In a clash of two rebuilding squads hoping to rise into respectability, the Sacramento Kings improved to 2-0 on the season as they snagged a 106-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
While Sacramento’s game-closing offense was less than stellar (2 of 7 shooting in the final three minutes), they sealed the victory in large part due to Richaun Holmes. The king of grit and fire had 5 points (including three key free throws) and 3 rebounds in the final two minutes. Six Kings finished in double figures, led by DeAaron Fox with 24 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. New Sun Chris Paul was in full point god mode on Saturday, finishing with 22 points and 12 dimes, while superstar Devin Booker had 26 points to lead Phoenix.
Harrison Barnes, the hero of Wednesday’s ovetime win against the Denver Nuggets, was the best King early in Saturday’s contest – he scored all 11 of his points in the first half, and set the tone for Sacramento early. Indeed, for the 2nd game in row, the Kings were competitive from the jump – and while the Suns threatened throughout the contest, Sacramento held the lead through most of the contest. It wasn’t the prettiest victory, but it came through 48 minutes of near-consistent effort from Luke Walton’s squad.
The Kings and Suns will meet again tomorrow for a rematch in Phoenix, and then the Kings will return to Sacramento on Tuesday for a second contest against the Nuggets.
- Tyrese Haliburton’s shot didn’t fall in his first game in Sacramento – he finished with just 2 points on 1-4 shooting – but he made his impact felt with 5 assists and some excellent team defense. Haliburton helped spark an otherwise listless lineup in the late 3rd that featured the rookie, Cory Joseph, Glenn Robinson III, Nemanja Bjelica, and Hassan Whiteside – a lineup that Luke Walton needs to burn and never try again.
- Marvin Bagley finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and got some key cleanup buckets off the boards. Bagley is clearly still shaking rust off, but again earned his points through cuts, rebounds, and transition plays. His defense was less impressive, as both Booker and Paul took him to school on multiple switches.
Fox is fine.
Bagley with 13 and 10 in 20 minutes.
Discuss away!
Enes Kanter had 10 and 9 in 18 minutes. Bags still needs to take that big next step but, don’t get me wrong, I’m liking what I’m seeing.
To me, that next big step is an outside shot. His shot might look worse so far this season that his rookie year which is my huge concern for him actually progressing.
Let’s get a 15ft shot first, then go from there. Baby steps.
Yes, he’s progressing. I don’t think he’ll ever be effective outside of 7 or 8 feet, but it’s nice to see him on the floor.
From a growth perspective, I just wish Bagley would impact the game in ways other than the ways Bagley typically impacts the game. He had the coast to coast grab and go which was nice, but other than that I didn’t see many glimpses of expanding his game. Maybe I’m being too hard on him though. The ol RORDOG was having a few in-game Coors Lights, and I wasn’t intently watching the game.
Speaking of finding other ways to make an impact, I feel like adding GIFs would make me a three-level
scorercommenter. Could anyone help me with a quick how-to?Thank you,
A Technologically Impaired Millenial
copy and paste the gif URL you must.
http://gph.is/XJKXLT
failed I did
Try not, there is only do.
File must end in jpg, gif, png .. you must!
The only part of Star Wars that actually matters.
There’s a reason his minutes are always in the low-mid twenties and it’s not because of Fluke Walton being Fluke Walton. At the end of the day, he’s still a non-shooting, non-defending tweener big.
A couple of interesting things to look at from the early advanced statistics:
Which isn’t significantly different than last season.
These two wins have really been spearheaded by defense, and so far it appears the guys impacting team defense the most are Joseph, GRIII, Whiteside, Haliburton and Bjelica
Reminder, all statistical analysis at this time of the season is approved by the Small Sample Size Institute (SSSI).
So in general when Fox is on the bench the other team probably also has bench players in right? All this stat tells me is that the King’s bench is good. I am not sure I can trust any stat that tells me the Kings are better without Fox on the floor.
That’s fine, actually!
I’m not sure why you can’t “trust” it – at least for last season (this season, as noted, is pretty small sample).
For me, the question is whether Fox will make the leap to “elite”, which is where this team needs him to be. I won’t believe he’s that guy until he consistently impacts the team’s performance positively when he’s on the floor. Until then, I’ll see him as a “good, not great” player.
And if your feeling is that Fox’s impact is blunted because he’s playing against the other team’s starters, perhaps you’re helping make my point?
Theres no doubt in my mind Fox is already a great player. His game has no holes in it because even though he has not made 3s or FTs his mechanics are solid so the shot will come.
He also needs more experience at controlling the tempo of the game as the “floor general” but this is also just a function of getting reps.
His greatness was also predicated on adding strength and he has done that. You see that he does not go to the floor as much, meaning he absorbs contact and stays on his feet. His strength is now an advantage not at a disadvantage as was the case in Year 1.
Also, you know the kid is capable of greatness because he loves the clutch moments of the game. He wants the ball and he will attack the paint. If he was not great or capable of greatness he would cower from these moments.
For example, I always thought Lonzo Ball was a fraud. He’s a guy who does not want the ball when the game is on the line. Fox is wired differently and he has the more potent skill set and this will continue to play out over their respective careers.
I don’t think he’s already a
great player. And, he does have holes in his game. You even pointed one out3 point percentage. However, he is very good player and hopefully he will continue to improve.
De’Aaron has a .167 WS/48. Your argument is invalid.
Also any early season number that has GRIII as the leader in this category means the numbers are too small to mean much of anything.
Last season, there was plenty of things that contributed to that poor on/off rating. I see that’s going to be your drum to bang on all year.
God, I miss the WS/48 minute wars. 🙂
It’s like win shares… but for 48 whole minutes! But seriously that was one of the funniest/dumbest debates in the site that shall not be named’s history.
I didn’t participate at all in them. And I missed nothing.
You must not have been watching when Fox kept closing off Booker’s progress by using quick twitch footwork to cut Booker off and frustrate him throughout the game.
I’d agree with you on Fox. Until last night’s type of game becomes the norm and not the exception from him, I just can’t call him a great player.
I dont know what you are seeing to conclude CoJoSlo and Bjelly Bjum are impacting the team defense. Bjelica can barely move. He is a mannequin on defense.
And it is ridiculous not to include Fox among the guys impacting our team defense. Did you forget to include him or was this intentional?
Fox is capable of being All-NBA First Team Defense!
CoJoSlo disappears on every screen and he is too round and stocky to challenge shots. His defense is overrated as referenced by his 114 DRtg last year.
In my opinion he is a net negative defense player because he lacks the physical and athletic profile to be a plus defender. Defensive fundamentals only get you so far.
Joseph was put on Booker last night and he got torched!
Tonight, second of a back-to-back, would be a great time to rest Joseph and put Kyle Guy in for him. Kyle is raring to go, put me in coach, put me in!
We need some fresh legs to get “sweep the doubleheader”! Lets gooooo. Kyle is dialed in and ready!
Frankly, I can’t take anything you say about Bjelica seriously.
Idk, I think Fox making that team is more likely than Kyle making an appearance tonight lol
There’s no way to prove it, but I think the Bjelly/Whiteside combo has some sort of weird psychological impact on opposing offenses. I’ve seen a few possessions in which Bjelly is guarding the ballhandler, and just let’s him blow right by him into the paint where Whiteside is patiently waiting to swallow the player whole. It’s like in those war movies/shows when one side tears through an undermanned battle line only to find that the cavalry is waiting on the other side to crush them like bugs.
I have a strange feeling about the Kings that I haven’t felt in many years. I think it’s…. hope?
Surprising. confusing.
f’ it! we deserve it!
I hope this current win streak/feel good moment will end up better than 9-7!
Over a season that is 40 wins… how would that make you feel?
Hope is a fickle thing. It is strong in this one ..
Championship. Book it!
Kings are currently the #2 seed.
With zero Ls!
Is Uke Wwaton a thing yet?
He sounds like he’s about to direct a bad video game movie adaptation.
Underrated comment.
Wuke!
I just looked at the box score, 5-23 on 3 pt shots, and we still able to get this win….
Holmes, Fox and Barnes in early game made a huge impact.
I had to check the season low 3PM last season to see if they beat it tonight. They didn’t, but just barely. They had one game last season in which they only made 4 threes.
If you have told me the Kings would shoot 21% from 3 and win, I would have died from disbelief!
I am having a nice glug of Laphroaig and feeling all sorts of feels about this team. It may not be pretty and they aren’t remotely a threat to win the championship but they seem to have at least a little of the good stuff going on.
Me, too! My only Christmas gift was a bottle of 18-year, and it’s already half-empty (or full?).
Love Laphroaig! Your bottle is definitely have full today!
Laphroaig? Great choice. It’s so good.
I was pouring some Weller 12 year tonight. I like the Scotch, but good ole’ Kentucky Bourbon still owns my heart (and my wallet.)
And… oh ya… the Kings look… not too bad so far?
I dunno. Small sample.. but 2 wins> 2 losses, so ya. Cool.
The Quarter Cask is my current favorite.
Give me a highland or a Speyside, please. I can’t stand the smoke and peat from Islay.
Nice! More of a Lagavulin guy myself, thanks to Ron Swanson
This defensive effort is fun to watch. Nice to see the team rebounding well too.
What a fun start to the season.
as a Kings fan, I’ve rarely had the opportunity to watch a team play “on a string.” There was a few possessions tonight when I was like “ohhhh..is that what that means?!”
Haha me too.
I’ve seen a couple social media posts fromNBA Twitter regarding the Kings defense thus far. It’s been pretty good! Certainly better than I expected. I do think some of it has to do with the fact that Tyrese Haliburton is really good on that end already.
Whiteside and Hali were huge pickups.
That plus bogi being gone (at least defensively)
Phoenix got their bubble burst!
Is there a part of Luke Walton’s face, outside of the everpresent smug grin and overall punchability, that restricts his mask from being properly placed upon it? The dude is the epitome of “dicknose”, and it’s downright embarrassing.
My local bodega has this front-and-center above their entryway, and it’s why they became my go-to bodega in the neighborhood. There literally isn’t an argument on the planet that can beat it. Great dick illustration aside, this should be required reading.
Not saying this as an excuse, but ive been noticing a few coaches do this on the side lines with their facemasks.
I definitely have, too, but the fact that Walton’s been called out about it by opposing players and still ignores it is beyond frustrating. Honestly, I’m probably just looking for more reasons to loathe him.
It was one player.
One too many. We’re nine months into this shit. People in general, let alone his position, shouldn’t have to be reminded, and if they are, it shouldn’t be an ongoing issue.
Maybe a 100K fine or a game suspension would change how he wears it…
Or one Mike Tyson like pimp slap!
I haven’t seen any coaches with the Andy Reid face shield, Are they banned?
Monty Williams and Mike Malone were somehow able to figure this out. Walton needs to get fined.
Legit question? Isn’t he just exposing himself wearing it like that? Is mask shaming luke a thing because of the bad example he displays or because it truly bothers you? I ask because I feel like it’s my job and privilege as a parent to teach and lead my family as headership falls on me in partnership with my wife. Expecting famous athletes or coaches or anyone else really to live by my moral standards is silly to me. I’m just trying to understand thank you. Aside from this what matchup are we hoping for in the 1st round of the playoffs?
Frankly, it’s a little bit of everything. He blew his example card years ago, so I don’t expect Uke WWalton to influence children or make the cover of Time. I do, however, expect him to follow the simple rules set by the NBA, no matter how skewed or hypocritical they currently are. At this point, wearing a mask in the manner that he does shows that he doesn’t take the current climate at all seriously, and is essentially telling everyone around him that he doesn’t give a single fuck about their well-being. I take issue with that.
Anyway, I need to move on. I’m guessing that we get annihilated by a still-angry Demarcus Cousins and his fight-happy B-Team out of Houston, that is then taken out by a hungry T-Pups squad.
His proper mask wearing is intended to protect OTHERS, not necessarily himself. So it’s not about exposing himself, it’s about properly mitigating the risk for those around you, and potential innocent third parties (aka, health care workers and first responders).
I realize that most anti-maskers come from the standpoint that their wearing a mask doesn’t necessarily protect them from the virus, which is somewhat true. But that’s just selfishness. All of us wearing a mask properly helps protect EVERYONE.
So Luke should quit being selfish and wear his mask properly.
This. I have so many friends who complain “a mask doesn’t protect me,” and I respond with “yeah, it protects others!.” They then always go to the, “but I’m not sick” remark, I then want to slap their selfish ass silly.
Take note how may times anti-maksers use the “I” and “me” in their argument, and rarely mention others.
Yeah. The fact that so many people in here try to proclaim that people are making a big deal about others pointing out improper mask wearing, when THEY are the ones making a big deal about wearing a freaking piece of cloth that covers your mouth and nose. Seriously, it’s not that hard, and we’re nine months into this. At this point people who are anti-maskers are well aware of how to wear masks properly and that it can protect those around you, they just choose to ignore it because of their ego and selfishness.
Get over it…jeez, every game related thread there is some crap about his mask wearing
I’m as anti-mask as anyone here, but it would be nice to not see this in a discussion about Luke Walton’s coaching abilities IN. EVERY. SINGLE. THREAD.
It’s a good thing I can ignore this nonsense because it won’t go away no matter how many times those threads got deleted.
Nice to know you’re an anti-masker…
Does that keep me from having to wear a mask?
It does if you like Axe body spray. Nobody will come within 6′ of you
Right? Unfortunately I think it’s horrible and obnoxiously smelling, too.
Am I the only cat here on The Kings Herald wearing a mask? I don’t see any of you wearing masks!
This would stop if Walton gained just enough intellect to put a piece of cloth over his face for 2 1/2 hours four times a week.
I wish they had an offense. Right now they just bring it up, make a pass, and hope something good happens. I watched the set plays Ty Lue runs with the Clippers and got so jealous. That said, I like the energy, and the hard work. TH is going to be a good one. Whiteside brings… a lot of height. Barnes looks into it, and Bagley shows a lot in flashes.
I even like the new announcer. What could go wrong?
Whether it ends in tears or ecstasy, oh boy am I enjoying this season right now.
F*ck it. We deserve it. That was fun.
Please more “hot takes” in Whiteside’s “empty stats”, how Barnes contract is bad and why this team should lose games for a future prospect!
You are killing it, guys!
periodic reminder: coming to a definitive conclusion after a 2 game sample size is the quintessential hot take.
Wait. Spiking the ball after fair catching the punt on your own 10 yard line is not proper etiquette?
So that’s why I didn’t make the NFL!
Whiteside was a great pickup for this team
“Great” is doing a lot of work after two games. Whiteside has been good so far.
I think if we want to overreact to small samples, you could look at the fact that the Kings have been 5.4 points per 100 possessions better with Harrison Barnes ON THE BENCH. So he’s been a liability to this point statistically.
And Whiteside has been kind of as advertised. He’s had a great positive influence on the Kings defensively, but they have really struggled offensively with him on the floor .
Not a big fan of this stat you keep throwing out. So the Kings are better with Fox and Barnes on the bench huh? Well, that might be because our bench is better at playing vs our opponent’s bench. That stat seems flawed on many levels.
All stats are flawed this early on. So is an eyeball test that sees Harrison Barnes as a different player than he’s been a decade into his career. Or that sees Fox as the reason the team is doing well to this point, rather than the defensive efforts of most of the second unit.
So we’ll see where we are further into the season.
But I would defy you to find a higher end talent whose team is better when he’s on the bench. Let’s take a guy like Devin Booker for example (a player who I think is a higher end, younger talent, but not quite superstar):
Last season: The Suns were 6.5 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
This season: The Suns are 24.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
For Fox, the team was 4 points worse per 100 last season, and 14.3 per 100 worse so far this season with him on the floor.
If Fox can’t impact the overall team performance positively because the other team’s starters are too good, maybe he should come off the bench.
Fox is the reason we are 2-0.
He’s a spectacular player who shut down Murray in Game 1, found his three ball last night to a degree (3-7 from 3s), and put the clamps on Booker when we needed to slow him. Certainly Buddy couldnt do it.
Fox has a +8 Rtg according to basketball reference dot com 115 ORtg vs 107 DRtg.
Compare to a trash player like CoJoSlo, 1-8 FGs last night, reverting to his norm after his “time capsule game”, 94 OtRtg vs 105 DRtg, net -9 Rtg.
Let me see if I can find a player with a better net Rtg who has played significant minutes…
Ouch, Bagley looking rough at -15 Net Rating 91-106.
Wow! Okay Haliburton has a net rating of +22, best on the team! 134 ORtg v11 DRtg, which supports the Eye Test.
Okay it looks like the only player with a similar net rating is Richaun Holmes among the starter, also +8 , 114 vs 106.
So Fox is making a positive difference second to Hali, which also supports the Eye Test .
I need to think more about the stat you are citing, and why the discrepancy as relates to Fox, something is not adding up….
Fox is part of the reason we are 2-0. He’s played fine. I just don’t see an elite level talent (yet/still). And that’s really the whole shooting match – whether he, Bagley and Haliburton turn into high end NBA players. If not, the team’s ceiling is limited IMO.
And if you’d rather use BBall Ref’s numbers to make your point, it shows that you’re just attempting to reinforce your existing belief. NBA’s numbers are based on actual possessions, not calc’d numbers.
What is wrong with ORtg and DRtg? You don’t trust these numbers?
I’m using ORtg and DRtg. Do some research.
No you’re using a specific slant and subtlety telling K4L that he isn’t following your train of thought properly.
I think you are wasting your time on noise personally, both last season and this year, but until I see a significant sample size I won’t waste time telling you to stop shouting into the wind.
Truth be told, I think it’s pretty funny.
I’m not saying he’s not following my train of thought properly. I’m telling him that BBall Ref’s ORtg and DRtg numbers are suspect, since they calc possessions.
I’m also not saying Fox is a poor NBA player. Clearly, that’s not the case. I’m saying he is not yet what this team needs him to be, and these two wins haven’t really shown me a different player than the one we saw last season, specifically at the defensive end of the court.
And I’ve noted more than once that all of this is small sample size theater (regardless of which opinion you believe), so I’m uncertain why you needed to add that – but you do you.
Oh. As opposed to an estimate of a players value per 100 possessions that literally has to be calculated? Because, the teams plays closer to, what, 115-120 possessions? And that extra 20%? Shit, nuthin but calculated! Fake numbers!!!! But hey, whatever slant works, right? You gotsa do you! And we certainly wouldn’t want a calculated number skewing our perspective because your calculated number is much better than the other calculated number! Huzzah!!! Calculated Number WWIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please explain the difference between a number that uses calculated possessions vs a number that is calculated to calibrate a players value per 100 possessions. I’m a tad confused in that regard.
Man, I haven’t had this much pushback on a 4th year Kings player since DeMarcus Cousins (another great WS/48 guy).
It’s never easy to argue with someone in love.
I’m not upset at your opinion on Fox. And if I was, it wouldn’t make a difference anyway. You’re not swayed by public opinion, well not regarding the NBA anyway. I don’t think there’s anything foul or out of bounds about any of it. I just think methodology matters, you should be able to explain it and not hide behind “do your research’.
That is, and remains my only issue. Excuse me while I go prance around imagining Becky G dancing in her underwear as opposed to that horrible Jack in the Box commercial she’s in.
I think this is a good time to point out that a team’s efficiency when a player’s on the floor is not the same as a player’s efficiency when he tries to produce points (or prevent the opposing team from producing points). For more on the differences between Net On/Off and Basketball Reference’s D/ORtg please see this helpful explainer.
CoJo has been pretty stellar in these two games. Long season. Yeah, I know. But you gotta put some respect on his name…at the moment.
He had a career game vs DEN. Last night was his typical game.
CoJo has one good game and one bad – therefore he stinks.
Fox has one good game and one bad – clearly a superstar.
Mitch said it best, This team looks developed. I agree with that.
I like the way they’re playing. Active ball movement, solid team defense, and lots of individual defense as well. They actually fight for rebounds, get lots of pokes, and disrupt passing lanes. Let’s hope this continues against more star-studded teams.
Looks like they got one a them inbound specialists off time outs. Sweet!
I know he gets stats, but Ayton is kind of a mess. Am I trippin here?
(Ahem) Kayte’s post game was excellent. Not just good, excellent. Maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe she’s way better on the desk than on the silly sideline gigs, which are kind of pointless anyway.
I didn’t watch her tonight, but she’s almost always terrible.
they don’t look like a 19 win team
No they do not.
I’ll admit I’m legitimately surprised by that. I’m also surprised by how bad teams like Memphis, Dallas, Denver and Golden State have looked. I know they’ve got injuries but they look a lot worse than I was expecting.
Dallas just needs time to gel, they have a lot of new pieces. I see them going on a run after at least 15 games.
Denver lost one of their core player in Jerami Grant so it’ll take a while for them to come back.
Memphis is… Yeah, Morant’s ballin’ right now but the others are not.
Golden State is the shits, no way they get a playoff spot with that roster. Sacramento has a better chance than them right now.
Is it the Kings, Suns or Nuggets?
Oh, she’s always been better at the desk than sideline. I’ve said that for years. And I’m never wrong. Usually.
How is this possible?
We have Whiteside
Why does Whiteside live his life at 0.5x speed?
Was at a friend’s house and had to endure the Raiders game til the end. Saw most of the end of the Kings game. I like how despite giving up a lead, didn’t let Paul and Booker beat them at the end. Can I repeat it? 6 seed, baby. Until proven differently. It appears that Kalamaian’s defense is making a difference.
Stop going to friend’ houses.
You didn’t say what year.
Luke, quit trying to keep your job!
Monte, you’re screwing up the tank!
I know I’m just being a hater but there is like a higher level of joy in a win when your team beats a Chris Paul team. ð¤·ð½ï¸
By all means, hate away. The only duo I can think of that I hate more than Devin Booker and Chris Paul was Blake Griffin and…Chris Paul.
The Kings beat the amazing Booker led Chris Paul Suns…. With the Suns number one pick… Ayton…. Do the KIng’s have to play this team tomorrow?
I’ve always had a grudge against chris paul ever since I watched him try to end julius Hodges’ future generations in the NCAA tournament.
I hate CP3, and I love CP3.
I recall sitting on BART in 2004 or so and reading an issue of SI that a previous rider left behind (oh, the days), that had a feature article about Paul’s upbringing, and the heartwrenching story about his grandfather being killed and the 65-point game that followed a few days later in his honor. “I’m really gonna like this kid”, I said to myself. Christ, was I off.
I really don’t get the Chris Paul hate. Great citizen, and one of the five best point guards to ever play the game. And he plays both ends of the floor at an extremely high level.
Sure, he whines about foul calls. Him and 99% of the players in the league.
I cannot stand Chis Paul and can’t really explain why. As far as I know he’s a good human being. He should be a player I absolutely love, for all the reasons you mentioned. I also usually enjoy watching players that like to mix it up and get chippy. But man, the hate is strong with him. Usually my player-hate fades over time as they get older and move around the league- I thought that might be the case with him in Phoenix, but as of last night, I still can’t stand him. I know it’s irrational, but can’t help it every time I watch him play.
Maybe it’s his terrible acting that you hate.
Not just the commercials, but the flops!
82-0…here we come.
Wow, we’re so good we’re gonna win 10 more games this season!!!
You damn right!
Great win Kings! Now lets go and do it again tomorrow! Hopefully they bring the same energy. The bench would be the key since most of our starters played heavy minutes tonight. I’m expecting guys like CoJo, Hali and Whiteside bring the energy and contribute more than what they did tonight.
I full exact the typical baseball-style split doubleheader.
I’m hoping for a sweep!
Let’s mop the floor with them!
I don’t see how we’re getting Cade with the 30th pick.
A bit off-topic…
But I am curious if Monte McNair even on the side court to see how the players perform ?
(as camera always give Divac some shot so we fans knew he was in the court)
But I never seen Monte McNair being captured by camera
On his appearance on the Woj pod, McNair mentioned that’s he’s in Houston spending time with his family and would be driving them all up to Sac after the Rockets games. So I don’t think he would’ve been at the game tonight.
You beat me to the punch. I literally created this account to respond with this. On to the next
Oh you love to see it, a much better start than last season. Keep it Kings, looking good!
Happy for the win but I’m already getting tired of Corey Joseph pounding the ball like he’s Tyreke Evans trying to get to 20 5 and 5. Give Haliburton the ball and let him run point. The pass to GR3 was beautiful.
I think he’s got the best court vision for a King since Rondo was here. Likeable Rondo? Lonzo but good? I’ll take that.
Put Greivis Vásquez & Sergio RodrÃguez on the list too…
they got excellent court vision too
I bet Tyrese beats Rondo in Connect 4.
I see a Hali as a better Lonzo with higher IQ and better shooting. His shot will take some time but he’ll easily be a 15p-10a-5r-2s-1.5b guy, probably in his sophomore year with the Kings.
Last night was his typical game, after his “one for the ages” performance vs DEN…
Bricks getting beat and death-by-dribble, but dont worry the coach will keep playing him anyway!
He loves himself some CoJoSlo!
If the Kings are going to play defense and rebound the way they have through two games then the Kings are going to be much better than I thought.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but… Luke Walton has been pretty solid through two games? Now, we’ve got multiple seasons of evidence he isn’t very good but it looks better right now then it did at any point last year. Maybe it’s the new assistants but I think it’s at least worth mentioning.
Tyrese Haliburton is good and he’s going to be great. I don’t care what the box score says. The team is better when he’s in the game. We’re two games into his rookie season.
Fox took a million 3’s and looked pretty bad in the preseason. He’s 4/9 through two games from three and 11/13 from the free throw line against Murray and CP3. He’s also been much better on defense thus far IMO. All small sample size approved but the early returns are positive.
This is fun! I won’t complain if we legitimately compete for a playoff spot this year.
Methinks Monte might go with the Sam Presti route: try for the playoffs and build the value of the high salary players (Barnes, Buddy, CoJo, Holmes) while giving the young core some experience and playtime. I see Walton playing Woodard, Ramsey and Jeffries soon probably when we play the other lottery bound teams for them to get some reps.
If we reach the play-ins then it’s already a win for this group, much better if we reach the playoffs. If we don’t then we tried while building our core for the future and getting a high pick this draft season.
All in all, it’s a win-win scenario for Monte, until it goes to hell because of Vivek or someone else (there’s a high chance of this happening because of Kangzian logic).
Fox’s free throw consistency so far has been nice to see. There’s something so annoying about watching a guy who draws so many shooting fouls going 1 for 2 s often.
It’s been mentioned that Rex Kalamian’s the new defensive coordinator, so he should get at least some of the credit.
Buddy Hield with the Charles Oakley-look is solid.
Not to be a buzz kill, but in the long run this is not fantastic. Like we’ve said multiple times, the only way for Sac to grow is through the draft. Fun wins are just thatfun, but they don’t help us toward the goal of getting past the first round of the playoffs.
And let me emphasize that I do not enjoy rooting against the team that I love. It’s a strange conundrum being a Kong’s fan. Every win is a yay with hesitation.
If the Kings made the playoffs in the west, that is a resounding success and shows that Fox/Bagley/Haliburton are doing great things on the court. Plus, we can still consider Buddy as part of our “core” too if we win. Why not? His game should age well into his early 30s.
My philosophy is that my rooting interest has no control over what happens during the game. So I’ll always root for them to win.
But I’d agree from a big picture POV, that this isn’t optimal. If I had to make any grand declarations after two games, it’s that Haliburton is a really interesting young player. And Fox and Bagley haven’t really looked (so far) much different than last season – these guys aren’t likely the high end talents this team needs to make the leap. So while this team may be improved, I think the ceiling is somewhat limited.
But again, it’s only two games, we’ll see where it leads.
As long as the Ws are coming on the heels of play of guys that are locked up for the next few years, it’s a good thing. So if Fox, Barnes, Bagley, Hield, and Haliburton are the core, then every W is a good thing because it is demonstrating that the team has sufficient talent and is developing the younger guys (Fox, Bagley, Haliburton) which will pay off in the long term. That’s mostly what has been happening. If the Ws were primarily due to players that are gone next year, then I’d agree. But for the most part, everyone else is a role player that can be substituted out. I’m hoping to not be in the lottery next year.
Rox has taken the biggest step forward in his career. I’ll be honest I didn’t think it was going to happen but he is breaking through to another level. He is purposefully slowing his game down and looking to pass. He’s not just slashing to the basket, he’s moving in a controlled manner which allows the half court offense to functions.
Kings are playing good defense and they don’t let up with the second unit. Whiteside contributions to the second unit and transition to the starters make him a great signing.
The offense should never run through Hield.
Halli in a couple years might be better than Fox.
Bagley needs to play smarter. He’s go to be careful about getting into the magic counsins mindset. He just needs to stay within himself and it will come to him.
In the first two games of the season the Kings have show multiple ways to win a game. They are winning with defense, fast pace, and half court.
I’ll be honest I didn’t think Bagley and Holmes would wrk together but when the starting unit gets into a good pace it is like lightning striking all over the court.
Lastley, I think Barnes might be in the best shape or his career…he appears to have gained a step and is really attacking the basket…that’s good to see!
Bagley and Whiteside make us a much better rebounding team than last season. Plus, Harrison Barnes has been getting boards too. If we keep rebounding like this, particularly these offensive rebounds, we might be better than we thought. We were 28th in the league in RPG last season.
Side note: Fox’s defense was absolutely stellar. He looks like an all star so far with his two-way play, improved passing, and just overall feel for the game. Him & Haliburton can be a legit force on the defensive end.
Walton made a good point, shocker, in one of his press conferences.
He said they want Fox to be a “gambler” on defense. That is rare to hear a coach say that, because when a player is out there taking chances and going for steals, he is often getting burnt and leaving guys free path to the rim.
But Fox has such good instincts, so swift getting into position and taking angles, he can afford to take risks and recover. I would suspect Hali falls into this category too. vs guys like Bagely and Buddy, who need to stay home on their man.
Another fun game. The icing on the cake, it was hopefully the first of several more games this season in which Bagley gets an assist!
In spite of all Marvin-induced trauma, I think I still prefer having Bagley over Ayton. As most of you, my obsession with all things 2018 NBA draft masochism has me pretty familiar with Ayton’s young career. It’s still hard not to marvel at the ridiculous, orbit-inducing frame, but the dude’s game feels like a 1998 time capsule relic. At least with Bagley there’s a similar floor of production, while his athleticism gives me hope for an extra flavor (maybe) or 2 (EASY tiger) combining to form something that eventually resembles a modern (though probably sidelined with an obscure malady) NBA big man.
And, hell, as a Kings fan, any excuse to make the Bagley pill go down smoother is a welcome one.
Oh man, I’d much rather have Ayton.
I was huge on Ayton prior to that draft. The talent is there but his decision making has been pretty bad. He definitely has gravity on offense and demands a double team, but too many times I saw him under the basket with the ball and pass out to shooters rather than dunking it. My opinion of Ayton has dropped significantly, but he’ll still be a very productive NBA player for years. Bagley, still hasn’t proven to me that he belongs. I had him 7th on my board that year, and he hasn’t even lived up to that high of a pick so far. It’s looking like we even missed on Porter at this point. That was a ridiculously good draft and we missed on at least 10 better players in favor of Bagley.
Ugly win better then a pretty win
So in the realm of all possible worlds how many saw this outcome? I did not think the Kings would be terrible, my hope was for scrappy a team you can root for. This is about the best outcome I/we could have imagined thought. I know this is still a building year, and this may not last, but it was nice to not 2020 the opening of this season. 40 points down and Fox out for two months, I doubt it would have been a shock to anyone. Two wins thats all, but there is hope and that is nice.
The Kings probably do not make the playoffs, but we should be watchable. There will be player development this year and we will find out who will be this core. Maybe we show we are one step closer than we thought. Go Kings
All we needed was to get rid of Vlade a few years sooner.
If we still had sig lines I would steal one from late in the game thread.
VLADE,YOU MAD GENIUS!!!…….heh
This 2-0 start is giving me parallels to the 03-94 team. The last time Kings started 2-0 thry advanced in the playoffs!!
When was the last time we saw the Kings take 20 more free throws than the opponent??
Now we just need to start making them!
Like I always do, I was cringing on every missed free throw, but Holmes was money from the line in the closing minutes. The Kings played well down the stretch with Fox as the floor general. Sprinkle in some hustle, defense, offensive boards, will and determination, and we may have the beginning of a winning formula.
There’s something about this team, and I can’t quite pin it down, but we seem to be vastly improved, based on this small sample size. I guess this fast start is a combination of growth from our core, a great draft, and adding some pieces that are actually contributing.
Defense. That is the glaring difference I see so far. The switching, active hands, and defensive boards are why the Kings won these two games. I haven’t seen much of a difference on the offensive sets. If anything, I’m disappointed in Walton’s instance on running the offense through bigs at the top of the key or high post. Why the hell would you hand the ball off to Holmes or Bagley and run sets through them?
Part of me wonders if the new offense, which is ugly in my eyes, has the fingerprints of Gentry and the defense is Kalamian’s design. Kalamian worked under Rivers in LA so he should know his defense.
Is the Kings MVP so far this year Kalamian?
It’s been mentioned that Kalamian’s the new defensive coordinator, so he should get at least some of the credit.
A few things I’ve noticed different this year.
1- Defense. The Kings can actually run a pretty decent defensive team out there with Fox, Cojo, Haliburton, Whiteside and Barnes. Or go big and sub out Cojo for Holmes. The Defensive minded guys have been contagious too. Seeing effort from guys not typically known for their defense.
2- Haliburton- The guy isn’t stuffing the stat sheet but he really impacts the game. When the ball is in his hand, good things are going to happen. 5 assists last night weren’t even indicative of his vision. He had several Hockey assists on top of it. On D, he is so aware, long, and quick. A total disrupter. Kings got a gem.
3- Bagley- The opposite of Haliburton. Gets a double double and still has me yelling at my TV all night. Just constantly out of position on D, taking 3s early in the clock, and just not playing very smart. I love the second jump, the effort, hands, and skills around the basket, but he finds just as many ways to adversely impact the game.
4- Whiteside- It’s hard to mention him even because he’s not part of a long term rebuild but he’s just such a frustrating player. He has an incredible ability to rim protect. His size makes him a great rebounder as well. But man, he clogs stuff up sometimes. It feels like he should be an all star, but his inconsistent effort and lapses in judgement are holding him back. I want him to be good so bad.
5- Wins. It’s two games in and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but two wins against what should be decent teams is encouraging. I am not, and never have been, on the tank wagon. I don’t think this year’s draft is particularly great (beyond Cade), and I think if the team is winning games, and are led by the guys under the organizations control for several years, that is a really good thing. So as long as the wins are happening on the backs of Fox, Hield, Bagley, Haliburton, and Barnes, that’s a good thing. The remaining team are talents that can be picked up on free agency, which should be even easier if the Kings start winning games. I don’t expect a playoff run, but if we had one, I’d be ecstatic because it would likely mean at least a few years of playoff caliber teams in Sacramento.
Some useless opinions from untrained eyes:
1- fox’s threes looked good but didn’t look that contested.
2- Bagley’s ceiling at this point is Julius randle. Can’t ask him to pass the ball more if he’s gonna just turn it over. He’s active on defense but looks like empty calories to me
3- Tyrese is everything we hope for and some more
4- Joseph’s dribbling to death is hard to watch
5- Buddy hasn’t found his stroke and loved taking fadeaway or highly contested shots. His defense this season has been a revelation though
6- Robinson is active and looks effective to me
7- Whiteside’s interior defense is an welcome sight even if he negatively impact the team
8- coaching. If the differences between last and this season is just switching out 2 assistant coaches, why in the basketball hell did Walton bring ineffective preceding coaches and let them do their thing all season? Or Walton doesn’t want to be banished from NBA head coaching gigs in the future so he’s actually coaching instead of film watching? I am puzzled in so many ways
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