The Sacramento Kings, coming off what looked like a get-right win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, couldn’t overcome a tryptophan hangover and put forth a sloppy effort against the Portland Trail Blazers. The final score of 115-106 doesn’t really show how thoroughly the Blazers dominated the Kings in the second half, as Portland was comfortably in control and the Kings looked truly lost. This was a sloppy effort from Sacramento, fill with unforced errors and unmade shots, while allowing the Blazers to get to the rim with ease. There are some positive individual performances in this one, but even those come with caveats. There’s no sugarcoating this one, no silver linings, no excuses. This was a bad loss. Mike Brown’s schemes aren’t working, the players look out of sync on both sides of the ball, and the players look mentally defeated right now. I don’t know how the Kings turn this around in the short term, but they need to find some answers quickly.
Some thoughts and observations from this game:
More Turnovers Than A Bakery
The turnovers in this game were atrocious. Sloppy passes. Attempts at fancy passes for no goddamn reason. Malik Monk, Domantas Sabonis, and De’Aaron Fox each had 5 turnovers. The Kings as a team had 20. The Blazers had 24 points off turnovers. As I said before, the game was not as close as the final score makes it look (I’m not sure Chauncey Billups knows total point spread matters in Cup play), but if the Kings had protected the ball they might have actually had a chance in this one. And not to discredit the Blazers defense, but the Blazers had 10 steals, so half of the Kings turnovers were unforced errors. Sloppy, ugly execution. I know the Kings are using guys who haven’t played with this roster much, and I know the lineups are discombobulated due to injuries, but these turnovers looked like what you’d expect in a preseason game, not the 20th game of the season.
Injuries Suck
Kevin Huerter left the game in the first half with an ankle injury. No official updates yet. Hopefully he just turned it and will be back soon. Despite his shooting struggles this season, the Kings can’t afford to lose any more depth right now.
The Kings were once again without DeMar DeRozan, as he continues to deal with his back injury. It would really be nice if the Kings could put together any significant stretch of time with the whole team healthy.
Domas Triple Double
Domantas Sabonis, despite the turnover issues I mentioned above, had a very solid game overall. 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, plus a steal and a block. How can I call a triple double just a solid game? Well, the turnovers were just that bad, and Domas went quiet in the second half. 18 of his 21 points were in the first half. Portland made adjustments and focused on shutting down Sabonis inside, and it worked. Deandre Ayton has always given Sabonis trouble, and Domas shrunk from the fight inside in the second half.
Malik Means Buckets In Arabic
Malik Monk came into this game shooting 30.9% from 3 for the season. After this game he is shooting 35.7% from 3 for the season. Monk made 8 of 15 threes en route to a team high 29 points. He also had 9 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Monk tried to get too flashy with some of his passes, leading to his aforementioned 5 turnovers, but that’s the Malik Monk experience. He’s gonna have some messy turnovers, but you forgive him because of everything else he can do. Monk brings such a spark off the bench, it’s truly special to watch when he’s going off.
Fox has a very good down night
We’re rapidly reaching a point where De’Aaron Fox irrevocably raises my expectations for him. Fox had 22 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. 20-5-5 seems like a floor for Fox at this point, and I don’t want to ever take things like that for granted. That’s a really productive night for any NBA player, and yet if you watched this game you wouldn’t walk away impressed with Fox. 5 turnovers, and 1-6 from beyond the arc. It was a bad outing by the standard Fox has taught us to expect, but it’s still a pretty solid night. I appreciate that Fox’s bad games are still pretty dang good.
I love Isaac Jones
Isaac Jones had a really fun 20 minutes off the bench. He had 7 points and 4 rebounds, nothing that jumps off the page, but Jones’ presence jumps off the screen. He’s big, athletic, and active. He rolls to the rim hard and is a good lob threat. He should be a consistent part of Sacramento’s rotation going forward, and it baffles me that Mike Brown hasn’t used him more before this. There’s a lot to criticize Monte McNair about with this roster, but he might have found another undrafted gem.
Jae Crowder didn’t fix the Kings
It turns out that Jae Crowder didn’t fix everything. But he still seems like a pretty solid addition. 10 points, 2 rebounds, and a steal in 21 minutes of action. Crowder is just a solid role playing forward, and the Kings really needed another one of those. It’s far from ideal that he’s needed as a starter right now, though.
Keegan is broken
This might be the worst game of Keegan’s Kings career. If there was a worse one, I don’t remember it off the top of my head. Keegan played 29 minutes and finished with 3 points on 1-9 shooting. His only basket came with 1:30 left in the 4th, with the game already decided. Oddly enough after all the wide open threes Keegan has missed, his made three was with a defender right in his face. I still believe in Keegan Murray but this slump has gone on way too long, and I don’t know how the Kings can get him out of this funk.
There’s no defense for this defense
Mike Brown’s defensive scheme is completely broken. All season (and really ever since Mike Brown arrived in Sacramento) the scheme has the Kings selling out to protect the paint and give up the three point line. It’s led to opponents shooting above average from 3 against the Kings for over two years now. And yet, despite that emphasis, the Kings gave up 64 points in the paint in this game. The Blazers were without Donovan Clingan, without Jerami Grant, without Scoot Henderson, and without Matisse Thybulle, and none of that mattered. The Blazers got to the paint and scored with ease. Ayton had 26 points, Deni Avdija had 20, Anfernee Simons had 21, Delano Blanton had 17, Shaedon Sharpe had 14, and Toumani Camara had 11. That’s 6 Blazers, including every starter, in double digit scoring. The Kings actually won the three point battle in this game, both in percentage and total makes, and it still did not matter. Opponents know exactly what the Kings are going to try to do defensively, and they know how to beat it. The scheme does not fit the personnel, the front office has not added personnel to fit the scheme, and the coaching staff won’t adjust the scheme.
The Kings need to adapt or die, and they seem intent on dying.
Up Next
The Kings host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, December 1st at 6:00 PM PT
Greg, how do you think the Kings fix this?
Greg, do you think the Kings fix this?
Remember, the difference between fix & fucks is Kangz.
As long as they have butts in seats, to go along with some of the highest ticket prices in the league, while maintaining a bottom 10 payroll, they are content with their business venture. If it ain’t cash broke, why fix it?
These high ticket prices are a shameless disgrace.
They’re a traveshamockery.
Don’t go to the games. Honestly don’t know how people afford it.
I live in the Netherlands. I hope to come and catch a game one time in the future. The ticket prices will be a drop in the ocean.
Wow, the Netherlands must be even more expensive than CA.
When comparing tickets to the overall cost of travelling to CA from the Netherlands the tickets are nothing.
Exactly, that was my point.
I have paid for that trip before.
By the way, the Netherlands is beautiful and more expensive than California but for different reasons.
I don’t think they have the full house they used to consistently. James Ham even mentioned it on the radio that they’re like 2000 short a night. The price is ridiculous for how crappy of a team this is. Not to mention how bad they are at protecting home court.
The arena itself isn’t a draw anymore either with how much they’ve blocked off the open areas with makeshift seats.
If they continue to be at the bottom of the conference, than I think we’ll quickly start seeing an empty arena.
16,849 average attendance for the Kings home games this season.
17,927 in the 23-24 season
17,451 in the 22-23 season.
Down nearly 1,000 less this season. Want to make the ownership take note of the displeasure with the product? Stop showing up to games.
100% agree. The biggest thing that will bring prices down is if fans aren’t showing up. If the team isn’t good enough to keep the arena full at higher prices, the prices should fall.
If the market is actually the ticket prices. Been paying for season tickets for quite some time. They never go down. Does not matter how good the team is or how full the arena is.
Not trying to make excuses for the Kings ticket prices, they are definitely overpriced, but I feel like this ignores important context.
4 of the top 6 teams for average ticket cost are in California, the other two are the Knicks and Celtics. Geography (and by extension general cost of living) and team success are two big factors in cost, and one of those never be in Kings fans’ favor.
But the one that gets me is citing bottom 10 payroll. Kings are 21st in payroll, so you are correct that it is bottom 10. But the DeRozan S&T limits what they can spend, and taxpayer penalties in the new CBA make it prudent to avoid the tax. The Kings payroll, per Spotrac, is $171M. The Clippers, with a far wealthier owner and the 16th ranked payroll, are at $177M, so it’s not like there’s a massive spread between being “bottom 10” and being middle of the pack.
Of note, the Magic, Thunder, and Rockets all have lower payrolls. It’s not what you spend, its how you spend it.
I think it’s also important to note that those 3 teams you mentioned at the end went through proper rebuilds with picks and youth who are on rookie scale deals. Their payrolls are set to balloon when their young guys come up for extensions, but they are also currently better than Kings.
The Kings are capped out with the DeRozan deal, and will be even more hindered with a possible Fox extension. They are also one of the oldest teams in the league (I think they are the 5th oldest now).
Both of those just come down to nailing the draft. Kings have had misses, and even when they hit they have trended toward drafting older players.
Definitely a Monte trend, but it’s a win now trend. He’s been selecting playable now pieces instead of youth. Upperclassmen in the lottery is his schtick. He drafts like a late first round contender.
Vivek’s wallet is his problem. Pay the tax and get us a winning team. Many owners do it regularly. They drop below the tax knowing they are not competing for a ring that year.
After this year the first-year penalty will be lower than before, but the repeater taxes are much higher. Since the Kings don’t have that much ability to spend over the tax this year anyway (since they are hard capped at the first apron by the DeRozan trade), it really doesn’t make sense to go into the tax unless a perfect trade opportunity comes along. Teams with true title aspirations should be willing to spend the tax, and should be willing to spend on the repeater too, but being realistic about the Kings chances it makes sense not to go into the tax this year.
As for “pay the tax and get us a winning team”, the Timberwolves have the highest payroll and are half a game ahead of us in the standings. The Suns are 2nd and currently 9th in the West. 3rd is the Bucks, who are .500 right now. Spending doesn’t automatically make you win.
All good points Greg and I always appreciate the conversation.
I am at the point in which Vivek owes us a team. If he goes ten million over the cap next week to get a power forward he has done something intelligent from a fan perspective. Many teams have gone all in to get there. Some have failed.
Minnesota might be wasting money but looking at the roster they made an honest attempt at winning. Their ownership should be commended for doing that.
Spending does not always equal winning but it is typically associated with teams that do win. Not spending rarely is associated with winning.
Vivek has a clearly flawed roster. His money is his problem.
I am in agreement, if the opportunity comes up to add a true impact player to take this team to the next level, the team should do it even if it pushes them into the tax. Don’t spend just to spend, but don’t be afraid to spend on good opportunities.
Yes. Pretend to be an intelligent owner that knows what talent is and will pay for it.
Tickets are a fraction of revenue. The media deals make the money. The arena can be empty and Vivek is ok.
Depends what you mean by “fix this”. At this point I’d be surprised if the Kings were better than a play-in team, but I still expect them in the mix for play-in/playoffs. Despite everything that’s happened, the Kings are still just 2.5 games outside the 6th seed. The West is brutal but it’s brutal for everyone. If the Kings get healthy, if the shooting gets back to expected levels, they still have the ability to have a successful season. We’ve said it before but it remains true, simply shooting league average from 3 would have won the Kings a handful of extra games already and would completely change the way we’re talking about this season.
Solid point. I simple return to the mean would have this team looking a whole lot better. I just don’t know if that will happen in time, or even happen at all.
Eventually Keegan will average ten or he will be replaced.
“the Kings are still just 2.5 games outside the 6th seed”
best comment on this site in days.
This is what I would do.
#1 Trade Murray, Colby Jones and 2 seconds to the Rockets for Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.
#2 Trade Huerter, Lyles, and Keon Ellis with a first and second to the Nets for Cam Johnson and Day Ron Sharpe.
Starters: Fox, Johnson, Derozan, Eason and Sabonis. Backups: Carter/McLaughlin, Monk, Amen Thompson, I. Jones/ Crowder, Sharp.
You now have offense and defense. Playing Johnson at SG gives you really good 3 point shooting. Tari Eason gives you a great motor defense next to Sabonis and can shoot the 3. Off the bench Thompson is a really good defender probably better than Ellis. He is also a really good rebounder and can replace Johnson at the 2. Sharp( he does have some injury issues) is a really good backup to Sabonis. Plays with a high motor can defend the rim and a real good rebounder. Up grade over Len.
I love the idea of that, especially the Rockets trade, but the Rockets are not trading Amen. Probably the most athletic player in the NBA with potential to be a prime K. leonard level defensive stopper.
They will trade Amen because they get Murray.
I don’t know if Murray is better than Thompson. That’s how bad Murray has been this season.
Are you really comparing Amen to Murray? Amen is 4 years younger and already more inpactful that Murray. Not happening.
Yes I am and if you go to any comparison charts you will find Murray ahead in almost all categories.
Why didn’t Monte think to trade all our underperforming players for really good players.
Love how you turned over the roster. Great idea and definitely needed.
Reminds me of watching kindergartners eat lunch. Trading cooked carrots from the re warmed school kitchen for a bag of Goldfish.
No better to sign some more deck chairs come Dec. and hope to get out of the play in.
What deck chairs?
Houston is not giving us their whole team. You should go tho their fan site.
I like the trades. Unfortunately I don’t think they are realistic. Amen is a stud. Definitely part of the Rockets fantastic young core. Def not going anywhere.Eason, Sheppard,’and Smith probably could be had for the right deal though.
I think the Nets will get more for Cam.
Lyles and Ellis won’t get you much. The picks will be late firsts and not too sure any team wants to pay 17 mil per.
For a spot shooter who can’t even do that currently. And pretty bad defensively as well. Think the Kings are really stuck with kev, at least this year
Ideally, seeing Fox end up in Orlando or Hou would be nice.
A Suggs, Issac For Fox
A Sheppard, Eason and Smith for Fox
With Devin Carter being groomed to start along Suggs
or a Carter, Sheppard backcourt
I also am very much in the minority. But I think Zion will be avail at a discount. I only think he could thrive in a strict culture. Meaning the Spurs and Heat. Which would stipulate strict contract regiments to keep him in shape and healthy.
Nice recrap, Greg. Watching the tape of these games must be like watching an eclipse – don’t look right at it!
An appropriate Black Friday effort. The Kings took up to 50% of the game off!
Man this team has gone from must see TV to must flee TV in a nanosecond. Completely lost. From compelling to repelling in the blink of an eye.
Smite The Beam!
I mentioned the other day that Isaac Jones reminded me of Kenneth Faried. I’ve changed that stance and realized he’s more Richaun Holmes. They way he rolls to the basket, jumps, and even runs the floor feel like the PnR Holmes the Kings had with Hali. Maybe Monk and Jones can find some of that magic.
I just posted in the post game thread, that this team would be at a 6 game losing streak if it won’t for Monk and Fox going absolutely bonkers in the 4th against Minny. It took their near perfect Herculean effort to gut out that win. The team, however, is playing like a 6 game losing streak.
I don’t care if he got a contract extension, but Brown has to be on the hot seat. Monte would likely throw him under the bus before he makes any major roster moves. Hell, trade season doesn’t “officially” open for another two weeks. The Kings could be dead in western waters by then. Interim had coach Triano doesn’t instill much confidence in me anyway.
If Brown is on the hot seat and then fired, you are basically signalling to Fox that you’re fucked and he’s better off elsewhere.
Better then to blow it up straight away and start over.
Question is, do you trust Monte to lead that process?
Monte won’t get a chance to blow it up – that will be up to the next GM.
Yes, that’s my thought as well.
Perhaps Mr. Divac will get a chance to lead the rebuild as a consultant in conjunction with Vivek’s daughter.
It’s only downhill from here my friends, we had the light the beam year and it’s been trash ever since. Vivek is due for some fukery.
I can see that happening. Seeing that chainsmoker still
sitting on the sideline really bothers me.
You are probably right in terms of Fox. If you fire Brown and wash your hands of the season, you likely have to move Fox or you face the real scenario of him walking.
As to Monte, I trust him more than I trust Brown or Vivek. Totally spitballed, but maybe there is a long term method to him drafting guards over the past few years, because knows what he inevitably may have to do.
If Monte goes Brown goes. Please don’t label Isaac as Richaun Holmes. He was cool for a few months then he was a KaNG through and through.
You mean for a couple of years. I really liked Holmes. He had a motor that didn’t quit This team needs more of Richaun Holmes.
1.5 seasons we will say. His game went to shit and still has never come back,
I am a Deni fan/stan, so I follow the Blazers closely. I heared – and then asked – some views on the Kings. Sometimes it’s good to get a less biased outside perspective (that isn’t the Kings-hating national press).
Here are the more interesting ones, IMO.
Seems similar to what is said is here.
Was just about to post the same thing.
Mostly yes, although the “Star with Size” thing is something we haven’t discussed, I believe. Can in this day and age your franchise player be a 6″3 guard?
Also shows that one of the main needs of this team (rim protection) are even obvious to outsiders. Monte dropped the ball there.
I think so. Warriors made it work ad ATL has done better with Young than the Kings have with Fox, but it all comes down to supporting cast and fit.
So if Fox is to be kept, who is the “star with size” that they can get, and what will that cost?
No clue.
It may come down to Fox or Sabonis, which I’m guessing these threads would be pretty torn on. All I know is one is contractually locked up for years, while the other is not.
One thing I found interesting from those Rik quotes above from Blazers fans: “almost everyone has a Fox.” I paused on that and realized all 30 teams have guys that can get 40 points on a nightly basis. Guys like LaVine, Booker, Mitchell, etc. It’s an offensive league in that way. However, not every team has a big who can lead the league in rebounds and triple-doubles.
To put it another way, Sabonis has the skillset to make role players around him better. Fox, however, is a guy that gets you a ton of points and will single handedly win you some games, but I’m not sure he’s a sum is greater than the parts kind of guy. Both have their flaws, but I don’t know if their strengths are complimentary at this point.
It would be some fun times on this site if/when we get there.
We see Domas limitations, and he is difficult to build around. We also see where he excels, as he has a unique skill set.
Fox gets buckets and plays decent defense, but he also needs certain types of players around him to be successful.
My biggest hesitation with keeping Fox long-term is what happens if age or injury robs him of his speed (a la John Wall)?
Domas relies much less on speed, athleticism or high jumping.
Agreed, that is a factor for sure. I’ll say this, playing him 40 minutes a night and relying on his heroics isn’t giving me any more confidence in an injury free future.
The John Wall commitment to the game, and lifestyle (so it has been said by some) are as much to account for his downfall as his game – and I don’t think that can be applied to De’Aaron Fox who has been a consummate professional from the start.
The guy just popped a 60 followed by a 49 and is a top ten NBA scorer. Where he is two or three seasons or more seasons from now doesn’t seem a priority, to me, at least.
Massive concern. Things look good so far this year, but I’m not sure how his age 30 and beyond seasons go…and he already had declines in efficiency last season.
Worth noting that even with his 3P struggles, Fox’s efficiency is back up big time this year. 2022-23 was his most efficient year of his career, and this season he’s very close to those same numbers even with two extra attempts per game.
2022-23: .599 TS%, .557 eFG%
2024-25: .598 TS%, .551 eFG%
Yeah, Fox isn’t the issue. DeRozan addition muddied the offense up, and the coaching staff hasn’t figured out how to make it all work yet.
If they can figure out how to effectively incorporate DeRozan more effectively, then things will begin to look better. 20 games and that hasn’t happened yet.
Decent defense.
Don’t set the bar too high.
I was setting no bar. Just said he plays decent defense.
I understand that no bar has been set for defense. About time we did set a bar for defense. Decent defense is not an attribute that should be sought.
You set whatever bars you want.
Defense required.
Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!!!
Respect!
Yeah, that quote is indeed an eye opener. Fox is special to us, but not necessarily a special NBA player.
I disagree. Yes, many teams have a guy who can go off for 40. Few have players who can be as consistent as Fox has become. He’s top 10 in scoring, can get to the rim in a way most players cannot, and he’s become a consistently good defender. He’s a special NBA player.
He has shown improved consistency this season, and appears less determined to (over)shoot the 3.
If he played for another team, Kings fans would covet him. He is also a nice well adjusted appearing gentleman with a lovely family.
And he is loyal to Sacramento. That shouldn’t be undervalued, IMO.
The later is very true. He and his family are a blessing to the city of Sacramento.
As to basketball and his “covetness” (is that a word?), is he anymore desirable than a guy like Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, or Tyrese Maxey because I don’t see a whole lot of separation from him and them. None of those guys have any business being the best player on their teams, especially if you want to be a good basketball team.
Maxey and Fox are considerably better than LaVine or Murray.
Considerably? I don’t think they are that far apart. What does Fox do better than LaVine or Murray that makes him considerably better?
Score
And Trae, or LaMelo, or Jalen Green, or Shaedon Sharpe/Anfernee Simons, or Tyler Herro, or Darius Garland, or Cade Cunningham or Cam Thomas.
To me:
Brunson, Ja, Booker, Spida Mitchell, Dame, Kyrie (and Ty Maxey, and maybe Ty Hali who is down atm)are his comps presently.
Just my opinion based on what those players do and how they’d fit on Sac and vice versa. Many of the comps are older or more often injured.
The major difference for me, those guys you just mentioned have carried teams on their backs deep into the playoffs. They are proven winners. Fox, unfortunately, hasn’t proven that, thus the LaVine, Dejounte, Maxey comparisons. They all can score the hell out of the ball, but not all can lead their teams.
Glaringly solid point- Hard to argue that
And just as De’Aaron has stated, diplomatically, IMO, that he is waiting to see where SAC goes this season – because it is a thing to say more pleasing than – I’m goin’ get paid and more is better. But to put superstar money in a superstar light – leading (or if needed, dragging) your team into the playoffs for a few rounds is a level of worthiness we have yet to see. He is a version of Karl Anthony-Towns otherwise.
It’s the main thing I worry about when it comes to giving him a max extension, of even the super max if he makes all-nba.
Let’s say he makes the later, but the Kings continue on this year’s trajectory of mediocrity. Do you give a guy who has played 8 years, and not once won a playoff series, one of the largest contracts in NBA history?
SAC Tax rears it’s head….
Mos’ def. (what choices do you have? Trading him for the money, a la KAT? Easier said then done, for the same reasons, you list above. Sellers must have buyers).
That’s the dilemma.Do you give him all that money hoping he’s the guy or trade him now before the max and see what you can get?
I think you summed it up nicely.
Fox is easier to replace than Domas.
I think Curry is a bit of an outlier and Atlanta has peaked once and then fizzled.
Do you think the Kings can be a contender with Fox as their number one player?
And one other thought; I saw how Monk was constantly feeding Domas with the pick & roll and I kept asking myself: “How much of a similar connection has Fow with Domas”? I don’t think Fox is freezing Domas out but he just doesn’t seem to be a good passer in the pick & roll.
I wonder how much assisted FG’s of Domas came from Fox and how much from Malik.
I don’t think Fox has ever really excelled in the PnR. He either attacks the rim or pulls up for the mid-range off of the pick.
Do you think the Kings can be a contender with Fox as their number one player?
No way. I put that on here a LONG time ago and got roasted.
IMO, Fox and Sabonis are very good, not great. I do think either of them could be the second best player on a contender. Basically, we have two Robins and no Batman and very little else.
Not hating on them just being honest about how good they are.
Fox is not a good passer for an NBA point guard. He is not a traditional point guard, more of a two who handles the ball a lot.
He has one true, super elite trait, getting to the paint and finishing. That is the one thing he is special at.
Monk is a better distributor than Fox.
Once Fox loses his quick first step he is barely in the NBA.
I am an Avdija advocate as well. Wish the Kings had him. He’s doing well for the Blazers, though. He’ll be better once they trade Jerami Grant.
I watched that mess last night.
It started out so right – the 1st Q was filled with many missed open looks, yet the Kings still dropped 30, which is my benchmark for this squad, quarter to quarter. That was how 2022-2023 Beam Team rolled. Seems a distant memory, now. I thought it odd Coach Brown started substituting at the 8 minute mark in the 1st, but okay. You could see them trying to get Keegan going from the start, but he clanked 3 open looks from the 3 line and you could sense his confidence just drain after that. Brown pulled him for a bit as he seemed into his own misery, even affecting his defense. It affected Kris it seemed. This is the same guy who hit 11 3s in a row last season, en route to a 47 point outing? He appears to be slip, sliding away. Is Huerter’s Syndrome contagious?
The 2nd quarter onward, a different group took over.
Watching this season, I have come to expect a down quarter. But this was a down 3 quarters. Poor execution, poor shooting and a round of Chris Burman’s fumbling, rumbling, bumbling rings in my head. The turnovers! G-League level stuff. This is a veteran team that looks unsure and discombobulated that can’t find their combobulation. I couldn’t open TKH until now,
I like this squad of players, but they are an out of control rollercoaster. The Bucks, Timberwolves, and Kings are veteran teams that are all spinning out of control. There are 62 games left- the race is far from over.
Please, no desperate moves. No wholesale moves. Mike Brown is not going anywhere, and IMO, shouldn’t be dismissed. Just my opinion, but let the season play out. The talent is there.
If they end 30-52 or a 35, 40 win team the handwriting will be clear enough. But not 20 games in.
It’s the Coach’s job to put his players in the best possible positions to succeed. Brown isn’t doing that. Whether changes to the coaching staff are needed, or the personnel needs to change, I don’t suspect anything big because this organization is risk averse and doesn’t want the negative attention on them (we saw that last offseason with the Brown negotiations. National media gave the Kings crap for not paying Brown what he wanted, when he wanted, and within a couple days the deal was made)
I don’t think Vivek has what it takes to be in the position he is in. He wants to be seen as this great ambassador and leader, but he really is just a bad leader of an NBA franchise.
Vivek is a billionaire. He is qualified.
With our current roster and availability what should Brown have differently last night?
OMG! I just realized that I am needing to dust off the collar and vestments for the return of…
&ct=g
The Patience Preacher!
(I took a STR, then full Kings sabbatical the last time, and it delayed my return so long that I missed birth of TKH)
You think that Brown, even taklng into account the holes in this roster, is doing a good job? That he is utilizing his players properly? Making good ingame adjustments? Handling rotations and minutes properly?
I don’t believe, unless we see a total collapse that Coach Brown will be shown the exit. Monte will be excused before then, IMO (and replaced with Wes Welker – and not a Ranadive, gulp, I hope)
That would be a redux of the Michael Malone, Ty Corbin, George Karl fiasco.
Nobody wants to see that. And where does that leave you on replacements? Both short and long term.
A sticky wicket. A quagmire of chaos. A rudderless ship captained by… The 4 on 5, Jazz Genius dismissive little chap from M.I.T. who learns from his mistakes.
Just, No. Not at the 20 game mark. In Sacramento. Oy Vey iz mir. It’s meshuganer. Please no. We’re Kings fans. And you- doubled up on the Browns. You weren’t expecting a smooth and easy ride up the road to winning, were you?
Were you?
TKH – commiseration central. We’ll get through it all together.
Just like always.
Hope is a wondrous and exciting idea. I am all for it. And in regards to this team, in this city, at this time, with this owner/governor-
I expect more and better. but that’s it.
It is not on fire. Could be ok?
A Kings fan perspective.
l thought the DHO was the answer to all problems basketball?
Are we really screwed?
Sure it worked the first year Brown took over but now every team and coaches in the league know how to defend it, Don’t abandon it all together but change things up. Put new wrinkles that keep the other teams and coaches quessing.
There are fourth graders that stop a dribble hand off more than 90% of the time. When in motion the players end up there especially with a center in the high post go for it,
The more I see the less impressed I am.
I don’t think he is good at in game decisions or adjustments. Until just recently he has been stubborn to a fault about his rotations. Feels like playing the bench players more now is an act of desperation.
Injuries have forced him to change the rotation. Just like last season.
Yes. I don’t see MB being proactive on making adjustments to the rotations and minutes. It is almost all reactive.
Huerter, for example, has mostly struggled since a good first year here. And he kept trotting him out until just recently.
MB could definitely benefit from having more of a what have done for me lately approach.
Who is short on minutes?
Mclaughlin?
McDermott?
Colby?
What’s worst right now?
A) A turd in a punch bowl
B) A fart in church
C) Having to watch the Kings (or Kangz) at this point in time
D) Paying Fox a super max.
Do you really think that’s the answer. You sure are hampering Mony’s decisions to go out and get Fox help. He would be strangled with no money left.
So you also want to trade Fox before we over pay him?
Max deal is how Fox stays here. That is his only reason to stay here.
Blow it up!
Trade Fox while you can and anybody else on the roster.
You can obtain a haul for Fox, Domas, Monk and DDR. Usher in a true rebuild like OKC and HOU did.
I know it won’t happen, but it should happen.
I’ll keep saying it, once you give Fox that supermax, this franchise and any chance at competing for a title is fk’d for a half decade. They’ll be too much cap space tied to Fox and Domas, two extremely good but flawed players that give you a medioce floor and low cieling.
Amen. The big picture is that there is no path to being a championship contender with our top players taking up as much of the cap as they are and having no other significant assets. Even if they get things figured out and are a 5 or 6 seed, it think that’s our ceiling for the foreseeable future. A 5 or a 6 seed doesn’t cut it for me.
Indeed, now is the time for Vivek and MM to grow a pair and make a big boy decision. We have a loaded draft. Obtain capital now and bottom out this season.
Fox and Ox will never make a WCF together.
100%
I’m pretty sour on this season. It seems as if all parts of the organization have failed in their own way. The whole is much less than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, when that occurs in the NBA, you devalue your players as assets, making it harder to turn things around.
With respect to attendance, I have had trouble selling upper level tickets. The team is working some deal with Ticketmaster and selling its own allotment without fees, making my tickets less competitively priced. I’d bet other season ticket holders aren’t feeling great about renewing.
The team is just so deeply conservative and risk averse and somewhat old fashioned in its approach (Derozan and to some extent Sabonis are old school player types). We don’t draft young guys or athletes, perhaps because we lack confidence in our ability to develop skills.
This is a 40-42 win team. Our top guys are 2 years older, and for young guys and assets, we have one injured late lottery pick and a deeply underperforming Keegan.
I hear “don’t make any irrational moves”. I think the risk lies on the other end of the spectrum. We’ve stayed the course and regressed. Houston and San Antonio were 22-60 during the Beam Team season. The Mavs and Thunder were sub .500. Where is this team going, realistically, in the West over the next 2-3 years?
STH here as well. It has been no fee November from what I hear. Maybe in December fees come back and your situation improves? Luckily I don’t have to sell my tickets. That is often a pain in the ass in which Ticketmaster wins all the time.
Phoenix made bold and crazy moves that did not initially work out and they managed their way through it to success. As fans we expect too little from Vivek and Monte. We worry about Vivek’s wallet. I don’t care if he pays the worlds largest luxury tax. Monte has the problem of getting a roster. He can go big and gamble then figure out the next season. Time to dump at least fifty percent of this roster. Go get a solid veteran line up and try to win now. Drafting and developing takes years and that is not how the great teams are doing it.
Staying the course. This team
healthy no better than a play in.
i see the Spurs and Blazers passing the Kings as early as next year.
Spurs will pass the Kings this year
There’s a lot of talk about blowing this team up which I get. But it makes me feel bad for Malik Monk who chose to resign here. I know it’s a business but I hope if they do decide to blow it up that he eventually gets traded to a good situation.
I’ve been critical and skeptical of McNair as a GM but the Monk signing was one of his best moves. Monks been a joy to watch here and a hell of a professional.
I think we trade Fox and use Monk as the starting point guard or the starting two.
I said the same thing on here about a year ago. Fox went through a hot stretch and I said trade Fox and make Monk the starting point.
Been a Kings issue for decades now, they don’t have the guts to trade high on their very best players. So they almost always end up selling low.
I’n a Raider and Kings fan.
Fox is reminding me of Carr. You have this good but not elite player at the most important position for almost a decade with one or two playoff appearances and no playoff wins.
At a certain point, a player just is what he is, it’s year 8 for Fox ffs. Carr got 9 years with the Raiders. Carr went on to the Saints and is the same player still, I imagine it would be the same with Fox if we moved on from him.
An even more apt example might be comparing the Fox and Cousin’s eras.
Cousins had 7 or 8 years as well.
Sometimes it’s just time to move on.
Good comparison. Fox has enough years left if he goes somewhere with a winning culture. He won’t be the man but he will contribute.
Fox has not and will not will here. Going straight to the Kings prohibited him from learning how to win in the NBA.
Move Fox for another point guard and a power forward. Build around Sabonis. We have Monk, Derozan, and Crowder to be the vets with a presence and skills.
Rebuild this team with a goal in mind and a basic plan on how to get there. Let the coach and his staff have his input on the way to get there. If Brown is not the long term guy get rid of him now.
Does Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac get done?
They are both an improvement. I think we can roll the dice on those two or many other combos.
That is real wishful thinking. I would look into trading the entire quad: Fox, Boner, Keeg and Derozen.
Plenty of teams with nice young assets and draft pick options avail now: Rockets, Pels,’Heat, Raptors, Nets, Magic, OKC probably would love to have Boner back. Fox can go back home to Hou or Miami’s excellent weather and team culture.
I am afraid this team will still hover around .500 come dead line. Make another fringe bench move and hope for good attendance.
At the end of the day, it comes down to Vivek. I don’t think he cares much about winning a championship as opposed to making a dollar.
Vivek is still the last line of decision making here. The fact he brought back Vlade is mind numbing. I could care what pseudo responsibility he has.
This upcoming draft is absolutely stellar. About 10-15 players starting quality deep.
If this is a year to blow up, this is it.