The Kings are back in action tonight after a tremendous overtime win yesterday against the Phoenix Suns, this time against the Spurs featuring the alien that is Victor Wembanyama, the old friend in Harrison Barnes, and our archenemy, Chris Paul.
Let’s talk Kings basketball.
When: Monday, November 11th, 5:00 PM PST
Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
TV: NBCSCA
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
The Western Conference is an absolute battleground. Through about 10 games, 10 of the 15 Western teams are above .500. Only two reside in the East. The San Antonio Spurs are one of the few teams below .500 in the West, but they shouldn’t be considered slouches at all, especially not with the ultra talented Victor Wembanyama in the middle. Wemby hasn’t been as efficient offensively in his sophomore season, as he’s seen an uptick in three point attempts at 7.1 a game but only making 28.2% of them, but he’s still as terrifying defensively as ever. Wemby is averaging 4 blocks a game after averaging a league-high 3.6 a game as a rookie, and that’s in just 30.9 minutes a game. That also accounts for just the shots he blocks and not all the shots opponents don’t even bother to take when he’s near them. It’s mainly due to Wembanyama’s presence that the Spurs are 11th in the league in defensive rating, although Jeremy Sochan was also starting to earn a reputation as a nice defender. Sochan however, will not be playing for a while after sustaining a fractured thumb last week. San Antonio will also be without Tre Jones and possibly Malaki Branham as well.
The Kings have their own injuries to deal with as well after Malik Monk suffered a sprained ankle in the first half of yesterday’s game against the Suns. Monk took a bad step on Mason Plumlee’s foot and immediately left the game, not to return. Per a report from Chris Haynes, Monk will at least miss tonight’s game and is considered day-to-day going forward. Hopefully he isn’t out for too long, as Sacramento’s bench depth was already lacking. In his absence I would assume we’ll see more of Jordan McLaughlin and maybe Doug McDermott.
The Spurs made a few veteran additions during the offseason, bringing in Chris Paul and then also acquiring Harrison Barnes as part of the sign-and-trade that brought DeMar DeRozan over to Sacramento. Both Paul and Barnes bring a steadying hand for a roster that is otherwise very young. Paul’s scoring isn’t nearly as prolific as it once was at just 10.3 a game, but he’s still passing very well, averaging 8.1 assists a game. Barnes has stepped into the starting lineup and is averaging 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds on 50.7% from the field and 34.4% from three. But the Spurs are still mostly about the young guys. Rookie Stephon Castle, the 4th overall pick from this years draft, has gotten the starting nod in Sochan’s absence and has scored in double digits in both of his last two games. San Antonio also welcomed back Devin Vassell, who had missed the first 9 games of the season. Vassell scored 21 points off the bench in his season debut. Last season Vassell averaged 31 points a game in the two matchups he was active for against the Kings, and did so on ridiculous efficiency: 66.7% from the field and 70% from three. Hopefully Sacramento’s defense is more well prepared this time around.
Despite San Antonio’s relative youth, they don’t play at a particularly fast pace, as they’re currently the 6th slowest team in the league, and 5th worst total offense. Some of that is due to missing offensive weapons like Vassell, who is probably the team’s most natural scorer, but still, the Kings should look to push the tempo. The Kings will probably be tired after having to play overtime last night, but if they can get off to a good start and establish an early lead, they should be able to maintain it. It takes a lot more energy to dig oneself out of a hole than to not get in one in the first place.
Prediction
Harrison Barnes naturally scores a career-high 40 points, but the Kings match his offensive explosion thanks to the lateral move of DeMar DeRozan who also scores exactly 40 points.
Kings 121, Spurs 114
Black Falcon revenge game, incoming!
Let’s send get-well wishes to Pop
While hoping good news will soon drop.
It’s a road back-to-back—
Hope our tired legs don’t crack—
We can rest once we come out on top!
Some lateral moves work out very well!
alley oop!
It’s kind of wild to think that just a few seasons ago the Spurs had DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Jakob Poeltl. They traded away all four of those guys, and I’m really not sure what they have to show for it. I mean they got Wemby, but he was their own pick. Are they better off now then they were a few years ago?
That is something to think about. That is a nice squad of exceedingly capable players waiting for a crown jewel to play around.
Poeltl got them the 8th pick this last draft, Rob Dillingham, who they traded to Minny for an unprotected first in 2031 and a 2030 pick swap.
Murray got them Atlanta’s 2025, 2026 and 2027 first round picks, all either unprotected or swapable in the Spurs’ favor.
White got them a 2022 first that became Derrick Wesley (25th pick), plus Romeo Langford, Jason Richardson, and a 2028 swap.
For DeRozan (who was a S&T) they for some salary filler plus a protected Bulls first (protected 1-10 in 2025, 1-8 in 2026 and 1-8 in 2027).
They haven’t gotten a home run piece for any of those, but they have a lot draft capital and a lot of optionality. They likely wouldn’t have Wemby if they hadn’t unloaded their good players, and now they have tools to continue building around Wemby for a long time. Still have to nail some draft picks though.
Don’t know how the previous comments missed this lol.
Hindsight is 20/20. It’s really hard prove that by trading away DeRozan 2 full years before landed the #1 pick and Wemby. That’s like saying trading away DeMarcus Cousins in 2016 got the Kings the #2 pick in 2018. That’s some serious flaps of the butterfly wings with loads of other factors in between.
Boogie for Bagley!
In some ways, it seems a perfect lose- lose.
Vlade gives and Vlade receives.
Anybodybutbagley!
Akis is playing with his food!
Great preview.
I am glad we have Derozan and I am glad Barnes is in San Antonio. Great player and person in a great organization. Hopefully all is well Pop.
With Monk being out tonight, hoping the bench steps up. The starters playing heavy minutes is going to wear on them at some point.
We certainly don’t have the players or defense to stop Wemby (does anyone?), so I think tonight’s game plan is just try to take everyone else out of the game. Should be much easier to keep Barnes and Paul in check versus Domas probably fouling out trying to keep Wemby away from the hoop.
I haven’t watched a ton of the Spurs yet this year, but from the folks I follow and trust it seems like Wemby has been stopping himself this year. Settling for long threes, even early in the shot clock. He’s obviously still a force down low when he goes to the post, but I wonder if the physicality of Domas and Len can deter him from posting up a lot.
Yeah, but with our 3P defense, I’d rather take our chances on him playing down low than somehow shooting like Curry for a night.
It’s funny and likely a fan bias thing – but I am with you. It’s not just we expect every three point shooter to get the green light; we expect that green light to fortify their shooting to career levels.
(In my most Oprah-esque parody voice)
And you are 3rd Quarter Klay Thompson against the Kings! And You! And You! And You! (/wave hands in the air)
The Spurs are a nice collection of young talent that has a great coach – watch out! They won’t win much, but can win against most anybody on any given night. Is tonight that night?
Wemby – what can you say? Leads the team in four categories: Points, Rebounds, Blocks and Steals in only his Soph season. He is bigger, older, wiser. It is great to watch his game grow.
Castle the King: Give a chess bump to San Antonio for drafting the UConn product. He was a joy to watch in Summer League. You can see the talent. He is a tough, spirited, strong, determined player. Another pleasure to observe.
Harrison Barnes is an old friend, and along with Chris Paul, Gonzaga alumnus Zach Collins plays Domas as good as anybody, IMO. And watch out for Mamukelashvili. I just wanted to write his name. The Spurs shoot a very nice FT%, 3rd in the Association. I just love that the Kings are at 84.5% right now. That is just so darned awesome!
It’s a 3 Point League:
San Antonio is a 3 point shooting team at 37+ 3PA with the most attempts by Wemby (7.0), Vessel (6.0), Champagnie (6.0), Chris Paul (5.4), Keldon Johnson (4.0) with a smattering of others in the 2.5-3.1 range. They are making 12.5 of them but at a rate of 33..3 recorded, though they are not Long Playing (LP). The Kings are making just 10.3 thus far, and at a shade above 30% 3FG. On the rebounding side of the glass backboards, both teams are brick factories; SAS at 45.6 rebounds per game, SAC at 43.7.
What’s the strategy when playing Sacramento – do you let them shoot’em and get ready to start your fastbreak?
Drive and Kick and Toss a Brick
It’s been too many games that I have been expecting the dismal shotting to end. And yet – it continues. It’s gotta be in the players minds – in the last 5 games, De’Aaron had a game of 0-11 (Toronto) and last night 0-6. Oh boy! And yet, he is averaging 24.2 ppg this season and if you subtract his 3 point game – he has been pretty damn wonderful on both sides of the ball. And no – I don’t want to hear about his injured hand; as he has said, and I agree – if I am good enough to play, I will be on the court. No excuses.
He can learn to do with the best of his abilities – adapt. So much goodness, don’t let the not so good be a point of emphasis. If the Kings lead the League in mid-range, so what? The Beam don’t care how it’s lit, just light it.
With the New Pizza Guy unable to deliver, the Kings will switch to a Big Mac attack with McLaughlin and McDermott.
Light the Beam! Go Kings!
Can someone who follows the Spurs more closely explain what has happened with Keldon Johnson? The guy was a starter and was their leading scorer in 2022, but has been coming off the bench the past two years. He’s still only 25 but his minutes have dropped. He’s now Barnes’ backup and is 6th in MPG.
I watched a lot of Keldon for a while, for whatever reason I really liked him and was picking him for all three fantasy leagues I play in. He seemed a lot quicker a couple of years ago, I don’t know if his multiple injuries have slowed him down, or if he isn’t in great shape. Several times on The Athletic it has been mentioned that after that 22-23 Spur tank job where he was able to huck up as many shots as he wanted, that he has pouted a bit having Pop put the reins back on. I think he thought he was Mark Aguire redux, but he should probably try and carve more of a Thad Young sorta career.
I do think he is one of those players that could really benefit from a new environment.
He’s also consistently on the trade block, tough place to be when you know you’re not in the team’s long-term plans.
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