Welcome back to Chainmail, and what a joyous occasion it is! After starting the season with four straight losses, the Sacramento Kings have won seven of their last nine games, including last night’s bulldozing of the Brooklyn Nets on national television, and they have posted the second-best record in the NBA since October 29th, the date their fortunes began to turn. De’Aaron Fox is playing like an All-Star, and perhaps like an All-NBA guard, Domantas Sabonis is wrecking everything in his path, and Kevin Huerter hasn’t missed a three-pointer since Mike Brown had hair.
The. Sacramento. Kings. Are. Good.
Now, get to asking, so we can get to answering!
Who’s a realistic target the Kings should target to add to this group? I think Holmes is an obvious candidate to get moved but also think they should look to upgrade the Barnes spot.
Just an idea. Barnes and Holmes for Gordon Hayward. His stats show he can still play basketball. He has 2 years left on his contract. The Kings select a small forward with defense in next years draft. That gives them 1 year to develop him and Hayward starts for those two years. Right now he is shooting at over 17 points a game. He is also a very good passer and play maker and good in the locker room.
NBA Today was saying the Nets need to trade Durant…. Barnes, Holmes, Davis, Mitchell, Len and unprotected future first for Durant? They can do this with the pending Hurter deal by converting that first to unprotected for 2024 and giving the Nets their 2026 pick.
You’d need about 5 more unprotected firsts for the Nets to have any interest in that deal.
For a 12x All Star. For a bunch of scraps, role players, and a late first round pick? Not happening. The man is still balling like a monster.
Hayward has missed like his last 8 games? So like 2/3rds of the season. He might be the better player but Barnes is always available
I’ve really thought about bamba as a sabonis pairing. Never really got it going in Orlando but on paper he looks really intriguing, useful player that I’m sure coach brown could work with. Can hit the 3, long as all hell, and can potentially alter shots in the paint
I was thinking that myself, a couple weeks back.
Bamba has some motor and concentration issues that are very Willy Cauley-Stein like.
I bet this coaching staff could work on that. I just can’t look at the Orlando roster and see anything they would want from the Kings, and a future first might be tough to value when the Kings can’t even trade for him until Jan 15th.
Since the Domas/Turner combo didn’t work well, I doubt that a Domas/Bamba combo would work well. I wouldn’t want to trade much for Bamba.
Wasn’t the domas/turner pairing actually good though? They were just losing or something I can’t remember but sabonis’ best seasons were with turner in indy. I just want someone to take the heat off domas in the paint and bamba to me made most sense. With how loaded the magic are on bigs and bamba being a fa while underwhelming for them I can squint and see him had for a 2nd
They went to multiple playoffs together under coach Nate McMillan. Things went sideways when they fired Nate in favor of Bjorkgen who only lasted one season. 3 coaches in 3 years can ruin a lot of chemistry.
It’s no coincidence that McMillan took the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals just one year after being fired from the Pacers.
Bamba is the opposite of Turner . Strictly a perimeter player on offense and low post defender on Defense . Perfect fit . Magic could use Holmes backing up Wendell Carter .
I have thought Bamba would be a good get for a while, then I started wondering why he is not playing much (mid-teens in minutes per game for every year except one) on a team that is not very good. They also continuously are bringing in other big men that are playing over him (Carter Jr., Bol, Banchero, hell, Khem Birch played more than Bamba).
Those are all red flags for me, and reminds me of the Bagley situation. Gets some stats with minutes but doesn’t seem to be a rotational piece that plays positive basketball.
I’d take a gamble. I would even consider Wiseman as a buy low candidate.
Jerry brought up a really good point abt HB on the podcast: If this team is going to be good, HB is probably your 5th best scoring option. He is figuring out what that looks like after being top 2 for years. The last few games make me think he is catching on.
I think he has been giving a lot more effort rebounding as well. He seems to be adjusting to his role.
Since the offseason I have thought Doug McDermott would be a cheap add while adding to the teams strengths in IQ and spacing around Sabonis and Fox. I don’t think Holmes would be of interest to the Spurs but his salary could be used, expanded in a three team deal. I do think that the Indi 2nd and or a 2nd, 2nd rounder with that pick could warrant enough draft equity for the Spurs in their rebuilding timeline.
Obviously we wouldn’t be getting a defensive punch but at the most coveted position in the league you could do worse especially for 3s that are viably available.
It’s like doubling-down on the strengths of the team. Shooting. Is that the way to go, or do they look at filling holes in the roster somehow? I am glad I am not a GM.
Jae Crowder maybe?
What’s the story on Keegan’s back? Hope it’s a minor thing.
If I’m not mistaken, they said last night he felt an uncomfortable twinge when he was reaching on a play, so they pulled him as a precaution.
went for steal, stopped suddenly, reached for his side or upper lower back. Came out about 4 minutes later
I missed that play putting the kids to bed I think.
It was Bane.
But Keegan The Terminator will be back.
What is your current w-l and WC seeding projection, and does it differ from the beginning of the season?
45-37 at the beginning
45-37 now
and PLAYOFFS
I thought they’d probably win 35-38 games before the season began, Now I think it’ll be 43-46 wins.
I was at 41 to start the season, I now suspect 45 or so wins is possible and that we might be the 6 seed?
How long is Tim’s positivity going to last?
What time is it?
Kangz O’Clock
Notwithstanding Keegan’s injury, do you think that Brown will make a concerted effort to get Terence Davis consistent playing time? He just seems to make things happen when he’s in.
Related: Do you think TD will start if Murray misses games, or will it be dependent on matchups?
Depending on matchups Lyles could also start. If rebounding is a question TD got 9 last night.
The problem with TD is that when he’s not an MVP candidate, he’s really bad.
I’m satisfied with the way Brown is playing him – 5 early minutes to dip his toe in the water and find out whether TD is going to ride the bench the rest of the game or lead the team in scoring.
I’m looking at TD’s numbers this year, including per 36, so can you elaborate as to how you’re defining “really bad?”
He scored a third of his season’s points just last night, so that no doubt is lifting his numbers.
The game logs tell the story of TD – a highly inconsistent player that can go absolutely nuclear and win you games on occasion.
When TD isn’t shooting well, when he’s in a frenzy turning the ball over and taking bad shots, TD hurts more than he helps.
So I like the way Brown plays him, because he minimizes TD’s bad nights and maximizes his heaters.
I am definitely on board with giving TD test minutes every game before committing one way or the other, but “Bad TD” hasn’t shown up that much this year from what I have seen. He still makes some dumb turnovers but nothing like some of his games in the past when he was just whipping the ball out of bounds on every possession (and Luke/Alvin would just leave him in there… sigh)
His shot selection is Nick Young-ish though and I don’t think that’s ever going to change, so yeah, if it’s not going down, he needs to sit.
There have been a few “Bad TD” games.
I can see that. He definitely has some Omri Casspi to his game where he looks like a fringe star bringing all the right energy at the right moments, but on some nights he dribbles it off his foot three times, blows an open layup, and has three airballs from 40 feet.
He’s not had any games this season where he’s had more than a single turnover. He’s about 3.6:1 assists to turnovers.
You’re all living in the past!
Shot selection has been the problem in his bad games this season.
Reminds me a little of Marcus Thornton. He could get hot and then not.
Just enjoying the ride.
What is the biggest factor contributing to the turn-around after the 0-4 start, band-aids or laser beams?
The Kings players buying in on Mike Brown. Tough Love does wonders.
Not starting KZ Okpala?
Lithuanian Lasagna + Red Velvet, too
Dinner and Desert
Sabonis figuring things out. Once he started playing like himself and not fouling out, we gelled.
Players trusting eqch other that leads to better ball movement.
Question:
Can this team be at least league average defensively?
It sure seems that for the most part, the defense has been as bad as the offense has been good. It would be interesting to see what we could do with a top 10 offense and say a 15th ranked defense.
Top 10 offense I can see. If we were to reach say 18th. or 20th. on defense I would be happy.
If the offense holds and the defense can creep to the bottom half of the teens, I think we bypass the play-in
Agreed. I don’t think the offense will slow down. It seems like the system fits the players well, and the passing and teamwork will only get better with familiarity.
I’m on the same page as everyone else. I think the ceiling for this group is 15th – 19th. But with this offense, that might enough to get us in the range of the 6th seed.
What does it take for Monte to get his extension? If Vivek keeps sitting on his hands, Monte will start getting calls from other teams for next season, and there is a LOT of value for a guy who can turn around this S-Show.
Good point.
Or, if Monte does’t get an extension, what can be expected from a lame duck GM at the deadline?
Expect a great effort . He has every reason to do the best job he can . Slacking would tell teams he is not what you need .
yeah the lame duck GM argument is kind of lame.
Much different situation from a lame duck coach; small chance of disruption.
Is this team going to suck me back in?
This team doesn’t do any sucking.
…but yes!
LIGHT THE BEAM
The Beam adds a new twist to Kings’ fans’ Saboners:
This team is more than Skin Deep!
In a recent podcast, Jerry said Barnes was the Kings’ fifth starter. Is his skillset ideal for that position? If not, what is? And how realistic is a trade for someone with that skillset?
I think if Barnes buys in on what he is expected then we will be alright. If he can’t then my idea of the above trade sounds good.
I love Holmes and Barnes. Next to Fox they have endured the most in the last few years. If they have to be moved on then so be it. Monty needs to keep improving this team every year.
If they become good again, am I silly for wanting Jason Thompson to suit up for one more game?
No one has endured as much and as long as JT, while being a class act.
Agreed. What a good dude.
He’s only 36.
Veteran Mentor, anyone?
It’s an identity shift for him. He accepts the new role/player he is in the league, then he can be successful as a glue type of guy that contributes to winning. I hope he does, because this team has the offense from many players, and not all of them can be “the guy”.
Just hit open threes, cut to the hoop, rebound, and play solid team defense.
how do the salaries match up? and is getting Gordon a problem in off season when it becomes more difficult to add a FA.
would it not be possible to keep HB, re-sign AND add free agent whereas with a GH trade that could not happen?
With Banes and Holmes for Hayward it works money wise. This is Barnes last year on his contract then what? Need to do something or we will lose an asset. You want Hayward now so he can accept his role and start working on it. He is a team player so I don’t think that would be a problem. You might sign Barnes but with a FA your costing the team more money. Hayward with his experience might be your glue guy. I bet he wants out of the Hornets and come to a team that is starting to rise.
If you’re ok with a guy who misses about 30 games a year every year. Hayward is your guy.
The Utah Jazz would disagree with the statement that Hayward is a “team player.”
What are your thoughts with how the Holmes situation plays out? Do you think it is a matter of him learning the system and carving a place in the rotation? His salary is enough to get an average player back.
Plumlee has been awful for the Hornets, and is not signed for next season. Would you trade Holmes for Oubre to shore up the wing position? Brown coached him for a year, albeit a mediocre one.
Would you entertain a Holmes and a pick for Kyle Kuzma?
Oubre seems to be a ball stopper and that doesn’t seem like a type of player that fits with this offense. I don’t know much about Kuzma, but when I see his face I get annoyed. Reminds me too much of Matt Barnes.
IDK……..when I see Kuzma in his off court fashion mode I think he may be more of a lover not a fighter
Holmes for Obrue might work but a long shot. We would have to offer more than Holmes.It would be even a longer shot to get Kuzma and I personally won’t do it. Kuzma is not a team player and would disrupt the team,s chemistry.
Have you thought about the affect Sasha would have on this team right now? Do you feel like Monte regards him as a replacement for Barnes for next season (or more)?
Are there any non-star players that are on your radar?
Oubre? Olynyk? Bamba?
Deni Avdija? Patrick Williams? Nerlens Noel? Obi Toppin?
Ben Simmons?
Deni!!!
Admittedly, I don’t watch a lot of the Wiz, but looking at his career output, I’m assuming he’s considered one of those “does things that don’t show up in the stats” kind of guys? Otherwise, I don’t see the reason to have him on the radar.
He is one of those players. Good size and smart basketball player. I think he would really benefit from a strong system like Brown’s.
Oops. Replied to myself.
He’s a work in progress on offense but a real bad fit on the Wizards, where Beal just sucks the oxygen out of that team.
I just perused some highlights of him on nba.com. He needs a decent amount of work on offense. He did a lot of dribbling for bad paint shot attempts, and missed a lot of open 3’s. Maybe a system change and some better coaching will help.
Defense, ball mover, glue guy.
On D He is mobile, switchable, uses his feet and doesn’t fall for fakes. Not flashy, but forces guys into difficult shots.
The Sasha inquiry is intriguing. I asked that a few days ago, I do wish we had that option right now. No telling.
Not that enthused about any of the players above.
Wild, wild stab- Markenon if Utah decides to really tank.
He was a big hope for me during the summer, but I think he has played too well this season. I think Ainge could have a bit of leverage with how many calls he is probably getting about him.
I think Sasha is intriguing. Might solve some problems as we don’t have many at this time.
3 players from above might work. Of all the above Patrick Williams would be my favorite with Deni Avdija coming in a strong second. Third is Obi Toppin.
Personally, I like Patrick Williams and Trey Murphy (much preferred of the two) but both might be out of the King’s price range (at least what they’d be willing to pay for a lesser player who fits the timeline better). This exercise is mostly about capitalizing on HB as an asset and would require a team looking to contend this year.
Both the Bulls and Pelicans could find ways to use Barnes, but I think he would only move into the starting lineup for the Bulls as an experienced replacement for Williams which might be something the Bulls are interested in as their window with the core of that team (Lavine/DeRozan/Vuc) might be closing soon as Vuc expires this year and DeRozan next year. Even if we could find a way to make the money work (HB=$18.3M vs PW=$7.7M) we’d likely need to add some limited draft capital.
HB wouldn’t start over Ingram or Zion at either of the forward spots so the Pels wouldn’t likely be interested in his services unless there is a long-term injury. I doubt a reasonable deal is even possible for Murphy due to the salary limitations of the Pels but he’d be perfect fit at SF for the King’s current lineup.
I don’t know if HB’s expiring contract or Holmes are interesting enough to bring in a separate 3rd team that could make any of the above feasible but you never know, this is why I don’t think Monte pulls the trigger on any trades until the trade-DL as teams start looking towards next year/acquiring pieces for a playoff run this year.
I also like Murphy. At 6′ 8″ and he plays defense. I’ve always liked Williams. Any one of those two would fit my criteria as a small forward. Both young and would fit Monty,s criteria.
I don’t see any way the Kings likely trade for Barnes for Williams. Barnes is a steady veteran and has helped the team in small ways. I see a possibility where you trade Davion MItchell and Richaun Holmes for Coby White and Patrick Williams. But I don’t know if the Bulls do that.
It is what it is, but I don’t see Barnes being on the move the way the fans want. Fans see it as maximizing value of an asset, but the reality is Barnes probably doesn’t have much value to that many teams with his current status contractually unless they want a small ball PF.
I think the Kings are likely keeping Barnes unless they are receiving a major piece in return. That’s just been my take on that all along.
Above .500 smells fantastic but what is your favorite scent?
The postseason in June
Playoffs!
Scent of a Woman
Which win have you enjoyed the most this year and why?
That’s a good question and open to some hearty debate!
duds.
Same. That win felt substantial and meaningful (even though the Cavs are the best team we’ve beaten) and made me believe this start isn’t a fluke.
The one that officially breaks the drought will the be the most enjoyed game.
You got that right.
Its between last night and the Warriors game.
Brooklyn has issues, but it felt great to blow out a team on national TV.
Why are not more fans embracing the band aid? Also why has this site and the kings official merch store not figured out how to make Kings band aids? Purple with a logo is all we really need.
In this age of memes and such things in social media coming and going so fast, I’m afraid of the bandaid dying out, but I hope it doesn’t. I’d ride with it for the entire season through the playoffs.
I think the beam will last all throughout the playoffs, because it is directly tied to wins.
I would totally buy TKH bandaids for memorabilia…something to look back upon and remember this special time in Kings history.
The beam will last the year.
I bet its coming.
Is any other GM having a better season so far than Monte? (Ainge?)
Can he possibly win Executive of the Year?
McNair wished Kevin Fippin a happy birthday on Twitter last night after the win:
https://twitter.com/mmcnair/status/1592760005513445376?s=20&t=JZ14cZT5Wl_PqgprwbTk0w
…Klam(and others)’s birthday got us the win against the Warriors.
KFippin’s birthday got us the win against the Nets.
Who has a birthday this Thursday? Anyone whose name starts with a K?
How about King Kong?
Maybe Rachel McAdams is a Kings fan in secret!
Time will tell. Still a little early.
Lol, Monte is hilarious on Twitter
Do you think that the Kings — and especially Fox’s — crunch-time excellence is for real, or a matter of luck/catching teams off guard?
I feel what I’ve seen is opposing defenses get worn out by the Kings movement and shooting, with energy bolstered by their depth. And since Fox usually makes an effort to get into the paint more later in the game, it seems he aims to conserve his energy for the first part of the game (when the offense runs more through Sabonis) so that he can be a certified bucket when the team needs it.
Bonus question: do you think a big 3 of Sabonis/Fox/Murray could lead a contender in 3 years?
Just for fun, I’ll take a crack at the second question.
With that group, you have a former All-Star, a potential All-Star this season, and a potential All-Star 3 years from now.
None of them are superstars, though.
Without a superstar, the surrounding pieces have to pretty much be perfect. For some reason, last year’s Celtics team comes to mind. I’m not in the camp that considers Tatum to be a superstar – at least not yet. (Though to be fair, I follow the Kings FAR more than the rest of the NBA, so I could be way off base here).
I think we’re already seeing a bit of that right now. On this 7-2 run (which could have easily been 8-1 or 9-0) I do think the sum is greater than the individual parts, and that’s what you’ll need to continue to iterate and improve upon if you’re going to build this team around that nucleus.
Possible? Definitely. But you don’t have a lot of room for error.
I also follow the Kings FAR more than the rest of the NBA, but it seems like Tatum’s 1 of the best players in the NBA to me.
This year he has been. It is amazing to see what he has added to his game even after achieving what he did last season.
I remember that the Kings had a great crunch time record during at least 1 of Joerger’s seasons, so I think that’s probably sustainable.
I think that depends on Murray’s growth, but I’m guessing the most likely answer is no.
I am saying no. Murray is a nice player. But zero creation. That’s why the ceiling for players like Mathurin, Ivey, Banchero. And even Sharpe are higher.
I say yes. In 3 years Murray will be a different player, all good. He shoots threes right now. Wait three years. I’ll bet in three years he plays better defense and drives to the basket more. He will also play smarter as he has a good BBIQ. I bet he smiles a little too.
I don’t think they are surprising good team. Bad teams? It looks like they have. 7 of the last 8, all terrible teams
I wouldn’t call the Cavs or GS terrible.
Or Nets either.
It seems obvious this team has a style of play and they’ve stuck to it all season. Just spitballing, what teams around the league appear to be a difficult matchup for this squad?
I think it’s gonna be interesting to see this team go against the twin towers in Minny. Sabonis will have his work cut out for him and Fox’s midrange game could be tested.
I had similar concerns when the Kings faced off against the Cavs, but they proved they could handle it.
Minny seems to have chemistry issues, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Kings handle them.
And DLo seems to like 4 on 5 basketball!
I think healthy Memphis is the answer. I think they have a similar style of team as the Kings except their guys are just a little bit better. Fox is like Ja lite. Bane is better than Huerter though they fill similar roles. Sabonis is great in the post except Adams is a guy he really struggles with due to his size. And then Grizz have even more depth than we do. So I think the Grizzlies are the answer and I wouldn’t be shocked if we fail to beat them this season. It’s the only game the Kings have played where I thought they looked overmatched even though it was early.
Bane and JJJ will both miss the game next week. If there ever was a time to face the Grizz, it’s next week.
I understand Jackson will be returning next week according to the Grizz blog
He’s already returned. Came back last night.
I think with our lack of SF’s we’ll have huge problems keeping Luka from going Super Sayan. But Sabonis could feast inside.
It would be a matter of containing all the other Mavs.
It also seems that the Heat have a few steps on us…
You stop Luka and you stop the Mavs. Put Mitchell on him the whole game and watch him become frustrated,
People are way overrating Mitchell, I fear.
Also, hard to compensate for 5 inches and about 30 lbs.
A big one for me is can we encourage fans to get their butts in seats for the start of the game and third quarter! GoldenOne was rocking last night, but it’s always a bit jarring seeing the empty seats and the start of the game and after the half.
I noticed the same thing last night and have always wondered where everyone is at the start of the game. The second half makes sense at Golden One because they just don’t have enough places to drain the main vain LOL.
Not sure why that’s happening at G1C.
My wife and I attended the Kings/L*kers game at Crypto recently in LA and I am ashamed to admit that we didn’t arrive until the 9minute mark of the first quarter. I feel so Angeleno-esque. 🙁
I BLAME TRAFFIC!
But with regards to attendance, I imagine G1C is going to start selling out more consistently as the wins come along more consistently. There’s a lot of energy around this fan base, and I think people who haven’t been going to games want to experience that environment, to witness in person the fun of the laser beam and the crazy fans, bandaids, etc…
As some people are saying on Twitter…when the Kings actually become good, we are going to be crazy and obnoxious and loud and everyone will hear us.
Agreed, since the joint opened, it always looks like no one is in the lower bowl for most of the third quarter. I’d make any empty seat after the nine minute mark in the third up for grabs by anyone who wants to move down, unless the ticket holder can prove they had diarrhea.
Like, with a diarrhea receipt?
I understand now that t here is a graphic for everything.
But evidence of spatters would suffice.
Do you have anyone in mind who could be a receipt verifier?
The emptiness at the beginning of the 3rd quarter seems more excusable than the emptiness at the beginning of the 1st quarter to me. A lot of people use the bathroom at halftime.
Honestly don’t think this is all that uncommon. Even my Eagles fans seem to waddle slowly back to their seats at the start of Q3.
That was bad Marty
What happened to Donté?
https://twitter.com/JandersonSacBee/status/1592978894030004225
Fricking gas prices. Damn.
Seriously, though. So sad to see that.
Damn. I always liked Donte. Seemed like a lovable goofball (who maddeningly mirrored his game on Rashard Lewis).
There are some parallels between last season and this one. They had a perceived difficult start to the season only to go 5-4 in the first 9, with notable wins at PHX and at Portland. There was optimism within Kings fandom that “this year would be different”. At that time there were some outlier performances by Barnes (shooting the lights out), and to a lesser degree Hield. Then they proceeded to lose 8 of their next 9. Why might this year be different? We know Kvon won’t shoot over 50% from 3 all year. TD isn’t the flamethrower he’s shown early on a consistent basis. Is it too early to believe?
On another note, what is the longest winning streak the Kings have had during the 16 year playoff drought?