Goal of this season - 8 seed or development

#61
This team doesn't win because of the talent level. Plain and simple. Very few FA voluntarily come here. We need to acquire talent through the draft or trade. We have not done much of either. Unfortunately the team has few assets for a trade. Thus we need better drafts. Unfortunately we sabotaged ourselves w philly trade. The organization wants the 8 seed bc they would look foolish if the swap w philly happens. Honestly, I realize the 8 seed is very unlikely to happen and while most teams should tank I kinda agree we shouldn't BeCuz the FO messed up big time w the philly swap. I tired of the team (the FO)looking stupid
EXACTLY.....team is not talented enough, and the management are incompetent. PapaG needs to work at Papa Johns. Poor, reaching, far-sighted pick. They could've drafted a guard @ 13 along with Richardson. However they were intent on trying McClemore a bit more.....experiment over. Richardson should be starting now - better to develop him and bring Temple off the bench to be more effective.
 
#62
Mind boggling that this is even a debate. April 1st if we are within 5 games of 8 spot we will loose our pick if we are over 5 games back we will loose all 6 April games and get the 10 pick. It's that simple it's way to early for this, DMC will get snaps on April. The way the 8th spot is in the west this year we'd still be able to either grab that or loose out in April and get our pick.
Alot of statistical variance makes me skeptical of this simple magical outcome. As in 7-9 teams for likely 2 slots.
 
#63
It's interesting whether or not Vlade/Joerger have personal interests in mind. Vlade, the swap embarrassment if it happens and Joerger the teams record

If that is the case hopefully other members of the organization step in. If it is the case, that is
 
#64
The playoffs were never a realistic goal for this team. You just had to look at the guard lineup to know that, especially in a guard driven 3-point-line league and a western conference loaded with great guards. So, sure, you can have the goal of going to playoffs now, but that's as realistic a goal as winning the NBA championship. Unfortunately, Divac thought he could go to the playoffs with this team; he thought he could build it around Cousins and bunch of mediocre vets, most of whom aren't going to be here next year, all the while mortgage future picks for the opportunity. Just like he thought he could do the same thing last year.

When I think of this team now I can't help thinking of Memphis during the Pau Gasol era, in which they actually did get to .550 and they got to the playoffs a couple of times. And what was their record in both playoff series? 0-4. Swept. At which point, they realized they were at a dead end. That's when they "blew it up." . That's where this team is right now. What is Vlade going to do next year - bring in another cast of mediocre vets to do a little better than this cast of mediocre vets or last year's cast of mediocre vets?
This may also have to do with tight-pockets and the new CBA - does an NBA owner want to pay way up - and specifically the Kings owner....with the new CBA for owners, the word value is now like trying to find a 4-leaf clover.
 
#65
Personally, if we get into the playoffs with 37 wins I do not see that as progress. I see it as dumb luck. If we get in with at least a .500 record, then I would be fine with the vets leading us into the playoffs. However, I do not see that happening.
A 4-game swing doesn't mean enough to change judgement in an 82 game season imo. Getting into the playoffs is a big step as it stamps the season as more meaningful regardless of result. I would enjoy watching the Kings lose against the Warriors - not alot, but more than watching the Trailblazers etc lose vs Warriors. Kings need a couple fairly sizable win-streaks 3-5 right now to make it so which is a tall order for this bunch.
 
#66
Another dishonest post.

There have been maybe 6-8 games all year, the entire year, where we have not been competitive. Tops.

In every other game we have made runs against teams, no matter how good, into the late game. We have played with them right up until our talent maxed us out. your "17 game" whatever is a load of hooey, and the worst part is you know it too. A few examples of the B.S.:

11/01 MIA -- Boogie is called for an offensive foul to foul out in the final seconds of regulation, we go to OT without him, on the second night of back to back on the road, and lose the OT by 8. Truly non-competitive.
12/04 NYK -- we enter the 4th down 6, cut the lead to as little as 2 midway through the quarter, and its a still a 5pt game with 23 seconds to go before the Knicks hit their FTs as we play the FT game. Truly uncompetitive.
12/10 UTH -- its a 2pt game going into the 4th, and a 3pt game with 10:30 to go, before we collapse down the stretch on the 2nd night of a back to back
01/08 GSW -- its the Golden State Warriors. An automatic schedule loss if ever there was one. yet we are only down 10 going into the 4th quarter, and again, we never let them get away. Halfway through the quarter, its 9. With 3:50 to go Boogie goes to the line and makes it 8. The Warriors have to play Steph, Durant, Green and Klay to the final buzzer.
01/13 CLE -- we make a run at the defending champs and cut the lead to 6 with 9:35 to go in the game. They push it back out to 10 but never get away. LeBron, Love, Irving have to play to the end to secure the win and do not leave the game until there is 46 seconds to go.


P.S. Oh and BTW Denver is another team noteworthy for its Malone-inspired scrap. They fight, we fight, and the coaches deserve a lot of credit for it.

I'm just using stats to make a point which is about 80% of your posts. Look man, I get that you want the team to win, as all of us do, but it's just time to let it go. We aren't on the right path.
 
D

DC222

Guest
#67
EXACTLY.....team is not talented enough, and the management are incompetent. PapaG needs to work at Papa Johns. Poor, reaching, far-sighted pick. They could've drafted a guard @ 13 along with Richardson. However they were intent on trying McClemore a bit more.....experiment over. Richardson should be starting now - better to develop him and bring Temple off the bench to be more effective.
This years draft is not the problem. Trading IT for nothing and the last 5-6 drafts were bad
 
#68
This years draft is not the problem. Trading IT for nothing and the last 5-6 drafts were bad
Disagree when your 13th pick is not even suiting up, let alone on the bench. Divac flubbed the top pick horribly this season. Cauley-Stein, jury is still out, and cannot be called a bad pick (yet) - may be reshaping into a solid pick. Needs more minutes now. I'd like to see Labissiere with minutes as well.
 
D

DC222

Guest
#70
Disagree when your 13th pick is not even suiting up, let alone on the bench. Divac flubbed the top pick horribly this season. Cauley-Stein, jury is still out, and cannot be called a bad pick (yet) - may be reshaping into a solid pick. Needs more minutes now. I'd like to see Labissiere with minutes as well.
How many 13th picks contribute right away? If ever. Missing on a top 7 is different. Besides This guy is a project. I'm not willing to give up on him yet. I'd like to see more minutes for them all too.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#71
How many 13th picks contribute right away? If ever. Missing on a top 7 is different. Besides This guy is a project. I'm not willing to give up on him yet. I'd like to see more minutes for them all too.
You said it all with one word. He is a project. Projects don't play right away, at least for the majority of the time. We won't know for a few seasons what we have in this guy. Let him continue to play in the D-League until the coach feels he is ready to play pro minutes.
 
#72
You said it all with one word. He is a project. Projects don't play right away, at least for the majority of the time. We won't know for a few seasons what we have in this guy. Let him continue to play in the D-League until the coach feels he is ready to play pro minutes.
Yes, and "projects" are usually reserved for 2nd round picks, not 13th 1st round picks. I expect top-twenty 1st rounders to have enough to be more than a "project" and have enough talent to get a good look-over and playing time in their rookie season - not all of 2pts worth. If he was 13th in the 2nd round, fine.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#73
Yes, and "projects" are usually reserved for 2nd round picks, not 13th 1st round picks. I expect top-twenty 1st rounders to have enough to be more than a "project" and have enough talent to get a good look-over and playing time in their rookie season - not all of 2pts worth. If he was 13th in the 2nd round, fine.
It's not as if first round projects have never been drafted. If the front office views the draft weak in general from 10-30 or 10-25 or whatever the case may be, it won't hurt to swing for the fences since the team had two more first round draft picks.
 
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#74
While the papa pick doesn't look good so far, there aren't many rookies making positive contributions this year.

That doesn't mean we won't regret passing on guys for Papa. The point is, you're not drafting to see what they give you their rookie year.

I don't think people were clamoring for Pascal Siakam and Malcom Brogdon.
 
#75
How many 13th picks contribute right away? If ever. Missing on a top 7 is different. Besides This guy is a project. I'm not willing to give up on him yet. I'd like to see more minutes for them all too.
The difference is we passed on Chriss, who easily has the most star potential out of any of the 3 guys we got back. So no, while it's not fair to expect Papa to come in guns blazing, he's the "prize" of that trade haul being the 13th pick.

That's the real comparison people should be making: Papa-Skal and eventually Bogdan against Chriss in 3 years.
 
D

DC222

Guest
#76
The difference is we passed on Chriss, who easily has the most star potential out of any of the 3 guys we got back. So no, while it's not fair to expect Papa to come in guns blazing, he's the "prize" of that trade haul being the 13th pick.

That's the real comparison people should be making: Papa-Skal and eventually Bogdan against Chriss in 3 years.
Yes, I would agree with that. That being said it's not the reason we suck right now.
 
#77
Firstly, quick disclaimer, I'm biased. Maybe it's a culture thing (I'm British, there is no drive for competitive balance in any of our major sports), but I've been brought up to think winning = good, losing = bad. I HATE losing.


Can someone who thinks differently explain the benefit of tanking this season, knowing that the 76ers have a similar record to us?
 
K

KingsFan80

Guest
#78
Yes, and "projects" are usually reserved for 2nd round picks, not 13th 1st round picks. I expect top-twenty 1st rounders to have enough to be more than a "project" and have enough talent to get a good look-over and playing time in their rookie season - not all of 2pts worth. If he was 13th in the 2nd round, fine.
Yes, yes and Yes!!!! Spot on post!
 
#79
Those teams are doing much the same thing we are. They are going out and playing their best guys at any one time. Jokic doesn't get time because he's young...he gets time because he's good. Lillard and McCollum are about the same age as Cuz. They don't run Vonleh big minutes because hey, kid. The Timberwolves best guys ARE their kids. Towns and Wiggins and LaVine get minutes because they are the best guys on the team, not because they are young.

It just so happens the best guys on our team\ are a few years older, but this "in decline" nonsense is just a plank. The only guy beyond his late prime is Matt Barnes. All of our other guys are pretty much grouped between 26-30 (maybe somebody turned 31 during the season).

The problem here is the fans. And I mean that. I understand your frustration, but now you are advocating things that no longer make sense. We blew our rebuild. We blew our opportunity to get more prize youth. We took Jimmer instead of Kawhi. We took TRob instead of Lillard. We took Ben instead of Giannis. We were pathetic and blew chance after chance to pair Cousins with another star. But now people have developed tunnel vision where they are frustrated and just so determined to keep on doing it and doing it and doing it until damnit it finally works! Except time marches on. If Cuz was a robot who never aged and had nothing better to do then maybe. If Joerger would survive and be willing to endure season after season of losses, if Vlade wouldn't be canned...and if wishes were horses. But that's not the way it works. We are on the same schedule as every other team in our franchise player's life cycle, we just drew less young talent along the way. So instead we have scrambled together a motley crew of scrappy short term vets and will be scrambling for years to add the right guys in FA and via trade. Its just the way it has to be now because Cousins is here now and ready, and needing, to win. And Joerger is here now and ready, and needing to win. And the twitchy owner will **** everything up again in a hurry if we don't, and stat. And so the last 5 years are just a write off, and we dig in and make it work. We drew a crap hand, it doesn't mean you just fold and start over.
I never advocated to fold and start over. I do however still believe, what I said as soon as our FA period was over: what you call scrappy vets are in fact deep benchers and left overs and besides Garret Temple and Lawson, who suprised me big time, not one addition did make much sense, if you don't fall for all the big talk about culture change, which until now has basically led to nothing in terms of wins and losses. I know the so called culture change is all about the future, but keep in mind, that the team will hopefully and most likely look entirely different next season, which also means a different gemeinschaft and therefore no consistent culture. So basically the culture change is just another figleaf for a potentially wasted season of Cousins career, because the FO failed again to put the right guys around him.
I agree, that most of the mistakes are a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean this years additions are much better. It's unfair towards Vlade to demand, that he can turn a franchise around in a short amount of time, that made so many mistakes over the years. But nonetheless that is his task and to fulfill it, he needs to be smarter than most GM's in the league or else we are stuck in mediocrity.

I know Barnes is a Joerger guy, but this doesn't mean you have to sign him and give him a 2 year 12.5 million dollar deal. We basically doubled his salary from the 2015/16 season.
We gave Afflalo, who was on his third team in two seasons, that rightfully made no public attempt to resign him but went after Lee asap in order to replace him, a 2 year 25 million deal.
Tolliver, who is basically a low key bench vet and spot up shooter makes 8 millions with us, while a guy like Bass is payed 1.5 millions or Terrence Jones makes 1 million.

You honestly believe those signings were the best we could get? You honestly think those signings are a hint, that our GM thinks outside the box and is smarter than most GM's?
Because I don't. What I think is, that Vlade went mainly after guys, who the coach or someone on his staff knew personally. He wanted save bets.
I personally don't think this is the right thing to do. In order to turn this thing around, we need a major cinderella story and we need a stable roster with growth potential and not short term vets, that are low key one and done guys.
If we lose our pick this year, where is this cinderella story going to come from? Bogdanovic? After all we seem to have resurrected Lawsons career, so maybe we can find another black sheep nobody wants to touch with a pole next offseason. At least that's my hope right now...Lance Stephenson anyone?
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#80
Yes, and "projects" are usually reserved for 2nd round picks, not 13th 1st round picks. I expect top-twenty 1st rounders to have enough to be more than a "project" and have enough talent to get a good look-over and playing time in their rookie season - not all of 2pts worth. If he was 13th in the 2nd round, fine.
I'm not going to look up examples, but I'm going to say not true. Most of the players n this draft were some type of project. Some layers may be getting PT but they are still a project. Depends on what the goal is for the team. Depends on the players themselves. 2nd rounders are also projects I agree, but to blanket statement about picks 1-20 should be contributing isn't always true.
 
#81
No point in all out tanking since philly has the swap rights. With the injury to Rudy all we have left on the roster is 2nd and 3rd stringers. The message should be to compete hard and try to win every game, the losing, as it has for a while now, will take care of itself.
 
#82
I never advocated to fold and start over. I do however still believe, what I said as soon as our FA period was over: what you call scrappy vets are in fact deep benchers and left overs and besides Garret Temple and Lawson, who suprised me big time, not one addition did make much sense, if you don't fall for all the big talk about culture change, which until now has basically led to nothing in terms of wins and losses. I know the so called culture change is all about the future, but keep in mind, that the team will hopefully and most likely look entirely different next season, which also means a different gemeinschaft and therefore no consistent culture. So basically the culture change is just another figleaf for a potentially wasted season of Cousins career, because the FO failed again to put the right guys around him.
I agree, that most of the mistakes are a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean this years additions are much better. It's unfair towards Vlade to demand, that he can turn a franchise around in a short amount of time, that made so many mistakes over the years. But nonetheless that is his task and to fulfill it, he needs to be smarter than most GM's in the league or else we are stuck in mediocrity.

I know Barnes is a Joerger guy, but this doesn't mean you have to sign him and give him a 2 year 12.5 million dollar deal. We basically doubled his salary from the 2015/16 season.
We gave Afflalo, who was on his third team in two seasons, that rightfully made no public attempt to resign him but went after Lee asap in order to replace him, a 2 year 25 million deal.
Tolliver, who is basically a low key bench vet and spot up shooter makes 8 millions with us, while a guy like Bass is payed 1.5 millions or Terrence Jones makes 1 million.

You honestly believe those signings were the best we could get? You honestly think those signings are a hint, that our GM thinks outside the box and is smarter than most GM's?
Because I don't. What I think is, that Vlade went mainly after guys, who the coach or someone on his staff knew personally. He wanted save bets.
I personally don't think this is the right thing to do. In order to turn this thing around, we need a major cinderella story and we need a stable roster with growth potential and not short term vets, that are low key one and done guys.
If we lose our pick this year, where is this cinderella story going to come from? Bogdanovic? After all we seem to have resurrected Lawsons career, so maybe we can find another black sheep nobody wants to touch with a pole next offseason. At least that's my hope right now...Lance Stephenson anyone?
I do believe that was the best we could get, no one else wanted these guys anywhere near the prices we paid (Sacramento tax) and quality guys like Mo Speights,Felton,Bass,Jones etc went to better situations or cities.
 
#83
Yes, and "projects" are usually reserved for 2nd round picks, not 13th 1st round picks. I expect top-twenty 1st rounders to have enough to be more than a "project" and have enough talent to get a good look-over and playing time in their rookie season - not all of 2pts worth. If he was 13th in the 2nd round, fine.
What you expect from top 20 picks is usually only true of the top 5 - 10 picks in most drafts. There was only 1 player in this past draft that didn't have major question marks. And even Simmons can't shoot at the moment (he is just talented enough every where else). That made almost everyone in the draft a project.
 
#84
I'm just using stats to make a point which is about 80% of your posts. Look man, I get that you want the team to win, as all of us do, but it's just time to let it go. We aren't on the right path.
In what world is half a season (49 games to be axact) "time to let it go"??
SMH...

Don't be offended bro, but THIS HERE IS CULTURE.

Y-yesss we want the team to win... sort of...
but if it's not happening by January, than the heck with it - let's fold into our comfort zone of losing intentionally for a good cause...
 
#85
In what world is half a season (49 games to be axact) "time to let it go"??
SMH...

Don't be offended bro, but THIS HERE IS CULTURE.

Y-yesss we want the team to win... sort of...
but if it's not happening by January, than the heck with it - let's fold into our comfort zone of losing intentionally for a good cause...
Ummmmm, Ron? Where have you been the last 7 years? You realize that we've only won 30 games ONE time? We added the vets this year and secured a reputable coach. It's still not working. It's time to make some drastic changes.
 
#86
In what world is half a season (49 games to be axact) "time to let it go"??
SMH...

Don't be offended bro, but THIS HERE IS CULTURE.

Y-yesss we want the team to win... sort of...
but if it's not happening by January, than the heck with it - let's fold into our comfort zone of losing intentionally for a good cause...
And this is precisely what needs to change. If we are not in it by X, lets go tank. It is precisely why we became the laughing stock of the NBA. We finally seem to be building the foundation of breaking that habit and actually playing to win every game. Sure it might be counter productive in terms of a pick but it builds the expectations within the franchise that every time you cross that white line you are expected to fight from start to finish regardless of what the scoreboard says. Its the culture that allows you to get respect, its the culture that is proven to be a great aid in developing young players around the league. Developing young players does not necessarily mean playing them big minutes. Sure some can handle that but others get fed minutes here and there once they earn them and keep getting more of them once they prove they can handle them over a sustainable period of time.

The problem with the tanking approach is that it expects no accountability from anyone. Players know that they are not expected to win so the effort is not there more often than not. Go into every game with the expectation of going for the win. Lets fight for every second we are on the court and let the chips fall where they fall. We will win some, we will lose some. We might get a top 10 pick, or we might get a pick in the teens or we might not get one at all but what we will get is expectation that no matter who you are or where you are from but when you put on that Kings jersey, you are expected to give it your all every time you step on the court and for the most part this season, we have been seeing that. There might have been 5-6 games this season where we got blown out. Last year we had more than that so that is a progress.

Vivek made a massive mistake when he fired Malone thinking that we have the culture established so we will be fine. It takes a very short time to destroy the culture but a lot of time and hard work to establish a good one. I am not interested in going into the asset gathering phase. We screwed that up in the past and with out franchise player in his prime, we don't have time to go into a rebuild again.

Would I like to get a top 5 pick and this time hope to draft an All-Star PG to pair with Cousins? Sure but not at the expense of building a culture that sets certain expectations for everyone that pulls on that jersey. Only that way will you gain the respect of the rest of the NBA community and players themselves will respect the franchise more which might actually mean that some FA don't ignore the phone call when they see that Sacramento is calling.
 
#87
Ummmmm, Ron? Where have you been the last 7 years? You realize that we've only won 30 games ONE time? We added the vets this year and secured a reputable coach. It's still not working. It's time to make some drastic changes.
Right.
"We added the vets this year and secured a reputable coach", as you wrote,

...AND this year our star has finally reached the true superstar level he has in him,
...AND this year our owner learned some sense and stopped meddling,
...AND this year we openned a new state of the art arena.
AND this month we unwillingly "shed" our 2nd option (Gay), who was the main ball stopper on the team,
...AND only this month our former young promising big (WCS) who seemed like a lost cause started looking like a BB player again, and our vet PG started looking like a vet PG,
...AND only this week we started inserting the most promising of our rookies into the most problematic position on the team (SG)...

Point is -
It's a new team in so many ways.
It competes differently.
(The only constant seems to be the fanbase and its bad experience and habits.... And that's not a good thing)

The past seven years you mention have NO effect whatsoever on what will happen this year.
As a new team, with a new coach (and with the NBA schedule that forces almost ZERO training in-season) we are just beginning to gell together.

You could even say that the first 100 days of the season (that's how long it was) have been just the intro, the learning phase.

Instead, you seem to say it's over o_O.
And you base that on experience from another team in another (though recent) era.

It's NOT time for drastic changes. Just for some more sweat, grit and hustle from the team, and more faith from the fans.

The goal is to win. Every game. One game at a time.
The season, and the franchise future, will take care of themselves (as by-products of winning)... :)
 
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#88
And this is precisely what needs to change. If we are not in it by X, lets go tank. It is precisely why we became the laughing stock of the NBA. We finally seem to be building the foundation of breaking that habit and actually playing to win every game. Sure it might be counter productive in terms of a pick but it builds the expectations within the franchise that every time you cross that white line you are expected to fight from start to finish regardless of what the scoreboard says. Its the culture that allows you to get respect, its the culture that is proven to be a great aid in developing young players around the league. Developing young players does not necessarily mean playing them big minutes. Sure some can handle that but others get fed minutes here and there once they earn them and keep getting more of them once they prove they can handle them over a sustainable period of time.

The problem with the tanking approach is that it expects no accountability from anyone. Players know that they are not expected to win so the effort is not there more often than not. Go into every game with the expectation of going for the win. Lets fight for every second we are on the court and let the chips fall where they fall. We will win some, we will lose some. We might get a top 10 pick, or we might get a pick in the teens or we might not get one at all but what we will get is expectation that no matter who you are or where you are from but when you put on that Kings jersey, you are expected to give it your all every time you step on the court and for the most part this season, we have been seeing that. There might have been 5-6 games this season where we got blown out. Last year we had more than that so that is a progress.

Vivek made a massive mistake when he fired Malone thinking that we have the culture established so we will be fine. It takes a very short time to destroy the culture but a lot of time and hard work to establish a good one. I am not interested in going into the asset gathering phase. We screwed that up in the past and with out franchise player in his prime, we don't have time to go into a rebuild again.

Would I like to get a top 5 pick and this time hope to draft an All-Star PG to pair with Cousins? Sure but not at the expense of building a culture that sets certain expectations for everyone that pulls on that jersey. Only that way will you gain the respect of the rest of the NBA community and players themselves will respect the franchise more which might actually mean that some FA don't ignore the phone call when they see that Sacramento is calling.
THAT!! Thank you!
 
#89
It's not as if first round projects have never been drafted. If the front office views the draft weak in general from 10-30 or 10-25 or whatever the case may be, it won't hurt to swing for the fences since the team had two more first round draft picks.
Maybe for a decent playoff "projects" are acceptable, not for this Kings team....I didn't mind the trade-down, but at least go for the best rated talent at 13th.
A Project is not swinging for the fences either. Its' inherently risky.
 
#90
I'm not going to look up examples, but I'm going to say not true. Most of the players n this draft were some type of project. Some layers may be getting PT but they are still a project. Depends on what the goal is for the team. Depends on the players themselves. 2nd rounders are also projects I agree, but to blanket statement about picks 1-20 should be contributing isn't always true.
No that's not what I wrote, I wrote 10-20 should be getting playing time and a look-over not assuming they're contributing right - you're reading into what I wrote. PapaG is NOT EVEN SUITING UP! I'm thinking PapaG might have an upside of Koufos level of play, and a downside of barely playing much in the league.