Full disclosure: I did not watch the second half of this game. I’ve been sick for several days, and needed to go to bed early. And this morning, seeing the final score and the box score, I didn’t feel like subjecting myself to watching the second half. Nor did I feel like I needed to watch it to be able to recap this game for you.
Here’s what I can tell you with certainty: firing Mike Brown did not fundamentally change the Sacramento Kings. The Kings lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 132-122 and they lost in all the same ways they’ve been losing all season.
De’Aaron Fox score 29 points but was 1-for-9 from 3. Same as it has been.
Keegan Murray was 1-for-6 from 3. Same as it has been.
Kevin Huerter was 1-for-4 from 3. Same as it has been.
Trey Lyles was 0-for-5 from 3. Same as it has been.
Keon Ellis was 3-for-3 from 3, and outscored Huerter despite playing just 13 minutes. Huerter played 24 minutes. Same as it has been.
The Kings allowed the Lakers to shoot 53.8% from 3. Same as it has been.
The Kings got into a double-digit deficit in the first quarter. Same as it has been.
Domantas Sabonis got into foul trouble and the Kings didn’t have any depth behind him to slow down Anthony Davis. Same as it has been.
The Lakers were without LeBron James, who was sick. The Kings couldn’t beat a team that was missing one of their stars. Same as it has been.
Despite playing just 26 minutes, Domas had 14 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists. Solid outing. Same as it has been.
Monk had a nice game, and so did DeRozan. Props to them.
After the game the Lakers traded to improve their wing depth, acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets. The Kings did nothing to address their depth while the West got stronger around them. Same as it has been.
It doesn’t matter, a full recap isn’t gonna make anyone feel any better.
Crap. I totally missed this. Sorry for the plagiarism
It’s Really ok. Forgot to put the key word in!
This is going to be a great new addition to TKH library of memes/inside jokes.
We gotta focus on the little things. Pay attention to the details.
The Kings are 4.5 games out of the 10th spot. They are 1.5 games away from the 13th spot.
The Kings are 5.5 games out of the 6th spot. They are only 5 games away from the 14th spot.
Vivek, Monte get your head out of your assess. Fox isn’t staying. Blow it up.
How else can Vivek charge premium prices if they go into a rebuild? Why don’t you ever consider Vivek’s wallet???
Vivek only cares about one thing and it’s green. He’ll never embrace a rebuild, we have a decade of evidence of that.
I’m not sensing any joy in Greg’s recap
It doesn’t really matter. A full-assed recap isn’t going to make anyone feel any better.
Perhaps Greg is stubbornly coming to the conclusion that Fox needs to be traded.
I remain of the belief that this team needs to properly build around Fox and Sabonis. Get wings.
I don’t understand the premise of “I don’t think this FO is capable of adding role players but I trust them to maximize the return for our best player and I trust them with a rebuild”.
Agreed. If they can’t do it with Fox & Sabonis, they sure can’t do it without. Zero faith in this org.’s ability to be nimble and agile.
I don’t believe the Kings have enough time to rebuild around Fox and Sabonis (again? still?) before Fox forces his way out.
It’s not that I don’t think they’re too incompetent to add role players, and they’re certainly happy to deal from the back of the roster. The problem is that there is no available role player that would fix this team’s issues, especially when the return is Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles.
The problems are way deeper than one bench/role player (or a coaching change, which was the worst of all the available options). Any lack of faith on my end starts with the paralysis in the front office when it comes to meaningful moves involving the front half of the roster, with their questionable talent evaluation being a secondary concern.
I do trust them to get value out of moving Fox or Sabonis because there is an established template for that sort of deal. The ask is either a promising young player (i.e. someone currently better than Keegan Murray) and one or more firsts, or a current All Star/All-NBA player.
I do not trust them to do a full rebuild (and Vivek would never let it happen) because they’re afraid to make meaningful moves. If you’re going to rebuild, you’ve got to have some actual transactions happen involving the top half of your roster, to acquire draft picks, veteran mentors, swap young players, etc. This front office seems to average a meaningful move every couple of years and I don’t see how that ever works if you’re trying to rebuild.
I will say this – building around Fox & Sabonis would take skill and dexterity. A full rebuild would require more than a little good luck. This front office is probably better off relying on luck than its skill and dexterity. So maybe a rebuild does make more sense, given the current front office.
Pro sports is entertainment after all, so which sounds more fun:
1) Monte trades off future picks and current depth for role players in hopes of turning this turd sandwich into a playoff team that may or may not make it to the second round.
2) Sell off everything for youth and picks and spend the next 2-3 years watching a rebuild with draft drama and youngsters developing, likely hoping playoffs are 3-5 years away.
I’ll take #1, because I really appreciate and enjoy watching Domantas Sabonis play, more than anyone that has played for this team in 20 years.
I can’t disagree there. I really enjoy watching Sabonis play as well, but I will say that doesn’t mean he has to go in a full rebuild. nor does Fox. I did say “sell everything”, which is how Utah did it, but it doesn’t have to be that black and white. A rebuild can be keeping a player or three that you want to build around, but sell everything else.
3) Deal from the top half of the roster to upgrade it and/or find better fits.
Number two is the standard of this organization without selling anything off.
Now you’re talking!
Come over to the dark side.
I never liked that they built around Fox in the first place. A non 3 point shooter -try when he wants defender.
Oh well. No way V gives up on Fox since they passed on and traded away 2 superior players, especially for todays game.
What realistically attainable wing(s) do you think will move the needle on this team to get them to the playoffs that the Monte should be willing to sell off future assets and depth.
OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes are not available, but Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant, and Cam Johnson are most certainly are…but IMO they do nothing to improve this team.
I just don’t see a realistic scenario where Monte can immediately improve this team without leveraging all of the Kings limited future assets and depth.
I am not concerned with what the front office is capable of in terms of keeping Fox. I am going by what Fox has laid out for the terms of his future here.
Based on what Fox has said many times he is leaving.
The front office has spent a decade determining the fate of Fox. At this point Rich Paul is our front office.
Right. He hasn’t said so in so many words but he has definitely telegraphed his intent. Fix it or else is the message. The surest way to fix it is by moving him. He’s an awesome player but he’s a stat sheet guy in some ways. He might take a team to the Finals if he’s a #2 guy. I don’t see it as a #1 guy. Teams will line up to land the league’s sixth leading scorer, though.
I can’t imagine why the Kings would wait until he publicly demands a trade. Either figure out a great team-altering trade with other top players (DDR, Domas, Monk) or move Fox and look to fundamentally alter the future of the franchise. To me, trading Fox can shore up weaknesses and net picks for the future. I’m solidly in that camp at this time. But I sure hope MM doesn’t go for a knee jerk reaction or listen to knuckleheads like me. Think strategically and make the best move.
Fox also heavily, heavily relies on his athleticism, which will likely go from “elite” to “great” to “good” over his next contract. Not the guy you want to supermax.
Fast turns into cannot get to the basket quickly.
That’s such a good point. I was already worried that Fox isn’t a supermax guy. He may inadvertently be doing us a solid by indicating his discontent.
Yes. When the Kings have control there is hope the other teams will take a deal seriously. When Rich Paul is dictating terms the Kings are at the mercy of everyone else.
We’re already going to have to face questions of whether Fox will re-sign with teams. He ain’t gonna guarantee anything if the Wizards or Blazers come calling.
That is the problem with Rich Paul being inserted to every decision. We have already been limited in our options before we explore options. A player or players we want are likely on teams Fox will not want to sign with.
Possibly, but the suitors lining up right now can all pony up an offer to entice the Kings. Now, we wait. But I honestly don’t think it’s going to be long. Maybe I’m off but there’s too much smoke here.
Hopefully it is quick. The divide is growing. Fox is the only one to gain from a drawn out public split.
The Kings hold most of the cards, though. Fox can dictate a handful of teams but the Kings can also hold out for a sign-and-trade in a season and a half. When Petrie was at the top of his game, he didn’t blink in these situations and I don’t think Monte should, either. My concern is whether MM will act to save his job or to situate the Kings for the long term.
Petrie was active in a long gone era of the NBA.
That sounds nice, right up to the moment Rich Paul forces Fox’s way out of here and you get pennies on the dollar.
You don’t have the luxury to wait, so you must let Monte trade Fox soon. Then you hire a better GM in the offseason to handle the rebuild/retool/whatever you desire.
If you don’t trust Monte to fix this roster, and you don’t trust Monte to handle the rebuild/retool/whatever, why on Earth would you trust him to handle the trade of a major asset like Fox?
It is not trust at this point. It is something that is inevitably going to happen and Monte is sitting in that seat.
Because your hand is forced. Not because you want to.
Because you know that the longer you wait, the chances are Fox becomes a distressed asset and then whoever will be the GM won’t get a good return for him.
Is this roster fixable? Perhaps. Can Monte do it? Perhaps. Will it happen soon? Maybe. Will it be enough to placate Fox and keep him here? Big maybe.
The veterans, especially Fox, got what they wanted. Now they have no one to blame but themselves.
Shoot the same. Play defense the same. Turn the ball over in key possessions the same. Skip the first and third quarters the same.
Maybe Brown does know how to coach?
Fox and Huerter to the Spurs for CP3, Vassell and Cissoko. Make CP3 player/HC and add brother Cliff as an assistant GM!
That’s a horrible return
And a horrible idea.
This only works if we get 25 year old Chris Paul.
BREAKING: Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has reportedly requested a trade from the organization, sources tell ESPN. De’Aaron was seemingly upset over the firing of head coach Mike Brown
Sharms Charnia from ESPN posted this on X yesterday for those who
havent seen the post. So, no it’s not bogus.
“Sharms”. I saw that earlier too
Sharms, but not bogus?
Fox quit on the floor, stopped listening to Brown and is now angry Brown was fired?
Sounds like a Rich Paul script.
Or a FO ploy to deflect their own deficiencies. /Shrugs
That too, take your pick
Yep. No good or positive answer, that’s for sure.
The report that Fox is angry that Brown got fired is very unlikely to come from the FO.
That’s fake. I got fooled too. Hoping the mods took it down.
Fake? It’s direct from his X account. And from ESPN. ESPN has a burner account
It’s from “Sharms,” not “Shams.” And it has been picked up on and redistributed by absolutely zero other news sources.
It’s a spoof account. It’s not a real report.
I can,t find this anywhere and it’s now Monday. Has to be bogus.
It turns out Sharms is a sham and not Shams.
Spurs or Rockets best return for Fox?
Spurs then Rockets
Something is rotten in Denmark and I truly can”t put my finger on it.
both have a plethora of assets. Make it happen MM.
I saw an article that Mia could be in on it, I’d take herro and a piece for fox
Thought experiment: All of these dudes currently play in the NBA. Without looking up who they are, who would you give the max contract to? if you like, rank them in order of who you be willing to give $40+ million dollars to per year for the next 5 years. All of them are under the age of 30.
Player A: 30.1 PPG, 5.3 boards, 7.4 assists, 35% from deep, 42 FG%, 4 TOs, 1.3 steals
Player B: 22 PPG, 4.6 boards, 4.3 assists, 44.7% from deep, 50 FG% 3 TOs, 0.8 steals
Player C: 26.3 PPG, 5 boards, 6.3 assists, 32% from deep, 48 FG%, 3.4 TOs, 1.7 steals
Player D: 23.7 PPG, 6.8 boards, 6.3 assists, 35% from deep, 46 FG%, 3.4 TOs, 0.7 steals
Player E: 24 PPG, 5.7 boards, 5.1 assists, 41% from deep, 47 FG%, 2.5 TOs, 0.8 steals
I will post their identities in a bit after folks get a chance to draw their conclusions.
That was enlightening
1) A
2) B
3) E
4) C
5) D
My main preference was the 3pt %, pts per, then FG %
A, e, d, b, c
could you post their ages.Might make a difference.
As of today…
A: 23
B: 29
C: 27
D: 24
E: 24
I like these types of exercises. I’ll go:
A. E. B. C. D.
Now that this has had time to sit, I just wanted to point out that of these dudes, Fox is considered the franchise cornerstone while the others may not be, or at least not in mind for a vet max deal. That being said, a couple of these guys might be there in a year or so, but are they really worthy of being the dude you build a franchise around?
My only point was to bring us down to Earth in terms of our view of Fox. Without a doubt, he’s an outstanding player, but is he the guy you want to build your franchise around?
Like you said, he’s an outstanding player but it’s pretty clear he’s not becoming the franchise altering player we all were hoping he would be.
OT: Not sure it’s been discussed here or not, but Hollinger over at the Athletic put out a piece this morning about the Kings and Mike Brown. Some analysis I really liked was his comparison to the Hawks from a few years ago who made it to the ECF. They then went all in on their team only to find out they really weren’t that good in the first place. The Kings are currently figuring that out and Indy may be the most recent example of what he calls an “apex of averageness.” I love that term.
Article HERE
And it took the Hawks a few years of drafting and trading players away from that team to get where they are now, all while retaining Young…does seem oddly familiar
Sadly most King’s fans seem content with an apex of averageness.
Apex of Averageness
Awesome wrestling heel nickname, or the name of the parody shock band your weird cousin listens to.
Spurs have 4 firsts next year. 4! Can’t use all of them. They have a reason to trade at least 2. Rockets have their own and a possible second. Both are moving along on their rebuilds and would be in position to pick up veterans. The other 27 teams know that too. Get a move on Monte. Get what you can for Fox. Then DeMar to the Clips for two expiring contracts to erase your mistake. Say you wanted Mann all along for his defense. Say it’s not a rebuild because you’re keeping Sabonis. Blame Klutch; everybody hates them. There, is that good enough for you Vivek?
The Spurs are not getting Charlotte’s lottery protected pick and are unlikely to get the Bull’s top 10 protected pick. They still have more than enough assets to offer a fair deal though.
The 2024-2025 Kings have put together one of the most disappointing seasons of my lifetime of being a fan of 3 major sports. It’s such a bummer to follow this team. The city of Sacramento deserves so much more than one playoff series loss since 2005-06.
They illustrated the season-long ineptitude by missing something like 11 straight three point shots at one point during last night’s game. Many of them were relatively open shots, too.
I’ll preface this by saying that I’ve really enjoyed watching Fox’s growth as a player over the years. But I really think they need to move him by the deadline. The 1 of 9 from Fox last night seemed emblematic of his entire season (and career for that matter). He seems like a great person but he’s not lifting the Kings on his back. Until this year, I always felt like he could be that guy. But now, at age 27, he’s taken a step back. He’s still young enough to generate a great return. I think it may only be a matter of days before he’s traded.
And the Kings’ three point shooting. Good f’ing god, that shooting. League average is 36.0% from three. Of the qualifying Kings, only Keon (shooting 42.6%) is above league average but inexplicably can’t see time on the court. The other qualifying Kings are below league average, Monk (35.5%), Fox (32.2%), Huerter (31.0%) and Keegan (29.1%). I wish I knew how they fix that problem, but to me, that’s your season in a nutshell. 24th in 3P shooting, 28th in 3P defense equals loss after loss. They’re +0.8 in ppg but -7.8 in 3 pointers. If they were just +0.00 in 3 pointers, they would have the 5th best point differential in the league.
I don’t like the firing of MB 31 games after extending him, but he’s the fall guy in part because of the Kings 3P differential, which is absolutely atrocious. Some of that is really on MM because the roster didn’t get better from a 3P standpoint in the offseason, either on offense or defense.
But Keegan and Huerter are in absolute freefall beyond the arc. Both are having their worst distance shooting seasons by far after seriously declining last year. I said this before, but I think Brown may have messed with the confidence of both players somehow. Yes, I know Huerter and Murray are grown (highly paid) adults but they’re still humans with emotional ups and downs. I think MB may have crushed the confidence out of them.
But there is a real problem with roster construction, too. To me, it starts with the leader in Fox. Sure, he piles up clutch numbers. But when the chips are down, he insists on dribbling into traffic, regularly losing the ball or forcing up an ill-advised shot. If they can get a couple of FRPs from the Spurs for him, they should really consider it. Monk can handle playmaking duties and DC / McLaughlin can be the backups.
And as much as I like him, DDR needs to go. It’s not a good fit. Find a good landing spot for him and build your team around Sabonis. Or hell, just blow the whole thing up and unload Sabonis and Monk, too. This is not the eighth worst lineup in the league but here we are, underperforming night after night.
Sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to vent my frustration with this stupid franchise.
Solid post.
Spot in from my perspective. Basically what I have thought most ofbthe season. You just laid it all out much more eloquently.
It matters not what I agree or disagree with here. This is a masterpiece. Thank you for taking the time to post it. Rec’d.
Thoughtful, realistic insight
Fox has value, he makes a lot of $$$ though.
He’s the 20-30th best guard in the league. Teams are not going to break the bank and fall over themselves for the opportunity to pay him $30-50 million per year.
if you can get a good young player + 2 picks then you probably take it.
I think you have hit reality on the head.
The hangup is when the Knicks give the Nets 5 first round picks for Mikal Bridges, Monte is going to be wanting for near the same.
Opinions will surly vary on who’s better between Mikal and Fox, but one fits the prototypical desire of today’s NBA while the other does not.
I think he’s Top 10. He’s averaged 25ppg over the last 5 seasons.
I understand that only includes one playoff appearance. I am taking into account the guy has had 5 coaches in 8 years.
Zero stability.
Kings should be able to get at least 2-3 young prospects and a cpl firsts
Really like Houston: Sheppard, Eason, Smith. Brooks for salary would be amazing. But it would probably be Fred.
Fred only has one year on his deal.
Greg’s recap has no class, no balls.
Lol. Also you’re fired.
Would you:
Trade De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter to New Orleans for Zion and Herb Jones?
Zion has never been on my radar because of health/personal issues – yet he’s still just 24 and there’s hope he is able to “figure it out”.
Be interested to know what others think.
I said it the day he was drafted…
Offensive lineman shouldn’t be jumping.
I myself have been in awe of the flying refrigerator at Duke. But you’re right that it’s probably not sustainable.
Yup, a man of his build is just going to continue to get hurt with the way he plays basketball.
Too many injury concerns, especially for a guy that relies on athleticism way too much.
I like it. Problem is culture. Zion has to be held accountable. I think Miami or Spurs. They wouldn’t put up with Shenanigans.
if Bob Myers was the GM here,I think it would be a good move.
But I really don’t trust this front office to get the best out of Zion.
Jones is fantastic for helping to change the culture. But I don’t think it would be enough.
Kings should have tried to go after Brooks last year. He’s the type of player that can transform a franchise.
Agree on Brooks. I can’t stand him but he would have brought an attitude to this franchise that I can’t remember anyone bringing since I started following the team.
Several of us thought this and got ridiculed. Just imagine him and Keon.
I very recently read a book called “Between Two Fires” and it’s about the black plague in France and a war of angels and demons in the background. It’s very good. One part that stuck out to me was a depiction of hell which I’ll paraphrase below:
Hell is not the absence of hope but rather, amid constant oppressive misery, fleeting moments of hope being ripped away at the last possible second over and over causing one to lose their ability to believe in any goodness left in anything at all.
Instantly reminded me of being a King’s fan. Lol
So all this time I thought we were in late lottery purgatory, but we really are in basketball hell.
That’s the worst part about this year. Realizing we never left.
By Christopher Buehlman?
Added to my TBR list.
Yep! It’s a medieval religious and plague fantasy epic wrapped in horror with historical fiction elements if that is specific enough. I liked it a lot.
Another quote: “The absence of Heaven is the worst place in Hell”.
So was DeRozan really the one pushing for a coaching change?
This is where it starts getting messy.
Agents and FO’s leaking things.
Players denying things.
Fans trying to figure out who is lying, as if they never saw House M.D.
There was clearly player dissatisfaction, the players were refusing to do what Brown told them to do. So now they are free to do what they want and we are going to see the results.
We should come together and agree on another team to follow. I wouldn’t feel “guilt.” We’re still rooting for the Kings.
I tried that with the Cleveland Browns after they brought in that POS Watson.
I tried to clamp on to two different teams. Didn’t work. I know casually follow the NFL.
I am now following the Blazers too, being a Deni Avdija stan. It’s a nice, active fanbase etc. Blazers Edge is very active and has a working Z button. But just not the same.
Might be different for you and others. Tom Ziller succeeded.
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