[Game] 03/82 Kings vs Lakers 26 OCT 2025, 6pm Pacific 9pm Eastern

Don’t get me wrong, I recognize that he’s a good player that certainly belongs in the league. But as I said, I’ve seen a ridiculously long list of similarly talented players and many others far more talented and crafty over the past 40+ years that never benefited from such a whistle.

If Steph Curry and De’Aaron Fox have never been awarded that many free throw attempts, especially playing in a helluva lot more games, that should say it all.

Take Reaves ridiculous 22 FTA’s out of the equation and LA still attempted 6 more FT’s than the KINGS did on their home floor. How anybody wouldn’t see a problem with that escapes me. Especially when the KINGS have guards/wings such as LaVine, DeRozan, Schroder also playing in the game and a big named Sabonis who ends up black and blue after most of 82 games.

What makes KINGS fans like me even more sensitive about it is that De’Aaron Fox is arguably among the quickest and fastest players in the league who attacked the rim relentlessly during his time in Sacramento and almost never was rewarded like we saw tonight.

All jokes aside, I totally agree with you! Watching De'Aaron Fox transform from a cheerful 18 year old with an unbelievable motor into a dour and moody 27 year old who got passed over for the Olympic team, snubbed multiple years from the All-Star game (and ignored in the one mid-season classic he did get into), and manhandled nightly without any respect from the officials all because he was drafted by the wrong team very nearly robbed me of my love for basketball.

It's been absolutely miserable watching the fastest player in the league just toil in obscurity for years, handicapped by referee bias and front office mismanagement. Not all of that was the NBA's fault but parity has become a joke in this league and I hope the recent gambling allegations eventually shake things up enough for NBA basketball to become fun to watch again.
 
I can’t lie…I’m not really bothered by this loss or the ridiculous FT disparity. I just find this kings team so pointless. I mean, if you put Westbrook on the beam team from three years ago, and I saw him put up the game he did tonight, I would be falling in love. But this all just seems…. Ehh. :confused:🥱

I just can't get into this team. The shot quality these guys get vs. what their opponents get is staggering. The only reason why they're even in games is because they have a few guys who can make shots out of nothing. Their opponents pretty much get to wherever they want on the floor with very little resistance. Throw in the fact that they're so vet heavy and it all just seems so very pointless. Hopefully they can get something for Domas before they tank his value because it's currently on the way down.
 
Totally invalidated by TWENTY TWO free throws gifted by the most unscrupulous officiating of any of the 4 major sports leagues.

Austin Reeves shouldn’t shoot 22 free throws in 3 games, let alone in one. Not when we had to watch De’Aaron Fox take it to the hoop aggressively for years and never get the benefit of such a whistle. Most attempts he ever shot in a game was 19 and that didn’t happen often.

Even Steph Curry’s career high for FTA’s in a single game is 19. SMH.

If that doesn’t tell how much of a joke this league has become I don’t know what will.

Spare me the “Austin Reeves is a good player” nonsense, too. I’m not listening to that crap. Dude is a dime a dozen player that I’ve seen many times over the decades. The franchise he plays for dictates the calls he gets. He’d never in a million years get half those whistles in a game playing for the Sacramento Kings. He’d be Vinny Del Negro, and nothing more.

46 free throws for LA versus 18 for SAC is right out of the game 6 2002 handbook.

Good luck with your gambling investigation and indictments, NBA.
He's certainly better than a dime a dozen, but I do agree he's overrated.
 
The shot quality these guys get vs. what their opponents get is staggering. The only reason why they're even in games is because they have a few guys who can make shots out of nothing. Their opponents pretty much get to wherever they want on the floor with very little resistance. Throw in the fact that they're so vet heavy and it all just seems so very pointless. Hopefully they can get something for Domas before they tank his value because it's currently on the way down.
Amen on all points.

People are whining about the free throws but the main issue was that the Lakers got better shots all night against the Kings defense which was half a step too slow and out of position.

It's frankly astonishing how quickly the team went from an exciting young team to an uninspiring old team playing arguably the worst offensive schemes in the entire league.
 
If Steph Curry and De’Aaron Fox have never been awarded that many free throw attempts, especially playing in a helluva lot more games, that should say it all.
Forget Steph Curry and Fox - known foul merchant SGA has never had more than 21 FTA in a regulation game. In fact, before just two games ago that was a career high, but then he got 7 FTA in 2OT against eh Pacers to bring his career high to 26.
 
NBA product is not on the up and up, crooked league
Scott Perry so far is not good. Made an undersized team smaller and older
Doug Christie is a good talker but so far is not doing a good job but maybe that’s Perry’s Fault with the roster
Christie assistants are not as good as Mike Brown’s
The Kings best 2 way guys are hurt in Keegan and Nique
 
I just can't get into this team. The shot quality these guys get vs. what their opponents get is staggering. The only reason why they're even in games is because they have a few guys who can make shots out of nothing. Their opponents pretty much get to wherever they want on the floor with very little resistance. Throw in the fact that they're so vet heavy and it all just seems so very pointless. Hopefully they can get something for Domas before they tank his value because it's currently on the way down.

The issue is we're getting completely unsustainable shooting from LaVine and Monk to start the year too, which is keeping these games competitive

LaVine: 31 PPG-- 64.4% TS ( For comparison, Stephs MVP scoring season was 30.5 PPG at 66.9% TS)
Monk: 18 PPG-- 71.5% TS

And we got the Russ explosion game going 4-6 from 3, which won't happen very often yesterday.

If/when these guys cool off, these scores are going to start looking real lopsided.
 
The issue is we're getting completely unsustainable shooting from LaVine and Monk to start the year too, which is keeping these games competitive

LaVine: 31 PPG-- 64.4% TS

To be fair, Lavine shot 51 percent from the field last year (53 percent this year) and 44 percent from 3 last year (35.7 this year dragged down by the first game. 44 percent the last two games)
 
To be fair, Lavine shot 51 percent from the field last year (53 percent this year) and 44 percent from 3 last year (35.7 this year dragged down by the first game. 44 percent the last two games)

Agreed. I think there’s a chance LaVine can maintain that efficiency and PPG. We’ll see Monk regress though for sure.
 
All jokes aside, I totally agree with you! Watching De'Aaron Fox transform from a cheerful 18 year old with an unbelievable motor into a dour and moody 27 year old who got passed over for the Olympic team, snubbed multiple years from the All-Star game (and ignored in the one mid-season classic he did get into), and manhandled nightly without any respect from the officials all because he was drafted by the wrong team very nearly robbed me of my love for basketball.

It's been absolutely miserable watching the fastest player in the league just toil in obscurity for years, handicapped by referee bias and front office mismanagement...
Makes me wonder how many people will still insist that who he is is who he always was, as opposed to who he became after KANGZ happening to him for a third of his life?
 
Looks like Mr Top Ten got punked by sorry ass Ayton
It's not like Ayton was ever a Number One Overall pick, or anything. The surprising part shouldn't be when Ayton punks Sabonis, it should be when he doesn't.

Without looking it up, if you had to guess and be right, whom do you think has the higher career scoring average, Ayton or Sabonis?
 
To be fair, Lavine shot 51 percent from the field last year (53 percent this year) and 44 percent from 3 last year (35.7 this year dragged down by the first game. 44 percent the last two games)

Possibly, it's just hard to believe he can maintain this level over the course of a full season. In terms of just scoring, he'd be right at the level of the MVP candidates, which is sorta hard to believe is actually real.

I'm more concerned about Domas having a lower USG rate than Drew Eubanks right now at 13.9%! 7.8% AST rate checks out on the film too where he's just not getting involved offensively. For reference, he's been at 30.4%, 33.9% and 26% the last 3 seasons in Sacramento. Even his first 15 games after he got traded was 28% AST rate.

Meanwhile

LaVine: 28.8% USG-- 64.4% TS.. Excellent. Elite #1 type numbers, not turninver the ball over
Dennis: 24.5% USG-- 51.6 TS%.. 17.4% TOV rate...Awful
Russ: 23.2% USG-- 53.5% TS.. 17.2 TOV rate...With his explosion game yesterday too counted here... awful
Monk: 22.8% USG-- 71.5% TS. He's been lights out to start the year, but obviously unsustainable. Can absolutely argue he hasn't played enough with his hot start
DeRozan: 20.5% USG-- 53.9% TS. Not great, but he's picked up playmaking slack and not turning the ball over.


So ****ing rich that the two guys we brought in to "stabilize" the PG position have been incredibly inefficient shooting and incredibly careless with turning the ball over.
 
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