Welcome back to Chainmail!
The last 24 hours have certainly been interesting for the fan base, as we’ve been formally introduced to Monte McNair through several interviews and his press conference. Will and I are here to chat about our first impressions of McNair, his vision for the team, his relationship with Luke Walton, what moves he may make in the offseason and throughout the 2020-2021 campaign, draft prospects, trade targets, player evaluations, and whatever else is on your mind!
We also want to thank our sponsor for the mailbag, Carter Imports! Carter Imports is a Sacramento-based company that imports some of the very best Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cretan Thyme Honey available in the world today. There has never been a better time to support one of our own than right now!
Now get to asking so we can get to answering!
McNair likes Buddy. Buddy likes Philly.
Does he stay or go?
I think, like any good GM, we don’t really have any idea what McNair really thinks about any specific player. He’s presenting every player in a way that makes them feel good and makes them look good to other teams. As he should be.
I think from an analytics standpoint, McNair would absolutely love Buddy next to Fox. The problem is how Luke uses him. I wonder if McNair interjects and tells Walton how to use Buddy properly
So you’re saying analytics is only about offense?
As RikSmits suggests, I think this may be over-simplifying the idea, definition, and impact of “analytics.” Analytic analysis would absolutely love Buddy in terms of the spacing he provides. But analytic analysis may not be kind to him in terms of the playmaking, defense, overall impact, and value to contract.
I would also point out that McNair could very well like Hield, but still think the best path to building a competitive team includes trading him.
Good points, I guess I was focusing more on the misuse of Buddy by Walton. I makes me wonder if he would hang onto Buddy and tell Walton to play to his strengths to “showcase” his talents before moving him.
I agree in tradeing him and love that idea of sending him to the Hawks in a Huerter package.
Maybe, though I’ve said before that I don’t think this season hurt Hield’s stock around the league at all. I think FOs know who and what he is and how they would use him. So I don’t think a few months of playing to his strengths would make much of a difference.
I think it’s a case of us being WAY to close to the situation. Buddy was an elite shooting specialist before this season. The Kings tried to see if he could be more than that. He couldn’t and just went on being an elite shooting specialist.
Everybody needs to read this. Buddy’s value didn’t change this year. We just now know exactly what his ceiling is as a player. The only thing I’ll add is if I was in charge of a championship contender I wouldn’t want to trade for him unless I had a strong culture that would not tolerate Buddy acting like he did this season. He constantly acted like he was bigger than the team. You can’t act that way if you’re simply an elite role player.
Agreed! I love Buddy but this past season he is starting to act as someone who puts himself first rather than the team. I would happily trade Buddy for a pick in this upcoming draft.. Aaron Nesmith, Sadiq Bey, Vessel or even Isaiah Joe who I’m starting to really like as a player. I would happily spend one of our 2nd round picks on Joe. Has a really smooth stroke, reminds me a lot of Booker..
You nailed it. I haven’t been able to articulate my dissolving love for buddy. I like buddy Hield, I was one of the fans that loved trading for him and loved signing him long term last summer. He has star potential.
his attitude constantly acting like he was bigger than the team is what has turned most of us off to him as a player. It’s sad actually.
if he can reflect and adjust his attitude in combination with Luke changing how he uses buddy on the court then we could get the good Buddy back. Buddy Love!
the way Luke used him still frustrates me.
Agreed – and it will be interesting to see how Walton uses him this season. And I am curious how much of Buddy’s usage was due to Walton’s idealized way to use him versus pressure from the FO, which now should be much more analytically inclined.
It’s not really that hard to see easy fixes to Buddy’s offensive value. Did a quick comparison on Synergy and it matches every single eye test we all had.
In 2019, Buddy had 26% of his possessions in transition and 19% in spot up situations and was 70th and 80th percentile in those situations (percentile in points per possession for those unfamiliar with Synergy). Meanwhile, he only had 16% of his possessions as the P&R ball handler where he was a poor 30th percentile.
In 2020, Buddy had 19% of his opportunities in transition and 17% in spot up situations, while having 26% as the P&R ball handler – where he improved, but was still only 63rd percentile.
Even in transition, his usage was worse, he went from being the ball handler in transition 31% of the time to 44% of the time, which is a part of his game that still needs significant development.
In a world where Duncan Robinson is playing an important role on a potential NBA finals team, its not hard to see that Buddy can still be very valuable. But we need to use him much, much better this season.
And if he wants to earn a more diversified role, he needs to show some major improvement in his ball handling and decision making running an offense in more limited opportunities to earn more.
As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t actually mind the way he was used. Maybe they tried it for too long after it was clear it wasn’t going to work, but the Kings were a team desperate for playmakers. Obviously, if one of those playmakers can also be an elite shooter, it opens up a lot of possibilities and causes a lot of problems. So, while keeping Hield to his specialist role would likely make his numbers look better, I don’t think it would have made the team any better. Whereas, if Hield were able to take on some playmakers duties, it would have made the team appreciably better.
In short, I don’t mind the experiment. I just think the procedure was flawed. Buddy has always been a pretty reactive and mechanical player rather than an instinctual/anticipatory one. Which is always going to limit playmaking potential.
Which Gif best represents your present mood:
theres 2. The first one with the cartoon kids we wait and then The Dude.
I’m highly anticipating the next move while knowing I have zero control and that this shit really doesn’t matter.
How much flexibility does McHale have, vis-a-vis, with his FO hires? Honestly, I see a cash strapped team who can’t afford the best employees to support a very impressive GM. Do you have any insight to what the Kings can provide for the new VP?
McWho?
The McWho: McDonald’s worst idea ever.
Why do you have to be so flippant? You know who I mean. C’mon Rik. Stop picking the bones, you’re better than that.
You took a viable question and smudged it to worthless garbage. Why? You can’t disagree with the overall premise; I know you from 7 years of comments. Stuff like this wrecks the average fan’s confidence to ask average questions. You might think it’s a cute joke, but it might stop a fan from interacting with their community ’cause they got auto-corrected and shamed. That’s really silly. Sorry I’m not a username you’re used to seeing.
I concede. I was a little fragile. Sorry community.
My two cents:
It’s good to know if we hurt your feelings or not, so I don’t think you need to apologize for anything.
My other two cents:
I think the “group of regular posters” gets along because they feel like they can joke around with each other….like make fun of Rob’s lack of pants, or Greg’s penchant for ruining other people’s marriages (actually, I don’t know if that’s true–Greg probably hates us all), Will’s love of Lady Bird, Rordog’s dietary choices, LaBradford’s credit card, etc. Heck, if you really wanna get Rik back, just make a joke about the Cleveland Browns! (sorry, Rik!)
Hope you are doing well, Gabriel. 🙂
Where is that LaBradford guy, anyway? 😉
McWho?
I’ve never made a bad dietary decision FYI
I stand corrected 🙂
THAT certainly sounds like a matter of perspective. 😉
I got all excited and texted my lady friend I had perfected a hot pocket recipe. She didn’t really understand perfecting a recipe in which the main ingredient is frozen food that costs less than a dollar. I felt a bit like those geniuses who aren’t acknowledged for their genius until like a century after they’re dead.
(I went air fryer on the pocket to roast the garlic crust. Then, I topped it with marinara sauce, red pepper flakes and Parmesan and did a quick broil)
You should sell the McRordog to McClown Burgers!
Confession:
I did laugh at Rik’s response, but I wasn’t laughing at you, and I don’t think Rik meant to personally shame you. We just have a kind of silly culture here that likes to laugh at the Kings and at ourselves sometimes.
I’m just messing with you. Rik is the worst.
We’re on to you, Otis. We know you and Rob and 1951 are all the same person. And now, it’s obvious you and Rik are the same person as well, and this faux-critique of Rik is proof of that and will not throw us off the trail.
The only things Dutch about me are my Dutch Ovens!
Well, to tell a family secret, my grandmother was Dutch.
You’re going to be pissed when you realize you’re living in MY simulation.
i should have been banned from joining this site, if I am honest.
As my tiny Polish grandmother Francis used to say…
For Pete’s sake Marty, grow a pair.
What’s Pete gonna do with ’em?
Are we good?
It was a slight over reaction but I get why you were annoyed.
it kinda killed the question.
moving on. . .
i cant answer your question but we’ll see soon enough. I’d anticipate two more main hires. After that is anyone’s guess. I don’t think it’s necessary for him to have a blank check to hire whoever he wants and as many people as he wants but more depth would seemingly be nice. It’s reassurance, that’s what you’re fishing for with wanting more front office people. The bigger the team the more prepared and qualified the operation. In theory.
What is Bagley’s likely trade value at this moment?
Is he healthy?
I haven’t found a single report on his current health status. I was wondering the same thing just the other day. Doesn’t camp open up in about 2 months? Will he be ready?
Yeah, me neither.
Last I heard, he still only has 1 hand, so there is that.
Shaq is helping him with his free throws using the off hand.
Send him to GS for their 2nd pick and our 12th and WHATEVERTF else they want. Draft Wiseman. Trade Buddy and Barnes to Philly for Harris, Richardson, and their 21st.
I will say this everyday dammit.
Why would GS do that deal? If they move the 2, which I expect they will, the player they get back will be someone that can help them now. Bagley doesn’t really do anything for them.
Are you kidding? Bagley in an actual system that works, competent coaching staff, the list goes on. Fucking Kevon Looney was starting at one point. Why not get the former #2 pick and pick up a a 3 and D with our 12th pick. The are not rebuilding. They are retooling. Bagley would thrive as their starting 5 and they know it. He has all the room in the world to go to work.
Oh and fire Luke. WhyTF is he still the coach. Wtf.
What would it take to get the organization to give Luke Walton the dreaded “vote of confidence?” I’m good for $5.
Given that most of here think Walton is on the hot seat and may be gone by the next deadline, who do you want to see as his lead assistant/future interim coach?
How will we react if Walton stays on beyond next season?
I’m saving up for Black Friday so I can be prepared for such an occasion. (Have to replace the TV I lost from draft night, 2018)
“You are tearing me apart, Kings!”
They took ALL the guts out of that thing. Those tv’s weight approximately 500 pounds.
I remember the days when I had to get up and walk to the TV to change the channel. There were only 3 or 4 channels then, but still!
I remember messing with the horizontal and vertical hold buttons so I could watch the PPV…uh, boxing matches.
Yeah. I remember sitting in front of the TV and twisting the dial quickly back and forth between plays, so I could watch both games.
In shag carpeting both ways!
On the closeup, there are no electronics in that tv. ð¤ª
That really depends on what happens between now and then.
It’d depend on how the Kings do next season.
What is Vlade doing right now?
Within about two weeks of being hired by the Bulls, Karnisovas picked up his wing-man in Eversley. How long do you think McNair will take to hire his lead assistant? Are any names being mentioned to fill that spot, or is Peja irreplaceable?
Isn’t Catanella technically the Assistant GM? Maybe he hires some other guys, but I think Ken is his #2.
Obviously it changes from place to place, but he may have multiple direct reports/Asst GMs with Catanella and others in the same organizational tier.
I would have thought that Catanella should have been Vlade’s #2, but I seem to recall reports at various times of Brandon Williams and/or Peja holding that position. Add to that that there were reports of the Kings bringing in both Gupta and McNair, leading me to believe that Catanella would not automatically be considered as the lead assistant. As BHE notes, I suppose it all depends on how the Kings and McNair want to structure things.
The 2021 season is over. McNair has been at the helm for one year.
What would you call success?
What would you call failure?
What signs would give you hope?
What signs would concern you?
A clear plan with moves the rationally advance us along that plan’s path.
What if it’s a really bad plan?
At this point, I’m not sure there are any plans worse than what we’ve been dealing with.
Is Walton a deadman walking/limping or McNair really needs more time to evaluate him? One of McNair’s biggest strengths is his ability to work with coaches in Houston. Judging from Walton’s past with the lakers, I have no reason to believe Walton can develop any young players or utilize the veterans he already has.
I think Walton is gone at some point. Mcnair may have worked with D’Antoni. But, Mike was already a good coach and a proven winner in Phoenix before coming to Houston. D’Antoni had very little success grooming young and low talent teams like the Knicks and the Lakers for a couple years after that. Walton only got the job in Sac because of his BFF with Vlade. No other team in the league would have hired Walton as a head coach at any point. He’s not proven. Failing with A Lebron on your team is a Kiss of Death. Even Tyrone Lu won with Lebron.
i Don’t like Walton the coach after one season. He did really bad.
would another team have hired him if the kings didn’t? ABSOLUTELY 100%. Somehow Luke became the darling of nba coaches. That light had dimmed a bit when he was let go but it was far from out.
If the Kings were featured in the trending game AMONG US, in which some of the crew are impostors, which people besides Shaquille O’Neal who is obviously a Trojan Horse for the L*kers, are impostors? My money is on L*ke Walton. But who else?
Same question, but for TKH staff (or staff and commenters, if you like. Who among you is an impostor?
Definitely Vivek. Planted by the Warriors to keep their northern CA counterparts irrelevant.
Maybe Jerry West’s most savvy move as an NBA exec. Convince Vivek he has an opportunity to run his own team… thereby removing him from meddling in Golden State. With the added bonus of killing the Kings for the foreseeable future. One less divisional rival to worry about while building their dynasty.
Would make a great Game of Zones episode.
Who do you think we could replace with Luke, or is it too early to tell? (i.e., we will have to see who is looking for a job when that time comes)
If that’s too hard to answer, who do you think are the best coaches in the NBA? Maybe like a top 5, and what are your answers based on? (What they’ve accomplished with available roster talent, ability to manage big player personalities, ability to take a team to the next level, etc.)
Who’s the best coach we can hire ATM if they ever decide to let go of Luke Walton? Billy D’s out as Chicago got him ASAP.
Was definitely my pick.
Should Becky Hammon be at the top of our coaching search list (when it happens)? She has been learning under Pop, has the respect of the players, & has a high basketball IQ.
Also, since she would be the 1st female head coach, it seems like a feather Vivek would want to put in his cap (and make for an easy PR transition away from Walton).
I would love it if they hired Becky!!!
yes please.
I think she’ll make a great head coach, but I’d always have questions if she were hired by the Kings, the same questions I have about anyone who brags about their charity donations or volunteering.
The fact that we would never definitively know if Vivek hired her partly for PR reasons or not would bother me, and unfortunately, that’s just a part of being a fan of this current Kings organization. That, of course, is just one part of the awful organizational reputation this team has. If it was the Spurs or Mavericks or Nuggets, wouldn’t think twice about it. But these Kings?
She’s highly qualified, so I don’t really care if PR also plays a role in their decision making.
That’s fair. I’d still be happy if they hired her. I just personally, and especially lately, have grappled with the idea of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. I’ve had a lot of time in lockdown to meditate and philosophize. It is not easy staying calm in 2020.
I certainly understand that. But for me it’s only an issue if they hire a lesser candidate for the wrong reasons. As long as the candidate (yes, this parallels conversations I’ve had about Kamala Harris) is a great, highly-qualified one in their own right, I absolutely encourage organizations to choose non-traditional candidates both for the sake to breaking down barriers, but also because organizations benefit hugely from diversity of background, experience and perspective.
Can you please decode all this “flexibility” talk? Is he signaling a holding pattern? Dumping vets for picks? Playing hardball with free agents?
Luke Walton has been a disaster for the Kings and was regularly outmatched by his peers in the regular season. While successful coaches are seemingly being let go for being outcoached well into the playoffs, why have the Kings stood behind Walton so unquestioningly?
Angry Kings Fan Translator: How the hell did we get from “Adelman just can’t get us over the hump” to “Luke Walton is our guy!”?
For the record: Adelman did get us over the hump. Then the nba and the Ref’s decided to gift the Lakers another championship.
FACT
Question: Was there an article(s) grading the players on the 2019-2020 season? Don’t recall seeing one, but at my age I sometimes forget what I had for breakfast.
Who’s the starting 5 you want for the Sacramento Kings to open the season?
(I’d like this to be something that incorporates realistic targets for the draft, free agency, trades, etc.)
For me? I’m glad you asked. I’ll go: Fox/Hayes/Thybulle/Love/Horford
In this scenario they’ve traded Buddy to Philly for Horford, Thybulle, plus a protected pick. They’ve also done a trade with The Cavs that involves cap relief (Joseph + Bjelly) plus Bagley in exchange for Love’s contract. The Kings get the swap, plus a future protected first.
I feel like that’s a realistic scenario. The Kings get two future firsts, one young prospect, and move up into the top 5. They give up Bagley, Buddy, CoJo, Bjelly, the #12. You can add all the little peripheral assets to make the deals work.
I doubt anybody will fully comprehend the level of basketball nirvana I’d reach with this starting 5. It’s just everything I want in basketball while also setting them up for the future, and getting rid of guys like Buddy and Bagley.
youth, veteran leadership, craftiness, rebounding, spacing, hybrid vigor, effort, passing at every position. It’s just a fun mixture of skillsets. I love when the pieces fit together even if the results are underwhelming.
I’d be excited about that squad.
I just don’t see why the pick needs to be protected. Bagley is a number 2 pick that’s played 60 games. In my opinion that should erase protections of the trades pick. Cost of business.
id accept top three or even 5 protected in 2021 but no protections in 2022 if my hope of no protections 2021 was a deal breaker.
Bagley isn’t going to get you an unprotected pick. If you were trading him straight up this year he might get you a late-lottery pick. If you were trading him for a first next season, you’re probably looking at least a lottery-protection.
He’s had a bland, injury prone two seasons and he’s already burned two years of team control.
Philly thinks Horford for Buddy is fair value and likely has zero interest in giving up Thybull so I don’t see this one happening, personally.
Have you seen their front office lately? Anything is possible.
When you say philly who are you referring to exactly? Do you have a source within their front office?
This. Just because r/sixers thinks Thybulle is untouchable or that Horford’s contract isn’t so bad or that Hield was just a backup so he isn’t worth anything, doesn’t mean that’s the reality anywhere beyond those boards.
This is the guy.
I wouldn’t assume fans message board opinions have any relation to FO opinions.
Are you suggesting no other teams have followed Vivek’s crowd sourcing blue print…?
Fox, Joseph, Guy
Bogi, Scorer/Playmaker, James
Richardson, Bazemore, Jeffries
Harris, Parker, Bjelly, Rookie
Holmes, Wiseman
The only thing keeping Harris from being the worst contract in the NBA is John Wall.
He will help our team. We have to swallow a contract somewhere. Why not one that benefits the team. That’s a very competitive line up.
Ooooh great question. This is my complete tear-down nuclear plan, which I’ve added to over the last several days while bored at work… I’ve mentioned a couple of these trades before, but I’ve been thinking about a Mavericks deal to go along with it.
Trade 1: Fox, Hield, Parker to NYK for 2021 unprotected 1st, Robinson, Ntilikina, Portis, Gibson.
Trade 2: Barnes, Bagley, Bjelly, Justin James to ORL for Isaac, Bamba, Fournier, Aminu.
Trade 3: Sign and trade Bogi, Cojo, Holmes to DAL for #18 pick this year, Hardaway, Seth, and bring back JJ.
Draft Nesmith at #12, and Maxey/Lewis at #18.
**Sign Isaiah Thomas to be our starting point guard**
PG: IT, Ntilikina, Maxey/Lewis
SG: Hardaway, Curry, Nesmith
SF: Fournier, Jeffries, JJ
PF: Portis, (Isaac-INJ), Gibson, Aminu
C: Robinson, Bamba, Giles??
Seems like a sure-fire top 5 pick in 2021, plus the Knicks pick.
PLUS this gives us over $60M in expiring contracts THIS YEAR to package for contracts and picks. Big free agent bonanza next off-season. Cap space like this will be at a premium.
Be honest.
Do you ever mute the sideline reporters during NBA games?
Every time Reggie Miller’s on the mic.
Great player, terrible commentary.
I pretty much watch all games entirely on mute.
The next 2 months should be kinda busy. Especially after the Finals are finished. Draft, Free Agency, Trades, etc.
What happened to The Court Jester and Snackramento? I’m a pod guy, and I’m curious as to why this site is not into pods. Tim and Sanjesh are doing a pod elsewhere. Jill Ange used to be on the StR pod and now she’s at Hoop-Ball. It just seems like the content that could’ve been unique to TKH went elsewhere, and the unique TKH pod content just died on the vine. Even the Kings Pulse gets added to TKH front page days after the pod is actually aired. That’s like obviously no ones going to engage with something after the fact.
so what’s up with that? If I was starting a new multimedia company I would do literally the exactly opposite of what has been done from a podcast perspective. I have to assume there’s a reason, but I don’t know. It’s just not discussed at all. I’m not trying to be a dick, but it’s weird and no one has said anything about it. I’m not going to stop paying my monthly dues, but I did expect some pods associated with those dues.
I’m not trying to be mean. It’s just something that’s been on my mind for a while now. You could easily make the flagship pod be a fan round table. It would encourage patrons to sign up while still being fun. It could be a game show, a mock draft, a post-game vent sesh, etc.
(Not trying to be a dick I just can’t wrap my head around a strategy that kills native pods, and lets writers create pods elsewhere when they could make unique patron-only content for us patrons)
((Just saying this seems like a revenue leakage situation. It’s no big deal now, but you’re allowing a lot of free content to leave while also asking people to pay for the cost of maintaining your site. That just seems shortsighted.))
I would like to see (when you get around to it, Blake–no rush!) a return of the Fanposts.
And when that happens, Rordog, let’s make a podcast about your culinary tastes and recipes. It could just be a one-time thing/experiment.
Or maybe you could do one of those videos where you show how to make a RORDOG¢, or one of those new Hot Pocket Marsala dinners you made for Lady Rordog.
You of course will wear your Brick Tamland outfit.
I will make the most serious pod about the correct way to put guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and hot sauce on top of those frozen taquitos. GnR playing in the background.
Ok, but seriously, give me a cooking channel in which I just accentuate shitty food. I could do that. Even in college, I lived with 5 sorority girls, and I’d make steak fry surprise every Sunday before we all watched Sex and the City.
Damn. At Cal Poly I lived in the Lassen dorm with a really obnoxious L*ker fan in one of those tiny studios where you share bathrooms with 4 other rooms.
I guess on another podcast episode you can regale us with various college stories.
the funniest part about it is I just found the listing on Craigslist. I was working at Mothers then too, so we had access to heavily discounted booze. Let’s just say, the stories are even crazier than you might imagine.
Young, single men could learn a lot from just this one post.
Exactly. Talk about using your college years to set yourself up for future success.
What is this, innuendo hour?
or is Rordog the modern day Jack Tripper…lol
(fuck it, it’s friday I’m not fixing this)
Quito diet for all you health freaks
What’s the over under on player moves for the Kings between now and the end of next season?
How many games played before the first rumblings of Dumars / Vivek meddling with McNair’s efforts?
If you could pick one player as a perfect fit with Fox, who would it be? And…
What would you be wiling to give up to get that player?
How long does the honeymoon last? When does McNair realize his bosses are incompetent?
Would you prefer to trade Fox (provided the right opportunity comes along) or do you think we should give him max extension?
Keeping in mind if we follow the “McNair rule” (searching the league for other teams’ needs), we can probably land a pretty sweet haul from New York.
I’d have to see the actual haul.
Badge Legend