Welcome back to Chainmail! Oh boy, what a week it has been in the Kangzdom. Let’s review, shall we?
- The last few days have been filled with a flurry of trade rumors, smokescreens, outright lies, and everything in between.
- According to multiple reports, Sacramento’s plan is still to push for the playoffs, or at least the consolation prize of the play-in tournament. The term “mandate” has been bandied about quite a bit.
- Monte McNair shared that there are no plans for a multi-year rebuild or retool in an interview with 1140 KHTK.
- De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are off of the table in trade talks unless they aren’t at some point.
- Domantas Sabonis and Ben Simmons are the primary targets of Kings General Manager Monte McNair (unless he can’t make the trade, then the Kings were never interested and they should be praised for maintaining future flexibility)
- Jerami Grant has also been linked to the Kings, as has Tobias Harris
- Tyrese Haliburton is currently in health and safety protocols. Other than that, the Kings are fully healthy at the moment.
- After picking up a quality win over the Los Angeles Lakers and taking care of business against the floundering Houston Rockets, the Kings have lost back-to-back games against the Rockets and the Detroit Pistons, including blowing a nine-point lead with two minutes to go on Wednesday evening.
- The Kings have lost 11 of their last 16 games. Those losses include the aforementioned Pistons and Rockets games, as well as getting beaten by the Hawks when they were missing Trae Young, the Blazers when they were missing both CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, and the Dallas Mavericks when they were missing Luka Doncic and several other starters.
- The Kings are now 12-18 under Alvin Gentry.
- The Kings are on pace for 31 wins and 51 losses.
You know the deal. Hit us with your questions, and we’ll answer.
What question is even left to ask about this team?
That’s it. That’s my question.
How do you all keep doing it? The writers on this site are amazing. You all continue to write outstanding previews, recaps, interviews, podcasts, etc all while not falling into the pit of apathy many of us have found ourselves in. So seriously, how do you all keep doing it?
Oh…and please don’t stop.
I know! It’s like if your profession is to cover this team day in and out, how do you sustain this type of mental trauma?
It’s gotta be those fat paychecks…oh wait, damn. How *do* you guys manage?
https://twitter.com/MattGeorgeSAC/status/1484053361502474240?s=20
Well good thing he’s got his first child to distract him part of the day and night haha
We sure don’t need Luka now, do we Matt?
So, I guess we know in which stage of grief Matt is.
If this team has proven one thing over the last two and half seasons they’ve been together, it is that they are not talented.
What? They are so very talented they are making a run at the play in. Now that’s talent.
No reason to rebuild
Matt George is terrible. A part of the problem. All these years ignoring the obvious. Being a mouthpiece for the organization (or so it seemed).
Media needs to question these idiots and he’s not doing the job. He stinks.
Open your eyes Matt. A little late, dude.
This.
TKH writers and this community of people are the ONLY reason that I’m still following the Kings in any capacity. I love making jokes and making of fun of how bad this organization is with all of you, while at the same time getting deep-dive basketball analysis.
Come to think of it…we are only three months away from TKH’s two year anniversary.
i’d give this comment 100 thumbs up if I could (and maybe 1 thumbs down if i could do that just because its TKH and somebody has to do it)
Seconded. I truly am apathetic to the Kings to these days but still come to read the articles and skim the comments. Truly grateful to the guys that work so hard to keep this website running when it sometimes feels like nobody would notice if we all just stopped talking about the Kings.
And credit to those who write comments from which a casual fan (such as I) can learn basketball.
WOW
Logged in to agree. The coverage here is amazing. The commentariat is amusing.
If you had to imagine one move (trade, coaching hire, FO, ownership, etc) that would make you finally say, “I’m done,” what is that move and how likely do you think it is to ever happen?
Lmao, so good. I was rooting for them to bring back CoJo, George Hill and Dedmon at the deadline.
Vivek fires Monte and Gentry, announces “This is not acceptable and only I can fix it. I am immediately taking over all GM and coaching duties.”
This is good. For me, they only thing that would be worse would be giving the GM job to one of his kids.
Time for the Vivek ‘go on’ meme?
He may have already done that. Aneel seems to be lurking/part of the deciders
Sad part is you likely aren’t far off because I am predicting this:
1 Monte Fired.
2 Kings announce Doug Christie as the next HC and sign him to a four year deal.
3 Kings announce they will conduct a thorough GM search.
That’s the order. This is the way.
I’m going to go the other way, with the same result.
The sad part is both are so plausible.
For me, it’s the move(s) they DON’T make this deadline: No trade of Fox, Barnes, Hield, Haliburton, or other so-called “core” (core of losing) pieces. If there isn’t a BIG move in the next few weeks, I am done. (For a minute, at least.) If the F.O. can’t see the urgent need to blow up this trash can and just try something already, why should I care anymore?
The Kings play-off push.
Play-in, not playoff
Are there any players on the current roster that are on the next Kings .500+ team? Any on the next 50 win team? Anyone in the organization?
Does Slamson count?
Slamson will just be laying at the end of the court snoozing when team ever reaches 500 or playoffs !????
I was gonna recommend that smaller, inflatable variation of Slamson but couldn’t recall a name
Monte wears the Slamson costume?
Disgrace to Slamson.
Scott Moak when he’s Gary Gerould’s age.
I genuinely wonder how old I’m going to be by the time the Kings are a good team again. I was 15 and was finishing my freshman year in high school when the Kings made the postseason in 2006.
Lucky you. I,m 78
for somebody born in 2022, how old will they be before the Kings hit .500? playoffs?
63
Can we get this on billboards around Sacramento and Atherton (since that’s where Vivek’s mansion is)?
https://twitter.com/j_sepan5ki/status/1484050617018454017?s=20
You can absolutely get it. Just call some billboard & media companies, and have your credit card handy.
The billboard companies actually turned down the last one. That’s why it ended up out on Hazel Avenue or something rather than Downtown.
I guess that means that the answer is “no.”
I actually saw the thing. This is how obscure it was. It was facing WB 50 but actually next to the EB 50 lanes west, eh maybe 500 feet or so, of Hazel.
If I didn’t know what it was, I wouldn’t have recognized it.
“Star” guard.
What new hobbies did y’all pick up during corona?
For me it is
(i) making sourdough bread (and eating);
(ii) preparing and drinking cocktails (I learned to appreciate Negroni’s); and
(iii) speed cycling, to lose some of the calories from (i) and (ii)
Probably watched more TV in the last two years than the previous ten combined. Watchmen, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, WandaVision, Loki, whole bunch of documentaries.
Picked my camera up again and made a photo essay of pandemic life.
Perfected a recipe for maple roasted carrots.
Found a knack for designing trivia quizzes for other people. That’s all I’ve got.
Oh, nice. Would you care to share it?
Depends on how willing you are to cook in Freedumb units.
Photojournal is easier to share if there’s anyone who thinks Portland burned to the ground a year and a half ago and is just a smoldering crater of anarchy.
Help a Dutchie out. What are Freedumb units?
Well, we measure temperature in Fahrenheit, length in feet, time in increments of football quarters, weight by increments of bald eagles, liquids by how much the average frat boy can chug before committing a party foul.
So for you to get the recipe right, you’d have to set your oven to 450 F and cook for 3 NFL quarters, melt 0.1 eagles’ worth of butter in a bowl, mix with 0.2 eagles’ worth of maple syrup (Vermont, of course, none of the Canadian commie crap), and then pour over 1 flag’s stripes worth of chopped carrots (cut to .38 caliber increments) before placing on a sheet pan in the oven.
President Camacho approves!
Maybe the Kings just need electrolytes.
Greatest documentary of the 21st Century thus far?
It’s got what KANGZ need!
I blame myself for asking.
wait…Portland’s still there?
divorce.
I heard it gets boring after 4 times. Is that true, Marty?
I learned to make Cosmos!
Bought too much Vodka and Cointreau, etc…..so now I’m having to make Cosmos every day just to get rid of it all.
I know people are going to dislike this, but on a sunny day try adding a splash of 7up, ginger ale, or ginger beer to your Cosmo.
I’ll try it, thank you, BHE!
And I liked your comment. There’s no dislike button anymore, so no one can dislike it.
I’ve been learning piano (finally), got my teaching credential, and earned a Masters in educational innovation.
Yeah, impressive, but can you make a Last Word?
Ehhhh, I could back in “Bartending School” in my early-20s. Those Prohibition era cocktails (Last Word, Sidecar, Gin Rickey, Bees Knees, etc) got really big around that time. But don’t think I ever actually made one in a bar setting. Back then at least, most bars in SF didn’t stock green Chartreuse. Just the yellow stuff for some reason.
How long can any player – even stars like De’Aaron Fox – keep playing for the Kings without getting beaten down by the losing and culture? How different would Fox look in a different environment?
The answer is four years, in Fox’s case.
“Star” like Fox
“He’s 207th in VORP, 149th in BPM, 71st in PER, 223rd in WAR, 220th in RAPTOR, has a .408 career winning percentage, 0 playoff appearances, and 0 individual awards in 5 seasons. So when you ask me what makes Fox a star, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
If the 5 Stages of Grief in order are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, where do you think the fan base currently sits? I’m going somewhere around exiting depression, entering acceptance. Also, is acceptance irreversible?
I only do anger and acceptance, which is a real timesaver.
I’m a Bengals fan. I can do sixteen years standing on my farking head.
That is an amazing life hack.
I’ve created a 6th stage: Popcorn-consuming bemusement.
Why does this site have idiots who make these ridiculously long comments?
Is idiot the most tiresome, overused word of all time?
Well, Pook, there are a number of theories on that. I will begin my seventy-two point explanation with a key to the numbering and lettering system I’ll be using for paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, subsentences, footnotes, addenda, witty bon mots, and vaguely anti-vaccine parentheticals.
1.
(a)
I can do with some witty bon mots. Hit me Sims.
I. HAVE. NOTHING.
Are you also going to have twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence?
High irony
Highrony!
Mashups > non mashups.
Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick
Malone’d
how long is McNair’s leash since he was hired to push for play-in with the current group but failed to do so in back to back season? And is he fit for the job if this ownership group wakes up and realize a proper rebuild is the only way to do it?
Green light turns to Red with no caution soon for Monte ! The dismissive little chap will then find another rookie GM to put out front !
This is like a fortune cookie written in the Ozarks.
Why do all radio sports hosts have to preface any critique of a Kings player with “You know I love ______, he’s been nothing but a good teammate and member of our community, but ________”?
I’ve listened to KHTK’s new afternoon host, Nick Cattles, a few times. Breath of fresh air, if for no other reason than he is not a Sac native and is willing to talk about the Kings more objectively. Last week, he (rightfully) mocked the “push for the playoffs” mentality, calling it out for the pathetically low bar that it is. If your ultimate goal is to make the playoffs, you will never, ever compete for a championship, which is the entire point of participating in the NBA season to begin with.
Not a fan and much prefer Jason Ross !!
Jason’s a great guy and very professional, but I have to say, he’s just “too nice” to anchor a show. He equivocates way too much, and qualifies almost every one of his stances/opinions by saying things like “well, I understand that [x], and also [x], so you know, I totally get it, but I guess I think I might think [y], but I could totally be wrong, and so take everything I say with a pound of salt.” Etc, etc. It’s just not his style to be direct and assertive, and for better or for worse, that doesn’t make for very compelling radio, especially when the hometown team is a legendary level of awful and deserves to get shredded unequivocally at every turn.
It’s important that you bear in mind that people on the radio are not our best and brightest.
And not terribly good-looking, either.
I will ask once again, and this time I expect an answer: Kangz, or KANGZ?
This is an unofficial answer, but I’d say the use of either is conditional.
For example, if the Kings come out flat against a mediocre or bad team, get behind, stay behind and lose? Kangz.
For games against the worst teams in the league that are just given away, such as last night’s contest? KANGZ.
I make a motion to approve.
Seconded. Andy nails it. Or is it NAILS IT?
This is an unofficial answer, but I’d say the use of either is conditional.
And in either case, it would be “nailz” it.
Does anyone on here own the domain Kangzherald.com?
I know this current roster could make Gregg Popovich look bad, but I do still believe NBA coaching maters. Assuming significant roster changes, how much impact will this off-season’s coaching hire make, in your eyes?
Any names that come to mind for us to hope for (before we have those hopes dashed)?
Kenny Atkinson is a guy I like. But, I believe he would be far more effective with rebuilding a young team. As opposed to taking over a team full of vets.
Stotts? Someone who has taken a team with 2 good players and a bunch of crap to the multiple playoff seasons.
Probably there will be little impact? I mean if they hire a coach with the potential to make an MVP out of a mid second rounder or a coach who might even get a couple of second or third place COY votes, Vivek is likely to fire him fairly soon. Again.
Can we get relegated to G league?
That should be written into the next CBA agreement
You want the team to lose more?
Spain? China? India? WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO TO WIN?!
The Kings would be playing in the local B level rec league within a few years.
I see 2-3 wins in the next 10 games. This team will make a few minor moves at the 11th hour. Believing, the 2-3 role players are the difference. Much like the last decade and a half. Monte and his lack of foresight(“Lets play with pace, Lets build around Fox and Hali, We don’t need wings, stretch 4’s and Bigs, Lets just build a team of guards and a bunch of mediocre bigs)
it won’t matter at that point. Kings will be 16-18 games below .500 by Feb 10th. Clearly out of any playoff scenario and probably out of the play in option. I see the Blazers playing hard with Mccolloum and Simons leading the way. Spurs never tank. They will play hard to the end, and even the Pels don’t have a tank attitude yet. Only OKC and Hou are considered Tank Teams in the West at this point.
Monte will believe these integral role players he signs or trades for are the missing piece towards the 5th seed. Fooled again. Kings will win 33-36 games and enjoy the 10th pick in the 22 Draft.
Hamster Wheel offseason again. Monte fired, Another GM search, Another HC search. Same BS 16th year.
If this is the plan then screw it, go all in. Who says no?
Fox and some draft capital for Sabonis
AND
Hali, Barnes, Buddy, Bagley, and this year’s first for Simmons+Harris
Defense:
Offense:
We’d be desperate for shooting and an upgrade over TD. We’d also struggle against the giants of the NBA, but against most lineups this defense may be pretty good? Simmons and Davion have clamps, Harris and Sabonis are passable. Could work? Could be an extremely versatile and positionless basketball that embodies the modern game, helps us win now AND later. It simply may be crazy enough to work. What do y’all think?
I kind of like it. I would rather see Simmons at the 4-5.
I would rather keep Hali and TD.
Trade for Tobias, Simmons and Robinson/Yurtseven from Miami for Holmes/Pick 2023
PIck up Rodney Hood and Goran Dragic who are bought out by their respective teams.
Hali/Davis/Robinson/Tobias/Simmons
Bench: Davion/Goran Dragic(Buy out signing), Rodney Hood(Buyout), Metu, Yurtseven
I would actually like to just blow the whole thing up. Accumulate draft capital and young assets. But, I don’t think this ownereshizzle will ever be that smart.
I also am in favor of a slower rebuild via draft capital and cheaper, younger talent but with this trade it kinda feels like trading a giant pile of garbage for two 25-year old all-stars under contract for the next several years, and complement each other’s games. You can do much worse.
What is your opinion on buying used shoes from a thrift store?
The underwear is a better deal.
True! Plus it may have belonged to someone famous!
Like the guy who murdered all of those male prostitutes at a truck stop along I-5.
OT: LOL
https://twitter.com/KyleNeubeck/status/1484259050040836097
This is wild.
https://twitter.com/btoporek/status/1484258424888217605
So, Monte getting Buddy Hielded again.
And I’m sure that those deals are so lopsided in Morey’s favor that his computer slides off of his desk every time he thinks about them.
Hali, Fox, and 50000 unprotected first-round picks.
Community seems hyperbolic and always on a crusade for the next thing. Prior to walton getting fired it was him, now we seem to have moved on to other things, but it seems like there is always an obsession with something in how the org is run and unending/ unrelenting depression. I mean I can almost guarantee the same 3 comments will accompany any story regardless of topic. Either “We need to trade players as of yesterday and Monte has failed because he hasn’t done this” or “Vivek is the root of all evil in the world” or “we must absolutely tank, tear down and rebuild! Even a blind Muppet could see this! How have we not done it yet”. I don’t understand why it always has to be that way. Perhaps you can explain it. Do people just enjoy being negative? I mean there is a lot of negativity here in the comments more so lately than usual. Look the kings aren’t winning a lot right now and I get that is disappointing but why so hyperbolic about the whole thing? People seem to go to extremes to hate on the team sometimes when it doesn’t really seem necessary or even on topic. Maybe you could explain why that is.
What comes first…the chicken or egg?
Have you watched this team? Have you noticed an owner crushing this team?
Have you ever thought-it’s not negativity it’s pointing out reality?
pretending that everything is A ok? That’s the answer?
You are welcome to celebrate things like Terrance Davis’s career high 35 pts last night. Most people are more concerned with the overarching ineptitude at nearly every tangible level
If you want to support a winning team than reality dictates a good measure of negativity ! Writing about a 16 year loser makes negativity a fact !
Welcome to TKH, Vivek! The water is warm!
How much worse could the Kings be if they had just kept Walton as coach?
Would hiring of coach Lasso motivate players and bring the apathetic fans back to give a f*ck about this team once again?
Why do I even watch this dumpster fire of a team, and because I’m here ranting about it, do I need counseling or something?
Assuming the report that Sacramento wants to build around Halibuton and Fox is accurate – Can you give me a few potential free agent targets that you would be excited about joining them?