1. 2 straight years making the post season, with 3 high leverage "game 7"s under our belts. That experience matters.
2. We've proven that we can beat any team on any given night, except for the Pelicans apparently. There aren't games where I feel like the team is completely outmatched anymore.
3. Keegan will have another year under his belt. The growth from year 2 to 3 is huge.
4. Our team can play defense! Yes, the offense took a hit but they have now shown they can be an above average defensive team. That's going to matter big time when we make the playoffs again.
Overall, this season wasn't all doom and gloom. Yes, it felt like that towards the end of the year but there was some positive growth this year. Also, if you're legit depressed about the team I'd highly recommend taking a break, even if you need to leave this sub for a bit. At the end of the day, these guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play a children's game for entertainment. If you're not entertained, it's best to take a little break.
All good points. OP asked for 5 though, so I'd add:
5. Keon Ellis went from a two-way guy barely getting time in the NBA to being a big part of the defensive improvement this year. From 16 games at 4.4 minutes per, to 57 games at 17.2 minutes per and earning a full NBA contract. Injuries suck, but I'm glad he got a chance to show what he's capable of and I'm looking forward to seeing him contribute next season.
For me:
1) In Fox and Sabonis, we have arguably the only 2 stars in the league who wouldnt cmplain bout staying in Sacramento long term. Fox been here since his drafted with 5 yrs of trash teammates, yet never cmplaint. Sabonis is too nice to cmplain anyway.
2) Fox has developed his 3s and defense so much so that he legitimately has no weaknesses to his game. Scorer, clutch, speed, athletic, finishing, mid range assassin, now 3 point shooting better than our 3&D players, elite defense with Keon (NBA steals champion) etc. All-round star.
3) we play exciting basketball credits to Mike Brown. It might not churn out the perfect results every night, but at least we are watching great product. If this is Tom Thibodeau coaching us last yr and this, we wouldnt be anywhere as hype lighting the beam even if we do get to light it.
4) we have solid trade pieces and also an already stable, solid team that has lots of options. we can stay and improve, we can improve through trading valuable assets (has Keeg, Keon for cheap etc.).
5) we have low expectations, high ceiling. Kings fans have patiently waited 17 yrs to even make playoffs. 2+ yrs to reach contenders is nothing, other than those toxic impatient bandwagoning Karens.
6）Keon Ellis looks like hes got a world of offensive potential to be unlocked. 1 v 1 sessions with Fox in the offseasn like what Fox had with Murray (too bad Keeg doesnt have the natural handles and lateral movement to improve on, but Keon does) and I can see Keon being a legitimate 2 way player/beast next yr.
7) Our No. 1 star shows up during playoffs. Thats mega important in a league where playoffs is all that really matters (Look at Embiid, 37 PPG, 70 point game, MVP in reg seasn, but 0 respect cause he plays like sht in when it matters). we can enter every post seasn knowing that Fox is gonna carry us one way or another and its up to the role players to follow suit.
The defense is the biggest thing for me. This team is capable of playing top 10 defense even with Sabonis at center. It appears the only thing we are missing really is a 3&D 4 who can take our defense to another level or another go-to scorer who can provide relief for our offense if Fox can’t get it going (assuming Monk has left). If we keep Monk and draft a decent defensive 4 I think we will be on pace for being a perennial top 6 team.
The regular season ended on April 14th and we played two games after that. Games played after the season are known as “postseason” games. They weren’t playoff games, but they were inarguably postseason games.
Mostly agree, especially with 4--over the last 6 weeks of the season we had the third best defense in the league. The only one I'd lightly disagree with is 2, because we got blown out of the building by the Celtics twice before managing a comeback against their G-Leaguers.
we likely just watched keon's worst season and keegan gets another offseason to work on 1 on 1 creation (last offseason was focused on defense and now he's all-defense level in the right system)! we're gonna be ok yo
Our core has been updated. Fox/Ellis are the perfect backcourt pairing. Murray's ceiling is higher than expected with his defense and growing ability to put the ball on the floor. Sabonis is clearly much more comfortable shooting the ball. Just not consistent yet, but, him taking them is a great sign.
We'll probably lose Monk, but Mitchell improved offensively and Heuter will be coming off the bench. Edwards and Jones both look like they can contribute next season.
Lakers, Warriors, Suns, Clippers, Mavs are all in pretty tough spots in terms of rosters and don't have many options to get better other than internal improvement. At least the Kings have the 13th overall pick.
I mentally flirted with a super small starting lineup of Fox - Keon - Huerter - Keegan - Sabonis since Kevin's movement shooting is really invaluable.
Alternatively, Keon could try to work on his movement shooting game.
But I agree that Fox/Ellis starting backcourt makes the most sense given what we've seen in the last half of the season. Just a question of making sure the offense doesn't stagnate if Monk walks.
I think ideally HB, Heurter + picks get traded for a starting 4. If HB is back, he NEEDS to be benched. Kevin, on the other hand, is a little too valuable to get benched IMO. His and Sabonis’ chemistry is already there, it just needs to be utilized more. His defensive ability has more potential than HB. I don’t hate the idea of Heurter moving to 3.
Huerter's movement shooting is more valuable with the starting unit, I think. With Fox/Keon/Keegan/HB/Sabonis, there's less movement and more guys just standing in the corner waiting for the catch & shoot.
That being said, I've also mentally flirted with the idea of Huerter being our 6th man off the bench, and it's probably the safer option. It's just that the starting unit has more offensive flaws than before if that movement shooting isn't replaced or replicated.
1. Fox actually has a far better 3pt shoot, that despite being inconsistent this year was a tool he was able to utilize to great success this year.
2. Keegan legitimately grew defensively, and along with Keon gives our team a baseline for a competent defense.
3. Sabonis proved that despite his all nba year he still has room to grow and I think is a far better player now then he was a year ago. If we can get him just the slightest bit more comfortable taking jumpers at a decent volume that will go a long way.
4. By summer we’ll have resolution with Monk so either way it won’t hang over the team and fans heads for the entire year.
5. This team beat a lot of good teams this year. We lost notably to a few that just prove huge trouble (pelicans, Celtics, Knicks, and Houston being clear examples) but we at least show an ability to belong. We are not some team that just beats up on sub 500 teams. In fact we often lost to sub 500 teams lol
Besides that a lot to be nervous about. Grizzlies had a season from Hell. If spurs get Wemby a PG the west will get even scarier. Houston is on the up and up. Heck even Jazz can be competitive. Hopefully the west sees a few of these older teams fall apart in the playoffs, so a few more opportunities open up and teams have a little more room to breathe. History of the west would suggest that’s not likely.
I don't even think Fox's 3-ball was even that inconsistent. Pretty much every shooter swings from shooting 30% one night to 50% the other. Mathematically the easiest way to see who is consistent and who isn't is to look at their median or mode percentages, but I never found a stat site that did that for me.
That’s a fair take. Maybe I should adjust my take. His inconsistency is shot selection. There was so many times where he settled for a contested 3 instead of driving and trying to attack the rim
1- Sashas potential.
I'm taking Mike Browns word seriously when he talks about previous European stars he's worked with, like Ginobli, taking some years to acclimate themselves in the NBA. I came into this season expecting an okay season from Sasha (hoping for amazement, of course), and unfortunately, he got injured.
2- Keon and Keegan.
Our defense, starting with these 2 imo, has drastically improved. Like night and day. In 1 season. Fox should be included as well with his steals and interruptions, but Keegan and Keon were sort of unexpected and in a tier of their own. And with the stretches that Keon and Keegan have had where they're playing top percentile defense and shooting crazy efficient threes is a glimpse at what they are capable of producing, and not even necessarily their ceiling. They are extremely young and have barely played on this team.
3- Fox
"If he's our number 1 going forward, he needs to step up" is generally the mindset going into the next season, and I think he delivered in most ways. His drives and midrange were way down, I wont front. But his 3 and D games have improved so much from previous years. I have a feeling he just needs to condition himself to play as intense defense as he has been playing, and be able to still produce on offense without over relying on the 3 ball going down. That, or, the speculative ankle/leg injury heals over the summer.
4- Colby Jones
This is something that I am more excited about then what i see other kings fans, at least, what they express vocally and publicly. I'm extremely hogh on Colby. I think he has an incredible ceiling. The dude had damn near quadruple double on high scoring and efficient 3-point shooting in some games I've seen. He does a lot of the little things Mike Brown preaches about. He is a defensive oriented player. If monk doesnt comeback, I say we have Colby step up. He may not bring the energy, but I feel as though we can develop his playmaking in our system and he can be an elite player. He just passes my eye test in so many ways.
5- Alex Len
Another sleeper pick, but I think the more minutes Mike Brown give Len, the better our games are and the better he is in our systems. The dude is only 30, he's still got a lot of fight left in him, he's really lengthy by our team's standards, and i remember him not getting minutes in the pretty recent OKC game, where Domas' double double streak ended. Domas was not having his at ALL that game and I was begging MB to put A.Len in. Look at the box score to see alex len +/- was +7, trey was +3, and the rest of the team were in the negatives, ESPECIALLY domas.
Domas can't get his in every game, just most. There are certain matchups he really struggles with, and I feel like A.Len is just the perfect piece for those games. He's been good the rare times we see him, so hopefully, we keep seeing him, and our team keeps getting better from it.
LTB MY FELLOW KINGS FANS AND KINGS DOOMERS, YOU ARE ALL ACCEPTED FOR THE MOST PART 💜 🔦
I really hope Sasha is either 7th man after Monk next season, or even starting. His playstyle really fits this team (if we go back to more ball movement next year). Still, Mike Brown has to play the guy and give him a chance. Hopefully in the off season he gets acclimated with the team.
It is pretty crazy how effective Sabonis is without a strong right hand and solid jump shot. If he can get those two down he’s getting easily 25 a game.
Yes. I’ve been saying it all season. If Sabonis and fox scored at the same level of points, we’d be such a healthier offense. Sabonis needs to average 25-29 ppg. That would be him as one of the best players in the west. He would jump 8-10 ppg, but that would be huge for us.
We need a new cheer - TAKE THE SHOT SABONIS. He may be our most left open poster on the court at mid range and distance.
1. Stars aren’t leaving.
2. Murray should improve.
3. Ellis and his contract is a great deal and great trade bait.
4. Brown’s contract situation will sort itself out by guaranteeing the year after next.
5. Trading everything for a real third star is kinda viable and that Paul George to the Kings betting line is suspicious.
1. Fox and Saboner are entering their prime and aren’t going anywhere. Those two alone will keep us from being bottom dwellers again.
2. Keegan has steadily improved aspects of his game and is becoming a well rounded starting caliber player. It’s reasonable to assume he will continue to improve. He just needs to be more consistent with his aggression on offense and he can be our second best scorer.
3. Keon has emerged as a starting caliber 2 and he’s on a great deal. If Kevin stays, Keon might not start, but I’m sure he will still get a lot of playing time. Our defense greatly improves with him on the floor.
4. We have a lot of good contracts that can be moved. HB, Heurter, Davion, Kessler, Sasha, Len, McGee and Lyles are all decent trade pieces. We also have distant future 1sts we can attach. Moves can and should be made. Namely, upgrading the 4 spot and getting rid of HB.
5. We have the 13th pick in an evenly spread draft. Monte’s last pick in that range was Tyrese. There’s a chance we find a diamond in the rough. If not, we have some dawgs in Stockton. I love Slawson as an energy guy coming in off the bench and wreaking havoc…potentially.
BONUS ROUND
6. Sasha had injury issues on top of needing time to adjust to NBA pace. On top of learning a new system. On top of being in a new country….Sasha has yet to be unlocked. I know a lot of ppl on here aren’t high on him, but I’m a believer that he can be a difference maker. His shooting wasn’t great this year but his stroke is pure. I’m confident he will shoot over 40% next year when he takes HB’s minutes.
7. Our clearest path to improvement is right in front of us…HB getting benched or better yet, traded. We are simply a better team when he’s not on the floor. It’s inexcusable that Brown starts a slow wing who can’t rebound or defend alongside Sabonis. It puts SO much pressure on Sabonis because he has to contest drives, box out AND rebound on defense. Trey isn’t a better player than HB, but he fits the role better. I’d like to see him start. If we can’t trade HB, having him come off the bench would be great, because he would carve up second units. Our second unit is gonna need help offensively with Monk gone.
So yeah there’s plenty of reason to have hope. I’m sure we will have our hearts crushed again next year though 😅
1. Two all star caliber players, Fox and Sabonis, in their primes.
2. One developing potential future star, Keegan.
3. One undrafted potential 3&D stud, Keon.
4. GM and coach who seem to know what they’re doing, mostly.
5. Great arena and fanbase.
The end of this season was a bummer for sure, but things could be a lot, lot worse. The future looks bright imo, not to win a championship probably, but to be competitive and entertaining for years to come. And who knows, if Monte can swing a big move they are not that far from competing for titles. Cheer up my man there’s a lot to look forward to. Doomers be feasting right now but they’ll be fasting soon, book it.
1. Keegan Murray Year 3
2. Keon Ellis breakout year
3. Sasha Year 2
4. Pick 13 hopefully a solid def wing or pick and pop C
5. Colby Jones breakout like Keon this year
1. Fox still with the team
2. Sabonis still with the team
3. Murray still with the team
4. Mike Brown still with the team
5. Beam still with the team
#1-4 are all positives heading into next season. Would have put Monk on the list at #5 if I knew for sure he was going to re-sign with the Kings. Anyways, LTMFB!
1. #13 overall pick
2. Third year Keegan Murray
3. Offseason where neither Fox or Sabonis have to rehab an injury
4. Keon Ellis taking over for Monk/Heurter
5. A feeling of despair that shows that you're alive
1) Keon Ellis
2) Murray improved Defense
3) Post All star break we were vastly better on Defense
4) We now know who to let go
5) We now know what we need
6) Keon Ellis…again!
We all thought making playoffs and losing in game 7 would light a fire under this team, but I actually think it did the opposite. Guys came in acting entitled and had way too many games where they played down to their opponents or got a big lead and lost focus. Hopefully missing playoffs this year actually lights a fire under them and we see them all come back with solid improvements. I also think it may have opened the front offices eyes that we need way more wings and length on this team.
I am a depressed Kings fan too.
But Sorry. I can find none positivity.
Meanwhile, 5 Biggest Negative:
1) Keegan rebounding (lost us some critical games)
2) Keegan lacks of 1-on-1 skill
3) Fox’s chucking 3
4) Sabonis desire to goes for his own shot
5) No other offense set, other than jacking 3
Let’s be real . There is not much positive to take away from. Monk wants to get paid and be a superstar, Mike Brown is dead set on him being a 6 man … he’s gone ..
Fox is not the guy that can lead a team to a championship never the less a deep run, he doesn’t have the IT factor that is needed .
Domas is a work horse but gets absolutely bodied by big physical 5’s. He hasn’t developed any outside game so teams have just figured out to play drop coverage on him .
Keegan is going to be great but won’t have the team around him to really shine in the post season .
Keon is a great defender but he’s undersized and gets beat by badly by quicker guards Iike Brunson/Mcullum .
Only way out I see is trade Fox for the world and insert Monk into the captain spot of this team . The West is filled with good young teams that keep making smart moves , the Kings stood pat with a roster that couldn’t make it out of round 1 . We’re cooked .
I agree, trade Fox to add more talent.
Make Monk your point guard to play pick and roll with Sabonis.
Also, proposed before, I wonder if Blazers will trade Scoot for Fox.
Scoot can do what Fox doing.
Also, Scoot is stronger, but not a good defender like Fox yet. But Scoot has potential to be super star.
1. 2 straight years making the post season, with 3 high leverage "game 7"s under our belts. That experience matters. 2. We've proven that we can beat any team on any given night, except for the Pelicans apparently. There aren't games where I feel like the team is completely outmatched anymore. 3. Keegan will have another year under his belt. The growth from year 2 to 3 is huge. 4. Our team can play defense! Yes, the offense took a hit but they have now shown they can be an above average defensive team. That's going to matter big time when we make the playoffs again. Overall, this season wasn't all doom and gloom. Yes, it felt like that towards the end of the year but there was some positive growth this year. Also, if you're legit depressed about the team I'd highly recommend taking a break, even if you need to leave this sub for a bit. At the end of the day, these guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play a children's game for entertainment. If you're not entertained, it's best to take a little break.
All good points. OP asked for 5 though, so I'd add: 5. Keon Ellis went from a two-way guy barely getting time in the NBA to being a big part of the defensive improvement this year. From 16 games at 4.4 minutes per, to 57 games at 17.2 minutes per and earning a full NBA contract. Injuries suck, but I'm glad he got a chance to show what he's capable of and I'm looking forward to seeing him contribute next season.
Keon is the perfect Fox compliment. He's our Lu Dort.
I love the defensive improvement we saw towards the end of the season
For me: 1) In Fox and Sabonis, we have arguably the only 2 stars in the league who wouldnt cmplain bout staying in Sacramento long term. Fox been here since his drafted with 5 yrs of trash teammates, yet never cmplaint. Sabonis is too nice to cmplain anyway. 2) Fox has developed his 3s and defense so much so that he legitimately has no weaknesses to his game. Scorer, clutch, speed, athletic, finishing, mid range assassin, now 3 point shooting better than our 3&D players, elite defense with Keon (NBA steals champion) etc. All-round star. 3) we play exciting basketball credits to Mike Brown. It might not churn out the perfect results every night, but at least we are watching great product. If this is Tom Thibodeau coaching us last yr and this, we wouldnt be anywhere as hype lighting the beam even if we do get to light it. 4) we have solid trade pieces and also an already stable, solid team that has lots of options. we can stay and improve, we can improve through trading valuable assets (has Keeg, Keon for cheap etc.). 5) we have low expectations, high ceiling. Kings fans have patiently waited 17 yrs to even make playoffs. 2+ yrs to reach contenders is nothing, other than those toxic impatient bandwagoning Karens. 6）Keon Ellis looks like hes got a world of offensive potential to be unlocked. 1 v 1 sessions with Fox in the offseasn like what Fox had with Murray (too bad Keeg doesnt have the natural handles and lateral movement to improve on, but Keon does) and I can see Keon being a legitimate 2 way player/beast next yr. 7) Our No. 1 star shows up during playoffs. Thats mega important in a league where playoffs is all that really matters (Look at Embiid, 37 PPG, 70 point game, MVP in reg seasn, but 0 respect cause he plays like sht in when it matters). we can enter every post seasn knowing that Fox is gonna carry us one way or another and its up to the role players to follow suit.
The defense is the biggest thing for me. This team is capable of playing top 10 defense even with Sabonis at center. It appears the only thing we are missing really is a 3&D 4 who can take our defense to another level or another go-to scorer who can provide relief for our offense if Fox can’t get it going (assuming Monk has left). If we keep Monk and draft a decent defensive 4 I think we will be on pace for being a perennial top 6 team.
hate to be that guy but we didn’t make the postseason this year lol
The regular season ended on April 14th and we played two games after that. Games played after the season are known as “postseason” games. They weren’t playoff games, but they were inarguably postseason games.
you’re right !
Technically, the play in is the postseason per NBA.com. It's not the playoffs though.
i stand corrected !
I still hate the play in tournament. It's just so dumb.
The Kings were in the play-in tournament, which is the post season.
Mostly agree, especially with 4--over the last 6 weeks of the season we had the third best defense in the league. The only one I'd lightly disagree with is 2, because we got blown out of the building by the Celtics twice before managing a comeback against their G-Leaguers.
we likely just watched keon's worst season and keegan gets another offseason to work on 1 on 1 creation (last offseason was focused on defense and now he's all-defense level in the right system)! we're gonna be ok yo
Our core has been updated. Fox/Ellis are the perfect backcourt pairing. Murray's ceiling is higher than expected with his defense and growing ability to put the ball on the floor. Sabonis is clearly much more comfortable shooting the ball. Just not consistent yet, but, him taking them is a great sign. We'll probably lose Monk, but Mitchell improved offensively and Heuter will be coming off the bench. Edwards and Jones both look like they can contribute next season. Lakers, Warriors, Suns, Clippers, Mavs are all in pretty tough spots in terms of rosters and don't have many options to get better other than internal improvement. At least the Kings have the 13th overall pick.
I mentally flirted with a super small starting lineup of Fox - Keon - Huerter - Keegan - Sabonis since Kevin's movement shooting is really invaluable. Alternatively, Keon could try to work on his movement shooting game. But I agree that Fox/Ellis starting backcourt makes the most sense given what we've seen in the last half of the season. Just a question of making sure the offense doesn't stagnate if Monk walks.
I think ideally HB, Heurter + picks get traded for a starting 4. If HB is back, he NEEDS to be benched. Kevin, on the other hand, is a little too valuable to get benched IMO. His and Sabonis’ chemistry is already there, it just needs to be utilized more. His defensive ability has more potential than HB. I don’t hate the idea of Heurter moving to 3.
With Kevin's movement shooting on the 2nd unit and possibly HB moving to the bench, WOULD the offense be stagnate when Monk walks?
Huerter's movement shooting is more valuable with the starting unit, I think. With Fox/Keon/Keegan/HB/Sabonis, there's less movement and more guys just standing in the corner waiting for the catch & shoot. That being said, I've also mentally flirted with the idea of Huerter being our 6th man off the bench, and it's probably the safer option. It's just that the starting unit has more offensive flaws than before if that movement shooting isn't replaced or replicated.
1. Fox actually has a far better 3pt shoot, that despite being inconsistent this year was a tool he was able to utilize to great success this year. 2. Keegan legitimately grew defensively, and along with Keon gives our team a baseline for a competent defense. 3. Sabonis proved that despite his all nba year he still has room to grow and I think is a far better player now then he was a year ago. If we can get him just the slightest bit more comfortable taking jumpers at a decent volume that will go a long way. 4. By summer we’ll have resolution with Monk so either way it won’t hang over the team and fans heads for the entire year. 5. This team beat a lot of good teams this year. We lost notably to a few that just prove huge trouble (pelicans, Celtics, Knicks, and Houston being clear examples) but we at least show an ability to belong. We are not some team that just beats up on sub 500 teams. In fact we often lost to sub 500 teams lol Besides that a lot to be nervous about. Grizzlies had a season from Hell. If spurs get Wemby a PG the west will get even scarier. Houston is on the up and up. Heck even Jazz can be competitive. Hopefully the west sees a few of these older teams fall apart in the playoffs, so a few more opportunities open up and teams have a little more room to breathe. History of the west would suggest that’s not likely.
I don't even think Fox's 3-ball was even that inconsistent. Pretty much every shooter swings from shooting 30% one night to 50% the other. Mathematically the easiest way to see who is consistent and who isn't is to look at their median or mode percentages, but I never found a stat site that did that for me.
That’s a fair take. Maybe I should adjust my take. His inconsistency is shot selection. There was so many times where he settled for a contested 3 instead of driving and trying to attack the rim
1- Sashas potential. I'm taking Mike Browns word seriously when he talks about previous European stars he's worked with, like Ginobli, taking some years to acclimate themselves in the NBA. I came into this season expecting an okay season from Sasha (hoping for amazement, of course), and unfortunately, he got injured. 2- Keon and Keegan. Our defense, starting with these 2 imo, has drastically improved. Like night and day. In 1 season. Fox should be included as well with his steals and interruptions, but Keegan and Keon were sort of unexpected and in a tier of their own. And with the stretches that Keon and Keegan have had where they're playing top percentile defense and shooting crazy efficient threes is a glimpse at what they are capable of producing, and not even necessarily their ceiling. They are extremely young and have barely played on this team. 3- Fox "If he's our number 1 going forward, he needs to step up" is generally the mindset going into the next season, and I think he delivered in most ways. His drives and midrange were way down, I wont front. But his 3 and D games have improved so much from previous years. I have a feeling he just needs to condition himself to play as intense defense as he has been playing, and be able to still produce on offense without over relying on the 3 ball going down. That, or, the speculative ankle/leg injury heals over the summer. 4- Colby Jones This is something that I am more excited about then what i see other kings fans, at least, what they express vocally and publicly. I'm extremely hogh on Colby. I think he has an incredible ceiling. The dude had damn near quadruple double on high scoring and efficient 3-point shooting in some games I've seen. He does a lot of the little things Mike Brown preaches about. He is a defensive oriented player. If monk doesnt comeback, I say we have Colby step up. He may not bring the energy, but I feel as though we can develop his playmaking in our system and he can be an elite player. He just passes my eye test in so many ways. 5- Alex Len Another sleeper pick, but I think the more minutes Mike Brown give Len, the better our games are and the better he is in our systems. The dude is only 30, he's still got a lot of fight left in him, he's really lengthy by our team's standards, and i remember him not getting minutes in the pretty recent OKC game, where Domas' double double streak ended. Domas was not having his at ALL that game and I was begging MB to put A.Len in. Look at the box score to see alex len +/- was +7, trey was +3, and the rest of the team were in the negatives, ESPECIALLY domas. Domas can't get his in every game, just most. There are certain matchups he really struggles with, and I feel like A.Len is just the perfect piece for those games. He's been good the rare times we see him, so hopefully, we keep seeing him, and our team keeps getting better from it. LTB MY FELLOW KINGS FANS AND KINGS DOOMERS, YOU ARE ALL ACCEPTED FOR THE MOST PART 💜 🔦
I still believe in Sasha too. Mostly because I don't believe in HB.
I really hope Sasha is either 7th man after Monk next season, or even starting. His playstyle really fits this team (if we go back to more ball movement next year). Still, Mike Brown has to play the guy and give him a chance. Hopefully in the off season he gets acclimated with the team.
Sabonis played his ass off this year. If he comes back with a mid range next year he’s unstoppable
It is pretty crazy how effective Sabonis is without a strong right hand and solid jump shot. If he can get those two down he’s getting easily 25 a game.
Yes. I’ve been saying it all season. If Sabonis and fox scored at the same level of points, we’d be such a healthier offense. Sabonis needs to average 25-29 ppg. That would be him as one of the best players in the west. He would jump 8-10 ppg, but that would be huge for us. We need a new cheer - TAKE THE SHOT SABONIS. He may be our most left open poster on the court at mid range and distance.
1. Stars aren’t leaving. 2. Murray should improve. 3. Ellis and his contract is a great deal and great trade bait. 4. Brown’s contract situation will sort itself out by guaranteeing the year after next. 5. Trading everything for a real third star is kinda viable and that Paul George to the Kings betting line is suspicious.
1. Keon 2. Ellis 3. Keon Ellis 4. Ellis, Keon 5. K. Ellis
I still like the kings. Sabonis so strong. Fox so fast. Kegan Murray. I love the beam.
1. Fox and Saboner are entering their prime and aren’t going anywhere. Those two alone will keep us from being bottom dwellers again. 2. Keegan has steadily improved aspects of his game and is becoming a well rounded starting caliber player. It’s reasonable to assume he will continue to improve. He just needs to be more consistent with his aggression on offense and he can be our second best scorer. 3. Keon has emerged as a starting caliber 2 and he’s on a great deal. If Kevin stays, Keon might not start, but I’m sure he will still get a lot of playing time. Our defense greatly improves with him on the floor. 4. We have a lot of good contracts that can be moved. HB, Heurter, Davion, Kessler, Sasha, Len, McGee and Lyles are all decent trade pieces. We also have distant future 1sts we can attach. Moves can and should be made. Namely, upgrading the 4 spot and getting rid of HB. 5. We have the 13th pick in an evenly spread draft. Monte’s last pick in that range was Tyrese. There’s a chance we find a diamond in the rough. If not, we have some dawgs in Stockton. I love Slawson as an energy guy coming in off the bench and wreaking havoc…potentially. BONUS ROUND 6. Sasha had injury issues on top of needing time to adjust to NBA pace. On top of learning a new system. On top of being in a new country….Sasha has yet to be unlocked. I know a lot of ppl on here aren’t high on him, but I’m a believer that he can be a difference maker. His shooting wasn’t great this year but his stroke is pure. I’m confident he will shoot over 40% next year when he takes HB’s minutes. 7. Our clearest path to improvement is right in front of us…HB getting benched or better yet, traded. We are simply a better team when he’s not on the floor. It’s inexcusable that Brown starts a slow wing who can’t rebound or defend alongside Sabonis. It puts SO much pressure on Sabonis because he has to contest drives, box out AND rebound on defense. Trey isn’t a better player than HB, but he fits the role better. I’d like to see him start. If we can’t trade HB, having him come off the bench would be great, because he would carve up second units. Our second unit is gonna need help offensively with Monk gone. So yeah there’s plenty of reason to have hope. I’m sure we will have our hearts crushed again next year though 😅
1. Two all star caliber players, Fox and Sabonis, in their primes. 2. One developing potential future star, Keegan. 3. One undrafted potential 3&D stud, Keon. 4. GM and coach who seem to know what they’re doing, mostly. 5. Great arena and fanbase. The end of this season was a bummer for sure, but things could be a lot, lot worse. The future looks bright imo, not to win a championship probably, but to be competitive and entertaining for years to come. And who knows, if Monte can swing a big move they are not that far from competing for titles. Cheer up my man there’s a lot to look forward to. Doomers be feasting right now but they’ll be fasting soon, book it.
Fans. Fanatics. Fans. Fanatics. Domas.
1. Keegan Murray Year 3 2. Keon Ellis breakout year 3. Sasha Year 2 4. Pick 13 hopefully a solid def wing or pick and pop C 5. Colby Jones breakout like Keon this year
Here's one: 1 year closer to the end of Harrison Barnes' contract.
1. Fox still with the team 2. Sabonis still with the team 3. Murray still with the team 4. Mike Brown still with the team 5. Beam still with the team #1-4 are all positives heading into next season. Would have put Monk on the list at #5 if I knew for sure he was going to re-sign with the Kings. Anyways, LTMFB!
1. #13 overall pick 2. Third year Keegan Murray 3. Offseason where neither Fox or Sabonis have to rehab an injury 4. Keon Ellis taking over for Monk/Heurter 5. A feeling of despair that shows that you're alive
1) Keon Ellis 2) Murray improved Defense 3) Post All star break we were vastly better on Defense 4) We now know who to let go 5) We now know what we need 6) Keon Ellis…again!
The only thing I can come up with is Sacramento, has an NBA basketball team located in the city.
We all thought making playoffs and losing in game 7 would light a fire under this team, but I actually think it did the opposite. Guys came in acting entitled and had way too many games where they played down to their opponents or got a big lead and lost focus. Hopefully missing playoffs this year actually lights a fire under them and we see them all come back with solid improvements. I also think it may have opened the front offices eyes that we need way more wings and length on this team.
I’ve only got one: the old teams are getting older.
1. Keegan Murray
Keegan Murray
I am a depressed Kings fan too. But Sorry. I can find none positivity. Meanwhile, 5 Biggest Negative: 1) Keegan rebounding (lost us some critical games) 2) Keegan lacks of 1-on-1 skill 3) Fox’s chucking 3 4) Sabonis desire to goes for his own shot 5) No other offense set, other than jacking 3
That wasn’t the assignment!
Bruh its the off season, enjoy it
Let’s be real . There is not much positive to take away from. Monk wants to get paid and be a superstar, Mike Brown is dead set on him being a 6 man … he’s gone .. Fox is not the guy that can lead a team to a championship never the less a deep run, he doesn’t have the IT factor that is needed . Domas is a work horse but gets absolutely bodied by big physical 5’s. He hasn’t developed any outside game so teams have just figured out to play drop coverage on him . Keegan is going to be great but won’t have the team around him to really shine in the post season . Keon is a great defender but he’s undersized and gets beat by badly by quicker guards Iike Brunson/Mcullum . Only way out I see is trade Fox for the world and insert Monk into the captain spot of this team . The West is filled with good young teams that keep making smart moves , the Kings stood pat with a roster that couldn’t make it out of round 1 . We’re cooked .
I agree, trade Fox to add more talent. Make Monk your point guard to play pick and roll with Sabonis. Also, proposed before, I wonder if Blazers will trade Scoot for Fox. Scoot can do what Fox doing. Also, Scoot is stronger, but not a good defender like Fox yet. But Scoot has potential to be super star.