Expectations of Kings' defense, 2021-22

[Woot!]

Expectations? Not very high....bringing back many of the same players.

4 points.

1. The 2020-21 pre-ASG team has a DETRTG of 119.1. The post-ASG team had a DETRTG of 113.8. That's a significant drop due, looking strictly at personnel change, to trading out some bench players.
2. There's every reason to expect at least some of the "same players" to be better defensively. Do you, does anyone, think that Fox, Haliburton, and Bagley can't be better? You think they won't try? If they try, you think they won't succeed in becoming better individual and/or team defenders?
3. The logic of almost every personnel move made since the 2021 trade deadline has been to improve defensively. Mitchell and Queta (2 of 4 Naismith DPOY candidates). Len, Thompson. Bringing Holmes, Davis, Harkless, and Jones back. Christie. Longabardi.
4. Again: the post-ASG Kings were 23rd-ranked, not "historically bad." Even another modest improvement from 113.8 to, say, 112 even, will probably put them right in the middle of the rankings (~15-17 last year). They went from 119.1 to 113.8, a MUCH larger jump (5.3 pts per 100 possessions vs. 1.8 per 100), between the first and second halves of the season last year. Put differently: defensive improvement only one-third as great as the one they actually made in the second half of last year will put them right in the middle of the pack. Literally, the only personnel change from last season that militates against that is the loss of Wright - who happens to have been replaced by an even better defender in Mitchell. Such a modest improvement isn't just plausible, it's very likely.

Barring a wicked tsunami of injuries, the Kings will be no worse than an average defensive team in 2021-22; there will be much rejoicing on this board; and, with effort, I will limit the number of times I say (surreptitiously, graciously), I. TOLD. YOU. SO.

 

[SCKingsfan]

Using advance stats to label Hali and Fox as "poor" to "terrible" defenders (rather than simply identifying their status as such) is problematic and needs to be put in perspective. Hali was a rookie last year, so let's admit he's not a settled player. Fox certainly has made the offensive end his priority and needs to (re?)commit to being/developing as a well-rounded defender. He's shown flashes of being an outstanding man defender when he chooses to be, but he struggles to fight through or make the right decisions on screens, so often gets beat - he needs to (want to) work on that. Fox and Hali both have the athleticism and BBIQ to be more than adequate defenders, so assuming the culture changes, with Devion leading by example and Christie emphasizing strategy, I think we can expect that each of them could reasonably move from "poor'/"terrible" to adequate or even good defenders. Then there's Bagley, who has the potential/tools, but IMO lacks the BBIQ, instincts, and perhaps even effort to pull himself out of the "liability" status. I would love to be proven wrong, but I'm not holding my breath. My point is, all signs point to us being able to improve - perhaps significantly - on the defense end in the coming year. I don't see being a little bit worse that the middle-of-the-pack as too much of a stretch.

 

[EIM86]

4 points.

1. The 2020-21 pre-ASG team has a DETRTG of 119.1. The post-ASG team had a DETRTG of 113.8. That's a significant drop due, looking strictly at personnel, to trading out some bench players.
2. There's every reason to expect at least some of the "same players" to be better defensively. Do you, does anyone, think that Fox, Haliburton, and Bagley can't be better? You think they won't try? If they try, you think they won't succeed in becoming better individual and/or team defenders?
3. The logic of almost every personnel move made since the 2021 ASG and continuing thru the offseason has been to improve defensively. Mitchell and Queta (2 of 4 Naismith DPOY candidates). Len, Thompson. Bringing Holmes, Davis, Harkless, and Jones back. Christie. Longabardi.
4. Again: the post-ASG Kings were 23rd-ranked, not "historically bad." Even another modest improvement from 113.8 to, say, 112 even, will probably put them right in the middle of the rankings (~15-17 last year). Again, they went from 119.1 to 113.8, a MUCH larger jump (5.3 pts per 100 possessions vs. 1.8 per 100), between the first and second halves of the season last year. Put differently: defensive improvement only one-third as great as the one they actually made in the second half of last year will put them right in the middle of the pack. Literally, the only change from last season that militates against that is the loss of Wright - who happens to have been replaced by an even better defender in Mitchell. Such a modest improvement isn't just plausible, it's very likely.

Barring a wicked tsunami of injuries, the Kings will be to worse than an average defensive team in 2021-22; there will be much rejoicing on this board; and I will, with effort, limit the number of times I say (surreptitiously, graciously), I. TOLD. YOU. SO.

I really really hope you’re right but my gut says 23-25th still lol. I’m glad I get to go to more games this year though and see the hopeful improvements in person. It’s really all on Fox in my opinion. A superstar is at least solid on defense. Curry became pretty solid on defense

 

[Woot!]

I really really hope you’re right but my gut says 23-25th still lol. I’m glad I get to go to more games this year though and see the hopeful improvements in person. It’s really all on Fox in my opinion. A superstar is at least solid on defense. Curry became pretty solid on defense

EIM, my friend, as the gastroenterologists say, you need to attend to your gut health!

No worries: at least in terms of your favorite hoops team, the healing will come....

 

[SacTownKid]

When Mark Jackson coached the Dubs he got Curry and all those guys to buy in and grab more boards. We just have a bad coach that doesn’t get these guys motivated to get in the paint and start grabbing boards with the trees

Part of the Kings defensive woes lead to rebounding issues. And vice versa. Nothing about the Kings team defensive system last year put them in a physically advantageous position to do anything of note on that end of the floor.

 

[EIM86]

Part of the Kings defensive woes lead to rebounding issues. And vice versa. Nothing about the Kings team defensive system last year put them in a physically advantageous position to do anything of note on that end of the floor.

Yah and I don’t expect that to change with Walton at the helm hence why I’m hoping for 23-25 defensive rank for upcoming season

 

[bajaden]

4 points.

1. The 2020-21 pre-ASG team has a DETRTG of 119.1. The post-ASG team had a DETRTG of 113.8. That's a significant drop due, looking strictly at personnel change, to trading out some bench players.
2. There's every reason to expect at least some of the "same players" to be better defensively. Do you, does anyone, think that Fox, Haliburton, and Bagley can't be better? You think they won't try? If they try, you think they won't succeed in becoming better individual and/or team defenders?
3. The logic of almost every personnel move made since the 2021 trade deadline has been to improve defensively. Mitchell and Queta (2 of 4 Naismith DPOY candidates). Len, Thompson. Bringing Holmes, Davis, Harkless, and Jones back. Christie. Longabardi.
4. Again: the post-ASG Kings were 23rd-ranked, not "historically bad." Even another modest improvement from 113.8 to, say, 112 even, will probably put them right in the middle of the rankings (~15-17 last year). They went from 119.1 to 113.8, a MUCH larger jump (5.3 pts per 100 possessions vs. 1.8 per 100), between the first and second halves of the season last year. Put differently: defensive improvement only one-third as great as the one they actually made in the second half of last year will put them right in the middle of the pack. Literally, the only personnel change from last season that militates against that is the loss of Wright - who happens to have been replaced by an even better defender in Mitchell. Such a modest improvement isn't just plausible, it's very likely.

Barring a wicked tsunami of injuries, the Kings will be no worse than an average defensive team in 2021-22; there will be much rejoicing on this board; and, with effort, I will limit the number of times I say (surreptitiously, graciously), I. TOLD. YOU. SO.

I'm fairly optimistic that our defense will improve, especially with the addition of Mitchell along with bringing back Len, Harkless, Holmes and Davis. If we could get our defensive rating down to 112 and keep our offensive rating at 113.7, where we ended the season, we would be on the plus side of those stats for the first time in a very long time. I think we'll have a better idea when we know what the final roster looks like.

I'll leave the I told you so's to you and enjoy them vicariously......

 

[Iced Espresso]

Without much more change, somewhere in the bottom 5. I'll average it out to 27.5

 

[regularkingsfan]

4 points.

1. The 2020-21 pre-ASG team has a DETRTG of 119.1. The post-ASG team had a DETRTG of 113.8. That's a significant drop due, looking strictly at personnel change, to trading out some bench players.
2. There's every reason to expect at least some of the "same players" to be better defensively. Do you, does anyone, think that Fox, Haliburton, and Bagley can't be better? You think they won't try? If they try, you think they won't succeed in becoming better individual and/or team defenders?
3. The logic of almost every personnel move made since the 2021 trade deadline has been to improve defensively. Mitchell and Queta (2 of 4 Naismith DPOY candidates). Len, Thompson. Bringing Holmes, Davis, Harkless, and Jones back. Christie. Longabardi.
4. Again: the post-ASG Kings were 23rd-ranked, not "historically bad." Even another modest improvement from 113.8 to, say, 112 even, will probably put them right in the middle of the rankings (~15-17 last year). They went from 119.1 to 113.8, a MUCH larger jump (5.3 pts per 100 possessions vs. 1.8 per 100), between the first and second halves of the season last year. Put differently: defensive improvement only one-third as great as the one they actually made in the second half of last year will put them right in the middle of the pack. Literally, the only personnel change from last season that militates against that is the loss of Wright - who happens to have been replaced by an even better defender in Mitchell. Such a modest improvement isn't just plausible, it's very likely.

Barring a wicked tsunami of injuries, the Kings will be no worse than an average defensive team in 2021-22; there will be much rejoicing on this board; and, with effort, I will limit the number of times I say (surreptitiously, graciously), I. TOLD. YOU. SO.

As a whole, the league had an excellent offense year last year. Somehow the stars were aligned that the top 7 offense (Nets, Bucks, Trailblazers, Nuggets, Clippers, Jazz, and Suns) all performed at historic level.

What is interesting and unique is the decrease of pace from previous season. There was a sudden deemphasis on transition offense and re-emphasis on half-court offense (specifically the pick and roll offense). I think both McNair and Walton were taken aback by this development. The team had not had the defensive personnel to adjust to this change until the All-Star break when they brought in Harkless, Davis and Wright.

I think Walton shown that he could improve the team as the season went on. The upcoming team has a wide variety of defensive personnel that I think they can adapt to different defensive schemes. I still don't think this is more than average defensive team. Probably wind up somewhere between 17th and 23rd.

 

[Noble]

Even if we were slightly worse than average, we can score at will so we should see more wins.

 

[ppine]

You've been banging the defense-first gong for a while, @ppine. What's your best-reasonable-case projection for this defense? Let's assume that Bags and/or Hield gets traded or for whatever reason isn't/aren't taking major minutes.

Getting rid of Hield and Bagley will help a lot.
Having Thompson and Len will improve rebounding and clog up the middle.
Holmes gets a bad rap on defense because he has played the 5 on the worst defensive team in history. He is frequently out of position because he is the weak side help trying to make up for guys like Hield and Bagley.
Mitchell by himself even as a rookie makes a statement every time he steps on the floor emphasizing defense.
Fox can be a great defender, especially with help and less offensive burden.
Haliburton can be a decent defender.
Barnes is above average on defense.
The Kings have had little success with team defense. It has not been a priority. Any NBA coach wil tell you in the modern game, a team can cover for one crummy defender if he plays great offense. No team can cover for two crummy defenders and we know who they are.
Christie is not shy about talking defense. He understands it, he can teach it and he can change the way people feel about it.
In the first year with the new look Kings, I expect them to make giant strides and launch themselves somewhere in the average NMA defensive category. They might still be slightly below average, but it will win them more games than any time in the last 5 years.

 

[Jkbiker]

Off Season rankings (Posted here due to Defense Comments) Per Athletic:
From Timberwolves to Cavaliers, No. 30-21: Ranking the NBA’s offseason moves by team – The Athletic

29) Sacramento Kings
2020-21 record: 31-41; did not make playoffs.

Added: C/F Tristan Thompson (acquired from Boston); C Alex Len (two years, $7.6 million); G Terence Davis (two years, $8 million); G Davion Mitchell (first round, 9th pick overall); C Neemias Queta (second round, 39th pick overall)

Lost: G Delon Wright (traded to Atlanta); G Justin James (waived)

Retained: C Richaun Holmes (four years, $46.5 million); F Maurice Harkless (two years, $9 million)

Extended: None

Returning from Injury: G Tyrese Haliburton (hyperextended left knee)

The Skinny: The Kings just posted the second-worst single-season defensive rating in NBA history (117.2), so Mitchell is a step in the right direction. He was a defensive demon in helping lead Baylor to the men’s national championship. And he showed his “Off Day” (supreme nickname, by the way) defensive chops in a great summer league performance. But there’s just so much more to do, and Sacramento is bringing back most of the group that was so awful last season getting stops. If there’s another deal similar to the one Sac almost made with the Lakers for Hield, that brings in one or two vets who could help, that’s a logical next step. But: a) Mitchell checked in at 6-1¼ at the combine, and while he guarded one through four in college, that’s less likely in the pros, and b) the Kings already have De’Aaron Fox on the ball, and he’s just beginning his $163 million extension. I suppose Luke Walton could run Mitchell, who shot 45 percent on 3s last season, at the one and Fox at the two, or interchange them in triangle-ish two-guard fronts. Could Fox, Mitchell and Haliburton play together, with Harrison Barnes at the four? Theoretically, at least, that’s a switchable group. But that’s an awfully small four-man unit against the lethal offenses in the West. Holmes is a willing five, at least. Maybe the Kings start pushing that defensive rock back up the hill. But it’s a steep climb.

2nd to dead last - ain't that special

 

[TaxMan]

Off Season rankings (Posted here due to Defense Comments) Per Athletic:
From Timberwolves to Cavaliers, No. 30-21: Ranking the NBA’s offseason moves by team – The Athletic

29) Sacramento Kings
2020-21 record: 31-41; did not make playoffs.

Added: C/F Tristan Thompson (acquired from Boston); C Alex Len (two years, $7.6 million); G Terence Davis (two years, $8 million); G Davion Mitchell (first round, 9th pick overall); C Neemias Queta (second round, 39th pick overall)

Lost: G Delon Wright (traded to Atlanta); G Justin James (waived)

Retained: C Richaun Holmes (four years, $46.5 million); F Maurice Harkless (two years, $9 million)

Extended: None

Returning from Injury: G Tyrese Haliburton (hyperextended left knee)

The Skinny: The Kings just posted the second-worst single-season defensive rating in NBA history (117.2), so Mitchell is a step in the right direction. He was a defensive demon in helping lead Baylor to the men’s national championship. And he showed his “Off Day” (supreme nickname, by the way) defensive chops in a great summer league performance. But there’s just so much more to do, and Sacramento is bringing back most of the group that was so awful last season getting stops. If there’s another deal similar to the one Sac almost made with the Lakers for Hield, that brings in one or two vets who could help, that’s a logical next step. But: a) Mitchell checked in at 6-1¼ at the combine, and while he guarded one through four in college, that’s less likely in the pros, and b) the Kings already have De’Aaron Fox on the ball, and he’s just beginning his $163 million extension. I suppose Luke Walton could run Mitchell, who shot 45 percent on 3s last season, at the one and Fox at the two, or interchange them in triangle-ish two-guard fronts. Could Fox, Mitchell and Haliburton play together, with Harrison Barnes at the four? Theoretically, at least, that’s a switchable group. But that’s an awfully small four-man unit against the lethal offenses in the West. Holmes is a willing five, at least. Maybe the Kings start pushing that defensive rock back up the hill. But it’s a steep climb.

2nd to dead last - ain't that special

Hard to argue against this. At this point, we're still waiting/hoping for a roster balancing trade, but ACTUAL moves to improve the roster have been minimal.

 

[EIM86]

Off Season rankings (Posted here due to Defense Comments) Per Athletic:
From Timberwolves to Cavaliers, No. 30-21: Ranking the NBA’s offseason moves by team – The Athletic

29) Sacramento Kings
2020-21 record: 31-41; did not make playoffs.

Added: C/F Tristan Thompson (acquired from Boston); C Alex Len (two years, $7.6 million); G Terence Davis (two years, $8 million); G Davion Mitchell (first round, 9th pick overall); C Neemias Queta (second round, 39th pick overall)

Lost: G Delon Wright (traded to Atlanta); G Justin James (waived)

Retained: C Richaun Holmes (four years, $46.5 million); F Maurice Harkless (two years, $9 million)

Extended: None

Returning from Injury: G Tyrese Haliburton (hyperextended left knee)

The Skinny: The Kings just posted the second-worst single-season defensive rating in NBA history (117.2), so Mitchell is a step in the right direction. He was a defensive demon in helping lead Baylor to the men’s national championship. And he showed his “Off Day” (supreme nickname, by the way) defensive chops in a great summer league performance. But there’s just so much more to do, and Sacramento is bringing back most of the group that was so awful last season getting stops. If there’s another deal similar to the one Sac almost made with the Lakers for Hield, that brings in one or two vets who could help, that’s a logical next step. But: a) Mitchell checked in at 6-1¼ at the combine, and while he guarded one through four in college, that’s less likely in the pros, and b) the Kings already have De’Aaron Fox on the ball, and he’s just beginning his $163 million extension. I suppose Luke Walton could run Mitchell, who shot 45 percent on 3s last season, at the one and Fox at the two, or interchange them in triangle-ish two-guard fronts. Could Fox, Mitchell and Haliburton play together, with Harrison Barnes at the four? Theoretically, at least, that’s a switchable group. But that’s an awfully small four-man unit against the lethal offenses in the West. Holmes is a willing five, at least. Maybe the Kings start pushing that defensive rock back up the hill. But it’s a steep climb.

2nd to dead last - ain't that special

Ranking is correct but trash article and expected since it’s the Kings. Called Mitchell’s nickname “Off-Day” TF?

I think Mitchell’s offense is gonna be more important then his defense because if it takes an offensive load off of Fox then Fox will hopefully play better defense. I’m not saying Mitchell will score 20PPG but he’s gonna have his higher scoring games here and there which may squeak out a few more wins for a us and get in the play-in

 

[Woot!]

Ranking is correct but trash article and expected since it’s the Kings. Called Mitchell’s nickname “Off-Day” TF?

I think Mitchell’s offense is gonna be more important then his defense because if it takes an offensive load off of Fox then Fox will hopefully play better defense. I’m not saying Mitchell will score 20PPG but he’s gonna have his higher scoring games here and there which may squeak out a few more wins for a us and get in the play-in

For what it's worth, we (fans) need to stop excusing Fox's defensive issues because of his offensive load. He's the only one capable of carrying the team offensively, singlehandedly, for any length of time, but he's always had more help than he's availed himself of. Buddy, HB, Hali, Bags, Davis, Holmes - not an offensive dud in that bunch. And now we can include Davion in that no-duds mix. Even w/Fox putting up all-Star numbers offensively the Kings couldn't get into the play-in; time to try a different approach, Mr. Fox!

Between Mitchell, Fox, Hali and Davis - and even Buddy showed defensive flashes last year - the Kings' backcourt *could* yet be a topnotch defensive unit. Where they lead, the rest of the team will follow.

No excuses.

 

[TaxMan]

Ranking is correct but trash article and expected since it’s the Kings. Called Mitchell’s nickname “Off-Day” TF?

I think Mitchell’s offense is gonna be more important then his defense because if it takes an offensive load off of Fox then Fox will hopefully play better defense. I’m not saying Mitchell will score 20PPG but he’s gonna have his higher scoring games here and there which may squeak out a few more wins for a us and get in the play-in

I'd have to disagree with that. I doubt they are expecting Mitchell's offense his rookie year to be all that much better than Wright. I think the main hope is that Hali takes a big step up as a 17 to 20 ppg scorer that splits the primary ball handling duties. With all the talk of a three guard line-up, I'd be pretty surprised if they are all on the floor together more than 10 to 15 min a game.

 

[EIM86]

I'd have to disagree with that. I doubt they are expecting Mitchell's offense his rookie year to be all that much better than Wright. I think the main hope is that Hali takes a big step up as a 17 to 20 ppg scorer that splits the primary ball handling duties. With all the talk of a three guard line-up, I'd be pretty surprised if they are all on the floor together more than 10 to 15 min a game.

I never said anybody was expecting Mitchell’s offense to be good or even great. My point was he’s gonna have some good nights and hopefully it will make Fox play more defense on at least those nights where we can squeak out some extra wins.

 

[SacTownKid]

As a whole, the league had an excellent offense year last year. Somehow the stars were aligned that the top 7 offense (Nets, Bucks, Trailblazers, Nuggets, Clippers, Jazz, and Suns) all performed at historic level.

What is interesting and unique is the decrease of pace from previous season. There was a sudden deemphasis on transition offense and re-emphasis on half-court offense (specifically the pick and roll offense). I think both McNair and Walton were taken aback by this development. The team had not had the defensive personnel to adjust to this change until the All-Star break when they brought in Harkless, Davis and Wright.

I think Walton shown that he could improve the team as the season went on. The upcoming team has a wide variety of defensive personnel that I think they can adapt to different defensive schemes. I still don't think this is more than average defensive team. Probably wind up somewhere between 17th and 23rd.

Walton showed the same things in LA. When he's got role players to fall back on, he'll have them perform at an OK, mid lottery level. Well, by west standards at least. When his team has been healthy and at full strength (pre deadline), he's been a sub .400 coach in his 2 years here so far. Fairly consistent. When teams start tanking, and the seasons winding down, he's been cleaning up. Monte better know what's up about 20-25 games in. With such a tough back end schedule this year cleaning up on the back end probably won't get that 10th seed.

 

[regularkingsfan]

Walton showed the same things in LA. When he's got role players to fall back on, he'll have them perform at an OK, mid lottery level. Well, by west standards at least. When his team has been healthy and at full strength (pre deadline), he's been a sub .400 coach in his 2 years here so far. Fairly consistent. When teams start tanking, and the seasons winding down, he's been cleaning up. Monte better know what's up about 20-25 games in. With such a tough back end schedule this year cleaning up on the back end probably won't get that 10th seed.

I agree with most of it. I just don’t think Walton is a bad coach. He maybe is average or below average.

They really need to blast it out of the gate this year. They can surprise a lot of teams if they can push the transition offense, like the Joerger’s 18-19 team. They were the best transition team last year but they did not have many opportunities to run because they could not generate turnovers or secure defensive rebounds. They should at least run a couple more times this year.

There is a path for this team to be an elite offense, which is “transition like the Bucks and half court like the Jazz.” By 20-25 games in, if we don’t see a great offense and an average defense, it should be time Walton is sacked.

 

[SacTownKid]

The more I look at this team, the more I think Dumars is indeed the architect. I mean, those bad boys teams mirror this team pretty well on paper. They were basically a 3 guard team too, with Isiah, Joe, and Microwave taking up a ton of minutes. Also had a bunch of size at PF/C and not a lot of true wing depth. I just don't see how that necessarily fits into the modern game but we shall see.

 

[EIM86]

We have zero wing defenders sigh lol.

 

[Telemachus]

We have zero wing defenders sigh lol.

Except for Harrison Barnes, Mo Harkless & possibly Louis King and Metu.

 

[SacTownKid]

Except for Harrison Barnes, Mo Harkless & possibly Louis King and Metu.

None of which are really considered true however. Both King and Harkless are probably more apt to be big guards but can certainly defend wings, King has even referred to himself as a big guard, and Barnes is better at PF. This team has gone all in on the guard team build which they really need to commit to at this point. If players like Harkless are stealing minutes from any of their rotation guards then issues will occur.

 

[EIM86]

Except for Harrison Barnes, Mo Harkless & possibly Louis King and Metu.

nah prolly not lol. Barnes and Mo are more modern day 4s. King and Metu I have no idea cause I haven’t seen enough yet

 

[Telemachus]

None of which are really considered true however. Both King and Harkless are probably more apt to be big guards but can certainly defend wings, King has even referred to himself as a big guard, and Barnes is better at PF. This team has gone all in on the guard team build which they really need to commit to at this point. If players like Harkless are stealing minutes from any of their rotation guards then issues will occur.

Harkless has been a SF most of his career and played primarily the 3/4 for the Kings last season. King can call himself a guard all he wants, but he is 6' 8 and plays like a prototypical wing in today's game. Barnes is a 3/4, which is what a wing is in today's game. As for Metu, his play in the Olympics and summer league looked like a tryout to prove he can be a wing (time will tell). The point being, that is a far cry from having no wings.

 

[Telemachus]

nah prolly not lol. Barnes and Mo are more modern day 4s. King and Metu I have no idea cause I haven’t seen enough yet

If you don't consider Barnes and Harkless to be wings, then you will be hard pressed to find very many wings in the league.

 

[EIM86]

If you don't consider Barnes and Harkless to be wings, then you will be hard pressed to find very many wings in the league.

I said we have zero wing defenders lol. #reality

 

[sactowndog]

Harkless has been a SF most of his career and played primarily the 3/4 for the Kings last season. King can call himself a guard all he wants, but he is 6' 8 and plays like a prototypical wing in today's game. Barnes is a 3/4, which is what a wing is in today's game. As for Metu, his play in the Olympics and summer league looked like a tryout to prove he can be a wing (time will tell). The point being, that is a far cry from having no wings.

King is 6’ 7” with an 7’ wingspan definately wing size… but

• Metu was a vet Min signing
• King was a 2 way player
• Harkless was glued to Miami’s bench
• Barnes was dumped to the Kings for a guy fighting to stay in the league.

while they are all NBA wing size it’s not a stretch to say the position is currently held together by chewing gum and chicken wire.

Perhaps the guys will all take a leap forward. We all hope they do and have some reason for hope. But it’s hope at the moment.

 

[datamanwes]

Saying Barnes was dumped to the Kings is a statement that rings totally biased . I think Monte has made some good moves this off season. Not enough to make the playoffs but its a start. I think Meu, and Harkless were good additions at the end of last season. I think King has potential but we shall see

 

[Woot!]

Saying Barnes was dumped to the Kings is a statement that rings totally biased . I think Monte has made some good moves this off season. Not enough to make the playoffs but its a start. I think Meu, and Harkless were good additions at the end of last season. I think King has potential but we shall see

Not to mention: completely irrelevant. Is Nikola Jokić's value measured by the fact that he was drafted in the second round? I think the Kings are a playoff-caliber team right now and, w/luck, Monte has at least one move left before the season begins.