I miss the days when wins were good and losses were bad. Those were simpler times. Now we are in the grayest of purgatories where a win technically keeps play-in hopes alive, but also reduces the Kings' odds for the lottery. So while a win always feels good, we are now in a position where it also comes with a sour aftertaste. Yeah, the food in purgatory blows. Today's meal was a late lunch against an injury-riddled Dallas Mavericks team. Options on the menu ranged from a satisfying sandwich to yogurt pie. Let's see what the Kings chose:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings lose, 114-113
Sacramento Kings: 113 pts, 48.9% fg, 36.0% 3 pt, 66.7% ft, 24 ast, 45 reb, 16 to
Dallas Mavericks: 114 pts, 47.6% fg, 38.9% 3 pt, 74.1% ft, 22 ast, 39 reb, 10 to
Yogurt pie it is. And it's a sour one. Despite a 19-point lead and De'Aaron Fox tying his career-high in scoring with 44 points, the Kings were once again out-executed in final possessions and head home with another L.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good
- Early One-Two Punch: The Kings came out strong to start and maintained a high level of aggression and intensity through the entire first half. They were first led by Domantas Sabonis, who big boy bullied the hell out of Dwight Powell every chance he could. Sabonis finished the first half with 11 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field. Whenever Sabonis would head to the bench to get his rest and Powell sighed a breath of relief, De'Aaron Fox immediately stepped in to deliver the second gut punch to the Mavs' defense. Fox finished the first half with 23 points on 2-2 from the 3-point line. The aggressive and dominant play from the Fox & the Ox gave the Kings a comfortable 14-point cushion going into the half.
- Paint Play: The Kings bested the Mavericks by outscoring them 66-44 in the paint. This came mostly in the first half as Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox were trading spotlights. While Sabonis outworked Dwight Powell inside for buckets, Fox spent the first 24 minutes getting into the paint at will, carving up Dallas' defense with ease.
The Bad
- Double Trouble: The Mavericks paid a lot of attention to Domantas Sabonis tonight, often sending double teams to cover him when he got the ball in the post. Sabonis never looked very disoriented by this, and often looked ready to make a play knowing he was drawing the defense to him. However, the other four Kings on the floor failed to space the floor appropriately and make hard cuts to give Sabonis options out of the double team. These plays often resulted in Sabonis throwing the ball back out to the top of the floor and resetting the offense. The Kings weren't able to read and react to the double coverage and therefore missed out on some easy opportunities to score.
- That Third Quarter: Why does the third quarter have to even exist? After having such a strong first half, the Kings once again suffered in the third as they let the Mavs outscore them 34-27. Although they still maintained the lead throughout and came out of it with a seven-point advantage, the entirety of the third quarter felt like a slow burn as the Mavs gradually pushed the momentum towards their favor. The Kings didn't match the same defensive energy they displayed in the first half and the Mavs took advantage as they secured five offensive boards for extra scoring opportunities. It was this slow burn that ultimately led to the Mavs' explosive start in the fourth that gave them the lead.
The Ugly
- Losing the Lead & the Game: The Kings led by as much as 19 points. Then they lost by 1 point. This story has unfolded so many times before us that it's not shocking anymore. But it is, unfortunately, still an ugly way to lose a basketball game. Led by Spencer Dinwiddie's 36 points and Dorian Finney-Smith's five made 3-pointers, his last being the final nail in the coffin, the Mavericks just kept chipping away at the Kings until they had them right where they wanted them: tied in final possessions. At this point, the Mavericks buckled down and executed winning plays when they needed to, while the Kings did not. The Kings made some great defensive stops to put them in positions to convert and win on the other end, but instead fell back into one on one offense, a missed free throw, and a poorly executed sideline play for the final shot.
The King of Kings
I wanted this win for De'Aaron Fox. Tying his career-high of 44 points, Fox also had six assists and hit 3-4 from deep. It was one of those games where you could tell Fox was just feelin' it and it didn't matter what the Mavs' defense tried to throw at him. He looked dominant, in control, and confident in a way that let everyone know he was the best player on the court.
Operation: M.C.N.A.I.R. Watch
Today's chosen charity is WEAVE, which promotes healthy relationships and supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and sex trafficking. Donate here and be sure to notify Will via Twitter (@WillofThaPeople) or e-mail ([email protected]) so he can continue to keep track of donation totals.
Up Next
Monday, March 7th vs. New York Knicks - 7:30 P.M. (PT)
This game is all the evidence the front office needs to show that the Kings are still in need of more high level players, not just a mid-level veteran tweak away.
Fox isn’t going to play much better than that & Sabonis had a double-double with a side of 6 ASTs.
They need to pick a stud in the draft, who is clearly one of our Top 3 players from day 1.
They also need to land an eyebrow raising veteran in the “I can’t believe the Kings were able to get him” range.
But the Kings just got beat by a mid-level veteran team. I don’t know what Kidd is putting in the water down there, but it is working.
Agree, as Kings have 3 top level players period ! 3 or 4 of the best of the rest can be limited reserves or roster guys ! Needs include top level shooting guard and power forward ! Tough to do with a lottery pick and few tradeable assets . Good luck Monte 🙏
Exactly what needs to be done but that’s a tall order and requires a large element of luck.
The biggest element of luck there is
I can’t believe it. They choked again. The game was Fox against Dallas. He was great and Sabonis was really good the first half but disappeared the second. He was double teamed a lot in the second but that means there are guys open. Did they take advantage to this. No. No cuts, backdoor screens nothing. I don’t care if Fox scored 60 last night you can’t beat a high school team with one player. Where was Barnes.38 minutes and 9 points. I’m sorry but I don’t think Gentry is a very good coach. He plays Holiday 29 minutes for only 9 points. He shot 1for 7 from 3. In the last two games he is 3 for 19 on 3 pointers. That is terrible. Lyles last night played 18 minutes was 5 for 8 from the field and plays under control. He also drives to the basket and had 8 rebounds. Don’t understand.The end of the fourth quarter Fox had one turnover in the game but a big one. Sabonis had at least 2. Sabonis misses two foul shots and Fox one. DDV shoots an airball three with 18 seconds on the clock. Dalles can’t miss there threes and we had no defense to straightline drives to the basket. Holiday looked like a squirrel in the headlights on the last play of the game. Did’t know where to go.Could be coaching. All this adds up to what the Kings do in the third and fourth quarters. Lose the game. I still love them but these loses are hard to take.
In draft, only Banchero and Smith could meet criteria of “one of our top 3 players”
I don’t know- Griffin & Sharpe both have the potential to be in our top 3.
I was kind of passively watching the game this afternoon but noticed that Lyles started and played well, but then was benched for most of the rest of the game. The boxscore backs this up. Why was he limited to 18 minutes when he was 5-8 with 11 points and 6 rebounds? Did he get injured and I missed it?
I agree. I think he got 8 rebounds
The team has officially cemented its 16th straight losing season, an NBA record.
Your Sac Kings
Setting records and winning Championships….in the summer
Just call them the Queens, because Theeeeyy are the Chaaampions, my frieennndd…..
“This is NBA 3.0” — Vivek Ranidive
I ain’t mad or disappointed, this team is MILES better than before and has a real future. McNair showed he can get things done and I am stoked for the next season with a better coach and better players surrounding Fox and Sabonis. With our current trajectory, we’ll be 6th if the lottery Gods doesn’t eff us up again.
They lost a game to Dallas without Luka. A game where Fox had a career performance and a game they had to win and did everything to win and still lost. There’s nothing yet to indicate this franchise is in any better shape subsequent to the trade. You are correct that McNair will have to absolutely nail this next draft pick and then follow it up with another impactful trade. Tall order.
Landing top 3 pick in this draft can change things quickly, IMO. If the Kings fall in the draft trade the pick. Murray may also be legit and I’m on the fence with AJ Griffin, but If those 5 are gone, I’m in the camp of trading the pick. the pick plus Holmes and/or Harkless, Mitchell, Lyles etc. could land a nice player. Monte’s job should be to get that 3rd banana and fill in from there.
I have a couple of ideas. Trade Holmes and Metu to the Grizzles for Dillon Brooks. He can play either SG or SF. At 6’7″ he can shoot over most SG’s.Move Barnes to the SF, This might be difficult but I have faith in Monty. Bring in Bobby Ortis from free agency to play PF. He shoots the 3 rebounds over 9 per game and has a really high motor. He would be a great stretch four along side Sabonis. Our starters would be Fox, Brooks, Barnes, Portis and Sabonis. Our backups would be Mitchell DDV, Davis, Lyles and Jones. I would draft A J Griffin to backup Barnes and eventually take his spot on the rotation. That’s it. Please I appreciateyour comments. This is only an idea so be nice. GO KINGS!
Grizz would not want or need those guys ! No chance !
A team that could actually use Holmes is Dallas. As crazy as it sounds and as bad as his salary is, I might trade for Bertans. Bertans plus their 2021 first rounder (right now around the #21 pick) for Holmes and Harkless works. I’d also would like to get Green from them, but that may be too much.
Bertans’ deal isn’t pretty, but it’s just for 2 more years, and he is a legit stretch 4, which is what the Kings need. Could there be a prospect down in the 20’s that Monte really likes? Who knows. If not, the Kings could even package the Dallas pick plus their own for something greater, like swinging the two picks plus Bertans for Collins. A team like ATL might prefer Bertans over Holmes anyway, and two picks too boot is a good deal.
In the end if that Kings only had to give up their pick plus Holmes to get Collins, while also keeping Barnes, it would be a win.
Barnes doesn’t move the needle for Atl if you believe Sam Amick in that they are star hunting and using Collins as bait. Maybe the pick doesn’t do it for them either which is why I’m skeptical anything gets done until it gets announced.
But….that’s just my view on it.
Dallas could us Holmes and Bertans contract is way too large for them. So this is maybe possible. I do like the #21 pick. 21 is sort of dry desert territory- some picks turn out but more often than not, players picked in that range are too accomplished to pass up for the higher risk at 27. Desmand Bane and Brooks ( a lit lower) were picked in that range.
Hawks want a star for Collins- like a real star.
Jack- this sounds great but it takes two teams to make a deal.
Grizz like Brooks, a lot.
Portis may not be interested at all in coming from the Bucks to the Kings (!!!???)
Griffin may or may not be available at Kings pick. He may go at #5.
Johnny Davis?
I would put him there as well. He is not the uber athlete that has pretended to be a SG like Green last year in last few drafts but can play.
You made many good points. I guess if they truly are in the win now lane (not my preferred path) then your point about trading the pick and maybe next years picks for an impact player would fit the script. I’m not sure who we could target however. We need a player like Stephen Jackson if you remember him a nasty defender, fierce competitor and could light it up from the perimeter. I’m not sure who fits that criteria right now. A Jimmy Butler type player but I don’t know if we have enough trade capital for that.
Yes next year they’ll be better for sure.
For sure.
OH Marty. Marty. Marty. Marty
The Tanks behind Kings are rolling. Spurs -4 in a row, Knicks -7 in a row, Portland -4 in a row
the tanks are rolling strong and can smell the barn.
The Kings were minus 18 with Mitchell on the court and Barnes had an unproductive 38 minutes. The Kings have to do a much better job working Mitchell into the scheme.
Mitchell needs to start and play with the starting unit cause he can’t get anything going off the bench
Agree and there’s no reason to do otherwise
Really, what’s the point of Holiday starting-or even playing more than Davion? Unless you are in the playin delusion
See what you have and develop players Keep losing fellas, so they are forced to do the right thing.
.
I didn’t watch the second half but saw that they were down 3 with 3 seconds to go. Did Holiday really take a two instead of a three? Was it even his fault?
My internet cut out fir the last 2 min. I was only saying Holiday because he’s starting. I was not trying to disparage him.
He tipped in a Barnes’ missed three with just a fraction of a second to go. There was nothing else he could do. It was instinctive and perfectly fine.
Oh ok, I thought maybe he actually took a two or got passed the ball when it was too late
The problem I see with Mitchell starting is the top notch 2 guards like CJ Mccollum, Klay Thompson, etc. would just shoot over the top of him or backing him down in the paint. Mitchell’s best position match-up wise is point guard.
speaking of McCollum, was there anyway we could of traded for McCollum and sabonis? Looking at the package Portland got back it seems as we could of offered something similar. Mitchell, barnes, and next years pick?
I’m not doing that deal for McCollum. Whether it was available or not. Especially since McCollum is due 33M next season and almost 36M the year after that. I do like McCollum though.
Do love your screenname, though.
agree.
Kings need to build younger for the long game not look at immediate future.
How can they shoot if they don’t have the ball?
(Mitchell steals it!)
Yes. And he needs to close because he’s typically better on O when it matters.
And great loss. Got to see Fox hit some shots and try on D…
Team needs players but also growth from Davion. That’ll come with minutes. Need a coach who runs Princeton type 1/2 court and gets the players to fucking cut for gods sakes.
perfect loss
ditto- perfect loss
LOL.
We’re everybody’s bitch.
Defense wins games. We gave up 114 to a team missing its superstar.
I am pro- tank but when Foxy hung a 44 piece my tune changed to “let’s pull out this dub for him”.
I’m not even gonna criticize the missed free throws. The Kings wouldn’t be in the game w/o him.
My hope is he begins to play like that from the start of season because the last 10 games he’s been terrific.
Yeah, as much as I enjoy critiquing his poor FT shooting, he was 5-6 from the stripe. For him that’s an amazing game. So, I can’t hang it all on him. Especially considering Divincenzo-fer and Mitchell combined to shoot horrifically.
If any of Mitchell, DiVicenzo, Holiday or Barnes play better, the Kings likely win.
kings need reliable consistent third guy
Barnes disappeared in this game, if he has an even average game we win. Fox and Sabonis can’t win games by themselves, they need at least another player to step up. I love HB but he has this thing about not showing up and it really costs the Kings games.
Barnes didn’t perform too well in front of his former team. Cuban was probably thinking, see, I knew there was a reason I got rid of him.
He got rid of him to make room on the payroll for the since-jettisoned Porzingis.
It was a pure salary dump for Dallas. The Kings gave up nothing to get him. That trade is still a win for the Kings. It might just be the best trade of the Vlade era.
I wouldn’t call the Barnes trade a win. Its more of another Vlade blunder that never worked out, IMO. The Kings were actually moving in the right direction under Joerger just before the move.
If the Kings can flip him for someone worthwhile, now that would be a win.
There’s a lot of things wrong with the Kings, but we’re still a 30 win team since his arrival. Expectations from Barnes were a lot higher from King’s management. Another case of bad evaluation of talent from Vlade.
I’m not laying it all on Barnes, but he hasn’t budged the needle at all. Time to move on.
Uhhhh, they traded Z-Bo and Justin Jackson for him…that’s it. That’s the best talent acquisition for giving up nothing that any team could hope for. How is that not a win?
Are you implying that the Kings might have been better off just letting Z-Bo expire and use his cap space to sign someone better in free agency. If so, I have a bridge to sell you.
I believe the Kings were 30-26 before the Barnes trade? That’s a win?
Finished the season 39-43.
LOL, you are grading the Barnes trade on the 28 games he played for the Kings after he was traded here in the 2018-2019 season? I guess the Kings were going to make the playoffs with Iman Shumpert, eh?
If you want to play that game, the Kings won 39 games that season, which is the most wins they had since Adeleman was coach. That happened after Barnes joined the team. See how that works?
Yes, the Kings won 39 games, but Barnes was only involved with 9 of those. The post trade won/loss record was 9-19. The Kings went from above .500 to below .500.
The Kings had good chemistry that season, and it was a lot more than Shumpert.
I guess you don’t subscribe to the theory that they were overachieving and their record didn’t reflect their true talent level.
Far be it from me to defend Vlade Divac, but in this case he was able to trade guys that are no longer in the league for a guy that is currently the 3rd best player on the team while having actual trade value. I am amazed that this is even an argument. Barnes has been worth his contract+ while in Sacramento, while Z-Bo is long gone and Justin Jackson toils in the G League.
And from Dallas’ perspective, they turned around and traded prospects and picks for Porzingis, and they eventually traded him for Bertans and Dinwiddie. In other words, they traded Barnes and a pair of 1st round picks for Bertrans and Dinwiddie when it was all said and done, which sure seems like a poor return on investment to me.
Barnes didn’t have a good game last night. That’s pretty much the start and the end of it.
You have always let facts get in the way of a narrative Rob.
What is up, my friends
Good point. That’s something that has conveniently been forgotten. I would also add he’s underperformed his contract.
No he hasn’t. He is currently the 54th highest salary in the league and that doesn’t take into consideration the players worth more than him that are still on their rookie deals or their second contract extensions. If everyone was getting paid on an even playing field without rookie scale or rookie extensions, his salary would likely be around 80th in the league.
He’s on his third multi-year deal as a starter in the league. Most everyone like him is making money in this ballpark. He is currently making around the same as:
Conley
Hardaway Jr.
Gary Harris
Gallo
Jarrett Allen (who’s on just his first rookie extension)
Jerami Grant
Julius Randle
His contract also decreases to $18M per next year witch falls in line with players like Eric Bledsoe, Evan Fournier, and Eric Gordon.
His contract is the market price for 3rd contract starter in the league at a position of demand. If anything, a player of Barnes’ quality and consistency who can play at 3/4 combo and hit from 3 at 40% will likely cost far more on the open market.
Just for comparison, Barnes is currently putting up better numbers than Andrew Wiggins (who ridiculously just became an all-star) and is costing the Kings over $10M less per year.
Sooner or later, lack of roster talent catches up to you.
The Kings have two players who consistently play “above average” on the NBA talent scale: Fox and Sabonis. Barnes is inconsisently above average, so let’s say they have 2.5 above-average players on this team. No wonder they can’t sniff the play-in. On a serious playoff team, Barnes would be the 4th or 5th best player and Justin Holiday would giving Fox a solid workout in practice, nothing more. This team won’t be an actual playoff contender until it adds another player on the Fox-Sabonis level and finds some mild upgrades to its bench.
I think Terence Davis is part of that equation, AN. I think he would help this team more than Holiday ever could. I know his shooting runs hot and cold, but so does Steph Curry. So did Ray Allen for that matter. And yes, TD is not either of those guys. Cold streaks are a part of deep shooting, though, it’s one reason I’m not a fan of the current trend of taking on the 3 ball so much. (I also think it makes the game less interesting.)
Now the Kings do need an upgrade in between Barnes and Sabonis. It’s a reason I’m high on John Collins. I think he would be a great fit stylistically and help smooth over some of the rough patches this team goes on.
It’s no guarantee or anything and I think many of the moves you make depend on where your pick ultimately lands.
But my point is the opportunity to add a player of TD’s potential caliber, the draft pick itself or in trade, what you could get for Holmes and other players in conjunction with him (Holiday and Holmes combined could get you Collins for instance), and you still have the MLE to play with (4 years 45M could get you something interesting out there).
There’s options here. Like it or not, I think McNair has shown plenty of creativity. This offseason will be another opportunity to showcase that and there’s no time like the present. This team needs to be getting after a top 6 seed very, very soon.
I agree with your perspective Guru. TD’s tenaciousness and physicality make his microwave-ability an interesting opportunity for an exceptional value to contract next season.
Also agree Nate. Because of the way he got here and the way he was shamed on this site nobody wants to consider what he brings as a basketball player. IMO if you dare to suggest that TD could be a valuable piece it automatically means that you don’t consider domestic violence a major problem in society.
There is no way that I can say his case is wasn’t ugly. But from what we’ve read in all media sources it’s not something he’s repeated since he’s gotten here. We have no idea what actions he’s taken to ensure that this issue won’t happen again. I’m not giving his personal life and actions a pass by any means.
What I am saying is that the internet, on this site and most others is a wall of anonymity where unless we know other people well and personally we will be totally dependent on the persona they’ve chosen to create for themselves. We have no idea what sins members of this site have commited and or if they have grown and changed.
TD fucked up and got caught. Maybe he’s a horrible person, maybe he’s not. He is currently a member of the Kings who as you’ve stated could be a valuable part of the team. I think so as well. And I think domestic violence is a huge problem in our society.
Yes.
Kings need upgrade between DS and Barnes. That could be a pick who actually turns out or even a trade involving Barnes or a FA (less likely)
TD is inconsistent- because of that I suggest a bench role
The MLE has some promise
While I like Collins and think he would do well here and I would not mid giving up Holmes + for him ( anything but the pick) I just think Hawks are focused on star for Collins.
In Kings range ( discounting ping pong luck): Griffin, Davis, Murray, Sharpe. But they can blow it by wining a few meaningless games
Get the third guy in the draft and the fourth guy by trade or FA.
yes, yes, yes. Kings are a 2.5 player team and need another 2.0 in order to compete consistently. Draft, FA or trade. I would trade the .5 for a full 1.0 though.
is 16 years sooner or later?
It seems like another one of those games where the Kings were trading 2’s for 3’s. The Mavs worked their way back into the game, and ultimately won it with the long ball.
They have the snipers, we don’t.
They have got to get shooters, I don’t care how they do it, they have to do it.
They hit 5 more 3’s, but where the game was won IMO was on the FT line. The Mavs got more 9 FTA and 8 more FTs made.
Kings had 46 FGs made with 9 3’s and 12-18 from the line. That’s 27 points on 3’s, 74 points on 2’s (66 paint points) and 12 points on FTs.
Mavs had 40 FGs made with 14 3’s and 20-27 from the line. That’s 42 points on 3’s, 52 points on 2’s (44 paint points), and 20 points on FTs.
Both teams had 12 FTA in the 1st half. Kings got 6 attempts in the 2nd half, Dallas got 15.
I did a quick scan of team stats on NBA.com.
Kings are 7th in FT attempts in the leage, and also 7th in FT makes.
However, they are only 17th in FT%.
They are 12th in the league in fouls (19.3 PG), and 17th in fouls drawn (19.6 PG), so they fouled 0.3 times less per game than they get fouls whistled against them.
These stats may help dissuade some people a bit from crying how the refs screw us over constantly. Are there bad calls? Sure. Are there games where the outcome is influenced by bad calls? Of course. Are the Kings playing 5 against 8? Usually not.
Does every fan base thinks that the refs are biased against them? Hell yeah.
(This is not aimed at you, Nate. You didn’t make such a point.)
Oh I know Dutchman. No worries.
This is what I’ll say though. I thought the extra FTs, and the execution on Dallas part really, is what came into play. The Kings really stagnate alot on offense, especially in crunch time, and I’m not sure how you fix that in game 66.
The refs didn’t steal this game from the Kings though. Dallas just plays a slow game and you see the fruition of it come 4th qtr.
Kings are not jobbed anymore than anyone else but it is interesting that twice in last 2 weeks, NBA announces errors in last 2 minutes of Kings games- Denver game + Dallas.
I was glad to have Holmes back, but frankly I thought he was one of the ones who cost us this game. Damion Jones has been playing great and is a tremendous rim protector. Dinwiddie and Brunson made layup after layup that really won this game. Both Sabonis and Holmes couldn’t stop them and I think Jones could have a least a couple of times. We need a new coach.
Holmes was chasing everyone to the rim, a step behind, then a foul.
And yes, we definitely need a real coach.
Maybe it had also something to do with Spence and Brunson getting past their defender time after time?
I know that we’re all clamoring for that rim defender, but that’s not a magic wand. If your guards and wings are bad perimeter defenders AND allow for easy penetration, a rim protector won’t save you.
You’re right, but I noticed after at least two time outs they called plays that they blocked out our guys and Brunson and Dinwiddie went to the basket and got past Holmes for easy lay ups. Well coached teams figure that out during games and stop that from happening. But I see your point.
You’re gonna leave your bigs in space against guards, you’re putting them at a disadvantage.
Our guards are not good at navigating screens (Davion excepted) and the zone we played also regularly left the bigs on an island.
Glad they lost this one. The Blazers have kicked their tank into high gear and the quicker the Kings are officially eliminated the better. Unless the draft a stud or trade for another Sabonis level player they aren’t going anywhere. More talent is the only way this gets fixed outside of Vivek selling the team.
My fingers are always crossed that the latter will happen at some point, even if it seems like a pipe dream.
I don’t know if it’s the refs or if somebody needs to teach Sabonis how to draw fouls. He gets mugged seemingly every time he goes to the rack. Fox was fouled at least three more times today and didn’t get the call…no respect for teams that consistently lose like the Kings.
I’ve been saying he needs a flop element to his game where you flail your arms on legitimate contact ala Jokic. Sabonis is so strong when he gets hammered it doesn’t dislodge him.
After reading the comments i dont understand why gentry isnt critized.
I don’t think he’ll be back honestly. I also don’t think that anyone in his position would automatically do better.
I think it’s because he’s the Interim Coach. If he was actually hired to be the head coach, the pitchforks would be out.
Maybe because after a dozen coaching changes and not change in performance, people are finally starting to realize it’s not the coaching, it’s the players management is putting on the roster.
Sabonis cost us our two best three point shooters in Buddy and Hali. Kings need at least one consistent three point threat. They also need another guy upfront, a hustle guy like a PJ Tucker. We’ll see what the off season brings.
If Buddy, Bags and Hali were on the team they’d lose by 20
I agree.
DS cost the Kings their best 3-point shooters but not best 3 point makers- Buddy was 1/10 the other day- shoots a lot, makes a a little
Buddy is finally figuring out that when his 3-ball isn’t falling, he should look for other shots.
Other than the fact that Fox missed a crucial freethrow in the closing seconds, he was offensively brilliant. But the Mavs backcourt without Donsic was unstoppable. Dinwiddie had all-star numbers. The Kings’ backcourt defense is shit. He Of equal concern is the play of Sabonis whose point production and foul troubles basically make him a non-factor. Today his freethrow shooting was atrocious and hurt the team when you consider he also had 5 TO’s. Inexcusable.
Clinched 16 straight losing seasons….my God has it been a while
The streak is old enough to drive.
Here’s to a high lottery pick
The Kings really struggled when the Mavs played without Powell. They started playing Green at the 5 and it became painfully clear that neither Holmes nor Sabonis should be defending out on the perimeter. I know it was Richaun’s first game back after a couple of weeks, but man, he should be able to box out/outrebound Green.
Also, I don’t think I’ve ever been so conflicted about a player as I’ve been with DiVincenzo. Combines toughness and hustle – the two things this team has lacked over recent years – with some of the dumbest plays, something the Kings haven’t lacked.
I’m starting to think it’s in his contact that he has to take at least two terrible shots early in a possession per game.
But this team desperately needs a couple more guys that play with his intensity. Preferably guys that are taller than 6’6″.
Barnes fit it…..
Taller than 6’6″
Barnes hustle and grabbed some offensive rebound……
And we definitely need some from him
(high BBIQ, hitting 3, draw foul and goes to the line, grab rebound, plays defense)
And We need more than one Harrison Barnes for this team.
I meant a couple more than the players we have on the team already.
Barnes is a skilled player but his play does not bring the spark that Donte’s can.