Insiteful as the comment isn't, the clear inference is that the players are not trying to perform their best. That is a serious charge that deserves further exploration.
If true, it is a team-wide failing to try to win at every opportunity and points to concerning underlying dysfunctions. That in itself is troubling and needs correction.
If false, and the players are trying their best, then it indicates that the team does not possess the skills to "play better". It is not a reasonable expectation for players to do something that they are not capable of doing. There is no remedy to this condition, as construed, and a fan can only hope for an anomalous game performance that generates a victory.
Your choice.
If this team were getting crushed on defense night after night (as they were in the 22-23 season) or struggling to put the ball in the basket (which was often a problem last season) it would be fair to question player motivation, skill level, or coaching competence. But statistically speaking, this is the best the team has performed in the Mike Brown era:
In Year 1 the Kings had the #1 offense but were dreadful defensively.
In Year 2 this group was middle of the pack at both.
Currently this has been a top 5-10 offense and a top 10-15 defense.
It's not quite the best of both worlds, but it's getting close. The skill level and the effort are both there but we're losing games in the margins where the unforced turnovers, poor bench play, and hot and cold shooting streaks add up just enough to keep us from getting the win. That's about as frustrating as it gets as a fan because the opportunities are right there -- the Kings have led in the 4th quarter of a lot of these losses.
If anything I think what this team needs is a mental reset. The Beam Team of 2022-2023 was fun to watch because they were having fun playing basketball together. The pressure to live up to the standard set that season and take it even further has these guys playing tight. Maybe that's coming from Coach, maybe it's coming from fans and local media, maybe it's coming from the players themselves and the lack of recognition that they get for leading a team which notoriously attracts little to no national media attention and the tangible financial impact which results from that.
Speaking of which -- here's the elephant in the room that I'm seeing... If you don't think Fox is
painfully aware that his younger ex-teammate Tyrese Haliburton got the All-Star spot, All-NBA votes, US Olympic Team roster invite, and massive contract extension that he did
not get last season than you haven't been paying attention to who Fox is. He clocks the disrespect and doesn't need an agent's encouragement to do the mental math of how much he stands to lose by being
The Man in Sacramento rather than anywhere else. Nobody ever said this ish was fair.
As fans of this team we also need to be aware of this and realize that the
only "weapon" we have to keep our superstars here in Sacramento where almost every other incentive is working against us is to show unconditional love and support. Let me put it this way -- if I'm taking less money (endorsement opportunities are massive in other markets) and likely giving up my chances of basketball immortality to keep my family stable in a smaller market filled with diehard basketball fans, I better feel appreciated by those fans or there's going to be resentment.
