The Kings are back at home after two long weeks on the road and they face what should be an easy game against the league-worst Detroit Pistons. But if we’ve learned nothing about the Kings over the years, it’s that they make nothing easy.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Wednesday, February 7th, 7:00 PM PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Last Time
The Kings played in Detroit one month ago and started off by allowing the then three-win Pistons to score FORTY SEVEN POINTS in the first quarter. Naturally, the Kings won this game 131 to 110. Domantas Sabonis had a season-high 37 points to go along with 13 assists and 10 rebounds, while Keegan Murray added 32 points on 13-17 shooting. Bojan Bogdanovic led the way for Detroit with 26.
Three in the Key
No Post-Road Trip Hangover
The Kings have just come back from a long road trip and so far this season they’ve put up some stinkers at home in the first game back from a trip. To start the year, the Kings came back from a three teamer only to lose to the Charlotte Hornets at home. After the trip in which they last played Detroit, the Kings got manhandled by a Pacers team missing Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. The Kings cannot afford to come out with low energy and let the Pistons hang around. This is a team with nothing to lose, and Sacramento’s upcoming schedule before the All-Star break is absolutely brutal: They face the Nuggets at home on Friday before heading to Oklahoma City and then playing the Suns and Nuggets on a road back to back. This is one the Kings need to just take care of business.
Protect the Three Point Line
The Pistons come into tonight as one of the worst three point shooting teams in the league, ranking 29th in makes and just 24th in percentage, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. In their last 10 games, Detroit has made 40.1% of their attempts from three. Newcomers Danilo Gallinari & Mike Muscala (who the Pistons traded Marvin Bagley for) are both excellent shooters and Bojan Bogdanovic, Marcus Sasser and former King Alec Burks are all shooting well from three. This isn’t a Pistons team that likes to shoot a lot of threes, but the Kings can’t just let them get open attempts. This is one way the Pistons can stay in the game, so the Kings have to be mindful.
Stay Disciplined
The Pistons are the worst team in the NBA, and we’ve seen the Kings time and time again play down to the level of their competition. Just for once I’d like to see the Kings take control early and maintain it throughout the game, especially at home where it seems like the Kings tend to paly with less urgency than on the road.
Prediction
The Kings return home in triumphant fashion, notching their 30th win of the season with a 30 point win.
Kings 134, Pistons 104
Heh, speaking of Detroit, looks like they made a move.
League-changing.
Interesting because Piston’s coach said Killian Hayes wasn’t playing because they had too many guards, then they go trade for another guard…
Fonteccio is a SF, but DET plays Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks and even rookie Marcus Sasser over Killian Hayes.
Hayes’ team asked for a trade yesterday
huh, he always looked like a PG size to me. Does not look 6’8 on the court.
Back at home for another short stay—
With the Pistons the first team we play.
Let’s make sure we exploit
The holes in Detroit.
We should win if we play our own way!
+1 Exhaust the Pistons!
You mean good things can happen when you keep feeding the hot hand??
Since any trades for impact players are likely off the table…what do people think of the Kings and Pistons swapping lottery-drafted guards who have yet to really make an impact on their respective teams?
Mitchell to DET for Killian Hayes
Hayes has received a couple of DNP-CDs for the last several games and while I don’t know if Mitchell is part of the King’s future, I’m pretty sure that Hayes is gone from DET after this year (I doubt DET brings him back as an RFA). Both are on their rookie contracts and the salaries fit for a 1-for-1 swap (Hayes is expiring at $7.4M, and Mitchell is at $5.0M this year and $6.4M next year).
Hayes isn’t a scorer by any stretch but he is a good facilitator and decent defender (with good size at 6’5″). STOCKS of 2.2 per 36 and 3.0 per 100 possession, compared to 1.4 per 36 and 1.8 per 100 possessions for Mitchell. SAC would get what amounts to a free look at another player in MB’s system for a specific role (backup facilitator) and could be re-signed as an RFA if they like him. This also frees SAC from Mitchell’s $6.4M owed for next year. DET can kick the tires on a player that brings something completely different than what their other guards offer. The classic change-of-scenery swap.
No
Would you trade Davion at all?
He’s not untouchable (obviously) but i wouldn’t look to trade him and the offer would have to be a lot better. 6-2 since he was put back in the rotation – just saying.
He is also has a +/- of 0 in those 8 games:
PPG: 4.1
RPG: 1.4
APG: 2.0
STL: 3 total
BLK: 0
FG%: 12/28 (42%)
3pt%:4/14 (28%)
FT% : 5/6 (83%)
ORTg: 103.4
DRTg: 121
14 MPG
“Take my bad player, I will take your bad player”
At least Hayes is taller and longer…
…and on an expiring deal.
Chris Duarte …. vs. … Killian Hayes
Age (years): … 26.3……………………..22.4
Height (U.S.). …6’5″………………………6’5″
Draft:…………2021/#13………………….2020/#7
Duarte: career: 8.9 ppg/3.0 rpg/1.5 apg
Hayes: career: 8.1 ppg/ 2.9 rpg/ 5.2 apg
Duarte: 40.4FG% / 34.3 3FG%
Haye: 38.1 FG% / 27.6% 3FG%
I’d rather make a Duarte trade over a Davion one. And no glass backboards should be around any of those 3.
Duarte has a TO next season, so he’s gone no matter what. Davion, on the other hand, is owed over $6M. I’d rather clear the cap sheet and roster space.
6’0 players need to be exceptional at something to be effective. Davion is not that guy, so move the contract and move forward.
The interesting part of these numbers is that they indicate that Duarte is the better player. Maybe Hayes needs a change of scenery, but I’ve had my doubts about him since before he was drafted. I was relieved that he didn’t fall to twelve.
His defensive technique isn’t as good as Mitchell’s but the results are a bit more impactful due to length and athleticism (92nd percentile on deflections according to BBall Index).
Offensively, so far throughout his career he can’t score at all from outside (3rd percentile according to BBall Index) but he can play-make quite well, if he can focus on learning to cut and developing a floater, he could be a decent all-around player. Let MB take a look and see if he’s a player that takes to coaching well.
He’s also expiring and I think that is worth something going into the new offseason when several teams might be financial hamstrung (or at least cautious) due to the new CBA and having any space at all might prove to be unusually helpful during the first year.
I think Hayes is better than Davion. Well, maybe not better, just longer and taller and has a different skillet. I would prefer Hayes over Davion.
Xavier Tillman to BOS for Lamar Stevens and 2 future 2nds
That’s the exact kind of move Monte needs to be making. Tillman brings some tough defensiveness to Boston’s front line.
The Kings drafted Tillman for MEM in exchange for Robert Woodard…I remember being excited that we drafted him and then being disappointed that we weren’t keeping him.
Monte’s track record in the second round has not been good so far. Obviously harder to find gems there, but some teams manage to do so regularly.
I don’t think it’s too hard to find contributors, I think it’s hard to find starters and that’s what too many GMs shoot for imo
I agree, you don’t need to find stars
I’m with you, his belief that 2nd rounders aren’t worth using (to draft with) is something I completely disagree with. I’d be trying to constantly find the next 3 & D wing, facilitator, and/or rim-protector to fill out the specialists-roles on the roster/bench with cheap contracts by using 1 or 2 SRPs every year on your favorite projects.
He did use last year’s pick on Colby Jones. He hasn’t had a decent shot yet this season, but I thought the pick was solid at the time.
I like Jones a lot, and I’m pretty confident that MM can draft well and hit on most picks.
I just think that he undervalues SRPs and took too long to understand how hard it truly is to get FAs to sign here in SAC. SAC needs to develop young players as much as it can, both to find players to keep and others to use as trade assets.
me too
and Woodard??? Europe at best
Ha, he’s playing in Greece right now.
We fans will need some good therapy if we lose this game.
I come offering distractions:
Keegan Murray, according to NBA University, has held opposing players to a league leading .51 pts per possession on a stellar 7/43 (16.3%) in ISO possessions so far this season.
So he’s pretty good at the defense thing.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/keegan_murray_providing_kings_with_lockdown_defense/s1_17149_39902632
PickPlayerNBA TeamRising Stars Team
1.Victor WembanyamaSpursTeam Pau
2.Paolo BancheroMagicTeam Tamika
3.Chet HolmgrenThunderTeam Jalen
4.Jalen WilliamsThunderTeam Jalen
5.Jaden IveyPistonsTeam Tamika
6.Brandon MillerHornetsTeam Pau
7.Brandin PodziemskiWarriorsTeam Pau
8.Jalen DurenPistonsTeam Tamika
9.Bennedict MathurinPacersTeam Jalen
10.Shaedon SharpeTrail BlazersTeam Jalen
11.Keegan MurrayKingsTeam Tamika
12.Jaime Jaquez Jr.HeatTeam Pau
13.Jabari Smith Jr.RocketsTeam Pau
14.Scoot HendersonTrail BlazersTeam Tamika
15.Dereck Lively IIMavericksTeam Jalen
16.Jordan HawkinsPelicansTeam Jalen
17.Keyonte GeorgeJazzTeam Tamika
18.Cason WallaceThunderTeam Pau
19.Bilal CoulibalyWizardsTeam Pau
20.Dyson DanielsPelicansTeam Tamika
21.Walker KesslerJazzTeam Jalen
Take it as you please. I will only add that Keegan, at #11, is the sort of player that will not assert himself in a “look at me” exhibition game. Ben Mathurin, Brandin Podziemski, Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharp are the type that will shoot that rock rather than pass it, most every single time.
I should have titled this: NBA Rising All-Stars 2024 Draft Order
PickPlayerNBA TeamRising Stars Team
has a nice ring to it though
It’s an amazing jump from last year, this kid continues to surprise me and I fully expected him to be really good eventually.
Another playoff team improving around the edges.
Dang, I liked him as an option for the Kings
me too
no turnover guy
Me too. Would’ve been a nice pick up as back up PG.
Be nice to win these two home games and then get at least one of the roadies into the break.
Just mentally preparing for either a horrific loss or a very close game. It’s coming.
Nailed it! Wish this team wasn’t so predictable.
Getting ready to go to the game. My 2nd live game. The first game was 22 years ago. Against the warriors, Webber had a great game.
Congrats. I’ll be there with my son.
Enjoy
I hope the Kings win for your sake!
I’ll be on my couch, 2k miles east of Sac, looking for the beam around 11:30pm.
Have fun at the live game!
OT: Sad to hear of Scot Pollard waiting on a heart transplant. Hopefully he finds a match.
Charlotte Observer (paywall) says there isn’t much of a trade market for Gordon Hayward and predict he’ll be bought out.
A contender will definitely pick him up if he could be had without trading and for a much more reasonable salary. Personally, I thought he would end up in Philly, but with Embiid’s injury I don’t know if they need him more then ever or not at all now.
Many of the contenders can’t pick him up due to the new CBA rules regarding buyouts. I don’t believe tax paying teams can pick up bought out players who make as much as he did.
I admit I know nothing of the new CBA (other than some basics on the multiple apron approach)
Sad that his career was derailed by injuries. He was nice for a while.
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