The Sacramento Kings are in bad shape. There are moments when they look so close to being a really good team, only to rip our hearts out again. The team continues to fail in the same, predictable ways, game after game, after game, after game. And when fans are (rightfully) frustrated, we begin looking for someone to blame. Fans seems split on who to blame right now, and the hard reality is that this franchise is failing on every level.
The Players
The Sacramento Kings players have not performed. Sloppy, careless turnovers have become a staple of Kings games. Players miss open shots. And the roster play lackadaisical until they’re down by at least double digits, only then deigning to care enough to play hard. It’s pathetic that this trend hasn’t been corrected by now. The players should be embarrassed, but apparently are immune to embarrassment or this issue would be resolved already. And to be clear, this is an issue with the entire roster but especially with the stars. De’Aaron Fox, fresh off his head coach calling him out, had yet another slow start, including taking only one shot in the opening minutes of the game yesterday as the Kings fell behind 15-2. Domantas Sabonis is the only one who seems to start games with enthusiasm, but he is just as guilty of becoming passive. He just saves his disappearing acts for later in the games. DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter…it falls on everyone.
The Coach
I don’t have much to add to what Tim outlined here. Mike Brown has failed to adapt, and he has failed to maximize this roster. His schemes and rotations are a major problem.
The Front Office
We have spent the last two years knowing the exact weaknesses with this roster, and Monte McNair has spent the last two years failing to address those weaknesses. The lack of rim protection is still an issue. The lack of size is still an issue. The lack of wings is still an issue. The lack of depth is still an issue. I know this isn’t NBA2K, and you can’t force teams to trade with you, but when every other team manages to make trades and you can’t get yours across the finish line, it eventually falls on you. Mike Brown may be failing to maximize this roster, but Monte has also consistently failed to acquire players who fit Brown’s scheme.
A quick tangent here as well to discuss DeMar DeRozan. I still think the DeRozan acquisition was a good move. DeRozan addressed needs that this team had. The Kings needed another player who could create his own shot. Adding DeRozan was smart. But it was one big move when this team needed multiple moves. Here’s what Tim wrote immediately after the trade:
The journey to balance the roster and build a competitive, sensible depth chart isn’t nearly complete, and no “Mission Accomplished” banners should be hung quite yet, but with multiple tradeable contracts, multiple first rounders, and the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions still at their disposal, Monte McNair and company should be able to make some additional splashes prior to training camp.
Instead, the Kings hung that Mission Accomplished banner and filled out the roster with some minimum contracts, none of which were rim protectors or true wing-sized defenders. The problems that were not addressed have remained problems.
Ownership
The final point of failure remains at the top. The Kings are an unserious, short-sighted franchise and that reflects the ambitions and attitude that Vivek Randivé has brought to this team since day one. The Kings were in constant pursuit of ending the playoff drought, and as great as it was to get over that hump the joy of a first round exit is fleeting. Now the franchise finds itself with barren cupboards and facing difficult decisions ahead. The paths that serious franchises would take seem out of reach. The Kings won’t make a big, expensive splash this summer to take the team to the next level, not with an owner who has never once paid luxury taxes, even when he had waived his revenue sharing and was very much in win-now mode. And the Kings are unlikely to endure any sort of planned step backwards or rebuild. Not when Vivek is chasing those first round playoff gate receipts and jacking up regular season ticket prices to levels that have driven many fans away. Threading a needle of “win THIS season no matter what, but do it cheap” is an impossible task. It results in mediocrity, and mediocrity is the worst place in the NBA for any franchise to be stuck.
To borrow from Section214:
Nice arena, though.
My favorite Sacramento-area restaurant is Raising Kangz.
Tell me you want this sh!t show blown up without telling me you want this sh!t show blown up.
Fox, MM, DDR and Domas would procure an epic haul to start building around KM, Ellis and DC.
All those picks to draft small guards!
Small, older guards.
I don’t really want to blow it up. I’d rather see the players step up, the coach adjust, the front office make moves to address the weaknesses, and for the owner to penny-pinching as he deludes himself into thinking MLB will let him have a team in Sacramento.
Living in LA, I’ve heard nothing about this, but if it’s true then “delusional” doesn’t begin to describe Vivek’s state. He has a well-deserved reputation for being a crap-ass NBA owner. Why he would think any other league would let him own a team is just mind-boggling. If he’s giving the Kings and their loyal fans the shaft by pursuing a pipe dream then we’re really screwed.
I agree. I just don’t see any of that happening.
Christmas wish list
This. Sums it up pretty well and doesn’t require a PHD to understand, well said.
To be frair, if the Kings are failing at all levels, it’s not where do you BEGIN to correct things, it’s where do you END to correct things. A minor tweak here or there is going to do much when the problems are systemic from top to bottom.
I think your article, in a way, makes an argument for blowing it up.
He sure seems to have bought into the A’s philosophy of roster management, though.
I’d settle for the players getting pissed when they lose instead of yukking it up with the other team and watching Fox dap up opposing players. What the hell is he doing going on Draymond’s podcast while his team is spiraling? There is zero “dog” in this team.
I agree for the most part. I don’t care so much about after the game; friends are friends. But during the game they aren’t your friends and this ain’t cordial. Domas seems to have enough fire, but the rest of the team…
And yeah, wtf with the podcast? Didn’t love hearing about that at all.
There have been a lot of questions on this site and other forums concerning a disconnect between the front office and the coaching staff. In thinking about that more, I can’t think of a time since Petrie and Adelman when the GM and front office were on the same page. Obviously Petrie and Adelman had years of familiarity prior to joining the Kings, and also pre existing relationship with coach Carrill. Petrie constructed a roster that was consistent with Adelman and Carrill’s coaching philosophy. When a trade or change was made, everyone was in lockstep. Adelman did a good job of accentuating the players’ strengths and mitigating their weaknesses and Petrie did a good job of addressing weaknesses in the roster. Again, maybe someone can point to another time, but I cannot think of another instance where the GM and coach were in concert for a significant period of time. I seriously doubt Brown was McNair’s choice. In fact I doubt many finalists for the job were his choice. (If Mark Jackson was one of his choices then he has no business being a GM) That doesn’t get Monte off the hook, but the disconnect between the front office and the coach is a problem. Whoever the next GM is needs to have absolute authority in hiring the coach. The players who are acquired need to match the coaching style.
I believe that Monte has had autonomy more than any other GM during Vivek’s stewardship, for the most part. Money, I think, is always an issue with Vivek more so than other owners in regards to how much a GM is allowed to spend. But within whatever budgetary framework he’s provided, his decisions aren’t threatened to be usurped just because the owner has a boner for, say Nick Stauskus, for example.
#SauceCastilloForever
Perhaps, but I do not believe he had ultimate authority on selecting the coach, regardless of what has been reported.
If Vivek was a major influence over any major basketball decision that ended in a net positive I’d be absolutely shocked. Because considering our roster and the available candidates I think he was the right guy at the time.
Curious why you’re questioning the GM autonomy (especially during his first off-season 3 months into the job,) was there a report about it or something?
Thank you!!!! I love this damn meme, I wish there were more scenes…lol
LOL thanks. I forgot about that GIF.
I’m sticking with my “hidden hand at work” theory that there is someone either in the ownership group or in the front office between the ranks of Monte and Vivek that is whispering decisions into Vivek’s ear to make personnel choices based on making more money for the franchise, thus blocking the GM from making autonomous decisions. Whether it is Martina Kolokotronis the COO or someone else is beyond me as there are about 215 people on the Kings Staff & Executives list. Did the decision to trade Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov and the 45th pick to the Raptors (on June 27th the 2nd day of the draft) truly come from Monte alone without any pressure from upper management, or was this part of Monte’s plan? Were they fully aware that Devon Carter would be getting surgery on July 11th and not even play until at least January when they made this personnel decision? Was the decision to acquire Demar Derozan on July 8th made to offset the Mitchell trade but one that Monte made with the understanding that he would be able to spend more money to get other impact players only to be cut off later by upper management?
The paragraph on “Ownership” pretty much says it all.
Yup, it kind of makes you sick to your stomach with the realization no matter what you may do below ownership, it may not make an ounce of difference if ownership cares more about lining their pockets than building a winning franchise.
Being a Washington Football fan, I’ve seen what it looks like getting rid of a trash owner.
Vivek is, and always has been a trash owner. He’s still the issue when it comes to winning basketball.
Even, James Fing Dolan knew enough to back off and facilitate winning.
Maybe Vivwreck needs a band.
Vivek and the Low Pays
VR & Under the Threshold
or …..
The Narcissists-Featuring Vivek
“Immune to embarrassment” is a super key phrase here. I’m so tired of seeing smiles and jokes and “aw shucks” after embarrassing losses. Does nobody have any pride? Somebody slam a chair into a locker, knock over a water cooler, something. Show this is not what it should be.
This. A thousand times this.
I guess the main focus is on the owner, the GM and coach and I understand that.
But we also have to look at the players.
And it starts with Fox, our franchise player who is soon up for a (Super)Max extension. And who recently has restated that he wants to stay in Sacramento but he wants to see inprovement. That was broadcasted after (but maybe recorded before?) his coach called him out to be better and after a heartbreaking loss to the Nuggest after a very lackluster opening quarter.
Last night Fox had 4 really bad (3 unforced) turnovers in the 4th quarter and allowed Christie an offensive board with just a horrible attaempt at a boxout.
That’s 5 squandered offensive possessions and 5 extra possessions for the oponent. At an average of roughly 1 point per possession, that’s about a 10 point swing in a relatively tight 4th quarter …
Here’s TO no. 1 – a total brainfart (hat tip to DutchKingsFanInUK).
Now TO’s no. 2 and 3. Especially the second one is horrible, just losing it on a lazy behind the back dribble.
And now that bizarre attempt at boxout that led to an offensive rebound and a half-assed lob entry pass (sorry the gif got cut off, but you see it happening).
This is basic stuff. If this was Keon or a Jones, he would be sitting on the pine after an earful. Fox (and Huerter) are not held accountable.
That’s your franchise player, at home, in the 4th quarter, against the hated Lakers, folks…
I appreciate you posting these gifs, definitely highlighting some problem areas.
I am wondering about the math though. Is it really 5 extra possessions on top of 5 squandered possessions? The turnovers are clearly squandered chances for the Kings O, but wouldn’t the Lakers get the possession no matter if the Kings scored or not? I agree the boxout is an extra possession, I just can’t wrap my head around how the turnovers result in an extra one.
I could definitely be wrong, but when you take a shot, you have a chance of a score, a foul call, or an offensive rebound. When you pass or drive, you have a chance of a foul call or, after a deflection, to secure the ball and continue the possesion.
When you turn it over (or concede an offensive rebound), you have zero chances of all these matters. You assuredly give the opponent another possession.
It makes a Kings possession wasted, that’s the issue. No time off the clock, and an the opposing team gets the ball right back. Basically the opponent gets a back to back possession, with the Kings having no chance of adding points on the board.
Oh boy!!! New article from Amick over at the Athletic on Fox and the Kings. He makes it sound like tension may be building.
Key take aways:
1) Rich Paul (Fox’s agent) was courtside at the Lakers game and was in town to talk with Monte.
2) Teams are monitoring Fox’s situation, the Spurs in particular.
Well worth the read: Amick: “Why De’Aaron Fox, struggling Kings hae entered the danger zone around star’s future.”
This was to be expected.
Rich Paul is flexing his muscles and leaking to the press.
Other teams will try to play hardball on the assumption that Fox wants out and Monte will have to trade him pennies on the dollar.
Monte leaking to the press that they are looking hard to improve the team to both appease Fox and to signal to other teams that they aren’t just letting him go. And probably whispering that teamns like thge Spurs have interest to increase Fox’s price.
The stress and distractions this causes won’t lead to better results. What a clusterfuck.
Trade him while you can and before this gets really ugly. Let him try and win in the shadow of a guy like Wemby. He’s a good no. 2 star.
If the Spurs really do have interest (I have my doubts), I’d hope Monte begins with Jeremy Sochan and Stephon Castle as musts in any deal. That being said, sending Fox to Texas helps the Spurs leapfrog the Kings in a rebuild and makes things all the harder for the Kings in the coming future. I’d imagine Monte would prefer to send him to the East if he had to trade him.
Yes, I doubt that they are really interested.
I don’t think Monte has the luxury of being slow, methodical and picky about which conference he’s trading with. IMO, he has to be purposeful and decisive and make a move before the situation goes south.
The chances that the situation realistically gets better quick are smaller than the opposite.
The Spurs make a ton of sense for Fox, Spurs and Kings.
Fox can play for a grown up franchise and learn from cp3.i
Spurs can expedite what they have with Wemby and try and compete in the near future.
Kings can obtain some of the Spurs young players, picks and perhaps the removal of the pick swap from the ddr trade.
Here’s one that works in the trade machine:
Kings to Spurs: Fox, C Jones, and Len or Robinson
Spurs to Kings: Castle, Sochan, and Collins
The Kings wind up with about 7.5M in additional cap space, and I’d ask for at least a first round pick and our pick swap back as well.
Might as well swing for the fences:
Kings get: Castle, Sochan, Johnson, Collins
Spurs get: Fox, Huerter, Lyles
Sprinkle in draft capital as you will.
I love Fox, we may have a few more games ahead to get right, else it will get worse. However we have have him through next year, no rush to trade him asap?
I wlll say, that right now Monte can talk with 29 other GMs about Fox, but if things really begin to sour in the coming months, Fox may list specific desired destinations that he will only sign an extension with. That will possibly limit Monte’s returns.
Hypothetically speaking, if Fox says he only sign an extension with a contender, that removes rebuilding teams from the table who may have a ton of draft capital and young prospects that Monte may desire.
Yup.
I posted these 2 GIFs last year, let’s hope Mike Brown lets Keon just fking play
But other than that, it’s all good! Seriously, why can’t this team just function normally ONE TIME!!! It’s crazy.
Kangz move in mysterious ways.
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