Looking to the year ahead.

[sactowndog]

It’s going to be an interesting year. What teams in the west fall where in your mind?

clearly better than the Kings:
Golden State
Los Angeles Clippers (Leonard healthy)
Denver ( Murray healthy)
Pheonix
Dallas
Memphis

likely better:
Minnesota
Los Angeles Lakers
New Orleans
Portland

Where do you see the Kings landing? Vegas has them as the 5th worst team. If it plays out as true should they Vacate for Victor who may be the best talent since LeBron and hope for top 4 odds?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'd put New Orleans in the clearly better, dump the Lakers and Portland off this list, and probably bump the Clippers down into second tier as well.

Minny is better but it seems like they may have some internal issues with guys not in love with their role. They also have Ant-Man so talent wise they win, but it seems like Russell is becoming an issue?

A few of the clearly better teams are an injury away, and depending on what happens with Phoenix and Ayton they may be dramatically different next year despite the fact he is apparently a luxury they have decided they can't afford.

 

[Kings49ers]

From the West I can only see the Kings possibly being better than the Rockets and Thunder. And that’s completely dependent on how their young, talented teams develop and how quickly.

From the East I’d say the Kings could finish better than the Magic and Pistons with the possibility of Pacers and Wizards depending on if they move their vets and commit to the rebuild or not.

Might seem a bit pessimistic but as of right now I can’t see us truly competing night in and night out with some of these other teams who have proven, talented vets. Of course some of our guys can always take that next step, but until they do I don’t see it.

 

[HoggLife]

It’s going to be an interesting year. What teams in the west fall where in your mind?

clearly better than the Kings:
Golden State
Los Angeles Clippers (Leonard healthy)
Denver ( Murray healthy)
Pheonix
Dallas
Memphis

likely better:
Minnesota
Los Angeles Lakers
New Orleans
Portland

Where do you see the Kings landing? Vegas has them as the 5th worst team. If it plays out as true should they Vacate for Victor who may be the best talent since LeBron and hope for top 4 odds?

I see Kings around 7th best team in the West.

 

[kingsboi]

it's better to wait once free agency is finished to set predictions

 

[sactowndog]

I see Kings around 7th best team in the West.

behind whom and ahead of whom…

 

[sactowndog]

it's better to wait once free agency is finished to set predictions

generally true those this year is a pretty weak free agency group.

 

[sactowndog]

I'd put New Orleans in the clearly better, dump the Lakers and Portland off this list, and probably bump the Clippers down into second tier as well.

Minny is better but it seems like they may have some internal issues with guys not in love with their role. They also have Ant-Man so talent wise they win, but it seems like Russell is becoming an issue?

A few of the clearly better teams are an injury away, and depending on what happens with Phoenix and Ayton they may be dramatically different next year despite the fact he is apparently a luxury they have decided they can't afford.

Yeah though I think with Grant, Portland will take a good jump this year. He is a great fit on their roster.

Simons will be good also. If Ingles can come back at all along with Hart they will be pretty good

Depth Chart:
Nurkic? Looney??
Grant
Hart, Ingles
Simons, Sharpe
Dame Bledsoe

I think they go after Looney in free agency as a defensive anchor. Given Centers are the easiest to sign in free agency I see them being pretty good next year unless Dame completely falls off a cliff. They have upside with Ingles and Sharpe.

 

[Chupacabra]

It depends on how much Brown is able to improve our defense early in the season. If we float around .500 40 games into the season we will be in good position.

To start the year we have an unencumbered Fox (removed Haliburton), and Sabonis entering his prime. If the defense is average we become a good team. Brown will have hightened expectations on the defensive end, the likes of which none of our players have experienced before. Will the players reflect that on the court? I think it's more likely they will than they won't.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Yeah though I think with Grant, Portland will take a good jump this year. He is a great fit on their roster.

Simons will be good also. If Ingles can come back at all along with Hart they will be pretty good

Depth Chart:
Nurkic? Looney??
Grant
Hart, Ingles
Simons, Sharpe
Dame Bledsoe

I think they go after Looney in free agency as a defensive anchor. Given Centers are the easiest to sign in free agency I see them being pretty good next year unless Dame completely falls off a cliff. They have upside with Ingles and Sharpe.

Portland has a joke of a coach and until proven otherwise a lousy GM.

I think Sharpe will be a disaster under Billups.

But maybe he'll prove me wrong.

 

[Rain man]

Playoff tier

Phoenix
Golden State
Denver
LAC (if healthy)
Memphis
Dallas

Play in tier

NOP (I need more than one year of 36-46 to prove otherwise)
Minnesota (not uncommon to see a team make it and then backslide)
Kings
San Antonio

lottery tier
OKC
Houston

Too early to tell
Utah
Lakers
Portland

 

[sactowndog]

Portland has a joke of a coach and until proven otherwise a lousy GM.

I think Sharpe will be a disaster under Billups.

But maybe he'll prove me wrong.

Haha. I would make you a charity bet Portland was clearly better than the Kings but after what we saw last year I don’t trust how hard they might tank for Victor

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Haha. I would make you a charity bet Portland was clearly better than the Kings but after what we saw last year I don’t trust how hard they might tank for Victor

They still have all the same problems they had last year. Yes, they have Grant who put up a lot of nice stats on a very, very bad Detroit team. And Sharpe. But they shipped all their talent to tank and get two high lotto picks this year, came away with only one, and missed the top 6 where I think the top tier prospects were all picked. I honestly can't believe they went with Sharpe though.

 

[SacTownKid]

The team to fear right now is Portland. If they somehow land Durant it could change things in a hurry. I'm not sure how they'd match salaries but they could give the Nets a pretty good package based around youth/picks.

 

[SacTownKid]

Portland has a joke of a coach and until proven otherwise a lousy GM.

I think Sharpe will be a disaster under Billups.

But maybe he'll prove me wrong.

I'm not sure Sharpe was anything other than interesting trade package filler. Then using that TPE instead of expirings to get Grant might work out well for them.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'm not sure Sharpe was anything other than interesting trade package filler. Then using that TPE instead of expirings to get Grant might work out well for them.

If they wanted to move the pick seems like almost all of the guys picked through 13 had more interest?

Maybe I am wrong and they had lots of conversations, Mike Schmitz is a draft guy and presumably he was brought in to make this pick. But Cronin's track record so far is just terrible.

 

[sactowndog]

Playoff tier

Phoenix
Golden State
Denver
LAC (if healthy)
Memphis
Dallas

Play in tier

NOP (I need more than one year of 36-46 to prove otherwise)
Minnesota (not uncommon to see a team make it and then backslide)
Kings
San Antonio

lottery tier
OKC
Houston

Too early to tell
Utah
Lakers
Portland

I think the Pels have to be in too early to tell. Depends how Zion comes back.

 

[The_Jamal]

Playoff tier

Phoenix
Golden State
Denver
LAC (if healthy)
Memphis
Dallas

Play in tier

NOP (I need more than one year of 36-46 to prove otherwise)
Minnesota (not uncommon to see a team make it and then backslide)
Kings
San Antonio

lottery tier
OKC
Houston

Too early to tell
Utah
Lakers
Portland

This looks fairly correct. Assuming Ayton goes back to PHX, I don't see any of the top 6 missing, barring health. And then OKC/Hou will be bottom feeders again while the remaining 7 mosh-pits for the last 4 spots.

Lakers are a year older with a worse cap situation, Utah is on the verge of a blow-up after losing their top 5 coach and DPOY Rudy Gobert being heavily shopped, Portland still has to prove they can replace the 5 starters they shipped out last deadline (they got 1 back in Grant), I think we're more talented than the Spurs, even if I like their future assets better, NOP needs Zion healthy to be a serious over .500 team. I think Minny would be the team is the best team in that grouping with further growth potential from Ant, Vanderbilt, McDaniels and KAT/DAR fully hitting their prime.

We'll see. I think the bottom playoff spots are all open again in the west like they were last year.

 

[sactowndog]

I'm not sure Sharpe was anything other than interesting trade package filler. Then using that TPE instead of expirings to get Grant might work out well for them.

Who knows. Why I put him as upside. Probably has the widest variation of outcomes for any kid in the draft

 

[SacTownKid]

If they wanted to move the pick seems like almost all of the guys picked through 13 had more interest?

Maybe I am wrong and they had lots of conversations, Mike Schmitz is a draft guy and presumably he was brought in to make this pick. But Cronin's track record so far is just terrible.

Sharpe is still seen as one of the few super upside guys. For a desperate team needing to shoot for the moon like the Nets might be, then he could certainly be a better moonshot than older guarantees. Whatever happens with the Nets could reshape one or both conferences.

 

[Turgenev]

It's hard to judge at this stage. Sabonis and Fox looked good together but in a small sample that didn't have many W's. Our roster isn't final either. Brown is a good addition. DDV is a good add but wait and see how his free agency goes.

 

[Telemachus]

Yeah though I think with Grant, Portland will take a good jump this year. He is a great fit on their roster.

Simons will be good also. If Ingles can come back at all along with Hart they will be pretty good

Depth Chart:
Nurkic? Looney??
Grant
Hart, Ingles
Simons, Sharpe
Dame Bledsoe

I think they go after Looney in free agency as a defensive anchor. Given Centers are the easiest to sign in free agency I see them being pretty good next year unless Dame completely falls off a cliff. They have upside with Ingles and Sharpe.

Ingles is a FA.

 

[Tetsujin]

The team to fear right now is Portland. If they somehow land Durant it could change things in a hurry. I'm not sure how they'd match salaries but they could give the Nets a pretty good package based around youth/picks.

We’ll see. Blazers don’t have their first round pick next season (which means their first tradeable pick is in 2025) and their only “youth” worth trading for is Anfernee Simons, who is going to get a big extension this summer as an RFA, and Shaedon Sharpe (a massive question mark).

For them to get anything done, they’d have to have Simons agree to a sign and trade to the Nets and give up so many picks in the far future when all their good players would be retired that they’d probably be toast as a franchise for the next decade.

 

[kingsboi]

generally true those this year is a pretty weak free agency group.

trades are a possibility still

 

[Kings49ers]

trades are a possibility still

Talking about trades, Kennard is thought to be available. Clippers trying to clear cap so he’s likely to be had fairly cheap. He shot very well from deep last year and isn’t a complete negative on the defensive end. I think his contract is pretty team friendly as well for the next couple years just over 10 mil.

 

[kingsboi]

Talking about trades, Kennard is thought to be available. Clippers trying to clear cap so he’s likely to be had fairly cheap. He shot very well from deep last year and isn’t a complete negative on the defensive end. I think his contract is pretty team friendly as well for the next couple years just over 10 mil.

I'd like to see Monte take a flyer on Warren.

 

[sactowndog]

With most of free agency complete I have the following:

clearly better
Golden State
Pheonix
Minnesota
Clippers (with Leonard)
Denver (with Murray)
Memphis
New Orleans (with Zion)

we shall see
Dallas
Portland
Lakers
Kings

tanking for Victor
San Antonio
Utah
Houston
OKC.

 

[Woot!]

With most of free agency complete I have the following:

clearly better
Golden State
Pheonix
Minnesota
Clippers (with Leonard)
Denver (with Murray)
Memphis
New Orleans (with Zion)

we shall see
Dallas
Portland
Lakers
Kings

tanking for Victor
San Antonio
Utah
Houston
OKC.

With most of free agency complete, I have the following:

We shall see.

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

On paper, this looks like the best team the Kings have had since 05-06 when they won 44 games (hurts just typing that). I like all the moves the Kings have made, even drafting Murray despite being heavily in the Jaden Ivey camp. My projection is the Kings win 41 games. That would've put them as the 9th best team in the West.

 

[Rain man]

With most of free agency complete I have the following:

clearly better
Golden State
Pheonix
Minnesota
Clippers (with Leonard)
Denver (with Murray)
Memphis
New Orleans (with Zion)

we shall see
Dallas
Portland
Lakers
Kings

tanking for Victor
San Antonio
Utah
Houston
OKC.

The list looks mostly right to me, but with a few thoughts:

Minnesota- do we know they are clearly better? They are clearly more talented, but there is going to be a steep learning curve. It reminds me of when Lebron, Wade, and Bosh teamed up, and then started the year like 10-10. KAT, Rudy, and Ant are no Lebron, Wade, and Bosh, and there are some obvious fit issues, and some very obvious adjustments that will have to be made. The talent is probably ultimately too much, at least in the regular season, but I could see them starting slowly not being out of range of us for most of this season. Plus, they gutted a huge part of the supporting cast. I think they are ultimately better than us, but this is still a wait and see to me.

New Orleans- I refuse to buy they are clearly better, because first, do we know how much Zion is going to play, and second, are they really that much better with Zion? I know he is an absolute beast, but is there any indication he makes the team better? And is there any evidence that they are that great without him? They went 36-46 last year, just a handful of games better than us. They were basically even with us until they went all in on the playoffs and we committed to a late season tank. They have talent, but it has just never come together (either with Zion or without Zion). The funny thing is that they could have a really bright future, but I think they just really complicated that future by committing that money to Zion. They should have let Zion walk to be honest, and built around the rest of the really solid core.

Utah- do they think they are tanking? I think it is too early to tell what direction they are going.

Portland- I think we are neck and neck with them all year long.

Also agree with you that it is too early to know on Dallas and Lakers.