Chainmail: Talkin’ the future of the site, the roster, and the team

Welcome back to the mailbag! Y’all had lots of great questions – let’s dive right in!

From RikSmits:

Greg is gone and the TKH have yet to hear from Aykis, who is doing his best Vivek impressionation. What about some accountability?

How will the staff fill Greg’s void, what is the direction of the website?

Is it true that Aykis constantly rewrote Greg’s articles?

And what about the rumors that Ziller returned as an external advisor?

Will there be a day where I’ll only have to log in once?

And what about the Monarchs of the TKH website, the Z button? Forever lost, or will it some day return?

Tim: I know some of these questions are a little silly, but there are some legitimate questions or concerns that we’re going to continue to address throughout the offseason. Until then, I’ll try to take them on at a high level.

” Greg is gone and the TKH have yet to hear from Aykis, who is doing his best Vivek impersonation. What about some accountability?”: Akis is missing because he broke his hand the day that Greg broke the news to the rest of us. I assume he punched a wall in anger or smashed his hand on a ceiling fan as he jumped and cheered in celebration – I haven’t been told which of those is accurate. As he recovers, he’ll engage more with the site, but he’s quite literally physically restricted in his typing right now.

“How will the staff fill Greg’s void, what is the direction of the website?”: This is probably the most critical question of the bunch. In general, we’re not going to change a ton. Several of us will increase our output (me included), and we’re also going to look at some simplification and specialization. For example, we’re going to focus more on analysis, grading, editorials, and conversation, and we’ll dedicate less bandwidth to the “grind” of the site (multiple game-day posts, obligatory articles, etc.). To be clear, there will still be space for those things, but we’re transitioning a little away from a true sports site and back to our roots as blog-esque – for the good or bad.

The other piece of the puzzle, and to be very honest, something that will help the rest of the crew not burn out as this team and organization continues to falter, is additional writers. If you’re someone, or you know someone, who’s a decent writer who wants to talk about the Kings, let’s have a conversation. Hell, if you know a journalist major at Sac State or something, send them our way.

And the “z” button is a very complicated, very expensive addition, so maybe, one day, perhaps, maybe – if someone wants to sponsor that particular endeavor – feel free!

Will: Basically what Tim’s saying is: less previews and more “What If Vlade Is Right?” style pieces. What could go wrong? 

From outrider:

What’s the path forward? Retool around the keepers (Murray, Ellis, whoever you think is a keeper) and try to move any/everybody else? Trade everybody and start over?

We’re not bereft of talent, but I don’t know what to do with what we’ve got moving forward.

Tim: I would blow every bit of this team up or throw it away or dump it in a river or whatever else I could do to essentially flush it in the toilet. We are bad. We are old. We are weirdly expensive. We have very few extra draft assets. We are the worst version of slightly below mediocre imaginable.

But the Kings aren’t going to do any of that, as evidenced by Scott Perry’s presser and Vivek’s playoff-money-grabbing ways. With that truth in mind, here’s what I would do under the “can’t blow it up” mandate. First, I’m trading Malik Monk. After the Fox deal, there was some hope that Monk would be unlocked in De’Aaron’s absence, but he took a nosedive instead of thriving.

Post February 5th, Monk scored 370 points on 331 field goal attempts. He shot 42% from the floor and 31% from deep. He dished out 122 assists to a whopping 74 turnovers. There was quite literally nothing good about his game. Of players who attempted 300+ field goal attempts in that span, he ranked in the 11th percentile in accuracy. He was 9th percentile among players who attempted over 125 three-point field goals.

I don’t see a future in which he helps this team win, nor does he fit between DeRozan and LaVine. Add on the fact that he likely carries the most value of those three, and he’s gotta go. I’m targeting young length or a much larger package for a starting point guard.

After Monk goes, I try to move DeRozan (that’s much harder than people want to admit) and try to build a core around my new starting point guard, hopefully a new wing with some length, LaVine, and Sabonis. The Kings probably need to give out some additional draft assets (or Murray, who, to be honest, isn’t who we hoped he would be) in those deals, but I don’t see another path forward.

Will that plan work? Probably not – but that’s about best case scenarios with this current clown show of a regime.

Will: I’m getting nostalgic over here. Tim and I, sitting in a Chainmail, both agreeing that we should blow this team up and start over. We did it from 2019-2022 and we’re doing it all over again this time, both being sure to guard our hearts against the reality that it will absolutely never happen under Vivek’s watch. There’s no reality where we trot out Devin Carter, Keon Ellis, Keegan Murray, random forward and Domas (before being dealt)… a team that would hold teams to 85 points and score 75 on a nightly basis. There’s no two year reset and bounce back, certainly never going to be a Process level strip to the studs… and that’s fine.

The only way out of this mess is through. Scott Perry has laid out his Sacramento Kings vision as a team who is defensive oriented, plays extremely hard and relies on toughness. If he’s being serious, he’s got some work to do. The aforementioned Carter, Ellis and Murray are all in. Domas is tougher than a two dollar steak and plays harder than a diamond record.. defense isn’t really his strong suit so Perry will have to find a four to cover him, or trade him for someone better fitting.

And that’s where I think we get to building. I need, to borrow an oft-used Jerryism, a shit bird. I need a true asshole, someone willing to knock a guy on his ass on night one, minute one and let the NBA know, this isn’t last year’s Kings. I want to start this retool with a big helping of Detroit’s finest Beef Stew, Isaiah Stewart. He’s durable, he’s a decent deep ball shooter, he leads the team in blocked shots despite playing under 20 minutes a game and he’s mean as hell in a way the Kings haven’t seen since DeMarcus Cousins.

Next, if I’m Perry, I sit Sabonis down and I get candid. The whole league already thinks you’re dirty, the refs will NEVER give you the benefit of the doubt, voters will never put you into an All-NBA conversation for as long as the Kings remain as they are. So we’re changing the convo. Don’t lightly foul a guy, put his dick in the dirt. Don’t whine from afar to the ref, get in his goddamn face. If they’ve cast you as the villain, don’t try to win them over, prove them right. Sabonis won’t ever block a lot of shots, but a front court of The Ox and Beef Stew could steer people out of the paint in other ways. Lean into a play style that let’s Keon be the chaos monster that he is and Keegan as your do it all, utility defensive guy. Oh, and Keegan. Don’t ever smile. The long running gag to get you to break from your shell and emote? It’s cute and… its done. You might not be Kawhi Leonard, but you’re a terminator. Hit a three, do nothing, say nothing. Monk? If you’re happy being evil Bobby Jackson and talking shit as our sixth man? You’re coming too. You need a starting role or any other assurances? Thanks for the memories. Devin Carter? You’re shaving your head, and using the glare from that cue ball to blind the other team if that’s what it takes.

It’ll take more pieces than just Beef Stew and a sit-down talk, and I’m sure the comments can come up with some other guys that could defensively add to that tone, but…

Scott Perry has said he wants volunteers, not hostages. I want basketball terrorists. Get mean, get nasty and get the smell of whatever it is that died this season out of that arena.

From Adamsite:

Assuming an Assistant GM is next on the docket for Perry, the head coach search will likely follow before hopefully major roster changes are made this summer. Should the Kings remove the interim from in front of Coach Christie, does that give you cause for more concern to continued Vivek tomfoolery, or would you accept it as Perry’s decision?

Also, would you rather prefer to postpone the head coaching search until after Perry’s has a chance to restructure the team, then find the guy how can coach them?

Tim: I don’t foresee any realistic future in which Doug Christie is not the Head Coach of the Sacramento Kings. I imagine that was part of the messaging when the Kings approached Perry – he can pretend to look around and then land on Christie as the best candidate. And to be fair to Doug, he did a decent job with a shit roster, even if there are probably more qualified guys out there. Yes, it’s Vivek tomfoolery, but it’s perhaps not worst-case scenario Vivek tomfoolery.

If a legitimate coaching search were to happen, I would rather hire the coach first to understand what kind of players to pursue for their schemes.

Will: I think they’ve walked into a Kobayashi Maru here with the coaching situation. If Perry keeps Doug, as planned, we’re going to see it as Vivek influencing his GM already and its a sign of meddling to come. But, if (and it’s a big IF) the Sacramento Kings go another direction and hire a different coach, how many fans will say that they only did it because they knew our response was going to be poor to bringing Doug back and thus, they still don’t trust the new regime? Personally, I’d rather a new coach and Doug completely gone from the org. Vivek put him in a terrible situation last year, gave him a job he wasn’t quite ready for and I hate that for him. But outside of the Kings mobilizing an incredibly group of assistants that also aren’t better suited for the main chair and also don’t want to take Doug’s job… It’s a decent bet that Doug just won’t be ready to lead this team in the way it needs. In no way is that his fault. It’s Viveks, but them’s the breaks. He deserves to be with a franchise and staff that actually appreciate his talents and the time it will take to fully develop them.

I honestly am fine with it taking all summer for Perry to do a coaching search. If there’s coaches like Van Gundy in LA, Sam Cassell in Boston, Chris Quinn in Miami or Johnnie Bryant in Cleveland and Perry wants to wait on them, fine. If Frank Vogel or Budenholzer sound interested but want to see where Taylor Jenkins and Mike Malone go first? A-ok with me. Just… get it right. Don’t flirt with Mark Jackson. Don’t pull a Luke Walton and just flat out refuse to interview other candidates – take your time, weigh your options and find THE guy for the next 5 years. Break the decade’s long cycle, Scott. BREAK IT.

From SMF-PDXConnection:

Let’s say you’re the new GM of the Kings.

If you had to make one unexpected, unorthodox move (roster, coaching, front office), the kind of thing you don’t think anyone on this site or around the league would think you’d try, what out of the box move are you making?

Tim: I’m making a scheme transition, rather than a roster one – if you’re asking for truly crazy. Here we go: Keegan Murray is now my 1A offensive option. He’s running high-post possessions against smaller defenders and he’s getting the ball in movement against big men. He’s no longer a three-point shooter. He’s my go-to option. Play him like he was played in college and see what happens. Oh, and he’s no longer stuck defending the opposing team’s best player. We’re resting him for offense and offense only. The Kings are going to suck either way – may as well see if Murray can shoulder the team from time to time.

Will: Okay, I might get cooked here for this but you said unexpected. I’d swap Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis to the Sixers for Joel Embiid and Jared McCain. I’d honestly do it straight up, but sure throw in a pick for us if we’re mad.

I think this is a win regardless of Embiid’s health. McCain comes back anything like he was as a starter in his rookie season, you’ve got yourself a point guard of the future. Oh you want him to play shoot guard? You have you’re shooting guard of the future. The kid’s a savant, he can play either position in my mind. If Embiid is out for the season for knee reasons? Great, there’s your one season tank command. See what LaVine gets you, see what DeRozan gets you.  Any combo of McCain/Keon/Keegan/Carter can start or contribute off the bench, Isaac Jones gets a ton of run and the Kings find themselves at the bottom of the West.

If Embiid is capable of playing, I think McCain/Keon/LaVine/Keegan/Embiid with Carter/DeRozan off the bench is enough to be interesting. Not a title contender, but, at least more balanced than this season’s Kings with some oomph to vie for a Top 6-8 out West. Vivek gets a former MVP, it’s $2.9 million less expensive than Monk and Sabonis, and you aren’t screwing Domas and Monk either. Maxey/Monk/George/Oubre/Sabonis could be interesting back East, and the Sixers would go from a center playing 30 games a year to one play 75+ every season.

I’m probably overvaluing McCain, especially considering the Embiid’s health being so dire and his contract so heavy, but we’re taking risks in here today, baby and I’m feeling a little lucky.