Two things:
- I personally only value efficiency from roleplayers, and
- A roleplayer wouldn't be shooting at LaVine's volume.
Agree to disagree.
[Game] 05/82: Kings @ Bulls 29 OCT 2025, 5pm PT/8pm ET
- Thread starter Mr. S£im Citrus
- Start date
Let's stipulate, for the sake of discourse, that this is true. I don't believe it, but let's just say... What good does that do Sacramento?
Rob-The-Great
Starter
Still dont think lavine is the provlem.
Derozen plays way worse defense
Is a black hole.
You can easily run a system around Lavine
Sabonis is worthless if you dont use his offensive skills. He offers nothing on defense
Should have just ran it back with monk. Seems like s motivated player.
Still, we are deep. Will make a interesting trade deadline.
Maybe Murray has stepped his game up. We gave him a great contract. Sometimes it just takes one guy
Derozen plays way worse defense
Is a black hole.
You can easily run a system around Lavine
Sabonis is worthless if you dont use his offensive skills. He offers nothing on defense
Should have just ran it back with monk. Seems like s motivated player.
Still, we are deep. Will make a interesting trade deadline.
Maybe Murray has stepped his game up. We gave him a great contract. Sometimes it just takes one guy
Joshyjosh31
Starter
Mr. Top Ten can’t play PF atleast not on a winning team
Rob-The-Great
Starter
Why not? Because it didnt work one time?
Caccia
Starter
OK, I will do that next game & report what I see.
At least he's only half the price.
macadocious
Starter
We are deep team of crap. It's like one of the national park toilets.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
Haha same thing y’all said about bulls west…. “Oh it’s gonna work bulls were good for two months and didn’t have Sabonis” just laughable. Put Sabonis at PF then see how that works out
Rob-The-Great
Starter
Im sure you have a much better idea. Prob have a great Healthcare proposal too lol.
Sabonis is too small for center. And has zero i mean zero paint protection. But hes a allstar so if used correctly he can dominate.
He's worth more to us on team than not. So either him at 4 or get a 4 that can block and rebound. I wont even say shoot 3s because that's asking too much. But the man needs help. Shoot start jones if you have to.
Sure but that’s kind of the point. Most guys outside the top 10 players in the league need the right setup to shine. LaVine’s flaws stand out more on teams without structure, but in the right system his scoring actually moves the needle. That doesn’t make him a savior, just a really good player who needs context like most stars do.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
Just have to hope a team realizes they could use instant offense off their bench.
Jdbraver137
Bench
Any Keegan haters missing Keegan now?
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
He wanted a PG. He had his chance to mold the team, and it's likely costing them 3 guaranteed-ish years of a 32 year old PG. Done.
Schroder is comically bad. I still can't believe Perry courted him like he was the prom queen. What on earth was he thinking and why did we give him a raise? He was already cooked before he got here.
Monk has been awesome this year and he was really good on both sides of the floor tonight. Carter also played good defense but his offense has yet to be found.
We're running Sabonis and 4 guards out there. Yes DDR is the size of a SG. It's no wonder the defense is terrible. I'm finally convinced that the Kings will never be a good defending team with Sabonis at the 5 so they either need to find a 5 that he can play along side of or they need to trade him. He provides absolutely zero paint defense of any kind. He's an absolute statue and foul machine on drives.
For those harping on Lavine, I could be convinced if you could prove that he gives up more points than he puts up. If that's not the case then he's really not the problem.
Monk has been awesome this year and he was really good on both sides of the floor tonight. Carter also played good defense but his offense has yet to be found.
We're running Sabonis and 4 guards out there. Yes DDR is the size of a SG. It's no wonder the defense is terrible. I'm finally convinced that the Kings will never be a good defending team with Sabonis at the 5 so they either need to find a 5 that he can play along side of or they need to trade him. He provides absolutely zero paint defense of any kind. He's an absolute statue and foul machine on drives.
For those harping on Lavine, I could be convinced if you could prove that he gives up more points than he puts up. If that's not the case then he's really not the problem.
DeRozan tries on defense. And he impacts the game as a playmaker. And he draws fouls, forcing the other team to adjust their rotation. Sabonis has led the league in defensive rebounds for multiple seasons. That's not nothing. I have nothing to complain about with Monk. He is sometimes a poor defender but its not for lack of effort. I do think we'll have an interesting trade deadline. Our vets are putting up stats even if they're not leading us to wins.
Rob-The-Great
Starter
So was fox flawed? Or was he perfect all of a sudden? Because thats who we traded to get Lavine. Guy isnt even playing right now and they undefeated.
You guys act like we traded michael Jordan for lavine. We got a equal player and some picks. We still have issues. We had issues before the trade we have them after the trade.
Its not lavine. We need to start actually adding people with a plan in mind
You guys act like we traded michael Jordan for lavine. We got a equal player and some picks. We still have issues. We had issues before the trade we have them after the trade.
Its not lavine. We need to start actually adding people with a plan in mind
sactowndog
Hall of Famer
I have long said Vivek manages his team like a fantasy GM.
Rob-The-Great
Starter
Thank you! This. These points to me are common sense.
We are essentially running 4 guards and a undersized center and wondering why we are getting smashed down in the paint.
Its madness. Then we have two scrub backup bigs in there. There is no way cousins is worse than these guys with one leg.
TaxMan
Starter
Maybe there is more than one problem on this roster. Or, are we talking in relative terms?
If that's the point, it's not a very good one, in my opinion. Most players who put up "empty stats" in the way that LaVine does get verbally crucified, but league-wide and by the fanbases of the teams they play for, but LaVine is supposed to get a pass, because efficiency?
I promise I won't do this all season. I didn't do it last season (mostly because I couldn't bring myself to watch the games after the trade deadline) and I'm only doing it now because I want people to actually pay attention to him on defense rather than checking the box scores to see if he "played well" or not. He is literally standing around on the court while everyone else is working. You don't need me to prove it to you with stats -- just watch him. Watch his rotations. Watch how he reacts when a shot goes up. Watch how he navigates screens. Watch what he does when he's the closest defender to the ball. If that doesn't convince you, then we can just agree to disagree.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
Perry!
Rob-The-Great
Starter
All teams have problems. We gotta start with the biggest. And its not lavine. Hes been made a escape goat and im not a fan of it.
The whole team isnt trash. We need Christie to start benching some stars man. How did Westbrook earn so many minutes man. How does he air ball so much?
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
True, LaVine is just being a scapegoat right now the problem is this plan has to be a long term plan. They say that's what this is then sign a 37 year old minimum player to have one of the highest usages on the team. This is literally the definition of not having a plan. Hasn't hurt yet considering the draft position is looking decent on paper but this looks eerily similar to the year they were hanging onto Salmons, Miller, and signed Bobby Jackson to have his last hurrah. Then there was the Zbo year. Literal wastes of time. This year can't be a total waste and any year that doesn't include players that you know, might actually not be retired in a year or two has some level of positives to it. No cap space. No easy outs trade assets wise unless they throw youth/picks away. No development commitment. Been there, done that, bought the shirt.
Rob-The-Great
Starter
I dont believe in empty stats at all. There are garbage stats whe. The other team stops playing but none of that applies to lavine. He litteraly was keeping us in the game
Joshyjosh31
Starter
lol equal player smh maybe we’d fix those issues after the trade if the dumbass owner didn’t force Lavine on Monte. Same Lavine that nobody wants or wanted, trading fox to mami for JJJ and jovic would’ve been ten times better then getting Lavine’s contract and a first next decade
Rob-The-Great
Starter
Sir, let's keep it respectful. There is no way this team is remotely close to those trash trams you speak of. The thought gives me nightmares.
Hell, id say we played our youth more back then. Problem was our youth was trash.
Tanking doesn't mean your good after a few years. It rarely pans out. You need generational talent. When is the next 7' 5 guard coming.
I hate the Spurs now BTW because of fox smh
You're right in a way, it's not LaVine so much as it's the archetype of what he represents. I hate any player who excuses themselves from playing defense and I hate the way the league enables 3pt specialists to essentially be terrible basketball players and still get paid like superstars. LaVine is already on the Kings and he's already getting paid. I'm not writing any of this to him, I'm writing it to you -- a fan. Because I want you to really see what is going on during the game. Not just the flashy highlight plays and the replay cut-ups of made baskets but where everyone is moving away from the ball and how a well-coached team can exploit one lazy defender to get easy baskets for their team all game long. We're 5 games into an 82 game season right now so I'm trying to make a point. If I can't convince you within a couple of weeks that LaVine is the problem I will try to restrain myself and just let it be from then on.