This team has very limited assets and cap space. It's unlikely that Monte will be able to pull off a trade that brings in a difference maker. My point is this team better find their big boy pants and step up to the plate otherwise they are nothing but cannon fodder. I don't know who is going to spearhead this but as far as I can tell the #1 need is for this team is to stop being sweet on the court and take this ish personally.
Nobody is coming to save you.
- Thread starter upinsmoke
- Start date
Thank you... and the reality is that there are probably only 4 teams with any chance at a title this year (I would say Boston, Denver, Clippers and maybe someone else at the end). I didn't feel like we had a chance in hell at the start of the season to compete for the title, so I'm perfectly OK not panicking with a dumb trade at the deadline. At best, this team is 2 years away from real contention, and that is all dependent on Keegan probably taking two more leaps over the next two years.
What's interesting is that Kings fans and national pundits alike all measured the western conference correctly heading into this season. It was going to be healthier, deeper, and tougher than last season.
Given their modest offseason moves, many on this very site said that the Kings could end up with a worse record than last year and still be an improved postseason team because of the gauntlet they'd have to get through to make the playoffs in 2024. Would it be nice if we saw greater improvement in the standings or a more stable net rating? Of course it would. But everything is pretty much panning out exactly like most of us thought. The Kings are a good team. They're a winning team. They're performing at about last year's pace in a more brutal version of the west. But they're not in the upper echelon of the conference yet. They're a middle of the pack playoff team that remains a piece or two away from true contention.
The sky isn't falling. They need to get the job done, stay above the play-in line, reach for a second round appearance, and head into the offseason with two years of success to show for the McNair/Brown program. Hopefully Monte can be opportunistic about acquiring the pieces that may help push this team up another level, but honestly, much of the Kings' future success is going to be on the shoulders of Keegan Murray. He's already exceeding expectations, and my guess is, the league had better watch out during the '24-'25 season. If he keeps developing like a young Kawhi Leonard, Fox/Sabonis/Murray may be a very special core. We just need to be patient.
Given their modest offseason moves, many on this very site said that the Kings could end up with a worse record than last year and still be an improved postseason team because of the gauntlet they'd have to get through to make the playoffs in 2024. Would it be nice if we saw greater improvement in the standings or a more stable net rating? Of course it would. But everything is pretty much panning out exactly like most of us thought. The Kings are a good team. They're a winning team. They're performing at about last year's pace in a more brutal version of the west. But they're not in the upper echelon of the conference yet. They're a middle of the pack playoff team that remains a piece or two away from true contention.
The sky isn't falling. They need to get the job done, stay above the play-in line, reach for a second round appearance, and head into the offseason with two years of success to show for the McNair/Brown program. Hopefully Monte can be opportunistic about acquiring the pieces that may help push this team up another level, but honestly, much of the Kings' future success is going to be on the shoulders of Keegan Murray. He's already exceeding expectations, and my guess is, the league had better watch out during the '24-'25 season. If he keeps developing like a young Kawhi Leonard, Fox/Sabonis/Murray may be a very special core. We just need to be patient.
Def a bit of a weird spot. We weren't the right partners for Bojan/Hayward, unless flipping Huerter/HB. And everyone else traded was just back end rotation guys. Which, sure, we could use, but is that moving the needle much?
2 guys I've loved for years (PJ and Grant) got flipped for each other with the Mavs selling incredibly low on Grant as a talent. Who I really don't think is actually better at all than PJ and it cost them a FRP to do it. Horrid management imo.
Some choices have to be made this summer on Huerter/HB/Monk (who is very likely looking at that 18mil/season extension), whom tie us up around 50 mil of our payroll. Those are the three dudes where moving them actually shakes this team up in a meaningful way. And doesn't look like there was a ton out there available for those guys.
2 guys I've loved for years (PJ and Grant) got flipped for each other with the Mavs selling incredibly low on Grant as a talent. Who I really don't think is actually better at all than PJ and it cost them a FRP to do it. Horrid management imo.
Some choices have to be made this summer on Huerter/HB/Monk (who is very likely looking at that 18mil/season extension), whom tie us up around 50 mil of our payroll. Those are the three dudes where moving them actually shakes this team up in a meaningful way. And doesn't look like there was a ton out there available for those guys.