The Kings came out of the All-Star break looking flatter than Kyrie Irving’s earth, getting shellacked by the Warriors for 48 minutes and hardly looking like a cohesive team at any point. It was an embarrassing performance, and one that led to Doug Christie holding a meeting with his starters after the game. That’s not a great sign just one game into what is supposed to be the stretch run, but we’ll see how much of Coach Christie’s message got through as the Kings will host the Charlotte Hornets tonight.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Monday, February 21st, 7:00 PM PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, CA 95630
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
A loss against the 14 win Hornets would be unacceptable. But as with all things Kings, it’s also not a game this team can take for granted. The Hornets have actually managed to beat the Kings at home two years in a row, and have managed to win at least one of the annual two-game season series every year since 2015. This team still has some weapons, namely LaMelo Ball, who is averaging 26.7 points, 7.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Now, it’s a very inefficient 26.7 points as he’s doing it on 41.4% from the field on 22.3 attempts a game, but that doesn’t mean he can’t light it up, especially if the Kings play the nonexistent defense they have been doing lately.
Speaking of defense, the Hornets actually aren’t pushovers on that end, ranking 15th in the NBA in defensive rating on the season. The Hornets have some decent size upfront with Mark Williams, Jusuf Nurkic, Taj Gibson and Miles Bridges, and they are tied with Portland and Brooklyn for 11th in the NBA in opponent points in the paint. They also do a good job of preventing teams from getting hot from three, allowing the 3rd lowest percentage despite giving up the 24th most attempts.
It’s on offense that this Hornets team truly struggles, as they’re ranked just 28th in offensive rating. They shoot the worst FG% in the NBA at 42.7% a game and the 4th worst 3P% at 34.3%. They have one of the lowest free throw attempt rates in the league, and they themselves struggle to score in the paint, averaging the 4th fewest paint points. This is a team that likes to take a lot of outside shots and isn’t very good at them. That being said, we’ve seen the Kings allow bad shooting teams to get comfortable early and get too open looks. These are still NBA players after all, and even bad NBA shooters can do well if they’re left wide open, something that has been happening far too often with the Kings.
There’s been some speculation that the Kings may change their starting lineup after Keon Ellis was seen wearing a starters jersey at practice, but I’ll believe it when I see it. I do think that starting Ellis would balance the roster a lot more as it is currently constructed, because continuing to try to make Monk/LaVine/DeRozan work as a combination seems fruitless. All those guys need the ball in their hands, and we even see Domantas Sabonis suffer as a result of them trying to figure out a pecking order. In the 13 games before the Fox trade, Sabonis was averaging 21.3 points. Since the Fox trade he’s only been averaging 17.5 points. Moving LaVine to the bench for now would be my preference as he could provide an offensive spark with the second unit while letting the starters get the game started off right. Long term, the Kings will have to do something about the roster itself but for now this is the bed they have made themselves.
Prediction
Keon Ellis starts, the Kings win.
Kings 121, Hornets 109
Would it surprise anyone if Keon starts in place of Keegan, because you know…Kangz.
Without a doubt.
It doesnt matter…nobody cares
I don’t think there is any chance of that, despite how Kangzy that would be. They need to sell tickets for next year, and the year after that. It’s Season Ticket renewal time right now (for one more week). Plenty of us season ticket holders are looking for change, looking for a glimmer of hope, and starting Monk, LaVine, and DDR is not the hope and enthusiasm we are looking for.
Kings fans: “The All Star break is a time to come together and refocus.”
Kings players: “Hold my beer.”
Kings will win tonight though. But with the way the Ws and Lakers have been rejuvenated at the trade deadline, things are about to get really dark around here.
There are not any teams they should beat.
This mostly feels like a no-win game.
Kings win = It’s the Hornets, so no one cares
Kings lose = Apocalypse
Maybe a big win is nice. But feels like everyone is going to be waiting on a quality win after the Warriors game and Pelicans’ loss.
The win for the remainder of the season is to lose. Always and a lot. It’s the only way out of basketball hell.
I agree to a point, but if we don’t do a rebuilt and try to win and still lose badly, that wouldn’t be good for us either. Would probably really hurt the potential trade value of some of our players.
I wish we would just rebuild. And if Monte can’t hit a home run very soon, that option will probably be forced on us.
Then take comfort knowing they’ll mismanage whatever asset they acquire.
Agree. Essentially we are screwed unless things go so horribly wrong fans stop going. Pressure is put on Vivek to back off or sell.
Not sure that’s ever possible since owners don’t need fans or ratings to make money these days
I fear losing a lot will only get the Kings a late lottery pick. I really don’t see them cracking the top 10. They then go into this summer a player on a rookie contract and a completely capped out roster. No one is trading for LaVine and the Kings may have to pay for someone to eat DDR’s deal. I don’t think he will have any value until the deadline.
The roster we have now may very well be the roster we will be discussing at next year’s trade deadline.
I agree that its waaaaay to late to tank now. The die is cast.
Should the Kings keep their pick, around #10-#12, I could see Monte trying to attach it DDR. A rebuilding team may see value in the pick and potential to get something down the road for DeMar. The pick and DDR for a guy like John Collins or Cam Johnson could make sense for both teams, but damn, that’s piss poor management of assets by Monte.
How about DeMar, and the pick, for a better pick?
Why would a worse team trade back to eat DeMar’s deal?
Have we tried calling the King… oh wait.
LOL, I was just about to add that we can’t trade with ourselves.
Quickly, let’s get Vlade back into the league running another franchise!
I’m not ignoring you, I just don’t have the answer.
The only team that I could see even considering that move would be SA and the 11 pick / Vassell for 12 pick DDR. And I doubt they would do that. I don’t see any team further up the draft list that would have an interest in DDR at the cost of moving down in the draft.
I doubt it. I’m guessing the Spurs front office is eager to see a healthy Wemby to go along with Fox, Castle, Vassell, and Sochan. I know I would be.
I doubt it as well. That said, they are on the hook for $106m over four years for Vassell, and they might prefer the financial flexibility of getting off that contract, especially if they are going to retain Fox. As we both note, unlikely to happen. But that is the only deal that I could even see a 5% chance of happening.
Good point. The inevitable Fox extension and space for Sochan then Wemby need to be planned for. Maybe they’d move back to attach Keldon Johnson? That being said, if they continue to fall like a stone in the standings with Wemby out, they are keeping their pick, especially if they jump into the top 4.
They have their own pick and Atlanta’s, so they have the flexibility to offer the worse of the two picks.
I’m so envious of their current position.
In all honesty, it’s been “I’m so envious of *insert any other NBA team’s* position,” for the past 20 years.
Here’s a “fun” exercise…list of team playoff appearances during Vivek’s bownership:
11 – None
10 – Bos (and a championship)
9 – LAC, Mil (and a championship)
8 – GS (and 4 championships), Mia, Por, Tor (and a championship)
7 – Atl, Bkn, Dal, Hou, Ind, Mem, OKC, Phl
6 – Cle (and a championship), Den (and a championship), SA (and a championship) , Uta
5 – Was
4 – Chi, LAL (and a championship), Min, NO, Phx
3 – NY, Orl
2 – Cha, Det
1 – KANGZ
0 – None
Even the Hornets have had more success than the Kings. It’s just so embarrassing.
That’s a 9% success rate in a league where 53% make the playoffs every year. Go beyond that, and it’s 1 visit in the past 18 seasons. I’m not sure that a chimp would hand in worse results.
WAS at 5 really tells the story. Lord have mercy.
The Kings would be so mediocre in the East!
Stupid West.
For those who don’t like/tire of the anti Vivek virtual, look away.
Vivek – you are the problem. Please sell and fuck all the way off.
I think I like Castle more than Vassell. Both seem like good dudes. I notice that Vassell looks like Clyde the guide a little bit. I wish he could shoot better.
I can see why the franchise would do it to try to win a few more games next season. But I have to say, I am not terrible bullish on trading a lottery pick for John Collins.
Not that in a vacuum it’s the worst idea. But he’s due $27M next season (assuming he opts into his contact) and then is a FA. We’d either end up giving him a 4 year / $120-$140M contact or we’d lose him.
Seems like taking a swing on a cost-controlled guy is a better idea for us. Of course we need to actually hit. But even if we land a role player on a rookie deal, just better for the overall franchise.
True. The team needs youth and cost controlled assets. Propects like Noa Essengue or Asa Newell could bode well for the future, but less for immediate return.
Agree. It’s thought because there is certainly no guarantee you get immediate or any help from an #10-12 pick, but at some point that’s what the good teams do.
They don’t do it every draft. Even good drafting teams have misses. But at some point, we missed on Davion, TBD on Carter, this would be a third swing. We need to at least be able to go 1 for 3 in the late lottery – whether that’s Carter breaking out next year when healthy or hitting on this pick.
It’s much harder to trade for a bunch of solid 28-33 year olds on mediocre contracts and turn that into a contender.
Yep. It is overwhelmingly likely that we wind up with more wins than all seven of the East teams that miss the playoffs. Add NO, UT and Por to that, and you’re at 11 at best. Make the play-in and the best you can hope for is 13th, with the pick top 12 protected.
Yeah, agree. Especially if we end badly.
I could see a winning team trading for DDR. He’s still been good and has a reasonable contract. If he’s willing to play a role or be a 6th man for a contender, I could see him going to a good team. But don’t think we are getting much back for him.
Most likely it’s DDR for a worse player on a similar contract that expires a year earlier and a very late first round pick.
LaVine we might have to give up value to get rid of him or really take back some smaller, but equally mediocre contracts. Rumors this season were the Bucks were willing to give Middleton’s contract for him and the Warriors’ wouldn’t even trade Podz. I posted the list of worst value contracts the other day (WS per 82 / Contract) and I think that’s kind of the list of players we might be able to get back. Kuzma, Poole, Rozier, Jerami Grant, etc. with whatever filler is needed to match salaries.
Really worry we are going to look back at how we handed the situation with Fox and see it as the franchise speeding past the last offramp on the road to mediocrity. He should have brought back some really nice young players and picks, but we ended up with a couple of solid picks (especially depending on the Wolves state in 2031) and a potentially negative net value contract.
Should the Kings keep their first round pick that would be good because then they can draft an upperclassman point guard, you know, one that can come right in and contribute… and if not..
they can use their second round pick to do that…
nevermind.
Right. My thinking is that if they keep pick that helps some but really what they need is to be horrible so fans stop going. Pressure Vivek
The most ironic part of this is – and why it is comedic – is that the team is now going to tank wether they are trying to or not. 1) They have too many players without experience, attributes, skill, and success at certain critical areas of consideration, including running the offense consistently through a qualified point guard, a 3&D Wing, team defense, and shotblocking.
2) They now truly have way too many players on the roster that have very little time playing together that cannot be expected to know all the plays, let alone “gel” together.
3) The Kangz negative hype of the past, which they had just barely managed an escape velocity from the last two and a half years, has now reconsumed any progress they have made the last 3 seasons (with the unconscionable ineptitude displayed in the gross mismanagement of assets).
4)The Kings quality opponents in March could very likely be handing them something like a 10-game losing streak in March.
For this team wins are kind of like losses because there won’t be too many of them and each one just allows the team to linger in mediocrity – not tanking but not good either – thereby getting a lower first round draft pick or losing it altogether.
It’s hard, because there is not a great outcome, other than the team catching fire and the FO being smarter than us.
Lose a ton and we tank the value of our players further and still probably only get a #10-11 pick.
Win a bit and we lose our pick and get knocked out of the play-in.
Only benefit to bottoming out is maybe management finally signs off on a full rebuild. But that comes with it’s own pain.
Now a game that the Kings have to win
To get rid of the funk we’ve been in.
The Hornets in town
After getting beat down,
As our prospects are looking so thin!
+1 Exterminate the Hornets!
&ct=g
Thanks Jman. No one adds more quality contributions to this site than you.
would be nice to know in advance who the starting 5 is in order to decide whether or not to watch the game.
If none of Monk, Lavine, DeRozan can go to the bench willing, rotate planned rest, every third game, between the 3 of them., then make the line-up decision that comports with the results. Anyone not willing to accept those result is conducting themselves in a manner detrimental to the team.
Does that apply to Monte and Vivek as well?
Ask me something easy!
My solution to the debacle which is the All-Star Game: Add a “Non-Star” team. They’re already picking teams so let 1 guy pick his own team of “Snubs.” Domas and Co. are automatically motivated by being left out, and the prospect of losing to them will motivate the other teams.
So Aykis, what does “unacceptable” mean, exactly?
Do we turn in our fan cards? Storm G1C? Collect money for a billboard? Start up Operation MCNAIR again? Sit courtside and vomit?
We’re Kings fans. We have come to accept the unacceptable. This organization craps all over us and we ask for a doggie-bag and more cowbell.
Is it time to enlist Vomit Guy for his services again?
Yeah, we lost to the (going into the game) 12-win Pelicans 10 days ago.
Well, I accepted that one under protest.
So Greg, do you have your Power Point presentation ready for when the GM spot is vacant?
I am no expert, so please take my advice with a bucket of salt grains –
You might not want to put in your presentation your oft used disclaimer I am an idiot. That said, given the GM’s prior, it might be a hiring point.
LOL. Yeah, it might just work.
I thought ‘I am an idiot’ was a minimum qualification for Kings GM.
Correction. Qualification for the owner.
Monte is not dumb. He’s hamstrung. Amick, Hamm…. They all say that.
The only billboard/operation has to be anti Vivek. Nothing else will change the fate of the Kangz
This actually would work well. The spot right next to Sutter Health Park at I-80 would certainly hit home. Ironically, this same location displayed the famous Carl’s Jr. Six Dollar Burger Joe and Gavin Maloof endorsement.
I’ll watch. Hope its a convincing win with some garbage time shenanigans.
“They shoot the worst FG% in the NBA at 42.7% a game and the 4th worst 3P% at 34.3%”
Seth Curry revenge game confirmed. 7 of 10 from 3 pts enroute to a game high 33 pts.
The Hornets shoot the 4th worst 3 point percentage, and the Kings shoot the 5th worst 3FG% at 34.5% – time to reinforce those glass backboards. Brick Party!
The Charlotte ruse is that they are 6th in 3PA. Like Sacramento – they understand this is a 3 Point League and need to take a ton of threes – they just don’t have the players to make them. Fortunately for them, they play the Kings at Golden1 Center tonight.
Don’t overlook Brandon Miller who shoots 11 3PA/game and hits them at 35.5%. In the top 50 – there are only two Kings: Zach Lavine (who has precipitously dropped his 3FG% from 6th in the League at 44.6% when I last checked, at the time of the trade – to 41.9% since joining the Kings) at 7.3 3PA, and Malik Monk who chucking 6.9 at 32% 3FG. That puts them at 32nd and 40th in the Association.
Since his placement at Head Coach, Doug Christie has gone:
15-10 (yes, he is 25 games in)
For Coach DC to finish at >.500
11-15 these next 26 games. That would bring the Kings to a 38-44 record.
For the Kings to finish >.500 (42-40) they need to go
14-12.
For the Kings to finish with 46, 48, 50 wins:
18-8, 20-6, 22-4
Light the Beam! Go Kings!
I’m willing to bet that Brandon Miller won’t hit a 3 tonight.
Still out with a wrist injury. Hasn’t even been UpgradedToQuestionable yet…
His loss. He would’ve had such a good game too!
I will watch hoping for a lineup change and interested in why Hornets are so bad . It’s something .
They lack talent and had plenty of injuries, I think.
Also, I wonder if Ball is conductive to winning basketball or just interested in creating highlights.
Every single thread turns into a draft, trade, ownership change, or how to rebuild discussion.
Thank ownership. While other fan bases can discuss 50 wins, deep playoff runs, or a shot at Cooper Flagg, we’re left with what Vivek and co. have shat on our lawns.
What about the game tonight?
Could be interesting to see if they have started to gel and put something together?
If you want to talk about DDR vs. LaMelo Ball, you are welcome to it, but I’d rather chew foil. IMO, this is the least interesting game of the season thus far.
What is it about this team that keeps you watching and so deeply interested?
I’m a Kings fan of 30+ years, just not a fan of this current roster. I think most folks on this site don’t fall into the category of fair weather fans.
40 years, and a member of this community since 2006. The team has almost become the excuse to stay engaged in this community.
For me it’s hate-watching the team which is pretty much a lock with Kayte talking about that pass three possessions ago.
Sadly, the team on the floor is better than the talkathon broadcast team .
I have the smallest of hopes that Vivereck might get ousted/leave/back off. Only because it happened w Dan Snyder(a true pos) amd now my Washington squad is good again.
Honestly, it’s the only hope.
Difference is Snyder had a lot of off-field baggage. Vivek is scandal free and follows the accepted woke playbook.
Could be. And could be Kangz.
I don’t think that this is game is a litmus test of what this team is and where they are going. But what do I know? I’ve been rooting for this team for 40 years, which is proof positive that my opinion is not to be trusted.
Watched them KC. I understand. This game is not a litmus test for anything other than today. This team is at a day to day status.
Did they adjust?
Are they playing hard?
Who is the rising player?
The litmus test for the draft, ownership change, trades, or a rebuild are all existential.
As a 90’s grunge band would say:
“We (fans) could make a factory
And make misery.
Frustrated incorporated.”
Well, I will be at the game tonight. Our season ticket renewal is up in 1 week. An embarrassing loss tonight will definitely make that decision easy, sadly.
I am sure the organization knows this, and I am sure they are well aware that trotting out the same starting lineup tonight will not be met with enthusiasm from the fans. I think they HAVE to start Keon.
Does the starting lineup come out ahead of time (like in baseball) or do we have to wait for tip-off?
We’ve been STH since 2013. I emailed my rep last night and told her we’re not coming back next year. Didn’t like the direction the team was going. Not happy with the price increase. Stupid to be paying coaches who don’t work for you anymore. Would consider re-upping late this summer depending what happens between now and then.
The Kings should just lose tonight. Winning games like tonight and games against the Jazz will just put them in the 13 or 14 range in the lottery, thus losing their pick. The Kings aren’t making the playoffs. They just need to accept that and opt for the best available pick in the draft.
Badge Legend