So if you’re a Kings fans that follows them strictly on paper, checking the box scores every few days without paying attention to the Kings, these new Kings are looking well, fairly similar to those old ones! Four straight losses, not a lot of defense to be had… hell, even hearing that their pro-tank opponent in OKC is doubling down on whose out for the game is a signal they think Sacramento is bad enough to really muck it up tonight and gift the Thunder a win.
And yet, as many who have sat and watched this new version of the Kings can attest to these guys are playing better. Not great, not terrible, not playoff worthy, just… less bad. There’s my above-the-fold pitch to watch tonight’s game. The Kings: LESS BAD!
Let’s talk about it!
When: Monday, February 28th, 5:00 PM PT
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: NBCSCA – Mark Jones (play-by-play)
Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
Pok-ing the Bear: So it’s a court mandated requirement at this point that I announce before any and all Kings-Thunder contests that I’m a massive fan of what the Thunder are doing. They’re unequivocally my second team right now. Had Monte McNair sat on his hands for another deadline and done nothing at all, they might have sneakily become my first team before much long and yet, here we are, reveling in the risk of the McNair regime, rejecting the logic of the tank for the reality of the situation – this franchise couldn’t afford (literally and figuratively) to do what was best for them. And that’s okay! I’ve stated it once, I’ve stated it a thousand times: there’s more than one way to build a team. If ego, financial woes, the growing apathy of the city forced this team to reject one method – so be it. I’ll certainly call them out on it when the time comes to watch another botched attempt go by the wayside. For now, I get my slow-build kicks with Sam Presti and the Thunder and my main squad can, well, do whatever it is they think is best. The nicest part about these last 16 years has been, I’ve expanded in my love for the game in the places the Kings have failed to deliver and while I’m less outwardly virulent in my love for this squad, I’ve never loved the game more.
The Thunder are a fantastically built young team, with a good head coach and a brilliant general manager – and I expect them to play like a Creed album in a jazz club tonight. Standout rookie Josh Giddey is out tonight as is defensive monster Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams, Ty Jerome and a few others that play decent minutes for the Thunder. They’re always going to have a shot with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander handling the ball and I’m happy to report that UNLIKE THE GAME I WENT TO EARLIER THIS YEAR, basketball crush Alexsej Pokusevski should be available tonight. The Thunder have plenty of guys that could go out there and light up the Kings and keep this game close or completely out of hand. The aforemention SGA is a killer and if Fox decides to take a night off on the defensive end, the kid could go for 40+. Tre Mann is shooting 36% from deep but could get hot, Darius Bazley can bully a forward or two given his night. The Thunder are a bad team for a reason, but they’ve certainly got pieces to embarrass a lazy Kings squad.
Which brings us back around to the Kings a bit here. I know the Kings aren’t good. I won’t say “yet” because I have zero expectations for them to reach that level, but for being not good, they’re also not terrible. I was pretty happy with the trade value they got for Kings favorite Tyrese Haliburton and while February 8th was the Kangz version of the Red Wedding for tankers, I can’t cry too much when I see someone like Sabonis play. The man absolutely busts his tail and brings a bit of that fire and court leadership that De’Aaron Fox has abdicated since becoming their $163 Million Man. There’s been multiple times since Sabonis has joined the team where the game gets out of hand early on and my Kangz brain kicks in to say “welp, it’s over” and then two minutes later *poof* the Kings are within 4 again off the back of Sabonis just deciding the game wasn’t quite over. Even though these haven’t equated to a change in the win column, I can squint and see where future years, with a different coach and supporting cast, could sustain this style of play. It’s great television and well, if nothing else I prefer fun losers to boring ones. A small step forward, if anything.
Prediction
Poku scores 20 and has 3 assists that wrap around some part of his infinitesimally small waist. Domas boxes him out lightly one time, he shatters into dust and I retire from writing previews effective tomorrow.
Kings: 119, Thunder:102
[Editor’s note: there will be no Prediction Contest today. Should be back next game.]
The Thunder has young guys worth craving;
A clear path to the future they’re paving.
They’re playing their picks
And seeing who sticks
While lots of ours sat before waiving!
+1 Obligatory!
I think we go 7-3 on the next 10 games and
6-4 on the final 10 for a final record of
35-47. I think that may be enough to battle the Pelicans and Spurs for that final 10th spot but we’ll see if they smoke the final 20 games and go 15-5 finishing with 38 wins I think guarantees a 10th spot but that’s a solid ask they need to start racking wins now.
Put me down for 3-7 and 4-6, 29-53 total, 6th worst record overall, at least 4 games out of the WC ten slot.
I’d actually prefer that. The thing nobody asks is what are the Kings trying to accomplish and what are their goals for the last 20 games. I wonder if they can answer those questions.
As it pertains to wins and losses between now and the end of the season, I don’t think it matters. I mean, when it comes to this organization,
It would be nice to know the objectives. There’s no reason why Mitchell shouldn’t be playing at least 30 minutes a game.
Agreed on that.
Breakfast Club’d.
So just to be clear, you think the Kings will go 13-7, or in other words win 65% of their last 20 games?
The Kings have had a run like that since before the iPhone was invented.
I don’t think the Fox, Ox, and the Box or Rox roster wins more than 9 of their remaining 20 games.
“According to the Last Two Minute Report, Jokic should have been called for an illegal screen on De’Aaron Fox with 31.1 seconds remaining. Fox attempted to get around the screen, but a hip nudge from the 284-pound center sent him sprawling to the floor, freeing up Monte Morris for a 3-pointer that put the Nuggets up 113-110…
Jokic was playing with five fouls at the time and would have fouled out if officials called the play correctly. Instead, he remained in the game to grab a defensive rebound on Sacramento’s next possession and then converted two free throw to put the Nuggets up by five.”
If only…. 😀
OK, ready to watch this one!
Sabonis Smash
This Thunder has 3 first round picks this year. Their own has a very good chance of landing top 3 in a three player draft (Chet, Jabari, Paolo). With only “star” player in SGA (he’s just as much a star as Fox) they are poised to leap the Kings in talent once again. I say once again because the last time the Kings made the playoffs the Thunder had 1) yet to leave Seattle and 2) yet to draft Durant, Westbrook, and Harden.
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying that if OKC lands a top 3 pick this year, they will make the playoffs before the Kings do. Not only do they have the picks, they also have the cap space to do just about anything.
Just to review a bit of Sam Presti’s genius, he traded Sabonis and Oladipo for Paul George. He then flipped Paul George just 2 years later for….wait for it…
SGA
Gallinari
Heat 2021 Unproteded First (Pick became Trae Mann)
Clippers 2022 unprotected First
Heat 2023 lottery protected First
Clippers 2023 right to pick swap
Clippers 2024 unprotected First
Clippers 2025 right to pick swap
Clippers 2025 unprotected First
Flagged!!
For all the top notch players that have been on that team OKC has never won a championship
No, but they have had ten playoff appearances, one finals appearance and eleven winning seasons during the Kings playoff drought. To wit, they have had more winning seasons during the Kings playoff drought than the Kings have had in their entire Sacramento history. But if it’s a ring or nothing, the Kings and Thunder are indeed tied.
It’s a good and uncomfortable question: who between the two teams will make the playoffs first? Gonna be rough for the anti-tank crowd if OKC gets in first going the full rebuild method. Though I suppose they could say the Kings just didn’t do the non-tank method correctly.
Simile of the year to this point.
Agree 100%. I enjoy all things Kings Herald, but Will’s previews are hands-down the most underrated thing on this site.
So … if guarding Shai is the key to this game, anyone think Mitchell should start?
Yes. But I think Davion should start period. No reason it shouldn’t be tonight because of SGA.
Holiday is probably a better match physically, but Mitchell can put the screws to anyone.
Another good reason to start Davion
Kings play down to the comp, lose by 3-4 tonight, making play in all but out of reach once they get beat by NO and SA this week.
I like that the team is playing better basketball, and the defense has been much more active and seemingly coordinated. Honestly, if the guards would stop sagging off their men to “help,” they wouldn’t keep giving up open threes, and they might have a chance. The guy you’re covering is in the NBA. He’s pretty good. Stay the fark on him.
Having said all that, if they show good effort, they can lose the rest of the games as far as I’m concerned.
Andy Sims’d.
Tanks very much? Are the Kings really tanking? I honestly don’t think they have a clue what they are doing.
Yes, I’ve been a fan of the Thunder also and like what they are doing for the most part. I will say at some point you have to turn all those draft picks into winning players. They’ve tanked for two years now and the question is how much longer does the tanking go on.
As I’ve said many times, losing games is not the equivalent of tanking. Tanking would be sitting all the starters and starting the next 5 players. They could continue to start Mo and go with the next 4 rotation players.
Our recent results are the same as if we are tanking but since the trade deadline I haven’t seen any indications the team is taking games off. This team isn’t very good……they are going to lose a bunch of games while playing hard and trying to win. And as the results clearly show……trying isn’t the same thing as doing.
That’s all true but there’s no reason not to be playing Mitchell 30 minutes a game and for Metu, DD and Queta not to be getting a good look. I wouldn’t be playing Harkless at this point.
Sometimes, you choose to tank. Sometimes, the tank chooses you.
A true tanking job would involve things like Fox and Sabonis sitting while the bench gets a huge run. That’s not what’s happening. The Kings are still trying to put themselves into positions to win games… they’re just not good at it, and the times where it is truly 50/50 to win they’ve gotten more losses.
You just want to be careful during the times where playins are still technically possible but unlikely. That’s when you can really blow up draft odds if you don’t concede to reality, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Kings are mindful of that.
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