Sacramento Kings basketball is back already! The (pre)season tips off today at Golden 1 Center against the defending Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns. I asked a handful of thoughful people to join me on the show today for a roundtable edition of Kings Pulse, which could become a monthly occurrence.
I took the Pulse of Will Griffith, Matt George, Devin Hestand, Mirann Tsumura, Tim Maxwell, Franklin Cartoscelli, Chris Watkins, and Bryant West on six different questions.
1. What are you most looking forward to this season?
2. How do you feel about the selection of Davion Mitchell at pick 9 after SL?
3. Are you in favor of chasing Ben Simmons?
i) If Simmons goes elsewhere, does the team need to find a different big move to make this season?
4. How many wins do you predict this season? Is it enough to make the playoffs?
5. What are your thoughts on Monte McNair’s tenure so far in Sacramento?
6. What is your coping mechanism when the Kings or your other sport teams start to struggle?
Let us know who you agreed with and your thoughts on these topics prior to the season tipping off.
There is plenty of reason to be excited about the Sacramento Kings headed into the 2021-22 NBA season. The debut of Davion Mitchell in front of the Golden 1 Center crowd is sure to be electric. Tyrese Haliburton has yet to receive love from a full home stadium either due to last season’s COVID restrictions.
I am looking forward to upping my coverage this season, and bringing you all more Kings focused content. What are you most excited for with basketball just around the corner?
Moving forward, a new episode of the Kings Pulse podcast will air every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The show is available on all major listening platform.
But you didn’t answer the most important question: Will Trey Lance start at guard for the Kings this year?
Is this episode going to be like this:
…or like this:
…
Is there any way to adjust the sound on the web player?
That continues to be a source of frustration.
I would recommend trying to adjust your volume mixer. If you right click the volume of your computer in the bottom right it should let you turn down the volume output from your Chrome or whatever browser.
Let me know if that’s not what you mean though and I’d be glad to look into it.
Any chance you guys could do live streams (ie youtube) and allow for paid user comments from guests? You guys could make a lot of money and get a ton of listeners/subscribers. The fan interaction is a lot of fun and takes these web shows to another level (see Grant Cohn Niners Livestreams)
That sounds like fun!
Will be ready with my questions!
…The Kings Herald > Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp
(but if TKH goes down too, I think I’ll go outside and play)
I might as well delete my Facebook because I never even go on it anymore. The only reason I still have it is because some of my friends still communicate via messaging. And also all the pictures that I’ve been tagged in.
I use it for the standard reasons: in hopes that people I went to high school with will think my life is much more interesting and exciting than it really is.
I have so many high school classmates on my FB friend list, and other than one of my close friends from there (and randomly bumping into another one when I was eating out at a restaurant during Thanksgiving weekend one year), I don’t think I’ve actually seen or stayed in touched with any of my high school peers.
I live a couple of thousand miles away from 98% of them, which, while not intentional, certainly isn’t the worst thing. I’ve got a couple of old friends I like to stay in touch with, so it’s useful that way, since I detest being on the phone.
At this point, Facebook is nothing more than a news aggregator for all the journalists/magazines I subscribe to. 90% Wired/Time/WaPo articles, 10% memes from old college friends.
Not to make widespread political change with cliches and unresearched half-truths?
In their view, a half-truth still means they’re half-right.
I’ve kept mine because of photos and birthday reminders. Definitely can feel the day coming when I’ll just go through and download all my photos I want and be done with it.
I use it because I’m very interested in the scientific opinions of Communications majors (or worse) in regard to deeply complex issues like vaccines/immunity, or whether the moon landing was faked. It was, apparently!
*I have a degree in Communications. Is fake major.
I use it for doing research on complex matters.
I’ve never had Facebook and am pretty darn certain I’m better off for it.
A wise choice for sure, especially with all the stuff they are in the news for nowadays.
MySpace though, right?
I miss the MySpace days. Weird times, but good memories.
Heh, I had MySpace in middle and high school. Deleted it after high school was done, but it was actually kind of fun how much you could customize the layout of the page. Although it seemed like everyone just wanted to have billions of friends on their friends list.
And who could forget everyone’s friend Tom?
My favorite thing about MySpace is that NewsCorp cut Tom a check for half-a-billion dollars, and then dumped it years later for something like $40 mil.
I asked them to delete my account about 6 years ago, and I think it has been one of my best decisions.
I’m stupidly slighltly optimistic about this team. That being said, they are a two-week stretch of ineptitude away from Vivek ordering Monte to trade Fox, Haliburton and 10 future first rounders for Simmons.
A lot of interesting takes here, and a good group offering them.
Because I have no ability to keep track of the names of more than one person in conversation (and sometimes, not even that many), I don’t know who is was that said something like, they didn’t feel like McNair was doing even an adequate job, because McNair hadn’t done much, made the egregious mistake of not firing Walton for two seasons, had not himself boosted the win total in his first season with one of the worst 1-15 rosters in the league, and very little wiggle room to go after free agents, and hadn’t spent any money (what money?).
To bundle all of that and try to respond, what do you felt McNair should have done in free agency, this year or last, given the cap situation, and overall lack of talent with which to offer to other teams in trade? Please bear in mind that to my knowledge, McNair has no special ability to mesmerize other general managers into acceding to his will.
It is my opinion, and nothing more than that, and assuming that McNair isn’t a staggering incompetent, that he would have fired Walton while flying to Sacramento for the first time, had it been permitted, and will do so at the first opportunity once ownership signs off on eating year four.
It continues to be a source of puzzlement to me how frequently criticisms are levied as though Monte McNair was operating in a vacuum where none of the specific and important details are given any weight. I have no issue with criticizing anyone about anything. I have no sacred cows. I don’t see how I’m supposed to take seriously the complaints of people who stare so pointedly at one side of an issue without seeing the other side at all.
The kicker for me was the part where they asserted that a new GM gets a gap year before any criticism can be levied. When do you suppose that will start?
Everything that I’ve referenced has been paraphrased, but if I’ve misinterpreted anything, I would appreciate the correction.
I’d say letting Bogi walk for nothing is still the major mistake that outshines any possible good he has done with the roster. Small markets can’t let talent walk for nothing. That’s 100% on Monte and has nothing to do with other GM’s cooperating with him.
Will you concede that McNair had an equitable deal in place before Bogdan and his agent blew it up?
The Bucks reported deal? Yes, I would have been fine with that S&T, but the proof is in the pudding when it comes to competed deals. You don’t get credit for swings and misses.
What still pisses me off is that Monte was fine taking on the salaries of 3 players in the Bucks deal, two of which were expiring, but then let Bogi go for nothing to ATL, for “future cap flexibility,’ just a few days later. He would have taken on an expiring Snell and two seconds as a thank you. I still don’t know why he didn’t take that deal.
You and your need for Tony Farking Snell at $12 million. He’d be completely redundant with Hield on the roster, and doesn’t rebound nearly as well. I like him as a player, but the Hawks had no interest in having him back, and he’s got himself a one-year deal with Portland at twenty cents on the dollar. That would appear to be the market making a correction, but one could argue that the two second-rounders coming back counterbalance the ten million dollar overpay.
Not me, of course.
And have at your pudding, I guess. I’d think that it would be difficult to complete any deal where one of the principals is actively working to scuttle it, but I understand how important it is to lay blame at the feet of one of the parties involved who helped create the deal.
I don’t know why it’s important, but it sure seems to be.
I had no care or desire for Snell, he was simply an expiring $12M contract that could have been of value at any point in the season. He was a means to an end to spend and operate above the cap. Good teams do that. He was a extra card in the deck that potentially could have allowed Monte to make a larger deal elsewhere. At worst he was simply an expiring contract.
In the end it was still an asset lost for nothing which is crippling to a team like the Kings.
Yes, Snell’s expiring was too big, but let’s not overlook the fact that Snell is known as a pretty good defender and shot 57% on threes last season (on not a ton of attempts). In theory, bringing Snell in for a season helps you deal Hield, and maybe makes either the Wright, Terence Davis or Harkless deals unnecessary, where those assets might have been used for another player.
It’s not a major mistake on McNair’s part, but I don’t really get why he didn’t do it, but I don’t get what looks like a lack of urgency in the first place.
Crippling? There’s that word again. Sorry, having Snell, 2nds, or anything else MM could’ve gotten for mediocre Bogi, would not have remotely changed the Kings course. 15 years of essentially 30 win ball and likely 15 more ahead. I was fine with them just saving the money and giving it to Holmes. Crippling? Let’s talk about Luke. Let’s talk about Vivek. Non-crippling? Just make a fair offer and go get legit difference-maker Simmons before Minn, OKC, or SA do. He’s sitting right there!
Good questions and I liked the format.
Why do you think that a number of people revising their opinions after seeing Mitchell play is not a good sign? And not a good sign for who, or what?
Many of these guests thought it was a bad pick after evaluating the draft prospects for months. If one or two thought it was a bad pick, okay. With only one appearing to like it from the jump, maybe we should just trust our collective evaluations. Maybe we shouldn’t let ourselves be convinced that hey yeah this does look good actually. McNair and the front office obviously have more tools at their disposal though; I see that.
With regard to Summer League, Mitchell definitely did well as one hopes he would considering he was almost 23 y/o and playing against a lot of 19 y/o’s.
I think it’s not a good sign for Mitchell’s prospects as a draft pick compared to others that could have been picked at 9.
Candidly, I’m not sure what your meaning is here, but if this is to say that the initial reaction of a Zoom call full of Kings fans was that they didn’t like the pick, given who else was available, I don’t see the connection.
Is it possible that someone drafted after Mitchell will have a better NBA career? Quite possible! You can also say that about guys taken at one It’s a crapshoot.
For what it’s worth (not a lot), the Sporting News had him at seven, as did CBS Sports, and the New York Post, MSN had him at eight, and so forth. I do, however, seem to recall that there were also a lot of mocks that had him at ten or lower, so we’ll have to be content to see how it plays out.
Jerry Reynolds seemed to think that if Mitchell was still on the board, you take him, because he seems to be NBA-ready, and if nothing else, you can always trade talent
And Jerry Reynolds had some high praise for him leading up to the draft 🙂
According to Brett Huff’s aggregation he was 10.37 after looking at many mocks. So yeah, not too far from 9. I imagine those mocks take potential into account too.
https://twitter.com/bretthuff22/status/1417907769487679497?s=20
The Chi is one of the best shows out there!
Very disappointed every preseason when the games aren’t televised. I’m waiting to see the amazing chemistry we keep hearing about that is going to bring the Kings 35 wins.
It’s going to be broadcast on Facebook!
oh wait.
Lol…Will it be broadcast legally anywhere? I mean, really, what a letdown. I hate that this happens every preseason. But We can watch several Lakers and Dubs games. I get why, those teams are actually good, but damn.
Kings.com I believe.
Oh shoot! Really? That’s great. Despite my sense of pessimism surrounding this season, I still want to watch it!
https://www.nba.com/kings/kings-livestream-coverage
The livestream is “restricted to fans living within 75 miles of Golden 1 Center.” I’m outside of that but in the Kings’ media market. I’m so tired of this garbage half-ass organization.
I’m in Elk Grove and it said I couldn’t watch it. Thankfully, there are VPNs. 😀
It’s being live-streamed at Kings.com
1. I’m just excited there’s basketball again.
2. I don’t dislike Davion. He looks like a fine player, especially after summer league. However, I don’t think he’ll be utilized correctly by the coaching staff, and the pick devalued the other existing players already there. Trade down for garuba and Kessler Edwards was my preferred outcome if we couldn’t get kuminga.
3. Simmons shouldn’t be the end all be all trade target. If he’s gettable for one unprotected pick and spare parts, do it.
3i. 100%, the kings should be scouring the NBA for extra players on teams that don’t get playing time and are young. Call up Atlanta and see what reddish or Hunter would cost. Jaden McDaniels, come on down. Jonathan Isaac, you too. Keldon Johnson or Lonnie walker? I’d rather try trading for two of these kinds of guys than one Ben Simmons if it meant gutting the team.
4. No changes to the roster or coaching staff, 37 wins. You’re asking for a lot of growth from fox, haliburton, and a healthy Bagley.
5. McNair seems really underwhelming.
6. Only if the kings left the market would I be really down.
I guess it won’t be long before people start claiming that they’re willing to take Simmons off the Sixers hands if they’ll throw in a first as a sweetener…
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
This is 100% true, but some teams can afford whiffs much more so than the kings.
Ben’s got a tier talent and skills but f tier professionalism. When it was just a matter of him shrinking from the moment, sign me up for trading away talent to get him. He’s worth a lot, even now I just don’t think the kings can afford to whiff on him sulking and playing poorly to get out or worst case, sitting out.
Kings fans crucify buddy for being unprofessional by airing out his grievances, but at least he shows up to work. Do we know Ben is willing to play in sac? If he holds out here, do the kings even sniff getting back anything of value?
I’d be a lot more excited to see this team under almost any other head coach. Put me down for 35 wins and 11th place in the West.
In total agreement. I have them down for 35 wins as well.
That result would not surprise me at all. A blind guess makes me think that Walton probably costs the team at least three games a year.
But… happy players!!!
I’m taking the under – 33 wins, and everyone’s seat is going to get pretty warm by the end of this season.
I’d love to say that this couldn’t happen, but, you know, the past.
It’s difficult for me to believe that Ranadive dumps McNair without ever giving him the opportunity to pick his own coach, but there’s nothing in the bylaws that says that owners are required to be reasonable.
I know right. Walton has been downright terrible for, not only two seasons with the Kings, but his entire career. He virtually does nothing right – except, of course, for the fact that the players like him. Why is this year going to be any different?
Couldn’t win with LeBron, but will win with Tristan Thompson. /Shrugs
I can’t say I am knowledgeable about coaches, but I do know that on every team that is around a 50% win rate or less the fans hate their coach. If you look back on the early Suns blog from last year you will see they hated their coach and wanted to can him. They start winning and he suddenly he is great. Maybe a miracle will happen and we can start liking Walton.
Cheap!
Badge Legend