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Kings Pulse: Who will make All-NBA teams, and recapping the Boston loss

Adam Taylor, who covers the Celtics, joins the show to give his perspective on the game and the rest of the Eastern Conference.
By | 24 Comments | Mar 22, 2023

Sacramento lost a tough one last night to the Boston Celtics, who are currently the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Directly following the loss, I recorded an episode with my immediate thoughts which also included postgame audio quotes from Coach Mike Brown and De’Aaron Fox.

The following day, Wednesday, I had Adam Taylor, who covers the Boston Celtics for CelticsBlog, join the show to give his perspective on the game as well as the rest of the Eastern Conference.

We start with Adam’s general takeaways from the game to compare and contrast them to my own. This part of the conversation included some interesting schematic and lineup-focused conversations that were on display.

Following the game, both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown spoke to the media in Golden 1 Center and included are audio clips from those pressers. They both were very complimentary of the Kings’ play this season, Fox, and Domantas Sabonis.

Adam and I took that opportunity to share our thoughts on Jaylen Brown’s recent trending comments about his commitment to Boston and the followup that he had regarding that yesterday. It also presented and opportunity to debate if Boston head coach Joe Mazulla should be considered for Coach of the Year or if Mike Brown is becoming the runaway favorite.

The second half of this episode was focused on selecting our three All-NBA teams since the season is in its final stages. Having Adam join me for this conversation was great to have someone with better knowledge of the Eastern Conference landscape and talent pool included.

Is there a chance that BOTH Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox make an All-NBA team? When it comes to Fox, look at the pool of guards he is competing with:

Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, Jalen Brunson, Luka Doncic, Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Darius Garland, Zach LaVine, and more.

It’s a tough time to be crowned one of the six best guards in an NBA season, but we took the time to see if there is an argument. Sabonis would need to be viewed as a top-three center in the NBA.

The Kings Pulse podcast is available on all major listening platforms and also in video form on YouTube!

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murraytant
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March 22, 2023 4:55 pm

There are quite a few very good players in the NBA this year. Fox and Sabonis are late to the attention.
I think they would be luck to each get a third team all-NBA nod.
I also think that despite my perspective, Mike Brown will get snubbed for COY which will go to Mazzulla.
Despite one of the most important abilities, is availability, some 60 or even 50 game players will get chosen over Fox and Sabonis who are “available”.

Mike120
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March 22, 2023 7:46 pm

Celtics and Kings May very well both end up third in their conferences. Kings will have improved greatly from last year whereas Mazulla inherited a finals team. I don’t see it as being even close. Brown wins. That said, these last 10 games matter too.

AnybodyButBagley
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March 22, 2023 8:14 pm

Don’t care who makes All NBA or any other stupid trinket.

We have a winning record and a legitimate chance to make a run in the playoffs. That is all that matters,

Jack
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March 23, 2023 6:12 am

I think all 3 from above would rather make the playoffs and possibly go deep into the playoffs. They are team players and coach. What they have done this year is extraordinary and they should be honored for it. Both McNair and Brown have said they want to get there and be there every year with the goal to win championships not just one but more than one. I believe this is the goal of the whole organization including the entire team. This does not include individual accolades although that would be nice. I, although I had to, give out MVP awards each year made sure that it included the whole team not an individual for IMO basketball is a team sport. I believe players like Fox and Sabonis also believe that. GO KINGS! Shoot for the top.

RobHessing
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March 23, 2023 8:04 am

I don’t care much about the awards, either. That said, my guess is that Brown does not care much about COY, but there are financial and emotional benefits for Fox and Sabonis if they make All-NBA, and it would probably elevate Sacramento a little bit as it pertains to being a free agent destination. Positive recognition for this organization is nothing but a good thing.

UpgradedToQuestionable
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March 23, 2023 12:33 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

Max and SuperMax considerations are very hefty financial bonuses which not only reward the players for their hard work, skill and determination, they reward the team that elevated them to achieve that level (at least, in my book, that is how I/me see it – players, agents and egos aside). The team has to pay more, but these accolades are very often tied in to team success (though I remember a certain Kings center who was All-NBA five years ago and the team sucked). It also helps with jersey sales, All-Star appearances, name recognition nationwide, maybe more nationally televised games. And that spurs agents and players of all calibers who prefer to be associated with winning and winners. It even elevates the standing of the GM and the Owner/Managing Partner and that is a good thing as well.

I’ll even add that it increases the player’s NBA2K standing and all of the associated ramifications. And maybe, or at least I hope, just maybe, higher League status brings with it extra nods of consideration from the officials (having seen Jayson Tatum on Monday and the special treatment he was given), and that’s a good thing too.

The politics of the awards, like All-Star voting have us pooh-pooh the accolades, but that is only one aspect. It’s an honor and as a fan, I care about those rewards for our local sports heroes.

Last edited 11 months ago by UpgradedToQuestionable
Kingsguru21
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March 23, 2023 1:17 pm

FWIW, once Sabonis got traded, he was no longer eligible for the supermax. Fox, of course, is but he hasn’t met the supermax criteria (2 all NBA teams in 3 seasons prior to extension, 2 DPOY over 3 seasons prior to extension or the MVP in any of the 3 seasons prior). Also, Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Jokic already are supermax players so winning the MVP is an accolade for the mantle more than it would be anything else (Embiid especially) financially.

Kosta
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March 24, 2023 11:47 am

Max, Supermax, and MadMax

comment image

AnybodyButBagley
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March 23, 2023 2:00 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

Playoff games and rings are a much better reason to go to a team. Don’t really want the players that desire a team because Joe Blow was and All NBA player.

Timmy_13
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March 23, 2023 2:21 pm

Sure but all Rob’s saying is that any positive press for the Kings is always a good thing. We will never be a premier destination like Miami or LA but having those accolades adds some sort of prestige to the franchise.

Don’t really want the players that desire a team because Joe Blow was and All NBA player.

Why not? It says a lot that that certain player is an All-NBA player. Only 15 put of 450 have that honor.

I get that not everyone cares about personal accolades or awards but players, GMs, agents, coaches around the league care. I personally don’t care but I’ll be happy when 2 of our guys get it.

RobHessing
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March 23, 2023 3:34 pm

Jeebus. That’s your takeaway?

Kingsguru21
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March 23, 2023 7:11 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

I can’t muster up much discussion about awards as I can’t muster up any energy over popularity contests that mean jack diddly squadoosh (like Coach of the Year), but I also know they don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things usually. Mike Brown has one, and he was fired a year later. For not making Anderson Varejao or JJ Hickson top notch offensive players, probably. Dwayne Casey got COTY…and was fired 6 weeks later by Toronto. Sam Mitchell has a COTY. Monty Williams won COTY last year. Does anybody love him now? (Or Willie Green these days?)

The most interesting take I’ve seen about any awards (John Hollinger being Hollinger and picking Mark Dagineault, which I’d be okay with a lot of the time, is John Hollinger being….John Hollinger) is that De’Aaron Fox should win MIP over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I think there’s merit….for both guys and what not. But there’s a legitimate case against both, too.

Will Sabonis and Fox both get all NBA nods? Probably not. Do I really care? No. Sabonis isn’t eligible for the supermax and Fox will have chances again because he’ll be seen (IMO) as a legit all NBA snub if he’s not named. But at the same time, you want to take me awards seriously where you name guys who have missed 25+ games to the team, you don’t put an obvious player for an All NBA team with no clear player ahead of him (Sabonis) because….Sacramento is 26th in DRtg?

But as you pointed out, there are financial and emotional benefits to winning awards. It certainly doesn’t hurt. But in a year where Jokic shouldn’t be MVP because he’s 2 and he’s a white guy and he’s certainly no Larry Bird, and Joel Embiid beat the TrailBlazers (the PDX’ers!!!) on a buzzer beater, that must make you the MVP! But what do I know?

I will say, based on what little I’ve seen just from Twitter when Jason Jones asked about Mike Brown not getting COTY……it won’t go over well. Mike Brown won’t give a shit, but a lot of fans will. And not for a moment can I blame Mike Brown, the COTY conersation is a dumb media narrative (I find) and little else. So often it’s about lobbing against candidates to hype others up.

Yeah, I could do without award season. And certainly the emphasis on importance it gets.

AnybodyButBagley
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March 23, 2023 7:47 pm
Reply to  Kingsguru21

Win games. Compete in the playoffs. Repeat yearly.

AnybodyButBagley
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March 23, 2023 7:42 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

My opinion is this team needs winners that want to work. Free agents follow money and a chance at a ring. Sometimes they can follow both at the same time.

Sacto_J
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March 23, 2023 12:47 pm

The discussion of All NBA honors seems a little contrived, if I’m being honest. Should some of our Kings be in those discussions? absolutely. But Mark Jones hammering away at our ears about it every single broadcast doesn’t make it happen. It just bleeds into the rest of our local media sphere and makes us look desperate for accolades. If any of our team earns some hardware / awards, good on them. That part is, at best, just the writing on the icing on the cake, tho.

AnybodyButBagley
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March 23, 2023 2:01 pm
Reply to  Sacto_J

Mark Jones is a problem no matter how you look at him.

BeTheBall
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March 23, 2023 9:38 pm
Reply to  Sacto_J

All the talk about winning records and playoffs also makes us look desperate.

AnybodyButBagley
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March 23, 2023 11:16 pm
Reply to  BeTheBall

Definitely desperate for a winning record and a playoff run. That has been obvious for a decade. Nothing wrong with that now.

ArcoThunder
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March 23, 2023 4:14 pm

Do I care if they get it or don’t? No I don’t.

Do I think Fox and Sabonis should make it? You’re god damn right I do. Any center besides Embid and Jokic over Sabonis would be complete horse shit.

Fox has a deeper and nastier pool to swim in for big fish. However, when I look at all the names listed above (his competition) I see a lot of guys with very similar numbers. Some have a more assists per game. Some score 5 more points per game. But which of those leads the entire NBA in clutch time points by a gigantic margin? Fox does. And whose team is in second place in the west? Fox. If it’s about 1 season, this season and not based off name recognition then I think it’s undeniable that Fox should be selected.

If he’s not selected will it be horse shit? No. Any one of those names listed above is worthy and you can make an argument for any of them. In my opinion Fox has a better argument than all of them. Points, assists, plus minus, rebounds, availability, clutch performance after clutch performance, defense (yes defense, he’s a better defender than most of his competition) and lastly and most importantly his team will finish higher than 90% of his competition. He deserves it. Period.

Last edited 11 months ago by ArcoThunder
RobHessing
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March 23, 2023 4:22 pm
Reply to  ArcoThunder

Fox will be the inaugural winner of the Jerry West award, which is kind of cool.

UpgradedToQuestionable
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March 23, 2023 11:22 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

They could also name the Executive of the Year award the Jerry West award which is amazing.

Maybe combine the two and have the Clutch Executive of the Year award. For the GMs that make the best deadline deals.

Maybe not.

There are 49 awards handed out:
All NBA (15)
Defensive Team (10)
Rookie Team (10)
MVP
All-Star MVP
Finals MVP
Sixth Man
Most Improved
Rookie of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Clutch Player of the Year
Social Justice Champion of the Year
Teammate of the Year
Hustle Award
Community Assist Award
Coach of the Year
Executive of the Year

There are a few others for playoff and division success (Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Willis Reed, Earl Lloyd, Sam Jones, Chuck Cooper, Wayne Embry and Maurice Podoloff)

The Larry O’Brien Trophy was the Walter A. Brown Trophy

Last edited 11 months ago by UpgradedToQuestionable
SMF-PDXConnection
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March 23, 2023 6:04 pm

Fox definitely faces tougher competition at his spot, but I’d be stunned if Sabonis isn’t Third Team. I don’t generally pay attention to the all NBA teams, but they would definitely be extra positive attention on our gloriously beaming team this year, the darling of basketball.

Mike Brown definitely deserves COTY, though. There shouldn’t be any competition there. What he’s done with the Kings is far more impressive than what the Celtics have done; after all, they were a Finalist last year.

On an unrelated note, for anyone interested in trivia, the Beam Team has a word puzzle about them that’s made the front page of Sporcle today, which is the world’s most visited trivia site! More internet love for the Beam Team!

https://www.sporcle.com/games/colmac93/word-ladder-home-kings

BeTheBall
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March 23, 2023 9:43 pm

I think Brown should get a COY nod, I think Sabonis and Fox should get All-NBA consideration. However, I wouldn’t dare bet on any of those things happening.

We’re simply not an interesting story or known quantity around the league. Which is to be expected at this point. It will probably take a few consecutive years of results similar or better than what we’re seeing this year, before the national media decides to acknowledge we’re a non punching bag part of the NBA.

Last edited 11 months ago by BeTheBall
Kingsguru21
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March 24, 2023 7:47 am
Reply to  BeTheBall

We’re simply not an interesting story or known quantity around the league.

I’ve seen plenty of national stories about Mike Brown and/or the Kings offense. So I don’t think this is true. Also, I don’t think it’s true when Mark Jones goes on NBA Today on ESPN after the Boston game to talk about the game. Or when Fox and Sabonis have been interviewed on that very set multiple times or by Shams Charania for his TV show.

I think they are more than a cute story to national people, they are a good team they have found surprising and enjoy watching play due to the style of basketball this group is playing with consistently.

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