The 2022 NBA Draft is officially in the rearview now. What many expected to be an exciting day where that could have the Sacramento Kings working with a notably different roster by the end of it turned out to be pretty quiet.
In this episode of the Kings Pulse podcast, I spent time just reacting to what took place yesterday, starting with Monte McNair's selection of Keegan Murray with the fourth overall pick. Jaden Ivey was the popular name here and his questionable fit alongside De'Aaron Fox led people to believe the Kings would shop that pick.
But, I think that McNair and the rest of the front office didn't want to risk trading back and Murray being off the board. There may have been some complications in moving the pick.
Also, McNair was very clear in his post-draft press conference that they truly believed Murray was the best player available and raved about his skillset, work ethic, background, and personality. Included in this episode is a clip of McNair explaining the complications that came with getting prospects into Sacramento and his thoughts on Murray.
Trading the 37th pick to the Dallas Mavericks for their 2024 and 2028 second-round picks was an interesting decision. Personally, I don't understand it. There are plenty of moves that the Kings make that I disagree with, but more often than not I can understand and see a potential logic behind it -- not with this deal.
As for the final pick of the night, the Kings moved pick 49 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the rights to Sasha Vezenkov. Vezenkov is a player who intrigues me with his length, shooting and IQ. It will be interesting to see if Sacramento brings him over next season.
Plenty of this episode includes me explaining how I think this could work out. It's certainly not the way that I would have gone about it, but this could be a smart way to change the negative culture and narrative that surround the Sacramento Kings.
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With all due respect, this is the only opinion that matters regarding the pick, succinctly encapsulated in under 3 minutes:
No way I click on that douchenozzle, but if your opinion and his opinion align, well, that’s a bold strategy, Cotton.
My jokes never land lol.
I don’t want to seem nosy, but did people hear about my divorce? https://unicourt.com/case/ca-sac2-in-re-the-marriage-of-napear-159348
He just said the Kings should trade down and not take a player at #4. No, that was 6/23.
This one was “I don’t understand why Keegan Murray is drawing so much vitriol.” Which made sense. It wasn’t any heavy hitting or hard point, but not one I haven’t said, either, for instance.
Napear is 100% correct . I realize a lot of his radio listeners did not like his approach but he was great on TV as play by play .
Play by play Grant was good, radio Grant was terrible.
Yup.
Is that emerald green?
Peaches in emerald green with a tan to boot.
I think it’s burnt peach.
It’s more like lime green.
I have never looked sexier than in this video. I was thinking about taking off my shirt to reveal my nipple piercings but you sensitive Kings Herald types couldn’t handle it.
Napear out.
I want to add another thing. All you negative people rant about culture. Yes we have to change the culture of not only the team but the coach, front office and yes you. All the time negative comments due just as much as anything else to hamper the culture of this organization Start just every once in a while make a positive comment and you would be surprised how much that would improve the culture in Sacramento basketball. GO KINGS!
LOL. Are we back to the team sucks because the fans are not supportive enough-takes?
Come on.
I find some of the negativity relentless and sometimes lacking nuance…some of its deserved though.
But lord help us if anyone in the organization really reads the comment section. That’s not the problem.
Doubt Monte cares. Or the rest of the basketball FO for that matter. They might find it more comical than anything else.
And, of course, Kings fans are no more negative than any other fan base. In fact, I think Kings fans are much more accepting of failure than most fan bases.
I’d argue this is the biggest problem with this fanbase. That’s actually one thing I do appreciate about how they worked this draft process though. A lot of fans wanted Jaden Ivey…..and would have turned on the franchise 10 games if and when it became a shitshow. Likewise, if somehow the Kings go 6-4 in their first 10 games with Murray, they’ll start tuning in slowly and come around.
But the apathy and anger towards this franchise and the way they operate is certainly not beyond the realm of reason. They’ve earned that anger and apathy.
I think what makes the Kings fanbase unique, perhaps, is that the loudest social media voices tend to dominate the room a bit more than the smaller voices and many of those voices are very upset to say the least.
Once people start seeing Murray, Ivey and other players at the NBA level, we’re going to start hearing different things. I’m looking forward to the start of the season!
A lot of Kings fans wanted Ivey, but a lot of Kings fans wanted Keegan. Personally, I preferred Keegan.
I’d say it’s a 60-40 split towards Ivey…..but I was never as high on Ivey as most possible so I was going to be happy with Keegan Murray.
I wouldn’t have hated the Ivey pick, necessarily, I just didn’t really see the upside there.
Ivey seems like a poor man’s Fox to me & the Kings already have Fox. They don’t need a worse version of him.
Ivey and Detroit are a great match IMO. All that’s left to see is whether or not it works out or not. As per usual, in otherwords.
Detroit’s definitely a better fit for Ivey than the Kings. He’d be a poor fit w/Fox & the Kings don’t have a good history of developing players like him.
Cade makes pretty much everyone a great match in Detroit at the moment. A big 2-way creator like that means pretty much every other archetype works.
Yup. Ain’t no arguing that. He’s easily, of the players drafted since 2019, on my top 5 of guys I’d want to build around.
In order (of draft year) the others are : Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes.
Of those I have Edwards #1. After that, I think it’s a real flip of the coin between Cunningham and Barnes, and fair or not it’s just very difficult to build around bigs like Mobley which is why he’s 4th. Morant only drops to 5 because he misses 20+ games annually. If he starts playing 70-75 games, he’s easily #1 on this list unless all these other guys take serious leaps (which they might).
Relentless negativity driven by years of relentless horrible moves by the Kings.
And I think, if it’s too negative for people then point out the inaccuracies in the negativity rather than yell at people expressing concerns. I know you didn’t do that WSox. Was a general comment.
Shit, in other thread someone commented that he was glad negative commenters were suffering and that was purple!
That, to me, is a lot worse then playing negative comments. That is intolerance.
I want to add another thing. All you negative people rant about culture. Yes we have to change the culture of not only the team but the coach, front office and yes you. All the time negative comments due just as much as anything else to hamper the culture of this organization Start just every once in a while make a positive comment and you would be surprised how much that would improve the culture in Sacramento basketball. GO KINGS!
You must be the real Grant Napear. 😂
Nah. Grant loves negative rants.
Give me a break. Don’t tell me how to fan.
How many years do we have to experience bad choices, pointing them out and have positive gut try to tell me the negativity impacts the franchise or is wrong?
What the fuck is wrong with expressing concerns?
We should review our history and not forget:
When the Kings arrived in Sacramento in 1985, sold-out crowds would arrive to the arena and they would bring their negative attitudes with them for every home game. The arena was just packed with so many fans with negative attitudes, every single home game for years.
Until one day, in 1998, all of the fans decided to have positive attitudes, and subsequently the team produced a winning record for the first time in the city’s history.
The fans continued to have positive attitudes until one day, in 2006, they decided to have negative attitudes again.
The fans have continued to do this for 16 straight years now.
Once the fans realize all they need to do is have positive attitudes, the team will start winning again.
I agree.Just start with a little positive attitude.
Think you got chasmed.
Read it again .
Garry St Jean would say have PMA.. positive mental attitude
Misspelled H. R. from Bad Brains.
If you want positive attitudes put out a positive product. If you put out a shitty product be prepared for more of the same attitude we’ve had for the last 16 years.
While I agree w/you, you got chasm’d.
If they are all negative then what an ego.
?? Does not make sense
Grant=tool. Such an ass. Yelling at fans previously for questioning Bagley pic, etc etc.
I don’t like Cousins but I love that he lead to Grants dismissal.
The world is a better place without Grants ego amd idiocy on Sac airwaves.
I don’t believe there was much controversy here –
Keegan Murray comes to Sac, has meet and greet and eat with both Sabonis and separately Fox. That’s a commitment. More than any “sources” talking “promise”. Hard stop. Period. Finito.
I would also be willing to bet ZillerBucks that the Monte McNair type is eerily similar to the RC Buford model.
I will add, that on interview, Murray comes across as an exceedingly mature, well adjusted, intelligent person. And unlike the “Shoulda drafted at 4” (see TKH mock) Shaedon Sharpe “I am going to be one of the greatest NBA players ever https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2375302/amp
or shoulda traded traded down for Benedict Mathurin “Lebron James is going to have to show that he is better than me”
Keegan Murray talks about how he wants to improve and has Khris Middleton as a player model.
Man, he’s just so boring. Sacramento snoozer. Yawn. He couldn’t possibly be a star. No swagger, how embarrassing!
We have four months before the season starts with a nice Vegas Summer League in two weeks. (And Free Agency on June 30)
Guess we’ll find out then. In the meantime let’s play with nicknames for Kings #13 Murray.
“The Hawk” (U of Iowa product, playing next to The Black Falcon – some might call them birds of a feather). I’d be just as happy if he just goes by Keegan. Known by his name – just like Giannis, Kyrie, Kawhi. Not saying he’ll be at their talent level – but ya neva know
Keegan Thee Stallion?
or
Hawkeye, when he’s hitting them 3’s?
(Hawk with Black Falcon is pretty awesome, though!)
The one-name “Keegan” works.
Just don’t only call him “Murray”
His personality is a big plus. MM cleary puts weight in that given his 3 first round picks.
Who are some players you see as comps for Murray?
I think the Shareef comp is pretty apt, even has a similar shooting stroke.
Otto Porter when he was on the Wizards, pre-injury
Man, that’s Fox, Ox, Black Falcon, Hawk….!
How about Michael “The Animal” Smith as a veteran mentor/handler?
Certainly the franchise has been The Zoo without a clue, the last 16 seasons.
We could rename G1C as The Cage (G1Cage)
As for him being a seemingly solid citizen type – how refreshing is that?
So many seasons of bad team w/not so great character guys – players and coaches.
It is a nice step in the “hoping to win and win with class” direction. And it can be viewed as a bit of social distancing from the desperation that extended (record breaking) losing invariably produces. Another feather in GM McNair’s cap, IMO.
The Cage would be a fun nickname for the arena if we make the playoffs and go nuts, with cowbells ringing like hell. Only way it could be more perfect is if Nicolas Cage showed up wearing a Ron Artest Kings jersey.
Thinking more and more that I like your Hawk nickname.
Just maybe, this is guy that can push this team to flip the script.
Basketball history-wise, The Hawk was the moniker for the great Connie Hawkins, a Rucker legend who also went U of Iowa and was known for his enormous hands (the word was that no matter how he held the ball you could always see his hand- he owned all the pre-Kawhi hand stories). His story is an NBA tragedy – though there was some redemption. He was questionably associated with the college basketball point shaving scandal of 1961 and NBA Comissioner J. Walter Kennedy barred him from joining the Association. As a result, he was not allowed into the NBA. He thus joined the Harlem Globetrotters. Later on, he was able to join the newly formed ABA where he lead the League in scoring, was an MVP and Finals MVP (Pittsburgh Pipers). , Eventually, he was allowed to enter the NBA and he played for the new expansion team in Phoenix, though by this time he was on the downside of his playing peak. His NBA career still included 4 All-Star appearances and an All NBA 1st Team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in ‘92).
Just some old fart FYI.
Bed Stuy at your service!!!
Tim “Naismith Hall of Famer” Duncan wasn’t the most exciting cat. Still one of the truly great players of the era. Swagger isn’t prerequisite for value or, hell, *greatness even…
I saw after such a comparison with Duncan someone on Twitter call Murray “The Medium Fundamental”.
i LOL’d.
Wasn’t Duncan also a “late bloomer”?
He had good rebounding stats is fresh year and blocks his first year but scored less than 10 per game. Tim, never scored with same efficiency but was a better rebounder and shot blocker.. yes Tim Duncan played 4 years of college ball, and didn’t seem to peak like everyone thinks Keegan has after 2 years. I will take a player that is 80% of Tim Duncan and be happy as F&ck!
I think you might’ve read the years backwards…
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duncati01.html
Duncan’s stats his rookie season (1997/1998):
21.1 pts
11.9 rebounds
2.5 blocks
2.7 assists
It’s his last season (2015/2016) that he had less than 10 points per game.
He was talking about his Freshman year and college stats.
Ah, got it.
Thanks. I’m dumb!
Sorry, w2w. 🙂
Or…maybe I’m all mixed up. Are you talking about his college career?
Sorry if so.
I was taking college, but as someone posted he was a young frosh so let’s look at Tim’s Jr year vs Keegan’s soph year.
TD per game 19.1 PTs, 12.3 Rebounds, 2.9 assists, .7 steals, 3.8 blocks, 3.3 TO’s 59.5%, TS 56.3% eFG, 17% TOV
KM per game 23.5 PT’s, 8.7 Rebounds, 1.5 Assists, 1.3 Steals, 1.9 Blocks, 1.1 TOV’s, 63.8% TS, 61.4% eFG, 5.7% TOV
I’d say 80% Tim Duncan is like peak LeMarcus Aldridge, whom I’ve seen Keegan comped as. I’d take that.
PDX last 5 years LMA? Sign me up please. That dude was gooooooood.
Me too especially PDX LMA… I think it’s a pretty good comp for Keegan
Not if you look at all his college accolades.
Time to throw a Keegar.
Alternatively, “Keegarator”
Reminds me…I gotta go do my Kegel exercises.
I just want to see a bunch of Bill Murray gifs associated with Keegan for the next dozen or so years.
I wanna see a bunch of ‘What about Bob’ GIFs over the next dozen or so years.
I’m tired of seeing the same Caddyshack, Lost in Translation and Ghostbusters GIFs. Oh, and Groundshog Day for that matter. You’re also not allowed to use Stripes.
I want new GIF’s. GIMME. NEW. NARRATIVES.
You know darned well why you are seeing the same Groundhog Day gifs over and over, everyday.
And until you learn your lesson and make a change, that will never change.
Are you daring me to quit you Gonzo? Because I was off Twitter for 6 months you psychotic crooked nose sucka. Don’t dare me to disappear off the 280 character medium again because I just might……FROM YOU.
Wait, you’re on twitter?
😛
Well it’s Groundhog’s Day gif…again.
Quite right Spackler. I’m glad you understand the point of the exercise. Good movie, too.
Don’t forget the Keegan-Michael Key gifs!
Bill Murray today looks like a Jerry Reynolds double or vice versa .
Um, Giannis has the Greek Freak as a nickname.
Remember the RC Buford works for final decision maker – Spurs President and Coach – Popovich . Buford a solid No 2 and so it seems is Monte .
It’s weird how some Gerald Wallace-esk comments get spotlighted and some don’t. I’ve heard a whole lot about Benedict Mathurin recently. Less so of Shaedan Sharpe. Bagley was long mocked for his MVP comment. Chet’s- ‘I’m going to be the best player in the NBA in 2 months’ is one of the quieter dumb boasts.
I like that Keegan focused on himself and his game, how he will fit in to the team, etc. He kept it all about himself, and did not put a bullseye on his chest for the rest of the league to aim at. Just go play the game of basketball and get better, period. More dudes need to have that type of attitude.
If he’s good I think his nickname should be “BPA”
“BPA” sounds like a K-Pop group!
♪♪ Smooth like butter,
Monte don’t like no other—
Gonna fit in no trouble—
Breaking into our hearts like that (ooh)!
Full court runner, yeah,
Ain’t no one else I druther, uh—
Let’s see this summer, yeah—
I’m taking all bets on that (break it down)!
…♪♪
I think some people are understating how much change has happened. Over the course of one year, the incoming players have been Davion Mitchell, Donte Divencenzo, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray, among others. And they hired a new coach. That’s a lot.
Yeah I can’t stand hearing posters and talking heads say we’re just running it back from last year…idiotic
Narratives gon’ narrative.
The reality is, a team that looks like this:
PG: Fox, DiVicenzo
SG: Mitchell, Holiday
SF: Barnes, Davis
PF: Murray, Lyles
C: Sabonis, Jones
Versus a team that looks like this:
PG: Fox, Mitchell
SG: Haliburton, Hield
SF: Barnes, Davis
PF: Harkless, Bagley
C: Holmes, Thompson, Len, Jones
Argue it however you want, But the first team looks different (provided that’s the group you bring back since DDV & DJ are both, of course, FA’s and not guaranteed to come back) than the second one IMO.
It is what it is. Only way this gets settled, ultimately, is that the Kings start winning.
Yup, there are really only 4 players that began last season that will likely be apart of the rotations to start this year. Fox, Barnes, Mitchell, and Holmes are all the remain, and all 4 may not even be here by October. That is quite a turn over in a calendar year.
I really hope that they won’t resort to the “it’s a new team with a new coach and new scheme, so it takes time”-narrative again.
You also got to hope that the infusion of BBIQ will also take away the previously used “we had to dumb the scheme down”-excuses are gone. I won’t miss Buddy or Bagley, from that perspective.