As the offseason has mostly run its course, expectations are beginning to form for the upcoming season. As of right now, the oddmakers once again have the Kings well outside the playoffs. The Kings current over/under sits at just 35.5 games.
Over/under, of course, is a number set not to necessarily predict a team’s win total, but to generate action on both sides of the bet. But it does give us a sense of where the oddmakers see the temperature of a team.
This current number reflects the lack of impact moves for the Kings this offseason. The Kings kept Richaun Holmes on a good contract, which was important and worth celebrating, but it was important to maintain status quo. It was simply a success in not moving backwards. The same can be said about retaining Maurice Harkless and Terrence Davis.
Outside of that, the Kings added Tristan Thompson, Davion Mitchell, and Alex Len, while losing Justin James, Hassan Whiteside, and Delon Wright.
Optimists will argue that the Kings depth is much better than the start of last year, and I would agree, but it remains debatable if “competent backups” is going to be enough to move the Kings forward in the Western Conference.
There’s still plenty of time between now and the start of the season in October for the Kings to make additional moves and reshape this roster, and expectations. For now though, expectations remain low.
What do you think? Are you taking the over or the under for this upcoming season?
I’m taking the under.
The Oddsmakers’ bar is set so low, Satan tripped on it in Hell.
Basketball Hell, that is.
36-46, 11th-12th in the West, 2-3 games out of the play-in, 7-8 games out of the 8th seed.
You forgot, 7-8 games out of a top 5 lottery pick.
Kind of goes without saying though, I guess. This is the Kings after all.
Drafting somewhere between nine and fifteen. Assuming they do not trade the next decade of first round picks for Simmons.
The oddsmakers are a bunch of haters!
If they would just be more positive then I bet the Kings would win more games!
Now is the time for me to be unrealistically optimistic because once they start playing games I can no longer pretend. 45-37 and good for the 7th seed.
I once did a golf tournament where everyone took 72 shots and then walked off the course, so that everyone could brag that they shot a 72. The guy that got the furthest on the course was crowned the winner. It would be “fun” to see how many games the Kings would have to play this season and next to get to 45 wins.
Just be prepared for disappointment…
Suns in…….FORE!
Another Vivek year
McNair had a Bogi before last offseason
Right in the Chi Chi’s.
Love the reaction in the background – there is something inherently funny about someone other than yourself taking one in the beans.
I have to say, Idiocracy is becoming less and less funny as time passes.
Comedy -> Documentary
Pretty sure DeMarcus never hield from this injury…
“Find any NBA player for our spot. Literally, ANY player will do!”
“You want me to Poku?”
This is a mid-season quality sub-thread.
So that is what he was wearing every time he took it to his team and the fans.
The monkey paw curls a finger
They then go on a losing streak (as they do) and get bounced from the play-in, breaking the playoff drought record.
That would definitely by KaNgZ style. Make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Lose the play-in game against the 10 seed and don’t play in the actual playoffs.
That hurt my heart
Success will come in several forms.
A) Internal improvement. Despite the perception that Haliburton had a great rookie year, which he did, there is alot to work on just to become a solid starter let alone All Star. Much of it will be related to the improvement of his body and being able to hold up over 82.
De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley being better. Fox especially since I doubt the Kings would keep Bagley if the right trade came along. We know what Fox needs to do: Improve his shooting, leadership and defense.
B) Figure out how to use all these guys properly. That’s tough for every team, every head coach. Hopefully having a training camp helps Luke Walton in that regard. Not to mention in game experience with everyone in the projected rotation outside of Tristan Thompson and Davion Mitchell.
C) Don’t be buried early. There’s winnable games, if you can be 500 in mid November I think the Kings would likely be okay with that. Even if you’re 5-9 that’s not too horrible. Just don’t
I think this roster as constructed could win 41-45 games overall. So, possible improvement. But that’s dependent on health and lots of internal improvement. I’d bet on this roster winning 37-39 games right now.
37ish sounds about right to me. With + or – 5 being well within the error bars.
Not much of a gambler (gambling implies you win occasionally), but if it were me I’d absolutely take that over. It’s not a gimme, but it’s a tad too low.
Just looking at the odds for everyone else, Houston and Minnesota are definite under(s) for me. So is New Orleans. I’m torn on San Antonio. It’s I’ll advised to bet against Pop and the Spurs org, and those Spurs players. But I think this is the year. I’ll go under on them as well.
In the East (and these odds are 2 weeks old), I’d take Chicago, and Indiana as overs just based on good health.
But, I wouldn’t listen to me. I never bet on these things anyway.
D) New coach.
Nobody left for Vivek to blame when the coach goes……
Get a legitimate bench player for Bagley in a trade and there is a slim chance they break 40.
Well 35 wins is more wins than the two teams in the Super Bowl combined for last season.
This is bad
Die hard Kings fans insist that the Kings will get 41 wins by comparing the current Kings roster to last season’s roster … not being objective about the probability of accruing 41 wins … part 15
It’s like inflation, your salary may be going up, but your purchasing power is going down simultaneoulsy, leaving you in the same place you were before. So the Kings may improve, but other teams in the deep west will improve as well, leaving the Kings in the low to mid 30s win total as always.
Sadly, the 21-22 Kings don’t get to play against the 20-21 Kings.
Bagley and Hield are holding them back at this point. Wasting to roster spots on players that are not what the Kangz need.
Roster is not able to change much until they go. Hield off the bench is a positive. Bagley is Bagley. They need Hield as a trade asset more than his single dimension game.
I’ll take the over. I’m an optimist… Playoffs in 2022!!!
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXKL0WTvwThjRWgnszPEDKRx2QFDdgHvSujw&usqp=CAU
Under. Still Luke’s team. Still no moves from Monte.
This perplexes me. Monte’s made quite a few moves, most of them decent to above average. I think folks with this mindset are just mad he hasn’t managed to rope in a “superstar”, as though doing so wouldn’t require us to mortgage our present and future.
Full agreement on Luke, tho. Would be nice if Monte was able to finally flush this turd, I’m fairly certain that’s Vivek’s doing (tho I have nothing to substantiate it.)
Over! We are currently undefeated and will remain so through the finals. I don’t know the actual math on how many wins that it is but it is a lot!
I really can’t see how this team loses a single game.
It’s really hard to win back-to-back championships.
The NBA players show up after the summer league is over.
I would said this is right now all on the coach.
If he can utilize the players..and keep the balance of the line-up, we should surprise lots of people.
PG: Fox, Mitchell
SG: Tyrese, Hield, Davis
SF: Barnes, Harkless, King
PF: TT, Metu, Bagley
C: Holmes, Len
As it seems Bagley will still play some minutes as PF,
I doubt Davis and Metu can get adequate playing time……..and they are too good (on this team) not to play more minutes……..
I’ve defended the Tristan Thompson trade as much as anyone on here…in more of a it’s just not a huge deal kind of way rather than TT himself is good.
That said, if TT is starting at power forward opening night (barring injuries) light up some matches cuz I’m ready to burn the season down game 1.
Assuming he is not, I’m going over at 40-42. If Mitchell’s defensive energy can spur the Kings into trying just little more on that end and a 20-25th ranked defense, my guess is approaching .500 is possible.
I hope Luke knows what to do with Mitchell. I am seriously afraid that Luke might bury him on the bench because he is not even looking at defensive stats.
Haliburton scored enough to make it into Luke’s rotation.
Luke’s crystal ball is a broken magic 8 ball.
I don’t think Mitchell’s playing time is going to be an issue. Mitchell is going to play with either Fox or Halliburton, probably pushing Buddy and/or Tyrese to the three, which won’t be good for the team on defense.
But the bar for the Kings defense is historically low, so any improvement will be touted as a major victory, regardless of the team’s actual record.
Clarifying – Mitchell will be fine. Pushing Hield or Tyrese to the three may offset his contributions.
Buddy on the bench is earth shattering defense improvement. He needs to go someplace that needs a shooter. Not a guard. Not a starter. Not a ball handler. Not a lot of things…..
I am all for playing the best basketball players at this point. If that is five small guards that will play hard and smart I prefer that over the last decade. If it is 5 third graders that will at least point at who they are guarding and acknowledge that defense is a thing Iwill take that improvement as well.
46-36 for the 7th seed back to playoffs baby
I’ll take the over, I think this team is going to be better than last season.
My gut says 38 wins which seems right. Just enough for Walton to keep his job and make the play in but not enough to make the playoffs.
22 wins! 23 or more and I’m a happy camper!
OK, seriously now. 33 wins. The division is stacked, the conference is stacked, and Walton still can’t hold my Grandma’s jock strap when it comes to coaching.
With no more changes to the lineup.. 30 something wins. With Ben Simmons a 6-7 seed.
The West has too much talent for the Kings to get anything higher than a 9-10 play in opportunity, at best.
Think about it.. Do they have better talent and coaching than any of these teams; Dubs, Suns, Clips, Lakers, Denver, Memphis, and Portland. That leaves 8, possibly the X factor. Will Dallas slip with Kidd, Will the Blazers drop with Chauncey. I would surmise their is a really good chance one or both of these team may lose a few more games this year. Kidd Sucks. You will hear Doncic trade rumblings. Kidd will fire KIdd at the end of the year. Chauncey is unproven and Dame will ask for a trade by the deadline or Billups is fired.
The 8-11 spots will be fought by Dallas, Portland, Minny, NO, and Sac.
OKC, Spurs, and Hou will occupy 13-15
I look forward to Kidd firing himself
Go get Simmons and relegate yourself to the first round loser bracket for the next five years. He is good but who do they put with him in a playoff game to score?
Have to give up that player to get him
You have to start somewhere. Right now, the Kings are going on 16(NBA Record) no playoffs. with a loser mentality. This current lineup is not going to get them there. First lets get there, and then worry about building around that.
Build a winning mentality and better players will want to come here and play here. Keep on losing, keep on moving deck chairs.
Strongly agree on the loser mentality. Honestly I would be ok with turning over the entire roster except for Haliburton. I think the Kings would be better off regarding the culture if they kept three or four people and turned over the remainder of the entire organization.
I think a trade for a real player is a good idea. In the case of Simmons he needs players around him to score. To get Simmons the players on the roster that score will have to be given up. Leaving the team with Simmons, nobody to score, and zero remaining trade assets to get help for Simmons.
Fox. And no, you don’t have to give him up to get Simmons. That’s the narrative Morey would have you (and Monte) believe. Simmons just took a bunch of that leverage out of Morey’s hands, tho.
Looks like that is what Monte wants. Based on that the Kings are not getting him.
I’m taking the under. I just think the only teams worse than us are San Antonio and Oklahoma City. I’m not saying we will be 13, but I just think talent wise we are on par with Minnesota and below the Memphis, Portland, and New Orleans of the world. It seems we are around 31-33 wins range so ya that’s the super team just young.
I’ll the under on 35.5 wins. The Kings win 7 games finishing 7-75. #loweredexpectations
Next year’s draft is supposed to be pretty nice, though!
Any random euro players that might have sketchy fathers we should worry about?
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-nba-player-projections/tristan-thompson/
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-nba-player-projections/terence-davis/
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-nba-player-projections/delon-wright/
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-nba-player-projections/bogdan-bogdanovic/
It will come down to defense. If the Kings can manage to be top 15 in defense, they’ll have a chance at winning 45 games. If the defense continues to suck and be bottom 5, they’ll be looking at another 32-35 win season.
You know the last time when the Kings with a defensiove rating better than 20th in the league?
The 2005-2006 season (Adelman’s final year)…
Under rated defensive coach, that Adelman guy. For all the Princeton Offense recognition we got back in the day, what people seem to forget is that we were one of the better defensive teams in the league as well.
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