For me, one of the consequences of the hard-line negativity that can exist on this forum is that I am less willing to share a balanced view myself. If I have a mix of positive and negative thoughts about a player, coach, or manager, I am more likely to share the positive ones because I feel the more negative voices are so absolute in their thinking, why should I offer them anything? I reject the notion that the most negative voices are the more discerning ones. Critical thought can (should) produce both positive and negative appraisal. I reject the idea that if a player was not my first choice at a draft or during free agency, I should not support them, or I should just stick my heels in and indulge in a very intentional form of pessimism.
Anyways - on some of Vlade’s decisions:
If the 2018 draft was redone today, in a vacuum, Luka would be the number one pick. If you redo it in five years, we don’t know if he will be number one, but on current evidence it seems likely. Having said that, the draft isn’t performed in a vacuum. The team has Fox who is getting better and better and would not have been a good fit next to Luka. MBIII, at his best, is an all-star and a good fit next to Fox. He has close to elite rebounding and finishing ability, which are skills no one else on this team has. He put up good numbers off the bench last year, showed improvement in several areas as the season progressed, and deservedly made the all-rookie team. He has had some injuries this season, but they are not the type that typically re-occur (e.g. spine) or require long periods on the bench and repeat surgeries (e.g. ACL repair), and I do not need to ‘squint’ in order to see he has ability. You could argue that JJJ may have been the second-best pick and a good fit for our system, although it hasn’t always looked that way this season and that is not a simple argument. Ayton wasn’t available when we picked but has not shown to be more capable defensively than MBIII and has been suspended half the season. Trae Young plays the same position as Fox so would not have been a good addition.
Vlade has made several other moves that I believe are positive. For example, he drafted Fox, who, for me, is a stud. He flipped JJ (at best a bench player) and ZBo (retired, most fans did not want him playing here in his final year) for an NBA level starter and good pro in Harrison Barnes. He acquired Belly, one of our most consistent contributors. He removed George Karl as well as both Brandon Williams and Coach J after their public fall out (and coach J’s self-sabotaging finish to the season). I know you can’t credit him for DMC’s injuries post trade, but it’s not exactly a move that looks regrettable - even if you ignore DMC’s personality challenges. Yogi was an impact player last year. Holmes is an impact player this year. We do not have any albatross contracts that are not possible to move or inhibit our long-term flexibility.
Vlade has also made moves that I do not like. At best, Dedmond has struggled to integrate, at worst, he isn’t very good. Coach Walton, who does deserve time and should be judged on whether he can respond to junk, didn’t come with a great record as a head coach and may not have been my pick. Alec Burkes was never going to have any impact because we didn’t have the space for him. George Hill didn’t work out, but it didn’t matter because we ditched him quickly. Same with Ariza.
As an aside - I am going to logout and take a break from this forum for a while. I've said all I can and do not see myself having anything new to offer anytime soon. I will still be supporting the Kings, their players and staff - even if they don't win - I will be rooting for them to figure it out.
