finally be traded, and scores 30.
Kings 135, Sixers 122
I really hope Doug McDermott does not start for Keegan. Throw Lyles out there and use Isaac Jones off the bench. Just anyone but McDermott.
It needs to be Lyles. If Doug starts Huerter or McDermott at 4, then I don’t even know anymore.
If Lyles starts, then Isaac Jones should play over McDermott. Or they just go small ball and play Keon and Huerter heavier minutes.
This is when lack of depth at the wing becomes an issue.
Has Foxy been traded yet?
New year same you
God forbid anyone disagree with you.
Please continue.
Happy New Year, Kangz fans. Hope y’all had a nice New Year’s Eve yesterday. I spent mine going to the gym and finishing up season 2 of Squid Game.
How is season 2?
Can’t imagine it lives up to the hype. Season 1 was excellent.
I enjoyed watching it, but knowing that there’s a season three coming this year, you can definitely tell it is not a complete season and just one half of it.
My guilty pleasure this holiday season is Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinneman.
Listening to them on Audible.
We think of writers and books to make us smarter – I’m probably -2 Intelligence with this series. But man, I am enjoying the heck out of it. On the 3rd one already.
“ Our” Carl is wiser and is a dungeon crawler due to his long time Kangz fandom.
I am seeing another 13-17 team (the last one the Kings faced was the D-troit Pistons, and we all know how that went. Maybe this game gets Doug Christie fired – I sure hope not.
Bobby Jackson back in town on the 76-er bench. Nick Nurse here, and he knows DeMar’s game well.
It’s a 3 Point League
These are well matched teams, with Phila and SacTown at 25 and 24 on 3FG% and 23 and 24 in 3PA. Philly is 4th in FTA, 17th in FT%, Sacramento is 13th in FTA and 4th in FT%.
So close they are, that I expect the game to come down to late game execution. And seeing what we’ve seen this season- that has been most disappointing (and 3FG offense and defense as well),
Maybe Doug Christie can fix that aspect. Who knows anymore?
Light that Beam! Go Kings!
With the Sixers we start the new year;
Looks like we won’t see Embiid here.
With him they’ve been winning
While our team’s been spinning
And our mood has been dark and drear!
+1 Let’s play some ball!
&ct=g
Who else is looking forward to DDR and PG13 going at each other in isolation for 80% of the game? Oubre is going to score 30 and some NBA2K generated dudes named Pete Nance and Ricky Council are going to have career highs. Kangz.
MM if I remember correctly comes from the Morey tree. DDR and PG13 were two of the worst moves this past offseason.
How do you give PG 4yr / $212 at his age with his injury history?
If any team have an opportunity to sign PG I would bet at the minimum, all but 1 team would do it. And it’ll be the Kangz who won’t sign him, amirite?!
Sounds like-he should’ve signed in Phoenix.
If that’s how this game plays out, this is going to be one ugly game to watch.
For a few hours, ok, but hopefully we drop this mentality before Lucy pulls the football away.
I can totally see the Kings winning tonight with the 76ers not having Embiid, then beating the Grizz who won’t Morant. It will give a false sense of hope that many of may fall into, only to have things come crashing back down to reality in a week or two. Then by the end of the season these hollow wins will only guarantee the pick goes to ATL and the team heads into the summer with the same roster as today. Same as it ever was…
I remember in the 2015-16 season, the Kings went on a five game winning streak in January and I got fooled thinking they turned the corner, only for things to come crashing down. After that, I told myself I wouldn’t get my hopes up like that again unless I saw long-term consistency. Afraid that I don’t see that this year, even if they win three or four games in a row, but I certainly welcome being wrong.
From my perspective, the whole org will need to turn the corner, meaning ownership and front office also, before the on-court product can turn the corner. Vivek and Monte staying radio-silent after the MB firing doesn’t give me much hope.
I have basically zero confidence this team will ever be good as long as Vivek is the owner.
I will dust off my purple tinted glasses and give a…different view.
Playing these injured teams nets the Kings some wins to stay in the playoff race, all while the players and coaches figure out their identity and roles under Doug Christie. They figure some things out (mainly 3pt shooting and defense, oh, and effort) and make a move to bolster the wing/SF/PF position.
Okay, purple tinted glasses off. I don’t know what the future holds for the players, coach, or GM. I am just viewing each game to see if they play differently. Do they hustle, fight, does Keon develop more, what does Carter look like, etc.
Yep, I dread these hollow wins. They’re like winning the small battles while losing the overall war.
Keegan is officially out tonight. So who is going to guard PG13? McBuckets? Crowder? Lol.
edit to say nevermind!
Sabonis and Len will be the ones.
Badge Legend