Update: 8:30 p.m.
The Memphis Grizzlies won 115-107 as Zach Edey destroyed the Sacramento Kings Sunday with 32 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocks. Edey, who is averaging 11 points and 10 rebounds on the season was simply too much of a presence under the basket for the Kings who are without Domantas Sabonis.
Drew Eubanks started the game, but only finished with 15 minutes and 4 points and 2 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud got extended run and even played in crunch time. He finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block, but he was severely overmatched when going up against Edey. Raynaud was part of a few bench units that gave the Kings a good spark earlier the game – along with Malik Monk, Precious Achiuwa and Nique Clifford. Keon Ellis got a whopping 6 minutes in this game.
DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento in scoring with 23 points. Keegan Murray had a quiet scoring night with 12 points, but had 5 steals and 3 blocks. The Kings were out-rebounded 52-34, but did force the Grizzlies into 23 turnovers, scoring 25 points off those turnovers. The deciding factor in this game though was Edey’s dominance and the lack of front court size to deal with a guy like him.
Another loss for the unintentional tank!
From Earlier Preview:
The Memphis Grizzlies handed the Kings their most embarrassing loss of the season back on November 20, but they’ll have a chance to avenge that disgusting night of basketball today. Let’s get to it.
Who: Sacramento Kings (5-15) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8-12)
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When: 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
Just when things were starting to look a little better for the Sacramento Kings thanks to back-to-back wins against the Nuggets and Timberwolves, the Kangz returned to their brutal ways with a combination of losses to the Suns and Jazz. As of this writing, Sacramento is tied with the also old Clippers for the 5th worst record in the NBA.
The Grizzlies aren’t very good, either, and they’ll be without Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, Brandon Clarke, and Scotty Pippen Jr. For the Kings, Domantas Sabonis remains out, and Dennis Schroder is still questionable.
There isn’t a lot of compelling conversations to be had about this version of the Sacramento Kings, and with all the trade rumors circulating, it feels like just a matter of time before this roster looks a lot different. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I can’t imagine keeping this crew together through the trade deadline. While we wait for something interesting to happen around here, we might as well celebrate the small victories, so I’ll give some flowers to Maxime Raynaud.
Raynaud had what was probably the best game of his career vs. Utah on Friday. In 21 minutes, Raynaud dropped 19 points on 7/11 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds, 1 block, and he was the only bench player with a positive +/-. I say all that to say this: I’ll go ahead and add Raynaud to the growing list of young players on this roster that should be playing over their veteran peers. Drew Eubanks is on a veteran minimum contract, Raynaud is a promising rookie, and the Kings keep losing games anyway. You might as well start Raynaud and give him some early experience going up against the best centers in the world. Sabonis will be back at some point, if he isn’t traded, so this starting opportunity window has an expiration date. I don’t care if it doesn’t work, I don’t care if the Kings lose, but watching Raynaud start over Eubanks would be more interesting, and that’s all I care about right now. Give me something, anything, interesting to watch.
Anyway. Prediction: Kings 111, Memphis 105.
That last loss to these Grizzlies was grievous,
An effort best viewed as egregious.
Scott Perry deflects,
Says he’ll clear the decks.
Just make Vivek sell to retrieve us!
+1 Surely the Kings will show more fight against the Grizzlies this time…
(shown above: Kings management showing how they plan to defend the Grizzlies by using a trap D)
I hope the Grizz open up another can of whoop ass to kick this rumored rebuild into overdrive. The top 5 of this draft class is just too good to chase a play-in spot.
I think you got your wish tonight. 😉
Oh look, another team with a balanced roster that can hit open threes.
Kept them under 40 in the first period
Progress!
Dear fans,
What you don’t understand is that being in the Emirates cup is truly not where this franchise is aiming. Our goals are to build a stable winner; with fortitude, toughness, and determination. Being in a silly mid-season tournament would only wear down already tired legs, and not leave enough gas for the home stretch. This is also why we play our starters darn near 40min per game, especially in those games decided by the 5minute mark of the 4th quarter.
We want volunteers, not hostages. We know the value of those who volunteer instead of being paid or contractually obligated to do something; their work costs nothing! We literally will take volunteers that will work for no pay if it was allowed. Instead, we choose to pay those that already have a job with us – like using our media people to be coaches. Anjali also doubles as our HR contact in charge of hiring special advisors and advance scouting of players at their homes.
So get ready, buckle up. There’s a storm coming for all you haters out there. You’re about to see what this team of volunteer-hostages can do.
Sincerely,
Management
Is this not what you’d expect with Max guarding Edey? I mean come on, the Griz have like four 7-footers.
The Griz are in 9th place, but now, according to Jones, they’re on a roll…? Dude, they’re 4-6 in their last ten with an 8/12 record. The problem is that the Kings suck.
Watching some of this game and thinking how bad our bigs and forwards are at blocking shots and rebounding. Checked stats, 29th in bpg and 28th in rebounding. Also 26th in FTA per game. TEAM IS SOFT. From top to bottom, no defense being played. Not playing winning basketball on either end. Offense has no flow, passing, movement. Defense has no system to cover individual flaws and work as a team.
Having watched Derozan and Lavine for far too long now, it should have been obvious if they had been scouted before signed that these guys contribute nothing to winning basketball. I heard Lavine has the worst +/- in the league this year and the 9th worst of all-time. Derozan has been washed and incompatible with the modern NBA for several years. The decision making or BB IQ or whatever you want to call it of Lavine is comical, dude is a joke! This team is so boring and irrelevant, I can’t comprehend the incompetence of how this team was assembled.
No accountability in this organization, the moron at the top is allowed to do whatever he wants and no one stands up to him.
Lmao, Keon only played 6 minutes. He can not wait to get out of this dump.
Maybe Zach is directing Doug regarding Keon’s minutes too.
Was a +9 as well in those six lol
This game was fun for a good 5 minutes and 38 seconds when they played Clifford, Ellis, Monk, Achiuwa, and Raynaud – going on a 15-2 run to close the first and start the second. Granted, it was against the second unit of the Grizz, but at least they played how Christie (says he) wants them to play – getting stops, turning them over, and running.
Amazingly, Keon Ellis only played for another 30 eeconds after that run. Clifford played 12 minutes in total. Shameful.
But, another loss, the tank rolls on.
I mean, maybe Coach saw everything he wanted and got scared that they could actually win the game so he didn’t play that lineup and sat Keon.
But I also haven’t wanted a second of a Kings game so far this season. I’m keeping the boycott alive.
Completely agree that Raynaud should get more minutes than Eubanks now. Given our lack of size, it may be worth playing them together some minutes. Perhaps try to have 2 of the 3 – Eubanks, Raynaud, and Achiuwa – always on the floor together …
Name consistent with comment. I approve.
I admit that 2 of those 3 is probably unplayable with DDR and (or) Westbrook, whose hot shooting to start the season has been regressing toward his (subpar) norm, but I want DDR traded anyway and prefer to see more of Keon, Nique, and Schröder (I also confess to being a bit of a Schröder fanboy, but I think he *can run* an offence with bigs like that).
So Edey goes off for a career high (or damn near it). Too bad we didn’t still have JV there to help keep him out of the paint. I notice the player we got in return for JV didn’t even make it off the bench. What a shit show.
We need to trade all the starters except Murray. Also Schroder and I hate to say it but Monk also. Ellis needs to be traded. He doesn’t play so why have him here when he could be traded or included in a trade deal. I don’t know what to do with Eubanks, Saric or McDerrmot. What a waste. Hope really hope Perry knows what he’s doing or at least try to do what needs to be done. If Vivek is running the show then we are completely lost. He was the guy who wanted LaVine over anyone else. What a waste. Listened to Matt George today and completely agree that LaVine and DeRozan can not play together. As shown when they played together in Chicago they are not winners. And we got both.Yipee.
I left out Sabonis and Carter. IMO they to should be traded is possible. I feel sorry for Carter. Drafted so high and doesn’t even play. IMO he has potential.
Perry was Vivek picked to be his next puppet and follow the same path as Pete D, Vlade, and Monte . So far there are no indications that suggest Perry is as good as Monte .
I’d be absolutely shocked if Perry ever turns this team into a 6th seed or higher. He’s a Vivek stooge, we all know that.
If Perry knew this team was no good, why trade JV for an old player who can’t play? Why sign 2 old not very good point guards? Why trade up to draft a five year college 23 year old with a low ceiling? Why waive IJ over Mcdermott? Why sign Mcdermott in the first place?
Every single move Perry has made has win now written all over it and it’s blown up spectacularly in his face. I have zero confidence Perry knows what he is doing, and even if he did, Vivek wouldn’t allow him to do it anyway. It’s almost impossible to get every single decision wrong, but that’s what this front office has done starting with the firing of Mike Brown. It’s actually kind of impressive in a bizarro type of way.
Agreed on all points. It’s comical that fans made these same points when the moves were made – and have continued making these same points – and yet this front office believed, or still believes, this collection of players can work.
I don’t know that pulling the trigger on a rebuild with the current decision-makers in place is a wise decision. If they signed Schröder, traded JV for Saric, resigned McDermott, signed Westbrook in desperation, and thought this collection of players would win; what evidence is there to have ANY confidence in this same management trading the current players for valuable future assets, NOT getting absolutely fleeced in a trade, actually acquiring picks instead of hyper-athletic, low basketball-IQ non-shooters, and drafting soundly?
The most Kanzian move now is to have Perry “rebuild” only to acquire Kangz-type talent and watching future picks be sent OUT with the current untradeable-on-their-own assets.
Yes, to full rebuild, but no to a firesale …thin line to tread probably beyond the capability of Kings current management/ownership.
Kings once again have lousy 3-point shooting while the coach is saying they’re not shooting enough 3’s? With Saric and McDermott parked on the bench as perpetual DNPs, and Keon–our best 3 point shooter–getting 6 minutes and barely any touches? Man could we have used Jonas V against Edey. I know Eubanks is trying but he was ineffective defensively. WTF is Bobby Jackson, the defense coach, thinking?
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