Sacramento Kings General Manager Monte McNair is happy with his roster makeup going into training camp and doesn’t expect to make any further changes at the moment.
McNair spoke to media Friday and confirmed that, “This is going to be our team going in [to the season].” So that can probably put to rest any talks of Ben Simmons coming to Sacramento, at least for now.
McNair also went all in on this roster’s construct.
“I look at our roster and I see a lot of versatility, guys that can slide, slide up, slide down, and really give us different looks. So, talking with Luke [Walton] I think we’re excited about the possibilities of different lineups, how we can matchup to different situations so I think we have actually pretty good roster balance in the sense of maybe not traditional thinking, but defensively, shooting, ball handling, I think we can put a lot of different lineups out there to matchup however we need,” he said.
As has been discussed, all three of De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell and Tyrese Haliburton could theoretically slide to shooting guard and start there. Generally speaking, here is the current depth chart of the Kings:
PG – De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell
SG – Buddy Hield (?), Tyrese Haliburton (?), Terence Davis
SF – Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkless, Louis King
PF – Marvin Bagley III, Chimezie Metu (?), Tristan Thompson (?)
C – Richaun Holmes, Alex Len, Tristan Thompson
You could throw Neemias Queta (C), Damian Jones (C) and Robert Woodward (F) in there if you would like. If Bagley can’t stay on the floor though, the Kings are clearly looking short on depth at power forward. That could be viewing it from a “traditional” sense, however, as McNair put it. He outlined how depth and defense was a key goal this offseason.
“It was our goal going in to add depth and add defense and that’s a lens we looked through, it wasn’t the only one but certainly a lot of our moves, whether it was re-signing Moe [Harkless], or getting Alex Len, or drafting Davion, all those things will certainly tie in to helping our defense and I think looking up and down our roster – more size, more defensive acumen, and I think other guys have improved will continue to take steps on that end,” McNair said. “I think, at least compared to last year, we have a lot of tools in the tool belt that Luke can do, whether he needs to match up smaller, bigger, more offense, more defense. I think the versatility of the roster, not just positionally, but skillset-wise is really interesting.”
So, what do you think? Do you agree with McNair?
Watch the full press conference below.
So, doing the same thing and expecting different results, right?
No no it is a slightly different thing which will lead to much improved results!
“I didn’t agree to a trade that would have balanced the roster. Didn’t happen. We are balanced.”
— Doc McNair
If he’s trying to indicate that he won’t just give away the roster, and is trying to express confidence in who’s here, that’s fine. If he really believes the shit he’s saying, and it results in what everyone expects, I hope he’s on the first plane outta here come summer.
I’m sure this is simply a place to jump start his GM career and nothing more.
I don’t know if utterly failing in Sacramento is exactly the best jumping off point for GMs around the league. Definitely didn’t launch D’Alessandro to the stars.
Getting out of basketball hell is a reward in itself.
Thats exactly what he is doing, the whole world knows about our desire to balance our roster and trade buddy, but the key word he used was ” we need to stay diciplined”. In other words we are happy to roll our unbalanced but talented roster over giving away our assets. The message to other gms is clear now. We have less to lose then philly staying with our roster they have to bring their price down to do business. Buddy, Bagley, a few farm system players and a 1st and a swap should be more then enough in a couple of weeks.
I got 6 Phillips head screwdrivers, 2 flathead screwdrivers, one 10mm socket, 4 pair of tin snips and a monkey wrench. Let’s go pull that transmission…
The tin snips is a nice touch. Not that I’ve ever dropped a trans or done a motor swap, though.
Bad interpretation: blowing smoke, wanted to trade but could not get deals, claims versatility but that is a cover for seriously unbalanced. Same team mostly so expect same results. Retaining of Holmes was pure luck. Buddy pouts.
Good interpretation. Retained key players, injuries blocked seeing full roster last year., drafted BPA second year in a row, could have improved significantly on D and added depth. If Fluke is adept and plans well, substitutes quickly and smartly, the versatility , despite being small, may create interesting match up’s. I remember 1974 when the GSW had an extremely versatile team with depth to #11 or 12. They won.
Buddy does not pout and accepts role. Bagley steps up. There is far more depth here than last year.
So it is balanced now, but had the trade of Buddy for Kuzma and Harrell gone through would it have made the team unbalanced? I’m confused, but good thing we have 5 centers that don’t shoot from beyond 10 feet on the roster.
You still actually believe that there will be five when the season opens? Have you ever believed it?
Yes, I do. Do you foresee a trade in the next few weeks that changes it?
Holmes, Len, TT, Davis, Queta. All with guaranteed deals.
Gather round, son, as I tell you tales of this brand-new wonder: The D-League.
(Gatorade ain’t paying me, and sims don’t work for free.)
Sit down, kiddo, when I tell you how being assigned to the G-league does not take a player off the roster.
Oh, I fully think Queta will be in the Stockon for most of the season, but so will Louis King and Woodard. That would still leave 4 Kings centers dressed every night in Holmes, Len, TT, and Jones while only 2 legit SF dressed in Barnes and Harkless, and we both know they will get a good chunk of minutes at PF. It still doesn’t change the fact that out of 17 roster spots (two of which are 2-way) 5 of them are centers with similar skillsets.
Monte started last season with just 2 true centers in Holmes and Whiteside and then later added Jones in the spring. Depth at the 5 wasn’t an issue last year so why add two additional centers when we both know there are glaring gaps elsewhere?
I really think Monte didn’t feel he’d be able to retain Holmes in free agency and knee jerked his decision making on TT and Len. But what baffles me is he guaranteed he contract of Jones just days after re-signing Holmes.
It all feels like a bunch of bullshit and the same ol. McNair sounded like he had spent time figuring out how to spin the unbalanced, practically untouched roster. Same crap we get about Luke.
Flim flam men. Cup n ball bs.
How about you try building And running a team like a professional organization. Oops, forgot I was talking about the Kings.
I guess it’s possible this team, as constructed, with this coach, goes to the playoffs but it doesn’t seem likely. Rebuild, you stupid fucks. And don’t feed us your bullshit Rational. -propaganda.
Not so fast, Alex Len is 33% from 3 for his career. And I’m sure Richaun has extended his push shot to at least 20 feet by now.
I disagree with this part
PG – De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell
SG – Buddy Hield (?), Tyrese Haliburton (?), Terence Davis
SF – Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkless, Louis King
PF – Marvin Bagley III, Chimezie Metu (?), Tristan Thompson (?)
C – Richaun Holmes, Alex Len, Tristan Thompson
Think it is more like
PG – De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell
SG – , Tyrese Haliburton , Buddy/Davion Mitchell, Terence Davis
SF- Buddy Hield, Mo Harkless, King
PF- Harrison Barnes, Bagley (?), Thompson (?) Metu (?)
C – Richaun Holmes, Alex Len, Thompson
NO clue on order after HB how it shakes out at PF. Also with a firm rule that Buddy and Bagley never play together at the same time.
This news is bad
Alright everyone, how do we message this incomplete, messy roster to the public? What’s our angle? SKILL SETS!
Yes, let’s go with the “versatility of Tristan Thompson” angle and mention his championship pedigree because he played with Lebron.
Balanced because of the lineups Luke can throw out there! Because he’s so good at coming up with different lineups and wonky rotations!
GM speak. Nothing to see here.
GM speak for the coach is expected to win with this talented roster !
The roster is balanced
Hey TKH staff, we now need a “Super team, Now Balanced” shirt to replace the “Super Team, Just Young” one.
Can we put all the guards and centers on a teeter-totter or something?
Like this one, from Heuristic Lineup?
https://twitter.com/HeuristicLineup/status/1441447011262222345?s=20
I mean, you could do that, but since none of them are likely to begin the season in Sacramento, I don’t know why you would. Unless someone just needs that “five centers!” canard in their life.
Unless a good deal comes along. What else is he going to say? “We don’t like team we have so everybody keep your bags packed.” It’s sports. They blow smoke.
Did someone force him to bring up roster balance as a strength, though? He could’ve spoken to anything.
“We are happy with the squad. We have a long way to go. We’re always open to deals that improve the team.”
If he was being honest, he would have said “You’re frustrated?!? Do you know how many times I’ve had to explain to Vivek that Buddy and three unprotected first round picks isn’t something we should offer for Simmons?”
Monte is not clever. Neither was Vlade. Or that schmuck before him.
Bring back Geoff Petrie.
He would laugh. We couldn’t even get interim Gupta.
Another year, another disappointing season. I would rather blow the team up and go full on rebuild than suffer through another season of hoping to make the play in.
I don’t know why I bother to have hope.
Because hope is like a mystery box. A pile of horse dung is just a pile of horse dung. But a mystery box could be anything, even a pile of horse dung!
The Kings are well on their way to their third 35 win (equivalent) season in a row. Talking about how Walton was retained for “basketball reasons” and that the roster is really only unbalanced from a “traditional” sense and “ultimately we ended up in a fantastic spot with where our roster’s at” inspires zero confidence.
The one thing McNair has said that i can agree with is that he should be held accountable for the results. If the GM can’t add wins, that person shouldn’t be the GM. We’re not there yet, but another 35 win season along with another “normal” offseason, as McNair put it, and there ought to be some accountability.
Well, we now have an addition to the ownership that only cares about the bottom line, so that likely won’t add accountability to the basketball side of things.
Monte: “I think we can put a lot of different lineups out there to matchup however we need.”
That’s the obvious takeaway.
I like the additions of Thompson, Len, Mitchell, along with 2021 new guys Davis and Harkless – they all have a defensive mind-set.
I also like the potential of Haliburton at point (vision) and Fox at 2 guard (speed).
The playoff drought ends this season, I say. Write it down! (With a No. 2 pencil.)
I’m writing it in watercolor paint. Outside. Under very dark clouds. That are already raining.
At least, All I can say is McNair is not overpaying those free agents during off-season.
Still in very wait and see mode. We have assets (though on bad contracts). If davion Mitchell is a hit, monte is the best gm we’ve had since Petrie. For whatever it’s worth, this is the best roster we’ve had since 2007 and this roster is seriously unbalanced and around a 35 win team can both be true. If we haven’t made a legit trade by this time next year I will have serious problems with this gm. Until then wait and see.
I think I just read 37 whiny, little complaints (I know being a Kings fan is not easy and sometimes you need to vent). Anybody have any realistic solutions? Trades? Remember it takes at least 2 teams to trade….
Personally, I believe this is a better, deeper team heading in to the season than last year, although that does not say too much.
Identifying problems can be easy, solutions can be much harder.
It’s a reaction to the expectations that the F.O. itself set (indirectly) via all the reports back in June and July that the team was being “very aggressive” in trade talks and looking to make a “big splash,” etc. The team set the bar for offseason activity, and did not clear it. An anti-vaxxer at CVS Pharmacy moved the needle more this summer than Monte McNair did.
Great way to put it. 90% of the site just post whiny comments and argue semantics. There’s a reason STR and now TKH are known for being a pessimistic, sometimes toxic platform. So much crying, negativity, and shaming of others opinions.
We get it. The kings suck. We all know this. Why be even more negative and pessimistic than needed
inb4 “who’s to say how much is needed?” To illustrate my semantics comment
“McNair spoke to media Friday and said the roster has good balance in terms of skillset.”
I guess you can say that if you’re expecting another 30 win season.
In terms of roster balance, I don’t think there’s anything to complain about. It’s not ideal, but there’s a lot of depth and versatility that enable the team to match up well against most opponents.
The roster is what it is. And, well, forward progress is rarely simple or linear either.
But it is usually forward.
Tis. We’ll find out alot about De’Aaron Fox, IMO. This year is a big referendum on him.
Well, that’s one way to handle the presser … “we are fine and everything is great, so nothing to see here.”
I mean, if people are really upset – stop going to games. Stop buying gear. Stop supporting it. Stop giving it energy. As long as the executives make money, why would they care. They’re not fans like us. Stop supporting if you don’t like it. I know I have gone from diehard my whole life, to extremely passive interest in the last 6 years. Interest declining every season. Used to stay up for every game. now I Couldn’t care less if I watched a full game or not. Will happily spend my time doing something else.
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