[Game] Kings @ Magic, 11/05/2022 2pm Pacific, 5pm Eastern
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Monk’s playmaking has been a real eye opener. The dude played entirely off of Bron and AD and Russ last year so he had absolutely no opportunity to show off his passing ability and I did not realize he was capable of seeing the floor as well as he has. Much like De’Aaron, the guy’s always had elite tools so it’s been nice seeing him put it all together. Also vaguely remember someone talking about how they thought Monk was a better pure point guard than Fox in the months leading up to that draft. Glad to see the guy with tools start to show them off.
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I'm pretty done with Kings' addiction to slow ease-on-down-the road starts against lesser teams. Does Brown have an advanced degree in psychology? He needs it with this team. They've done this sort of thing for years now. Loved the outcome of the game and Fox's heroics, as well as his joyous passion at the end, but I'm very cautious about the prospects for a team that seems to need to get warmed up for a half before they really start playing.
not for nothing but they mentioned more than a few times that this was the first time we played against a zone all season. Also Orlando's shooting was unreal. The height difference certainly played a factor and Brown had to figure out who matched up against who. Huerter was invisible in the first half and I'm sure that wasn't a game plan either. So just have to remember that this is still a new team, and for those who have been around a while, a new coach and new system. Hell it's actually a system. Still no idea wtf Walton was doing.
I generally agree with this assessment. We definitely have the talent on paper to finish a few games above .500. My issue with the Kings is simply the fact that what I see on paper hasn't necessarily transferred onto the hardwood the way I have wanted it to. I'll be honest with you...We've had some pretty good looking opening night rosters in recent memory, and at various points throughout our current "never-ending" postseason drought. Rosters that have made me believe that we would finally break through. What transpired in the days/weeks/months/years since has simply been one disappointment after another. And I am officially well past the point of having any expectations with this team. Not because I don't want them to do well. Not because I don't want to see postseason basketball in Sacramento. Not because I don't want to experience a playoff game in the G1C. But because I just can't anymore. I can't spend countless hours analyzing our roster heading into the season. I can't spend countless hours "number crunching" to generate projections. I just can't. All of these things have led NOWHERE. Well, at least NOWHERE that I want to be...
Which is why I came into this season expecting NOTHING. Not 1 win. Not 5 wins. Not 50 wins. Not 60 wins. And definitely not even the playoffs.
Because I don't want to set lofty expectations with this team anymore, and leave the regular season behind feeling disappointed.
The team can win 35 games for all I care. But if these 35 games allow us to get a glimpse into what an efficient offense looks like, or even an efficient defense for that matter, I'll take the 35 wins and only expect that we build upon them moving forward. Heck, even if a good chunk of our 47 losses allow us to get a good glimpse into what the team CAN look like with a few minor adjustments, I'll take the 35 wins.
Which is why I came into this season expecting NOTHING. Not 1 win. Not 5 wins. Not 50 wins. Not 60 wins. And definitely not even the playoffs.
Because I don't want to set lofty expectations with this team anymore, and leave the regular season behind feeling disappointed.
The team can win 35 games for all I care. But if these 35 games allow us to get a glimpse into what an efficient offense looks like, or even an efficient defense for that matter, I'll take the 35 wins and only expect that we build upon them moving forward. Heck, even if a good chunk of our 47 losses allow us to get a good glimpse into what the team CAN look like with a few minor adjustments, I'll take the 35 wins.
People are saying winning ugly is still winning. Winning ugly = committing to a style that leads to winning. Like the current Grizz or the Buster Posey Giants or the Trent Dilfer Ravens.
Going down by double digits against two horrible teams over the last three games in one half of the game and then coming back, because those horrible teams continue to be horrible (either because of a lack of players or experience) is a sign of a team that is just not very good.
How many games do you expect to win, when you suck so hard, you go from a 4 point fave pre-game to only have a 16% chance of winning by half time? How well do you really think this team is playing when it's expected (past data) and projected (future outcome based on past data) win rate continues to be in the bottom 10 of the league?
Going down by double digits against two horrible teams over the last three games in one half of the game and then coming back, because those horrible teams continue to be horrible (either because of a lack of players or experience) is a sign of a team that is just not very good.
How many games do you expect to win, when you suck so hard, you go from a 4 point fave pre-game to only have a 16% chance of winning by half time? How well do you really think this team is playing when it's expected (past data) and projected (future outcome based on past data) win rate continues to be in the bottom 10 of the league?
Yes, the odds are not in a team's favor when they overlook bad teams and float through the first half. It also could be that they are just not good (talented) and so have a bad first half against a bad team, but I lean more to the side that they aren't mature and disciplined enough to be good in the first half against bad teams.
If the Kings approach games against lesser teams like Orlando they probably win 10% of those games in "valiant" comebacks over the entire season. This game was one of those 10%. So I don't see this game as proof of more winning to come. It shows a capacity to win, but it also shows that they are still undisciplined in their mental approach to the game. Whether Brown can break them of this bad habit remains to be seen. If they don't change their ways against these lesser teams they have zero chance of getting in the playoffs, imo. The upcoming Nets, Spurs, Lakers and Pistons games are going to say more about the Kings' chances than the games against the Cavs, Warriors (?), Grizzlies and Hawks.
If the Kings approach games against lesser teams like Orlando they probably win 10% of those games in "valiant" comebacks over the entire season. This game was one of those 10%. So I don't see this game as proof of more winning to come. It shows a capacity to win, but it also shows that they are still undisciplined in their mental approach to the game. Whether Brown can break them of this bad habit remains to be seen. If they don't change their ways against these lesser teams they have zero chance of getting in the playoffs, imo. The upcoming Nets, Spurs, Lakers and Pistons games are going to say more about the Kings' chances than the games against the Cavs, Warriors (?), Grizzlies and Hawks.
I'm not giving up on the season. There is plenty of time to improve. But they absolutely must win against these lesser teams to have a shot at the playoffs, and in order to win against these lesser teams they can't float through the first half. The defense continues to be an issue, despite having one of the better defensive coaches in the league. By game 20 we'll have some perspective and it will be easier to evaluate this team.
The team is young, both in terms of the ages of most of the key players, their time together, and the new coaches and schemes.
In light of all that, there's every reason to think the team can get better - and will get better.
Winning is more fun than losing. Besides that, the reason is to be excited about last night obviously isn't in the part where our guys went down 20 to a bad team. It's that they came back from 20 - IN ONE DAMN QUARTER. That's not easy to do against any NBA team. And then the individual performances - Foxy and Sabonis, of course, but also Monk and Lyles (again!). I'm sold on Huerter. Sold on Keegan. (I, personally, remain sold on Barnes too, though I see that many of you aren't.)
All in all, I see plenty to root for THIS season, and plenty to build on for next.
In light of all that, there's every reason to think the team can get better - and will get better.
Winning is more fun than losing. Besides that, the reason is to be excited about last night obviously isn't in the part where our guys went down 20 to a bad team. It's that they came back from 20 - IN ONE DAMN QUARTER. That's not easy to do against any NBA team. And then the individual performances - Foxy and Sabonis, of course, but also Monk and Lyles (again!). I'm sold on Huerter. Sold on Keegan. (I, personally, remain sold on Barnes too, though I see that many of you aren't.)
All in all, I see plenty to root for THIS season, and plenty to build on for next.
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