Finally, a game against a bad team! *knocks on ALL the wood*
Previously On...
Awards Time
Tony Delk Memorial Award - Caris Levert. Was tempted to just go with the obvious choice and give it to Donovan Mitchell but I had to go with Caris Levert instead, a former Domas teammate who's been sorta rough at times since coming to Cleveland during the trade deadline in February/
The CoJo - No one! Mike Brown shortened his rotation and everyone he played play good for once!
Mikki Moore - Darius Garland. I know the dude's coming off an injury and still trying to figure out how to play off of Donovan Mitchell but the guy somehow was able to miss eight shots despite being largely invisible the entire night.
WTF Moment of the Game - Harrison Barnes is clearly fouled while taking a shot, somehow has the and-one wiped away AND the call is unchallengable for some reason, which we only learn after Mike Brown has burned a time out to challenge the bad call.
Random Internet Kings Tweet of the Day
Random Bill Simmons KANGZ Take of the Day
We're Talking Basketball
So just maybe we don't completely suck?
But first, a special message from a special Kings friend!
That's right! It's a game against the Lakers coming after a rough week in which spectacularly bad reffing cost the Kings two games and quite nearly derailed another one, which means a cameo appearance by Tim Donoughy! Thankfully, of all the games the Kings have played this season, the refs somehow figure to play the least into this one against the Lakers, who have looked every bit one of the worst teams in the league to start the year even with Lebron playing, which he probably will not be in the game tonight.
What happens when you surround two incredibly ball dominant players with players who cannot shoot and/or also require the ball to be effective and foist them onto a first year coach? The 2022-2023 Lakers. While moving Russ to the bench has helped the team look at least slightly less dysfunctional over the last week or so, that hasn't actually led to an increase in wins AND Lebron got injured in their last game against the Clippers.
It's still hard to write off a game against the Lakers as a trap game/one that the Kings should win but that's pretty much what this game is at this point. AD is still very very good. Russ can still put up stats with the best of them. Lonnie Walker is kinda fun. Troy Brown Jr. looks like an effective bench wing! PatBev exists! And that's pretty much the entire extent of the Lakers depth at this point. You do kind of have to feel for Damian Jones, who left the Kings for a minimum contract in LA under the impression he'd get more minutes there only to wind up at the end of the bench as Wenyen Gabriel plays all the backup big minutes on their team.
You know who the Lakers could really use? Malik Monk.
It's pretty much impossible to feel sorry for the Lakers but you do kinda get the feeling that they were blindsided by their best role player taking a plain MLE deal to play with his best friend in Sacramento rather than "chase rings on a contender" with them. And yet, that's what happened and Malik has looked freaking great in the right shade of purple and rocking a rad bandaid on his cheek.
Much continues to be made of the whole "The Kings must be regretting the Haliburton trade" narrative but the combined production of Monk//Huerter/Sabonis all probably outweighs what Tyrese would be putting up for the Kings this season (even if you do include a stat boosted Buddy in the equation). There's plenty of time and places for that discussion but the Kings backcourt is all 25 or younger and locked up under team control for the foreseeable future (or, in the case of Monk, we have their bird rights). They just aren't doing as many podcast appearances.
Injury Report
Kings
No reported injuries
Lakers
Lebron James - OUT (ducking Fox)
Thomas Bryant - OUT (at the DMV)
Dennis Schroeder - OUT (Strained pride)
Lonnie Walker - Day-to-day (daydreaming of Namor)
Final Prediction
It's hard to predict a third consecutive thirty point blowout against the Lakers even if they are missing their bonafide GOAT candidate star. That said, I'm more confident in Mike Brown keeping the Kings from having a let down game than I have been with pretty much any coach the Kings have had since Adelman. Russ rocks the baby. AD has a nice night. Kings still win.
Kings 122, Lakers 109
Previously On...
Awards Time
Tony Delk Memorial Award - Caris Levert. Was tempted to just go with the obvious choice and give it to Donovan Mitchell but I had to go with Caris Levert instead, a former Domas teammate who's been sorta rough at times since coming to Cleveland during the trade deadline in February/
The CoJo - No one! Mike Brown shortened his rotation and everyone he played play good for once!
Mikki Moore - Darius Garland. I know the dude's coming off an injury and still trying to figure out how to play off of Donovan Mitchell but the guy somehow was able to miss eight shots despite being largely invisible the entire night.
WTF Moment of the Game - Harrison Barnes is clearly fouled while taking a shot, somehow has the and-one wiped away AND the call is unchallengable for some reason, which we only learn after Mike Brown has burned a time out to challenge the bad call.
Random Internet Kings Tweet of the Day
Random Bill Simmons KANGZ Take of the Day
We're Talking Basketball
So just maybe we don't completely suck?
But first, a special message from a special Kings friend!
That's right! It's a game against the Lakers coming after a rough week in which spectacularly bad reffing cost the Kings two games and quite nearly derailed another one, which means a cameo appearance by Tim Donoughy! Thankfully, of all the games the Kings have played this season, the refs somehow figure to play the least into this one against the Lakers, who have looked every bit one of the worst teams in the league to start the year even with Lebron playing, which he probably will not be in the game tonight.
What happens when you surround two incredibly ball dominant players with players who cannot shoot and/or also require the ball to be effective and foist them onto a first year coach? The 2022-2023 Lakers. While moving Russ to the bench has helped the team look at least slightly less dysfunctional over the last week or so, that hasn't actually led to an increase in wins AND Lebron got injured in their last game against the Clippers.
It's still hard to write off a game against the Lakers as a trap game/one that the Kings should win but that's pretty much what this game is at this point. AD is still very very good. Russ can still put up stats with the best of them. Lonnie Walker is kinda fun. Troy Brown Jr. looks like an effective bench wing! PatBev exists! And that's pretty much the entire extent of the Lakers depth at this point. You do kind of have to feel for Damian Jones, who left the Kings for a minimum contract in LA under the impression he'd get more minutes there only to wind up at the end of the bench as Wenyen Gabriel plays all the backup big minutes on their team.
You know who the Lakers could really use? Malik Monk.
It's pretty much impossible to feel sorry for the Lakers but you do kinda get the feeling that they were blindsided by their best role player taking a plain MLE deal to play with his best friend in Sacramento rather than "chase rings on a contender" with them. And yet, that's what happened and Malik has looked freaking great in the right shade of purple and rocking a rad bandaid on his cheek.
Much continues to be made of the whole "The Kings must be regretting the Haliburton trade" narrative but the combined production of Monk//Huerter/Sabonis all probably outweighs what Tyrese would be putting up for the Kings this season (even if you do include a stat boosted Buddy in the equation). There's plenty of time and places for that discussion but the Kings backcourt is all 25 or younger and locked up under team control for the foreseeable future (or, in the case of Monk, we have their bird rights). They just aren't doing as many podcast appearances.
Injury Report
Kings
No reported injuries
Lakers
Lebron James - OUT (ducking Fox)
Thomas Bryant - OUT (at the DMV)
Dennis Schroeder - OUT (Strained pride)
Lonnie Walker - Day-to-day (daydreaming of Namor)
Final Prediction
It's hard to predict a third consecutive thirty point blowout against the Lakers even if they are missing their bonafide GOAT candidate star. That said, I'm more confident in Mike Brown keeping the Kings from having a let down game than I have been with pretty much any coach the Kings have had since Adelman. Russ rocks the baby. AD has a nice night. Kings still win.
Kings 122, Lakers 109
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