The Warriors entire thing at this point is their ardent belief that Klay Thompson will not only be able to come back from two career-ending leg injuries in a row but will also be just as good as he was two seasons ago when he still had functional ligaments in his knee and Achilles. At the same time, while they've been loudly declaring their desire for win now players and pieces, they've picked the rawest prospect in each of the last two drafts and reportedly refused to trade Jordan Poole so who knows what it is they're actually trying to do.
2021 NBA Draft Superthread
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
I care not an ounce about dealing with a divisional or in-state rival if it genuinely improves the Kings' long-term prospects, especially not while we're far away from realistically contending with any of our in-state rivals in the playoffs. The Kings-Lakers rivalry was twenty years ago. If it had been a decade of hard-fought battles between the two teams, then maybe it would be easier for me to still give a sh*t about that "rivalry." But it was just a few contentious years in the early 2000's, and the Kings haven't been relevant since then. That's not to say that I have any love for the Lakers in 2021. I absolutely do not. But I also wouldn't be opposed to dealing with them if the trade terms were of benefit to the Kings. I don't think Kuzma/Harrell/22 would have been a good value trade for Hield, but if the right trade actually existed that worked for both teams, I'd be all for it.
The Warriors are an even easier sell to me as a trading partner. They've never been a true rival of ours, and I'd love it if the Kings approached them with an offer that's worthy of snagging Moody. Scottie Barnes was at the top of my wish list, but the Kings simply did not do themselves the long-term favor of losing enough games last season to put themselves in a position to draft Barnes. I wouldn't say that I was quite as high on Moody as our resident prospect-expert Bajaden was, but he was still #2 on my wish list for his plug-and-playability. Wagner was #3 on my list for the same reason. Then Jalen Johnson and Kuminga and Ziaire, all of whom are riskier bets/projects. I thought it was an absolute gift that Moody was available at #9, and it bummed me out that the Kings passed on who I consider to be a perfect fit (who is, in my opinion at least as worthy of the "BPA" designation as Mitchell was at #9).
The Warriors are an even easier sell to me as a trading partner. They've never been a true rival of ours, and I'd love it if the Kings approached them with an offer that's worthy of snagging Moody. Scottie Barnes was at the top of my wish list, but the Kings simply did not do themselves the long-term favor of losing enough games last season to put themselves in a position to draft Barnes. I wouldn't say that I was quite as high on Moody as our resident prospect-expert Bajaden was, but he was still #2 on my wish list for his plug-and-playability. Wagner was #3 on my list for the same reason. Then Jalen Johnson and Kuminga and Ziaire, all of whom are riskier bets/projects. I thought it was an absolute gift that Moody was available at #9, and it bummed me out that the Kings passed on who I consider to be a perfect fit (who is, in my opinion at least as worthy of the "BPA" designation as Mitchell was at #9).
Im not sure we would have got to 4 though if we had we could have probably traded 4 for 6. More likely we would have been at 7 deciding between Wagner and Kuminga. There might still have been a riot.
our best hope is we suck, Vivek accepts the record is his no matter what and GoldenState struggles with their young players. Perhaps we trade Barnes for Kuminga at the trade deadline.
our best hope is we suck, Vivek accepts the record is his no matter what and GoldenState struggles with their young players. Perhaps we trade Barnes for Kuminga at the trade deadline.
For years all we had was a USL team and people went just like you have in Sac. If Sacramento had gotten in before 2014 with the USL they could have beat all the cities that decided soccer was hip that year. That said Sacramento is very deserving of a team and will get one eventually. The buy in during the pandemic when MLS is definitely struggling relative to other sports leagues is insane. MLS is a ponzi scheme. I would say enjoy the Republic as is, join the TBB and have a ton of fun in a non MLS environment for as long as it last. MLS sucks.
Let me just reiterate though that the best part about soccer in US is the matchday experience and you have that in Sacramento. And it's not compromised by MLS.
Yes MLS gets some USA players and euro stars on the retirement circuit and occasionally some B-tier South American talent but a good USL team can also get a lot of the latter. Quality of play is lower but MLS isn't special. It's the supporter culture and the matchday experience. GO NOW if you don't already. There are always tickets available, you don't get locked into the sold out season ticket trap that MLS will bring where you either go to Wednesday night games in 100 degree July nights or a miserable early Sunday game for TV or you eat the ticket cost. You can pick and choose and food and drink are cheaper. Do it!
Yes MLS gets some USA players and euro stars on the retirement circuit and occasionally some B-tier South American talent but a good USL team can also get a lot of the latter. Quality of play is lower but MLS isn't special. It's the supporter culture and the matchday experience. GO NOW if you don't already. There are always tickets available, you don't get locked into the sold out season ticket trap that MLS will bring where you either go to Wednesday night games in 100 degree July nights or a miserable early Sunday game for TV or you eat the ticket cost. You can pick and choose and food and drink are cheaper. Do it!
It's an odd market. There are so many alumni for Sac State and none willing to invest their time and money to make their programs take off. There is no doubt the city would be all in on a successful FBS program. Looking for the reward without putting in the work. Kinda like the Kings organization trying to get in the playoffs, but unwilling to sacrifice the time, money or control necessary to make it happen.
I digress
I digress
You’re right. My mistake. I don’t remotely follow soccer, so I missed that one.
Regardless, I’ve always felt Sacramento’s TV media market rating was misleading as it pertains to a sports fandom. It includes 16 counties, basically the entire Central Valley between the Bay Area and Reno down to Fresno. Not exactly a collection of homogenous communities. Sure, they all get the same local network channels, but do Modesto or Vacaville & Fairfield really consider any Sacramento sports team as their “hometown” team?
Completely arbitrarily, I might only count Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Southwestern Placer, West El Dorado, and maybe San Joaquin, Amador, and Yuba counties as being Sacramento’s true sports-specific media market. That roughly knocks off about half a million households, dropping Sacramento down to the range of #31 San Antonio, #32 Hartford-New Haven, CT and #33 Columbus, OH on the list, well in-line with having a single “major league” professional sports team.
On the other end of the spectrum, #27 San Diego only has one major league sports team and, having lived in both Sacramento and San Diego, have never once thought of America’s Finest City (and 8th largest in the country) as the “smaller market.”
Regardless, I’ve always felt Sacramento’s TV media market rating was misleading as it pertains to a sports fandom. It includes 16 counties, basically the entire Central Valley between the Bay Area and Reno down to Fresno. Not exactly a collection of homogenous communities. Sure, they all get the same local network channels, but do Modesto or Vacaville & Fairfield really consider any Sacramento sports team as their “hometown” team?
Completely arbitrarily, I might only count Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Southwestern Placer, West El Dorado, and maybe San Joaquin, Amador, and Yuba counties as being Sacramento’s true sports-specific media market. That roughly knocks off about half a million households, dropping Sacramento down to the range of #31 San Antonio, #32 Hartford-New Haven, CT and #33 Columbus, OH on the list, well in-line with having a single “major league” professional sports team.
On the other end of the spectrum, #27 San Diego only has one major league sports team and, having lived in both Sacramento and San Diego, have never once thought of America’s Finest City (and 8th largest in the country) as the “smaller market.”
San Diego did have at least two major teams (MLB, NFL) from 1969-2016, with three teams (+NBA) for a 7-year span of that. What has cost San Diego its major teams seems similar to the problem Sacramento has in drawing them - both media markets are large, but dwarfed by bigger markets only 90 minutes away.
It's relatively interesting to consider how the biggest U.S. market (NYC) has had 2 NBA, 2 NFL, 2 MLB, and 2 NHL franchises basically forever, but the second-biggest market in L.A. was pretty far behind. They didn't have two NBA teams until 1984 (sucking up, you guessed it, San Diego's!), have only ever had one NHL team, and recently went two decades without an NFL franchise at all. It's like L.A. just hoovers up all of San Diego's sports, with the Padres safe only because L.A. isn't going to support three MLB franchises.
It's relatively interesting to consider how the biggest U.S. market (NYC) has had 2 NBA, 2 NFL, 2 MLB, and 2 NHL franchises basically forever, but the second-biggest market in L.A. was pretty far behind. They didn't have two NBA teams until 1984 (sucking up, you guessed it, San Diego's!), have only ever had one NHL team, and recently went two decades without an NFL franchise at all. It's like L.A. just hoovers up all of San Diego's sports, with the Padres safe only because L.A. isn't going to support three MLB franchises.