[Game] Kings @ Rockets, 11/6/2023 5pm Pacific 8pm Eastern
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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I would like to see Keon get some run. Earned it with last game performance. Plays D like Davion or better, is 6’5”, won’t get beat off the dribble. His shot looks good too. I think he’s earned some time and it’s time to see once and for all if he can help. If he can play just gives us more ammo for trade or a guy who can slide into a role with multiple players going out
These last two games were so strange after the Kings had previously taken the fight to the Warriors in Fox's absence. They played really gutsy in that loss, and it was a tight game down to the final buzzer. A single bad game against the Rockets wouldn't be all that noteworthy as a follow-up. It happens. But getting blown out twice in a row by the Rockets, even without Fox, is both inexcusable and perplexing. I hope the coaching staff comes up with some answers, because right now all of the talking heads seem awfully justified in their hemming and hawing about how healthy the Kings were last season, and that if they got bit by the injury bug this season, it might test them in ways they haven't really been tested yet. De'Aaron goes down with an early ankle sprain and this has been the team's response? With their influx of veteran talent, the Rockets figure to be better this season than many might have believed them to be, but they're not that much better than the version of the Rockets that the Kings' swept in their '22-'23 regular season series.
Brooks gets a ton of hate, but you can’t downplay the energy he brings on both sides of the ball. He is perfect for Udoka’s defensive system and brings that disruptive energy that elevates everyone else. Trading away Porter also removed a black hole on offense, and helped make Sengun more of a focal point. I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs but they’ll be one of the most improved teams.
Watching Brooks on D, we don’t have a spark plug on D. We’ve got some personnel holes if we really want to build upon last year. Maybe this is the data point Monte needed to start making some moves.
Watching Brooks on D, we don’t have a spark plug on D. We’ve got some personnel holes if we really want to build upon last year. Maybe this is the data point Monte needed to start making some moves.
This game looked like a combination of the Rockets being better, playing the best basketball they are capable of, and the Kings playing their worst basketball that they're capable of. Giving up a ton of layups and missing this many shots? I have to believe it will blow over because it doesn't much make sense.
I agree to a certain extent. Bad play for 1 game could simply be a bad night. 2 games in a row though against the same team and blown out both times screams something is not working.
last year I want to say whenever we lost the first game of a doubleheader, we always won the next game. I could be wrong but we often bounced back. Something just looks off right now and hopefully the staff makes the necessary changes.
last year I want to say whenever we lost the first game of a doubleheader, we always won the next game. I could be wrong but we often bounced back. Something just looks off right now and hopefully the staff makes the necessary changes.
We can all complain that Brooks is a dirty player, but if the team does nothing about it in response, that's on them. There was at least one play in each of the two games that should have resulted in someone getting in his face. Last night he clearly yanked Duarte down by the shoulder in a completely dirty play. In the first game, I can't recall which player, but Dillon did a clearly unnatural kick to the kings player. And... of course there was the kisses blown right into our bench when we were getting outplayed. Somebody needed to apply some pressure back on him (doesn't need to be a dirty play in retaliation), but we just had no fight in us.
The saddest part of all of this is that since the Kings essentially brought back all the core players from the 3rd seed team, we were supposed to have an advantage in the early season, because of the continuity.
But, what we have seen is a bunch of guys that look like they have never played a game together before. Just sad.
But, what we have seen is a bunch of guys that look like they have never played a game together before. Just sad.
This should levy some concerns about us going forward. Sure, it's not ideal we fall directly off a cliff into the ocean without Fox, but we're top of the league good with him on the floor this season. And not like we ever expected to do anything without him anyway soooo. Turns out, top 10 players matter!
But what we do need to figure out is the back-up minutes behind him. I don't think it should just default to Davion at this point.
Same with Keegan. Brown wants the guys to find their own way outside of DHO which is obviously the best way but what's the problem with setting up a little post action for Barnes or Murray? I mean, teams have literally put G's on Murray, like Steph for example and the Kings don't even look to attack it. Barnes calling his own shot just isn't him, never has been, at least not game in, game out and now those Barnes comps Murray got coming into the draft are starting to look eerily similar. And this isn't a bad thing. It's a thing that Monte might need to factor in though.
OK... call it 3-3 if you want. Point is with Fox we likely aren't having the sky is falling moment right now with a 2-4 record. With Fox on the floor, I don't think either of those Houston games would have gotten out of hand. Also doesn't seem crazy to think we win that GS game with Fox in the line-up.
Yeah, and to be fair he wasn't really saying they were ones. Basically just that should be the goal for any team in their position. Which he is right about. Again, all you need to know is what we saw prior to the year. If Monte actually saw a ring in a near future for this squad he doesn't even look at trades like Beal or OG.
Probably true and just cements the holdover fact from last season, FOX NEEDS HELP haha. Someone has to shoulder some of that scoring load with or without him being injured unless the idea this season was just to be the same or slightly worse. Murray was the call and now his coach needs to do him some favors and help him a little to get more comfortable outside of the Kings offense. Someone on the Kings staff needs to look at some Iowa game tape because that was at least a 20 per game scorer at the NBA level unless that version of his game doesn't translate. They still haven't found that out other than summer league.
Oh yeah, all the time. In NCAA women's basketball, all the coaches have had to tone down their abusive language the past three years or get sacked. Matt Doherty was sacked at UNC twenty years ago because of his extreme language and throwing a few things on one occasion. Basically, the players refused to continue to play for him.
These guys are pros. Monk is a seven-year veteran. So is Fox. Is verbal abuse really necessary in 2023?
These guys are pros. Monk is a seven-year veteran. So is Fox. Is verbal abuse really necessary in 2023?
He yelled at him but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it abuse. Brown is a leader in the right way in my opinion. He is very honest and transparent, is hard on his players and pushes them but at the same time lifts them up and supports them showing plenty of love. His message can get a bit repetitive and is probably occasionally annoying to players but that’s the case with most coaches.
I mentioned this last year myself.
If you squint hard enough, Lyles is sort of the PF we’d be looking for next to Sabonis. Let’s review his attributes…
In a vacuum, I don’t think he’s a better player than Barnes but I think his fit in the starting lineup (and more importantly next to Sabonis) could have a synergistic effect. He’s definitely much different from Barnes in terms of size/length, rim protection, rebounding, and edge/fire.
Barnes is the better iso scorer which we could take advantage of when Fox and/or Sabonis are off the floor and Barnes’ is matched up with weaker 2nd units. Monk and Barnes would be solid go-to scorers in a 2nd unit to help keep us afloat while Lyles brings some other attributes to the starting unit that we could really use.
You obviously have to sell Barnes on it, but when he was a kid, he did witness a starter level player in Iguodala accept a bench role on his Warriors team helping them win a championship (not to mention that Barnes doesn’t have to worry about being moved to the bench in a contract year).
If you squint hard enough, Lyles is sort of the PF we’d be looking for next to Sabonis. Let’s review his attributes…
- Great size & length (6’9” w/o shoes with a 7’1.5” wingspan & a 9’0” standing reach)
- Good shooter (.363 3P% on 6.9 3PA per 36 min, .446 Corner 3P%, and .815 FT%
- Efficient role playing scorer (16.2 PTS per 36 min and .607 TS%)
- Good rebounder (8.7 REB per 36 min)
- Decent rim protector (0.9 BLK per 36 min)
- Okay defender
- Solid BBIQ
- Got a bit of an edge/toughness to him
In a vacuum, I don’t think he’s a better player than Barnes but I think his fit in the starting lineup (and more importantly next to Sabonis) could have a synergistic effect. He’s definitely much different from Barnes in terms of size/length, rim protection, rebounding, and edge/fire.
Barnes is the better iso scorer which we could take advantage of when Fox and/or Sabonis are off the floor and Barnes’ is matched up with weaker 2nd units. Monk and Barnes would be solid go-to scorers in a 2nd unit to help keep us afloat while Lyles brings some other attributes to the starting unit that we could really use.
You obviously have to sell Barnes on it, but when he was a kid, he did witness a starter level player in Iguodala accept a bench role on his Warriors team helping them win a championship (not to mention that Barnes doesn’t have to worry about being moved to the bench in a contract year).
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