[Game] 07/82: Kings @ Nuggets 03 NOV 2025, 6pm PT/9pm ET

[BuddyBuckets]

Keegan's not fixing stupid decisions. And Russ certainly isn't going away when Keegan comes back either, so say goodbye to Keon and/or Nique.

Cannot believe we had the audacity to pull Keon instead of LaVine at close here. Christie continues to look overmatched for this job.

We need to find takers for demar and or Monk asap. I do think the more time passes, dallas becomes a buyer on Monk. They are struggling. Could we add martin + Marshall? Find any dead expiring for demar ideally. Wish we took rozier for him in the offseason.

Schroder/westbrook
Lavine/keon
Nique/Marshall
Keegan/martin
Sabonis/precious

This is at least watchable basketball.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Keegan's not fixing stupid decisions. And Russ certainly isn't going away when Keegan comes back either, so say goodbye to Keon and/or Nique.

Cannot believe we had the audacity to pull Keon instead of LaVine at close here. Christie continues to look overmatched for this job.

I maintain that Keon gets little respect from the organization, because of what he is currently paid. Such a backward way of building a team

 

[MizzouKing]

We didn't win, which stinks, but Denver left the game knowing they'd been in a fight. A couple more shots go in, a few more minutes for our 40% 3pt shooter, a couple of missed calls not missed, and the game goes the other way. If we're gonna lose, this isn't the worst way to do it.

 

[hrdboild]

Oh also worth noting -- only the Wizards (1-6), Nets (0-7), and Pelicans (0-6) are currently allowing more points per game than the Kings. We're back at the bottom of the Defensive Rating totem pole after climbing up to 14 out of 30 in Mike Brown's second season.

 

[bball_nomad]

Though next 5 games are at home, but time is tight. 5 games in 8 nights.
Poor Domas. No rest for the weary.

 

[The_Jamal]

We need to find takers for demar and or Monk asap. I do think the more time passes, dallas becomes a buyer on Monk. They are struggling. Could we add martin + Marshall? Find any dead expiring for demar ideally. Wish we took rozier for him in the offseason.

Schroder/westbrook
Lavine/keon
Nique/Marshall
Keegan/martin
Sabonis/precious

This is at least watchable basketball.

They're honestly both playing extremely well. If I'm a contender, I'd want either guy heading my bench unit for an extra offensive creator to take with me to the playoffs. Maybe you get Det to buy-back Dennis too.

There's legit shot-making on this team. We just don't play anything else on the floor with them, which is why we're having these results. LaVine sucked tonight, but he's been insane too at 29.5 PPG on 68% TS before this game.

 

[The_Jamal]

I maintain that Keon gets little respect from the organization, because of what he is currently paid. Such a backward way of building a team

Russ gets paid nothing too and he's taken this franchise by storm.

It's just Doug deferring to the vets, as he's shown from day 1. He doesn't want to step on any egos or have the hard conversation of where LaVine SHOULD have sat tonight and left Keon on the floor. Or get DDR to buy-in on a bench role/lesser minutes to help balance the lineups.

Hate to say it, he look like a "yes man" coach that has the position because he'll follow the directives of Vivek. All the talking this off-season about being a defensive/physical/"the will feel us" team has been nowhere to be seen through 7 games.

We've allowed 120+ in 5 of 7 games.

126+ in 4 of 7 games. Including 130, 133, 126 in our last 3.

Offense can't keep up.

 

[Srzly]

Kings scored at least 30 points in every quarter, shot over 50 percent from the game, and won the battle at the free throw line... I wonder why they lost?

Every time the starting 5 is in we just look like statues on defense. So hard to win with offense alone.

And I know Domas is beloved, but he is perhaps the biggest issue on that end.

 

[ESP47]

Oh also worth noting -- only the Wizards (1-6), Nets (0-7), and Pelicans (0-6) are currently allowing more points per game than the Kings. We're back at the bottom of the Defensive Rating totem pole after climbing up to 14 out of 30 in Mike Brown's second season.

Now we know why Doug was so committed to the whole "pick up 94ft" deal in training camp. He knew these guys wouldn't be able to play a lick of defense. Weird thing is despite knowing that, he still plays them heavy minutes together.

 

[bball_nomad]

Joker had his best game so far. Almost flawless. Set up the tone early. Played whole 12 minutes of 1st. After he made his 1st 3 pointer, first score of the game, closest Kings got was 52-54.

 

[NewArena]

The amusing aspect from a lot of this is the fact that so many fans were shouting "this team sucks"!! from the rooftops before the season began, and now that they're consistently missing at least two rotation players each night, some of those fans are reacting to these losses as if they had higher expectations from the start.

edit: Hopefully Monk and his loved ones are ok btw

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Russ gets paid nothing too and he's taken this franchise by storm.

That's a good point. A better way of saying it would be that Keon gets little respect from the organization, because he isn't a popular name yet and is on a very low salary

 

[Kingster]

As the renowned unknown scholar once said: "It is what it is." Tonight it was a cat toying with a mouse, letting it go once in a while, catching it, letting it go, and finally eating it.

To me Jokic is the most comically entertaining great basketball player I've ever witnessed. Near the end of the game he lethargically stands next to the basket, nabs the rebound with one hand and nonchalantly plops it in the basket. Sabonis wasn't as nearly entertained when Jokic gave him a little love tap that probably cracked a rib or two. An average sized human being would have been sent to Emergency. Sabonis stayed in, and then he started moving that shoulder around like it needed to popped back into place. Needless to say, when Draymond sees the tape he'll be looking to see exactly where he should place his foot when the opportunity arises.

Nice to see Clifford in the game for a decent amount of minutes. Too bad Christie doesn't use him to maximize his talents, but such is life when the vets are getting nearly 40 minutes of playing time. He got abused by the refs with at least two phantom fouls, but played very well I thought. Silver lining....

 

[Kingster]

Joker had his best game so far. Almost flawless. Set up the tone early. Played whole 12 minutes of 1st. After he made his 1st 3 pointer, first score of the game, closest Kings got was 52-54.

I really do feel privileged to watch him play. There will never be another like him.

 

[Kingster]

They're honestly both playing extremely well. If I'm a contender, I'd want either guy heading my bench unit for an extra offensive creator to take with me to the playoffs. Maybe you get Det to buy-back Dennis too.

There's legit shot-making on this team. We just don't play anything else on the floor with them, which is why we're having these results. LaVine sucked tonight, but he's been insane too at 29.5 PPG on 68% TS before this game.

They definitely are playing well enough to garner some trade interest. At least that's a good thing.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

We need to find takers for demar and or Monk asap. I do think the more time passes, dallas becomes a buyer on Monk. They are struggling. Could we add martin + Marshall? Find any dead expiring for demar ideally. Wish we took rozier for him in the offseason.

Schroder/westbrook
Lavine/keon
Nique/Marshall
Keegan/martin
Sabonis/precious

This is at least watchable basketball.

More time passes means they’ll just wait for Kyrie to return and Nique isn’t starting over Westbrook in that situation lol

 

[kingdivac]

Keegan's not fixing stupid decisions. And Russ certainly isn't going away when Keegan comes back either, so say goodbye to Keon and/or Nique.

Cannot believe we had the audacity to pull Keon instead of LaVine at close here. Christie continues to look overmatched for this job.

Dougie's either spineless or a lineup moron, or both. Cardwell'DNPCDs and Carter near skunks are shameful -

 

[kingdivac]

It's really low iQ, pitiful decision making. Christie is already disappointing. Sad state of affairs

Yeah, I"ve centered on a 'Yes-man' - I'm thinking its spinelessness, an invertabret to Perry and Ranadive. Play the dollars......sharmeful bird-brain feces.

 

[kingdivac]

There's just no other way to say it at this point. If scoring 124 points in 4 quarters isn't enough to get a win, we're going to lose a lot of games this season. I wish we could just fast-forward to the part of the season where most of these starters are injured or traded and we get to see Keon, Nique, Keegan, and Devin all playing 25+ minutes every night.

@ 2-5, fast-forward not needed - you have an adequate near 10% numerical sample

 

[kingdivac]

I hate it when Doug puts the starters back in. Just so predictable and uninteresting.

....and gutless

 

[kingdivac]

I maintain that Keon gets little respect from the organization, because of what he is currently paid. Such a backward way of building a team

Yep DOOOOH - bunch of Homer Simpson's , scracth that, Krusty the Clowns - "HEY KIDS!" .......run after the ice creram truck

 

[kingdivac]

Every time the starting 5 is in we just look like statues on defense. So hard to win with offense alone.

And I know Domas is beloved, but he is perhaps the biggest issue on that end.

He's a loser on defense.....cant or won't shot block and is good for 2 outta 4 stupid fouls a game.

 

[kingdivac]

I really do feel privileged to watch him play. There will never be another like him.

? - no way..... He's a whiny diaper rash , will enjoy watching the Thunder dispatch them again.

 

[sactowndog]

Don’t need to be the worst record in the league with the flattened odds. Just need to be lucky enough/kiss Silver’s ass.

No it helps to be among the worst because then the forwards are not all gone like in the Mitchell draft.

 

[dude12]

Every time the starting 5 is in we just look like statues on defense. So hard to win with offense alone.

And I know Domas is beloved, but he is perhaps the biggest issue on that end.

Domas works is butt off but is bad on D against many centers and when opposition blows past our guards he can’t patrol the paint. He’s an offensive player.

Schroeder, Lavine and Westbrook are really having a problem keeping in front of their guys. Just can’t do it anymore. DDR is also a negative on D. They work hard but are offensive players.

Wish we would mix in Keon and Carter and Nique and eventually Keegan with the selected offensive scorers on a better rotation. Reduce minutes for vets. We probably would be better than 2-5.

 

[ESP47]

Domas works is butt off but is bad on D against many centers and when opposition blows past our guards he can’t patrol the paint. He’s an offensive player.

Schroeder, Lavine and Westbrook are really having a problem keeping in front of their guys. Just can’t do it anymore. DDR is also a negative on D. They work hard but are offensive players.

Wish we would mix in Keon and Carter and Nique and eventually Keegan with the selected offensive scorers on a better rotation. Reduce minutes for vets. We probably would be better than 2-5.

Carter comes in, has one of the best defensive stops of the night on Murray, gets completely ignored on offense and gets sent to the shadow realm. Awesome treatment of your lottery pick. And for what? So Schroder could get subbed back in? It's just insanity.

 

[Padrino]

Domas works is butt off but is bad on D against many centers and when opposition blows past our guards he can’t patrol the paint. He’s an offensive player.

Schroeder, Lavine and Westbrook are really having a problem keeping in front of their guys. Just can’t do it anymore. DDR is also a negative on D. They work hard but are offensive players.

Wish we would mix in Keon and Carter and Nique and eventually Keegan with the selected offensive scorers on a better rotation. Reduce minutes for vets. We probably would be better than 2-5.

It's such terrible roster construction and lineup management if your goal is to win, which is what the goal seems to be. Domas is not a great defender, so the point of attack needs to be locked down to prevent Domas from overextending himself at the rim, where he's not remotely effective as a deterrent.

The most ridiculous part of this is that the Kings actually have a bunch of strong perimeter defenders. They just don't give them consistent minutes. And they rarely play them together.

Carter
Ellis
Nique
Murray
Sabonis

That's not a winning starting unit in the West, but it's a lineup that understands how to compensate for some of Sabonis' weaknesses as a defender by keeping him from having to cover every single blow-by. Obviously, Keegan is still out injured, and that has a larger impact than it should on the Kings' ability to perform at all defensively. But when he returns, we're still likely to see regular use of lineups that ultimately funnel the opposition to the rim, where Domas gets exposed and embarrassed.