In Malik Monk, the Kings now have one point guard on the roster tasked with largely facilitating the offense and scoring heavily. Even though he is a good passer, Monk is a more natural fit as a shooting guard, which is going to make running plays and scoring in the half court consistently a challenge. The team will need to figure out where the pick and roll game plays into the half court, and probably most importantly, how much it is possible to efficiently incorporate it with the current roster construction. This likely means more reliance on isolation.
As you can imagine, this isn’t an easy task to solve midseason with several new players and lineups. In the meantime, to win games the Kings might have to focus on being highly efficient in creating opportunities for and executing in fast-paced transition opportunities. That typically starts with defensive stops, something the current roster makeup between Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Monk doesn’t lend itself to.
That being said, following the win over the Pelicans, LaVine talked about how transition play is going to be key.
“In the halfcourt, we’ll figure that out,” LaVine said. “But that takes more time, I think as long as we get out in transition, get easier shots, take what the defense is giving us.”
The last three games since the De’Aaron Fox trade, while a small sample size, shows some indications about how reliant the Kings are going to need to be on strong transition play.
In the win over the Pelicans, the Kings had 28 fast break points, 27 points off turnovers and 56 points in the paint. Combine that with 10 steals, a +12 rebounding advantage, holding the Pelicans to 38% from three and the picture of transition execution comes into focus.
Big caveat: The Pelicans aren’t as good as the Orlando Magic or the rising Portland Trail Blazers, so we should be careful here. But in the two losses to the Magic and Blazers, the Kings were less efficient in transition (12 and 17 points in transition respectively), had less steals and no significant advantage in rebounding. Orlando and Portland shot better from three and the Kings scored less in the paint.
So, when you look at the win over the Pelicans, the formula for where the Kings can build an advantage with the current roster makeup begins to become clear.
Let’s take a look at some clips.
The first half for the Kings against the Pelicans was a struggle.
Here, Keegan Murray tries to initiate a play in the halfcourt and turns it over, which leads to an NBA Dunk Contest style Pelicans dunk.
Monk tries to kick out to Trey Lyles, which leads to a steal and basket by New Orleans.
Toward the end of the first half, the Kings began showing signs of life thanks to some nice bench play and transition buckets.
This was really nice and highlights LaVine’s open court speed.
In the second half we began to see defense leading to open court offense.
DeRozan getting in on the action with a coast-to-coast bucket.
DeRozan with a nice dump off pass to a trailing Domantas Sabonis.
This is just a beautiful play and showcases how LaVine can facilitate in transition.
And while this play isn’t all that exciting, the pressure on the rim in transition is what leads to the two Jonas Valanciunas free throws that seal the same.
Doug Christie is working with the roster he has, and the roster he has includes high-usage offensive players who aren’t defensive minded. He will have to figure out how to maximize the offensive skillsets of Monk, LaVine, and DeRozan while Sabonis attempts to not foul out every game trying to stop the pressure on the basket, and Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray provide defense and hit threes. And with the added depth on the bench, if you squint, you can see a path to enough victories to stay competitive in the play-in race – whether that should be the goal or not is a separate discussion.
This kind of sums it up. This team can definitely be competitive in the play-in race but it’s not clear they could get past the play-in much less win a playoff series. Securing the 1st round pick next year is more important than a short play-in appearance IMO.
I think Play-in and 1st round exit still means big money and STH renewals. Scoring 120 and losing 125 is still fun I guess, our offense just need to make couple more 3s to win 😀
I took the above quote as arrogant and imbecilic. If you squint you see less than with your eyes wide open. Is this Blake’s way of bagging on our team or making excuses for them? Both I guess. If you want to see the future, get a crystal ball, squinting doesn’t work.
As fortune tellers, I don’t trust you or Blake. And I’m getting tired of the writers here spouting tired old Jaded opinions based on the belief that Sac has been historically bad, and therefore everything they do is wrong, and they can never get better. If your burned-out on this team, go get another one and another website! Good luck finding a more engaged fan-base.
Fixed it for you
Greg (or Blake) doesn’t need you to shill for him (them), and I doubt you’ll get a pat on the cheek. And I’m not going anywhere Marty, I’m a fan for life. And not because I need something to cry about, I’ll leave that to y’all. And I’ve never complained about the writers, but this shit sucks. I get the growing feeling these guys would love a new team, but they can’t afford to lose the website.
I don’t mind objective criticism, but the back-handed shit is just weak. If you don’t like the deadline moves, think they can’t play in the half-court, their ceiling is the play-in, just say so. Get your balls off the shelf.
Not trying to be jerk here, although your comment is just begging for it, but do you seriously not understand the phrase “if you squint”? I’m going to be generous and assume that maybe you don’t read a lot, or English isn’t your first language. If that’s the case, let me clarify.
When Blake says “if you squint, you can see a path to enough victories to stay competitive in the play-in race”, it means that it isn’t obvious that the Kings can do this, but if you use a little imagination, you can see a way that this might happen. It’s a great analogy, because squinting can both help you see something that’s hard to make out while also blurring the focus enough that you might see what you want.
Blake is saying that right now the currently constructed team might find a way to reach the play-in, but they also might not. Seriously, if you just read this great article with excellent analysis, video documentary, and helpful stats, and came away being pissed off at the writers of the best Sac Kings fan site ever, you might want to take a nap or something because you aren’t going to find a better place to talk Kings basketball.
the last sentence is certain.that doesn’t mean I’m letting them off the hook. They may make the Play-in, they might miss, or the might make the playoffs. I don’t remember anyone on here foretelling the Luka trade. And your not getting your pat on the cheek either. Are you offended?
And while your fighting his battles, Blake’s at home doing some soul-searching
Hahaha. No I’m not offended. Just amused that someone with a screen name of a Shakespeare character has such a hard time reading. Nobody’s fighting battles here except for you my friend, and you’re making yourself looking pretty juvenile while doing it. Chill.
I was offended. I’m a Kings fan. I’m a 53 year old fighter, I fight at the gym. I’m still climbing trees for a living, not slowing down, and I’ll chill when I’m ready. Ok, I’m ready. What we do here is debate. I’m no kid, and I’m not shy to object when I find something objectionable. I’m no English prof. but my language skills are sufficient for the purposes of this website. You just didn’t like what I said.
The crazy part is that I’m still holding back.
Well, I’m a 63 year old writer. Nobody here has any problem with debate. Trust me, I’ve been on this site forever, and I’ve had my share of them. It doesn’t matter if people like what you say or not. It’s more how you say it. If you think the Kings are amazing and the writers here don’t know what they are talking about, feel free to say it. We all say what we think. Just suggesting you give people a little more respect when you do. Take that advice or not. It’s up to you.
I’m just gonna say thanks
Deal. You’re welcome.
Your alright
Shit I had to log in for this. Ham is going HAM. Popcorn is ready.
Thanks man. I try.
It’s quite a bold strategy to be aggressively condescending while also missing an author’s point.
Blake is neither bagging on the team nor making excuses for them. He is saying that the Kings may achieve the organization’s goal of making the play-in and possibly advancing to the postseason, while acknowledging that many Kings fans think that’s a bad strategy and that the Kings should have instead focused on more of a rebuilding strategy. It’s possible to disagree with the direction the organization has taken, while also looking for signs of progress towards the organization’s goals.
It is not any writer’s belief that the Kings have been historically bad, it is simply a fact that they have been a historically bad franchise. The Kings hold the record for the longest playoff drought in NBA history, and most of the writers here covered the team for most of that time. If you’re burnt out on reading the opinions on this site, you’re welcome to go find another website.
You’re also welcome to stay. We encourage opposing viewpoints and active debate. However, I’d recommend doing so with a touch more respect, both for the site staff and for your fellow commenters.
BOLD… thanks Greg!…your alright…you too Blake
Majority of commenters simply side with whatever position the writers of this site take.
What gets upvoted is a clear sign of that.
You’re fighting a losing battle as any contrarian opinion to the writer’s position is met with aggressive comments directed at the contrarian.
TKH has always been like that. STR wasn’t this way which is the one thing I miss about that site.
This site is a community treasure. The writing is good to great. I took offense to something. I also disagree with the overall thesis of the article. They may lean on transition offense, but I don’t see how they are immediately better, or worse. I think there are valid points, but valid doesn’t mean correct. Moreover, I thought it was very loosely coherent, and I’m tired of the whole “it’s fine, just don’t expect things to get better” tone. I can set my own expectation. I don’t need anyone’s help with that.
Now everyone has moved on I’d like to ask Greg: why did you bum me out telling me I would be disappointed with the Fox trade and it turns out I like the trade quite well actually?
Now you guys are telling me they can’t make it out of the play-in? Why the doom-and-gloom? It’s not cool to me.
The question is mostly rhetorical, but yeah, as Kings fans we’ve had enough reasons for gloom without you guys making shit up
Unrelated Question: With Davis being out due to injury, odds of Ox getting the All Star nod?
Perhaps better to not go, but I think he gets a $1M bonus for showing up? That’s fine, show up play a few mins, then go home.
Shams was quick to report Giannis’ replacement, but still no word on Davis’. Wonder what the hold up is.
Better question, what are the odds of Silver picking Wemby’s new running mate down in San Antonio over Sabonis? Wouldn’t that be something…
Haha! That would be something! I was thinking position wise, Ox for Davis should be a no brainer. But maybe I’m giving them to much credit.
As much of a no brainer as choosing Trae to replace Giannis!
I guess it’s not about the team record then, eh?
As of right now the Kings are the only team in the league .500 or better without an all-star.
Silver is just waiting to make sure we don’t drop back below .500 by the break!
Its Kyrie over Domas.
Well done Blake, as usual.
In order to get out and run you need a least two things defensive rebounds and defensive stops. If starting Ellis would help along with Murray you might be able to get so more stops. With Val and Jake you should get more rebounds.
Trey would also help. Now you have to get Monk, Lavine and Derozan to buy in. If we can get anyway as near as the second half of the Pelicans game that would do it. Have to be consistent.
DDR should come off the bench and close games, IF needed. DC is smart enough to make the adjustments. I really hope grown men making millions of dollars don’t bitch about coming off the bench if it equates to THE TEAM getting more wins.
Monk, Ellis, Lavine, Sabonis, Val lineup at the first set of substitutions, in short birsts of course. Sabonis runs point forward and gobbles rebounds with Val, Keon as pesky defender, Monk/Keon/Lavine leakout for transition fastbreaks
So your telling me that we will be drafting all 6’1-6’3 combo guard to run the point next year or trading for one and still won’t have a 4 that can defend and hits some 3’s… good I was afraid that Monte might have to change things up in his approach
It’s pretty incredible that Monte has made 4 first round picks, took guards with three of them, and the Kings might still need to draft another point guard in this draft.
Whilst Ware is ramping up his ROY candidacy. Ware was right there for the taking but Monte just couldn’t help take another undersized combo guard.
I really wanted da Silva, and he’s been exactly the type of depth wing the Kings needed. I wasn’t as high on Ware, but he’s been really good and also would’ve been a good addition.
I was DaRon Holmes then Da’Silva and then Ware… but flip flopped a few times between Holmes and DaSilva
There was a rumor that we were picking Carter for another team but that deal fell through. I presume it was some players and the pick (Carter). Does anyone know if there was a deal and, if so, what the details were? If there was a team we were drafting for, I presume they still like Carter. Would it have made sense to trade Carter to that team at the deadline and try to pickup a more traditional PG, assuming that team had a serviceable PG?
The Kings aren’t clearly better in transition than they were with Fox, or in half-court. The key to their success lies in their shooting %. Maybe Blake can squint and tell us what that future percentage will be. Cool videos, but they mean nothing salient.
One of the key areas of improvement in terms of wins/losses will be Kings 3pt%, and the opponents 3pt%. Adding Lavine should increase their 3pt%, which would help out immensely. If they can make 1 more 3pt shot per game, and limit the opponent to one less 3pt shot, that’s a 6 point swing. Many of the games have been close this season, and that small margin could be overcome.
Hoping Lavine can get his shot to drop. In the meantime, get some stops and easy buckets in transition.
right on
I think the Kings are at an inflection point. The season could go either way. 1. they just do not figure it out, the lack of youth and athleticism overcomes the value of oldster experience or. 2. the oldster experience figures it out and all the disparate pieces blend- i.e. DDR in half court, ZL in transition, Monk-DS pick and roll, some defense. Next 3 games are a good barometer.
Best case scenario is a first rd exit at which point more trades will be made in the offseason.
A couple of thoughts.
First Zach is completely right. Working out half-court sets with this many new players is going to take time. It should come because they are all experienced players, but first you have the plays themselves to learn, and second you have to learn the tendencies of the guys you’re playing with. Fortunately, we have the AS break coming up. I expect Domas to be there, but part of me hopes he isn’t so the team can get more training time with him and the new players.
Second, transitions come from rebounds and defense. Like Blake said, this isn’t something our backcourt is used to dealing with. I know these guys are all highly-paid pros, but Christie has as much or more playing experience as any of them, especially when it comes to defense. He is fighting for his job, and that means he needs to be willing to play the players that work best together. I honestly don’t think it matters who starts; what matters is getting the right combinations on the floor for the right minutes. I’m glad we sent Carter to the G-League, because right now, we need to focus on figuring out the key players while he gets more time on the court.
Third, Jonas and LaRavia both seemed to fit in right away. Having them come off the bench was huge in the last game. LaVine is taking more time, which makes sense, because he was basically being asked to carry the Bulls. But his 3-pt shooting isn’t a fluke, and he has thrown a couple of amazing assists already. The touch he showed on those passes literally made me think of the way the Prime Time Kings moved the ball. If we can have him passing and shooting threes from outside, it’s totally going to open up the game for guys like DeRozan, Keegan, and Monk. If Keegan can’t score with the open looks he’s getting from all of these other options on the floor, I’m really concerned for his future.
Fourth, turnovers are a huge issue for us, because while lots of our players like need the ball in their hands to be effective, none of them is known for being a great dribbler. Monk, LaVine, and DeRozan had 11 TOs in the last game just between those three. That’s high for all of them. For the season Monk is averaging 2.2 and the other two are averaging just under 1.5, but at least part of that is because they haven’t been used to bring the ball up court as much before. Fox averaged 3 a game.
In almost the exact same number of minutes, Ellis only had one. I know he isn’t a primary point guard either, and I know he hasn’t been averaging as many minutes, but for the season, he is at .6 TOs per game. This goes back again to lineups and minutes, but it also comes down to what roles they play. In transition, whoever has the ball needs to break and look ahead. But after a score, I’d really like to see more of Ellis bringing the ball up and then, getting it to Domas or someone else to distribute.
Good analysis, Blake. Transition offense requires defensive stops. Defensive stops require good defensive players. The Kings two best defensive players are Keon and Keegan. The problem is one of those guys doesn’t get consistent enough minutes. Christie has to fine a way to get Keon 30+ minutes a night or would should all bookmark Tankathon for the foreseeable future.
Fun stat: The Kings are 6-1 this calendar year when Keon plays 30 or more minutes.
Funner stat: Kings are 2-0 this calendar month when Keon plays 30 or more minutes
I thought the decision to start Huerter over Keon was indefensible, and I would have started Keon over Monk, but with Fox gone the path for Keon to the starting unit doesn’t seem as clear. I think right now they would likely be best with another true forward in the starting 5, if not LaRavia then Lyles.
Doug is in a tough spot if he has to explain to DeRozan he’s being benched for one of those two. DeRozan needs to see it for himself and that may take time. Unless they want to deal with another team drama if/when Deebo feels disrespected. Lavine is too big of a star to go to the bench, and Monk is now their best (only?) distributor. Murray to the bench is counter-constructive.
Rooting for this team is painful lol, a win over the Pels is considered an accomplishment. I guess not getting much worse is all we can do the last few years since #3 seed. I don’t see any significant improvement with these moves they’ve made. I would just blow it up personally but not getting much worse with the chance of maybe improving is all I get I guess.
The main reason I’d blow it up is because the Beam Team was Fox, Brown, and Co. With the two main pieces gone you’re doing everyone a favor by finding a new centerpiece and identity. Domas and these guys are not going to want to stay and lose without Fox, which will affect their performance significantly. You either keep Fox until his contract is up or you just completely dismantle it, this in between stuff this organization is known for doesn’t work IMO.
Problem is Vivek bought the team in 2013 and it took 10 years to finally get to .500 and reach the playoffs. These past 3 seasons have been the “successful ones”.
I don’t see him deciding to blow it all up at this point. It will take at least a few more years floundering in the 7-12 seed range and probably a new GM and another quick “reboot” followed by more floundering before I can see Vivek okaying a blow up, if then.
Kyrie to replace Davis, per Shams. More time for Domaa to rest and practice with the new guys
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