EARLY GAME ALERT. VERY EARLY GAME ALERT. PLEASE PROCEED BELOW THE FOLD FOR A SHORTER THAN AVERAGE WEEKEND/EARLY START PREVIEW. PLEASE MOVE SWIFTLY BEFORE I START RAMBLING ABOUT THE 2018 DRAFT OR THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER.
When: Saturday, March 5th, 2:00 PM PT
Where: American Airline Center, Dallas, TX
TV: NBCSCA – Mark Jones (play-by-play)
Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
The Itch to Complain: This really could be a whole segment on Luka Doncic’s on court theatrics huh? No, no, I still root for the guy too much to care that he’s a premiere complainer in the league and I’m instead discussing something far more personal – namely, WHY DID I WASTE ALL MY COWBOY PUN AMMO ON THE LAST GAME. I mean this game was the perfect opportunity to drop some meaningless verbage on you! It’s a Saturday game with a 2 o’clock start, so you aren’t getting to see this till at least 11 if at all, it’s just as appropriate in Dallas as it is in San Antonio. Really, really messed this one up. My endless apologies to you…. The gap between Monte’s expectations and Monte’s reality this year? GIANT. Okay, that’s the last one!
The Kings still technically have their shot at the 10th spot after denying Gregg Popovich his record tying number of regular season victories the other night and yes, yes, I know that I’m more paying homage to statistical aberrations than I am discussing reality when I reference that pesky play-in. They aren’t getting there. As previously discussed, they never were. So now what? I can keep harping on the need for a bottoming out like I’ve done for a few years now. It get’s old, even for a tanker like me. I can point out random stats and the fortunes of other teams if you’re into that particular brand of humilation kink. I guess I could bring back the suggestions for other things to do, though I also want to give a little credit to McNair and Co. for the deadline job they did by continuing to talk solely about Kings adjacent topics.
Domas Sabonis by himself warrants close attention from all Kings fans and not just one side of the team-building fence. Yes, if you’re happy with the trade you should be looking out for the new star of this team – he’s big and tough and snatches boards like the baggage handler of a traveling surf team. He’s worth the price of admission or at least the time it takes to sit there and watch the Kings slowly bleed out night after night. But for those of you less than inclined to give the Kings credit – this is the man that will directly be responsible for your moment of twisted glory, your time in the light of an I-told-you-so sun. I’m not digging for stats at 10:45 on a Friday night, I’ll leave that for anyone motivated to jump in my comments in the few hours between having breakfast and watching the game, but Sabonis seems to be a bit of a foul machine. These Kings are going to live and die by his time on the court and there’s been more than a couple of occasions where he can’t be there when the Kings need a run stopped. Before your morning coffee goes rolling hot to your brain, I’ll admit the refs haven’t been great in a lot of these instances but also, if you expect the refs to be great ever, for anything, you live in a world of hope that I can never enter. Everyone’s gotta ride with the zebras they’re given and if you’re the one getting bucked and kicked every time… you might be the one who needs to adjust your riding style. I’ll also point out that with the timeline of the Kings now being two years and change to get a good team on the floor, his body language from game to game is going to be really interesting. These Kings have broken EVERYONE who spends long periods of time here – Haliburton, Fox, Buddy, Rudy Gay a bit further back. They’re an abyss that all who’ve before it have stared into and found what they fear most staring back. I’d bet it takes more than 20 games with the Kings to do it to a kid like Sabonis, but if this off-season is a regular Monte McNair off-season and the Kings get off to a regular Kings start, those who hated this trade are going to start staring at Sabonis on their TV screens in a way that would drive any lecture happy mother crazy. Face to glass, squinting and ready. History tells us that day will come. If you want the glory of another Kings disaster raining down around you, I’d recommend you sit your ass down and earn your time in the spotlight.
And who knows? While you wait for the real fun to start, the Kings might end up giving you something to cheer for every once in a great while as a treat. You might even have a little fun without the blood sacrifices.
I can’t tell anyone how to fan. I wouldn’t think to demand a certain caliber of loyalty to a franchise that has shown very little of it on the court to their players and especially their fans. They absolutely still have to earn back my trust and I generally accept the move they made at the deadline as a decent-to-good one. But I will say, personally, I’m interested in seeing this through to the end, again, for the sixteenth year in a row… and I hope you’re there right along with me – to cheer, to bitch, to cry both about what could have, should have been and the reality of what it is. Or… just for today… to roll your eyes at the King that was promised and cheer, even silently, for the Kings here and now.
Prediction
This town ain’t big enough for two slick passing Euros with golden locks and fire in their eyes. Or… at least that’s what Mark Cuban has to tell Luka’s agent when he wonders why the Mavs couldn’t have made a play for Domas.
Kings: 122, Mavs: 118
No doubt Luka leads this Mavs team;
On his shoulders he carries their dream.
His playing’s in question
Gives us a suggestion
That he’ll duck Fox and Ox, it would seem!
Good test for the Kings. Dallas has been playing some pretty good basketball after a rocky start and are 8-2 in their last 10. At this point in the season, I’m not necessarily hoping for a win anymore, but I do want to see the same fight they had against the Spurs.
Competitive tank baby
Stealth tank, I’m all in.
I hope Bagley comes through for us today.
. . . Too soon?
Ironically, Bagley is playing fairly well in Detroit. I suspect they keep him.
Empty stats per usual. Sooooo glad he’s gone.
And trying for playin is the worst idea ever. Mostly because they should be attempting to build and get better for next year. IE-Mitchell should be playing as much as possible. Help him progress.
Good teams get their players to improve.
Fucking morons. No Luca-bummer. The more losses the better so Kings brass is forced into the correct way to finish the season.
It’s pretty wild to think of how good Dallas has been with basically just Luka and a bunch of role players. They are top 10 team in the league with just one star. That’s a rarity. They kind of remind me of the early Lebron years in Cleveland where he basically powered the team alone deep into the playoffs year after year with only the likes of Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes, and Drew Gooden
All that being said, their role players play their part perfectly. They beat the Warriors two nights ago with a balance effort of 6 players in double figures. Brunson is their second leading scorer at just 16 PPG, but they’ve still won 60% of their games this year. I’ve never really been a fan of Jason Kidd’s coaching, but he’s done well this year.
Yeah, i was thinking recently how Kidd silently has been having a solid year.
I thought he’d spill his drink all over himself, but he managed to avoid it, so far.
Luka is day to day with a sprained toe, no?
I think it’s a toe situation!
A+ prose, as per usual. F- URL game, as per usual. C+ preview overall.
Here’s the thing though. Respect the .130. Or the 32.%. Or the 59.4% that’s dramaticlally underachieving based on his career. Or the fact that a blonde man can be a tough buckaroo with tyrannosaurus rex arms.
RESPECT DOMAS, WILL GRIFFITH, RESPECT DOMAS!
Oh wait. You’ve already let that horse out of the barn. Carry on smartly, my friend. Perfectly cromulent preview, yet again.
Also, I’m having grits with jalapeno’s Pappy’s seasoning (all purpose), pepper, butter and maple syrup. You are allowed to cry your eyes out in jealousy if you so wish, Will Griffith. I will not hold it against you.
Another early article. Nice!
which of the following most accurately your attitude about this game:
(a) just win baby
(b) just lose baby
(c) make the game close, but lose anyway
(d) make it look like you’re trying to win, because it sort of seems wrong to throw games, I don’t know why, but make sure that you lose,
(e) lose the game, but make it entertaining, because gosh darn it, I need entertainment,
(f) I don’t care
(g) this whole business of wins and losses is not the point. it’s not that I don’t care about the game; it’s just … I’m pretty close to reaching zen enlightenment and this game won’t veer me off my path, so I’ll be happy to support the team and appreciate the good in whatever happens rather than fret over the negatives,
(h) I don’t know. Should I want them to win? You tell me. I don’t know anything anymore.
(i) not now, because I have a duodenal ulcer and my doctor told me to stop watching a losing basketball team for a while,
(j) listen, this is the last time I’m gonna tell you. the point of competitive sports is to try to win, and – well, that’s not true anymore for young students, where health and safety, and education and personal development, etc. types of things come into play, but these are adults getting paid millions to play basketball, so play the game, or get your sorry ass off the court and let some of the fans go out there and play.
(k) take a chill pill, dude. the season is practically over for playoff aspirations, unless you believe in miracles, but I find life much easier being a realist. That being said, playoffs are not the only thing to play for. How about just playing good basketball?
(l) I just want everyone to be happy and have fun,
(m) who the hell brought this guy? this ain’t the Smurfs. it’s basketball. and finally it has returned to being a contact sport. it’s no longer a foul to breath on a player’s jersey, and the whole logic of hair being part of the body, thus, one person’s hair, upon review in slow motion, barely touching another player’s dreadlock, is no longer a flagrant foul. so play this game like it’s your last.
(n) I’d rather not win just yet. we’ve had so many losing seasons, and the more losing seasons we accumulate will make a winning season, when we finally have one, that much more exciting. don’t crawl into the play-in, just to get waxed by the 7 seed. wait till next year, charge into the playoffs the right way.
(o) nah, think of the possible catharsis of getting everyone’s hopes up only to end the season in a humiliating way, and make us all wonder why we believed it was possible in the first place. that’s when I do my best thinking.
(p) Free Neemie!
L for me ! No Luka no interest !
you could sing that to the melody of No Woman No Cry.
Win. No other option. I don’t care for losers.
Well, I ain’t gonna sing Hit the Road Jack
Why not? I need to be entertained.
Sad but true
I find your idea of entertainment disturbing.
Good. I’m here to stay and always will even through adversity.
is playing the long game a winner or loser tactic?
C + P.
Kings will not make play-in and would lose if they did.
Draft position makes a difference- the position is as important than the increase in lottery odds.
Last year- #6 Giddey , #7 Kuminga and #8 Wagner and #9 Kings- Davion.
Three wings in 3 slots above Davion. Position makes a difference.
I root for Fox and the OX to play well and for Davion to get above 10 points.
Damn, NYK lost a nail bitter last night A Knicks win would have given some breathing space. Pacers can’t win. Hali doing well and Buddy is Buddy- went 1/10 on three’s last night.
I appreciate your honest and thoughtful answer
Burning Daylight. One of my favorite John Wayne Quotes ..
Brunson will burn us then.
Badge Legend