Update: 8:30 p.m.
The Kings lost again. They didn’t play defense again. The roster didn’t make sense again. Keon Ellis didn’t enter the game until the game was already over at the start of the 4th quarter again. Shout out to the Kings fans in attendance who chanted “We want Keon!” in the third quarter.
And shout out to Domantas Sabonis for playing with busted ribs to try to help this train wreck. He finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Precious Achiuwa got the start and finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Timberwolves scored 64 points in the paint.
From Previous Preview:
The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing some decent basketball right now. I can’t say the same about the Sacramento Kings, but the marathon continues. Let’s get to it.
Who: Sacramento Kings (3-6) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-4)
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When: 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
Much has been said – from Kings fans, from Kings media, from The Kings Herald, from Doug Christie – about Keon Ellis’ disappearance, and as someone who is very much on the side of Keon Ellis should be playing more, I’ll just add this one thing:
In a game where the Kings lost by 31 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 37-year-old Russell Westbrook played 35 minutes and Keon Ellis played 12 minutes. That isn’t a knock on Westbrook, who has been playing well. It’s commentary on what the Kings are trying (and failing) to accomplish this season. If you’re going to get blown out by the defending NBA champs, you can do that just as well with young players. Relying on veterans to the extent the Kings are only makes sense if you’re winning games. They aren’t.
Anyway. After a slow start, the Timberwolves are walking into Sacramento tonight winners of 3 of their last 4 games. They weren’t the best wins, (Hornets, Nets, and Jazz) but it’s something, and their injury report is pretty clean. For the Kings, Keegan Murray remains out, and Domantas Sabonis is questionable.
Prediction: Kings 120, Timberwolves 115
The TWolves have been up and down,
Beating teams of little renown.
Kings fit that description,
A losing prescription,
Till Vivek decides to leave town!
+1 Cut Minny down to size!
There is a huge possibility this team loses the next 5. The delusion is thinking Domas or Keegan will change this
I hope Doug lets Keon play meaningful minutes tonight. He deserves it.
He has to be in a trade package or something…this is ridiculous
This team needs losses this year, lots of them. And it’s not for draft position – the dismissive little chap needs to stop getting away with giving the faithful fanbase a substandard product just so he can make money. His nonsense needs to stop.
Keon needs 15 lbs of muscle.
Why? He’s the same weight as Dennis and Ja Morant.
It’s not like folks are targeting him on the low block for a post up. Keon’s defense strength is his quickness of feet and hands.
I refer to Lu Dort.
Cool, I refer to Gary Payton and Rajon Rondo.
Different era
Yeah, a more physical era, and they were light in frame like Keon.
Saying Keon needs to pack on weight to be more like Lu (who’s built like a brick shithouse) is like saying Durant needs to pack on muscle to be an offensive force like LBJ.
Dort is a physical defender while Keon is a finesse and timing defender. They are different. They should only be compared in the fact that they are both undrafted, and one team knows how to use one while the other does not.
hahahhaah gtfo
why be vulgar?
oh I I understand
All he needs is to be on a team that has an ounce of a clue
Sacra meh nto vs. Meh nisota. The march up that has captured the imagination of exactly no one.
Precious starting tonight at the 4 spot. How many different starting lineups is that now?
Looking forward to watching all the exciting game action that Kayte talks over with all that stuff she makes up about the possession that happened three possessions ago.
These AARP players are boring as fuck
The two man game between Sabonis and LaVine and Sabonis and Schroeder is looking like garbage.
Stop the ball grandpa Sabonis!
There is beautiful basketball and then there’s this.
Kayte literally just tried to talk into the commercial. Mark had to stop her and said “sorry Kayte.” Lol
Kings offense is isolation basketball hell.
Is Doug playing the guys who play defense yet?
came here for this, thanks for not dissapointing
Remind me again why Schroder was signed?
For an excuse to not play Keon due to the logjam at guard
Zach sure can shoot that ball.
Sabonis is still grabbing that rib cage. The guy is playing through pain.
Gee, if only Perry hadn’t traded away Jonas…
Maybe when she’s at the All-Star game somebody will tell Kayte she’s been traded.
Kayte and her nonstop talking makes a terrible game even worse !
Kayte isn’t the problem the Kings are.
idk what’s worse: watching veterans lose in a losing season, watching veterans win in a losing season. I absolutely hate this team
“rotation is going to be whoever plays defense”….proceeds to dnp best defender lol
cannot make this up
Doug Christie is getting ready to play his defensive players!
It’s not the 4th quarter yet!
Poor Doug. Viwrek set him up to fail.
Doug knows the dysfunction and knew what he was signing up for.
DOUG CHRISTIE IS NOT A VICTIM!!
He got this job by being a company shill and is a Vivek enabler.
One of the reasons Vivek hired him is because he knew fans like you would give Doug a long rope.
I agree. Vivek s the problem not Doug.
This team is old, boring, and bad…the trifecta of suckitude.
This IS Basketball Hell.
Break out the T-shirt!
Why has nobody posted a Khan gif yet? It should be mandatory every time we play the Twolves.
Khannnnnnn!!!!
Did Keon steal all the coach’s cars or something? I bet he can’t wait to get the hell out of this dumpster of an organization.
For sure and part of why I don’t want Westbrook on this team, nor do I give a shit he plays hard. He’s just taking time away from Keon.
Amd WB is good enough to help you win some games but not good enough to win the playoff games and the kings need to just lose a shit ton
Don’t forget about that brilliant Dennis Schroder signing too! What a waste of money.
Right. I forgot. Brilliant moves all.
You mean you want more than 3 pts and 1 assist from your starting point guard?
Also, do wonder if some is shit owners directive. IE -play DDR, Levine,WB. His guys.
You don’t have to wonder this is the problem.
Dude should just request a trade at this point. Has an undrafted guy on the cheapest possible deal ever requested a trade before?
People over on r/kings seem to think they’re trying to increase all the veterans’ trade value
The idea that the Kings have any smart strategies in play is laughable.
None of their veteran guards have any trade value. Westbrook has zero value. He’s only here because no one else wanted him. LaVine is massively overpaid. DDR is a ball and offense stopper. Schroeder is a backup at best and not a particularly good one, and he’s overpaid. They couldn’t deal Monk in the offseason, and his value isn’t increasing. He’s also overpaid. Carter is a non-entity. Ellis does have some value, but I don’t see how you sit him all year and then extend him later. Makes no sense.
How much value does Ellis have? He’s basically a half a season rental who then becomes a UFA.
I think a team could trade for him and extend him. Not like the LaRavia situation.
You are correct. He is extension eligible.
To that point, I’m wondering if he was offered an extension by Sac, would he even take it? He’s probably better off waiting for free agency and picking his next home.
What about Sabonis? He has the best trade value right now not later.
I hope nobody shows up for the end game press conference
I hope, though it won’t happen, that fans stop showing up to the games. Force try his owner to do something.
It’s looks like there are many empty seats in the arena tonight. OKC home game also didn’t sell out. Mayne the fans are finally expressing their disgust with their wallets?
One can hope, right?
Best news I’ve heard in a LONG TIME!!!!
First the country and now Kangz fans????
This is who this team is. Keegan isn’t changing the trajectory. Gonna be a loooooooooooooooong season.
When is the first players-only meeting?
No BS, 3-7 is actually overachieving with this roster. I see Keegan’s offensive stats dropping over last season. He’s not getting shots with this roster.
4th quarter of a blowout loss. Time to play the defensive players!
4th quarter and down by 27. Is it Keon time now?
Here goes Kayte echoing the company line about a “backlog of players” being the reason Keon doesn’t play. “Here’s the reality of the situation” -Kayte. Stupid ass shill.
They all like their paychecks. I guess they can sleep fine at night.
A backlog of old players who can’t win games and who won’t be on the team next season. I guess Keon won’t be here either, now that I think about it.
Keon is gone. I reached that conclusion as soon as I saw he got relegated to the back end of the bench.
LOL, Keon gets his first minutes in the 4th once again in a blowout.
It’s just an insulting joke at this point.
Yeah, that’s the thing that rubs the worst with this whole thing. Embarrassing him is no way to treat a high-quality human being (on top of making no basketball sense).
“I think the correct rotation is going to be whoever plays defense,” says Doug Christie.
The Kangz are living up to expectations splendidly. Make it hurt baby!
Why is Sabonis in with 8 minutes to go. Let that man and his ribs rest.
Good assessment. IMO that was one of the stupid things to do last night. He goes down in the 4th and turns his ankle. Out for 3 weeks. Go figure.
Why are Sabonis, Lavine, and Schroder in the game at this point? Domas and Lavine were recently injured, and Schroder tweaked his ankle earlier in this game. Nothing this franchise does makes sense.
Keon just totally busted that last play, and it won’t show up in the stats.
Yo Doug, take Sabonis out. WTF?
And so the dismissive little chap leaves the game with Perry at the end of the third. You should stay and watch your stink till the end you moron!
Complete and sustained ineptitude from the owner down to the coach, your Sacramento Kings.
Didn’t see the game, Kings lost, read some funny comments on here. All wins for my Kangz fandom tonight…more tank please
Now we’re rolling!
Kangz lose 144-117
Why in the heck did Westbrook only play 16 minutes?
He had a game of Bridge and pudding cups planned for later tonight in the parlor with Bernadette and Archibald. Had to conserve his energy.
I hear they also might throw down for some late night bingo.
That is from Canis Hoopus. Even the TWolves blog can feel the apathy, while the fucking owner and GM sitting in their seats can’t read the room. Kangz!!!
The fanbase is loyal to a fault is spot on.
Add in a spineless group of ‘reporters’ surrounding the team and you have an owner who can keep on pushing you deeper in the dirt.
Keon could have played 48 minutes and it would not have mattered. I never leave early but left at the start of the 4th. Did Keon run over Doug’s puppy?
The dismissive little chap gets so annoyed that his toy is not working, so he tells his yes-men to waive someone so that they can sign…Ben Simmons.
*i hate my imagination sometimes, dammit
Legit should of probably been the signing from the jump. Roll out monk/keon/lavine/simmons/sabonis
fit is 100x current lineup
Hey, you know those self-righteous folks, the ones who boldly post after a rare Kangz victory that the team is really playing with heart, and that we’re a bunch of nitwits for questioning the Westbrook acquisition? Why can’t any of them post something like that after one of the many, many losses? After all, it should be just as true after a win as it after a gobsmackingly-gross blowout, right? Right???
I was hesitant say it, but you definitely beat me to it.
You’re being a toxic baby right now! please stop saying mean things and be positive.
One player without a negative +/-
you guessed it, keon ellis with a net zero for the entire fourth
There were even “we want Keon” chants during the game.
R.I.P. Lenny Wilkens.
Mainly knew him as a coach, but he came over as a class act.
I saw the long recap of the game (LP all possessions).
Despite his subpar shooting game (and some lapses on D), I have to give huge props to Domas to go out there with a busted ribcage (or whatever he has) and try to play through it.
I can’t give props to the medical staff to okay him and not put at leat a minute restriction on it.
And for DC not to pull him much earlier, but even trot him back out there in the 4th when down 20+ is madness, and disgusting. Not that I expect the local press to ask some aggressive questions about it.
IMO Sabonis has not played up to par yet this season. He definitely does not play defense especially in the center of things. I know he his hurting but even at the beginning of the season he didn’t look good at all on defense. As much as I love the guy and his commitment to this team the Kings aren’t going to win a playoff spot or even a play-in.
When the perimeter defense just let’s opponents get to the lane with ease, there really isn’t much Domas can do. He is not a shot blocker, nor does he alter shots. It’s not his game. The perimeter defense is the main issue. They need to cut off the dribble penetration and backside cuts to help Domas out.
Schroder, Russ, LaVine, Monk, DeMar are all bad defenders. Domas will get exposed every possession when that group is on the court.
He was fantastic right up to the moment that Fox was traded. The problem is not Sabonis.
I have no issue with paroling Sabonis, but it solves nothing when it comes to what ails this team. That problem is much higher than the roster.
The roster went from complimenting Sabonis’ skill set, to actively working against those skills. 3pt shooting and spacing, with some perimeter defense in the 22-23 season, and the 23-24 season. Now they don’t usually involve Domas in the offense, have limited spacing, and no perimeter defense.
I actually hope they trade Domas, Keegan, Keon, and Nique so that they can have fruitful NBA careers outside of Basketball Hell.
A hypothetical trade that has already been shown but IMO is a good one. Sabonis to the Pistons for Duren, Holland, Harris and 2026 first and 2029 first. You get 2,especially Duren. good young players. Harris with a expiring contract of 26 mil. and 2 draft picks. Probably not high picks but first round picks. Might be able to consoladate.
Detroit is rolling, they have an identity, they have younger players that are growing together and seem to fit. I would not do that trade if I was them. Let Cade run the offense with Duren being the roll man/lob threat while defending the rim. Adding Domas would change their identity, and I don’t think they do that.
I checked and double checked and as far as I see it the Pistons would be very happy to have Sabonis on their team. They are only one player away to get to a real contender for the title. Sabonis would be that player. He and Cade would work wonders and being on a contender IMO Sabonis would thrive. So would the Pistons.
This was a crime.
Dude’s ribs are not going to heal unless they sit him. How many shots to the ribs do you think he took over the past two games?
But he plays.
Why does Domas play?
Because Domas wants to help his team and he knows there is nobody capable behind him (because Perry traded JV).
Why does Doug let Domas play?
Because he has pressure to win even though he knows there is nobody capable behind him (because Perry traded JV).
Why does Perry let Domas play?
Because he has pressure to win even though he knows there is nobody capable behind him (because he traded JV).
Why does Vivek let him play?
Because he is paying Domas $40 million to play.
So they play him and they lose by 30ish two games in a row.
Why does Domas play?
Does ViVek blame Keon for the government shut down or something. What a joke! Doug is such a patsy.
There are only 2 teams in the league giving up more points per game than the Kings: The Nets and Wizards.
That’s how bad this Kings defense is right now.
Sigh…gonna be another “somebody wake me up after the trade deadline” kinda season again. Another “why do I keep doing this to myself” kinda season.
And Matt George claims it is the offense that can’t keep up with other teams, not the defense being an issue, lol. So the Kings need to score 150 each game to have a chance to win? Is that the expectation???
Matt “Don’t need Luka” George?
Or Matt “double down” George?
He’s got a point about the offense, though. The D sucks but you’d think with this offense they could score 150 a night.
But what do we see? A bunch of veterans running around, unsure of what the play is or who is going where. They don’t use Domas as they should. Too much one-on-one bullshit.
So, yeah, the offense sucks too.
I don’t think the offense is good. Nobody knows what the hell is going on. They just do their own thing most of the game, with the occasional good looking possessions. It’s a mismatch of individuals players that lack any form of synergy.
Hey, we’ll always have that first week or so of the season where the team actually tried a bit on D.
The team has given up. I’m thinking we’re going to have a Woodson Christmas.
Sell the team!
#SelltheKings!
Vivek and FO left in the 3rd quarter. They didn’t look happy and that made me happy. The We Want Keon chants made me happy. Only 10 games in. This is gonna be a loooooong season.
Wheels are falling off.
Sadly, if Vivek is unhappy, the last person he will blame is himself.
I suspect Doug will fall victim to the sword.
or he’ll force Perry to trade Keon and an unprotected 1st for Kevin Love. Fans can’t chant for Keon if he’s not on the roster!
The best part is the increasing amount of empty seats. Hope that trend continues from the past couple games. Only thing I can think of that may move the needle for Vivek.
What can I say that hasn’t been said before and/or recently?
I have my (partial) season tickets – it’s NBA basketball, and I like the players. I like Zach Lavine – he is one heck of a scoring guard. I like DeMar DeRozan – he is likely to be in the Top 20 scorers of all time when he hangs up his shoes. Domas – heart and grit. Westbrook – my current Kings favorite. He is a shining light in a dim season. Keegan – gotta adore him. Keon – effort and determination. Baller. I like the rooks, ‘Nique and RayMax.
But this team is a loser. Point differential is going down. Loses are going up. Laughingstock surging up. Apathy soaring way up.
I will follow more from the stands than the sidelines because this is the best community. Looking at the League and searching for a more fun franchise to follow.
I am past blaming the franchise and moving on to pointing my finger at the NBA itself. How much more incompetence will we fans need to endure. When is enough, enough?
By the by –
It is not enough to rid Sacramento of the Ranadivé ownership. Remove Matina Kolokotronis, her influence is prominent in these decisions and she needs to go as well.
Yes!
Yeah, pointing fingers, that will help.
If fans want things to change, they’ll have to take action.
I think it’s high time for Vivek to make a knee-jerk trade.
I’m predicting Domas, Keon and Carter (plus a few picks) for Joel Embiid.
Maybe if the Kings threw in a couple of other players they can nab Kyle Lowry or Eric Gordon too?
Where’s the Vivek “I’m listening”- meme?
Or Simply: The Kings are Bad – They Lose
Badge Legend