[Game] 14/82: Kings @ Spurs 16 NOV 2025, 1pm PT/4pm ET

[pdxKingsFan]

Yeah, you don't have to tell me about Deni, he's another dude that's been on my list for years. Some of these guys are just so freaking easy to see the breakout potential if/when they're in the right situation in the right role. Smart teams gobble them up and reap the benefits of the dumb teams. We'll soon see that if/when Keon heads to his next team

Deni was a lot more a "Monte archetype" sort of player over DDR, but I think we know Vivek had a big hand in getting him here.

DDR kind of just is what it is. You gave up the fit piece for a talent upgrade and to shake up the core that really started getting stale after Beam team year 2. It was certainly a risk, that if we had a fully bought in Fox, I think probably would have paid off in the end. We heard and got a lot of nonsense, but I'm guessing what ended up being reported was a pretty small portion of what actually happened. All the different factions pairing off and hating each other, etc.

I feel like DDR was probably all Vivek saying "look, you haven't done poop yet get something done", Deni happened first, and was basically acquired for the pick after ours as the centerpiece in trade.

I really think we should reassess what HB meant to the team I am not sure we have ever done so because being the 5th worst starter is kind of a kiss of death for many quality players. He had 20 points today.

 

[Turgenev]

I liked Monte and supported him when he was here but it's so boring writing off all of the missteps that happened under his watch as being Vivek's fault. It's like let's direct our critical thinking outwards, only towards those we don't like.

 

[The_Jamal]

I liked Monte and supported him when he was here but it's so boring writing off all of the missteps that happened under his watch as being Vivek's fault. It's like let's direct our critical thinking outwards, only towards those we don't like.

As champion of the Monte fanclub, if I were to grade his overall tenure here, probably like a B-?

He was just a solid GM, something this franchise has only had one other time in our entire Sacramento tenure. He brought level-headed decision making and actually produced a winner, which again, has really only happened through one other time in our history. Not perfect by any means, but a serious case of the grass is never greener on the other side... which we have 40+ years of proof behind.

Really, same sort of evaluation on Brown. Just a solid coach for a franchise that has only seen one other "solid-great" coach in its history. And we're seeing it play out this season when you kick out the very strong power structure that headed up the winner and replace them with the typical jabronis this franchise tends to hire

 

[SLAB]

If Murray comes back in mid-December I could see an injection of some energy that could get them 4 in row. The hole at that point is going to be pretty darn close to China by that point though.

Keegan brings some things to the table, but I don’t think energy is one of them.

 

[Rob-The-Great]

I feel like DDR was probably all Vivek saying "look, you haven't done poop yet get something done", Deni happened first, and was basically acquired for the pick after ours as the centerpiece in trade.

I really think we should reassess what HB meant to the team I am not sure we have ever done so because being the 5th worst starter is kind of a kiss of death for many quality players. He had 20 points today.

Barnes is average at best. He is on a spurs team that hides a lot of flaws. He dropped 20+ with us a few times as well.

You could put 80% of the people we have right now next to Wimbly and they would eat. I can imagine the carnage domas could do next to a guy like him. I think domas woild he a better fit than even fox.

The Spurs are a good team with or without fox, because they're culture demands it. When you go to the Spurs your expected to get to work.

We do not have that here. But we where very close. I had no problem with the DDR trade when we had fox because it almost fit. (Almost) but with lavine, it does not and thats fine. Trade him and move on.

But until then, this guy is amazing at what he does, so is Westbrook. Coaches only problem is he seems to be acting like a fan instead of a coach. Balance these dang minutes out

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Barnes is average at best. He is on a spurs team that hides a lot of flaws. He dropped 20+ with us a few times as well.

You could put 80% of the people we have right now next to Wimbly and they would eat. I can imagine the carnage domas could do next to a guy like him. I think domas woild he a better fit than even fox.

The Spurs are a good team with or without fox, because they're culture demands it. When you go to the Spurs your expected to get to work.

We do not have that here. But we where very close. I had no problem with the DDR trade when we had fox because it almost fit. (Almost) but with lavine, it does not and thats fine. Trade him and move on.

But until then, this guy is amazing at what he does, so is Westbrook. Coaches only problem is he seems to be acting like a fan instead of a coach. Balance these dang minutes out

Iman Shumpert was a bench player and still brought a lot to the team that disappeared the second he left.

HB's vet leadership was replaced with DDR's and it was disastrous. And HB's departure forced Keegan to play up while DDR played up, and then there was a logjam at SG and only the guy on the minimum deal played any tough D.

I'm not saying the guy was irreplaceable, but moving him left a huge void in our lineup and our locker room.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I feel like DDR was probably all Vivek saying "look, you haven't done poop yet get something done", Deni happened first, and was basically acquired for the pick after ours as the centerpiece in trade.

I really think we should reassess what HB meant to the team I am not sure we have ever done so because being the 5th worst starter is kind of a kiss of death for many quality players. He had 20 points today.

Barnes looks like the same player now, as he did in 22/23'. Just goes to show that writing guys off because they have reached whatever age passed what one assumes is their prime, is not always the best idea

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

To the poll question, I though Caleb Swanigan was awfully fun to watch in college at Purdue.

 

[luckytkp]

As champion of the Monte fanclub, if I were to grade his overall tenure here, probably like a B-?

He was just a solid GM, something this franchise has only had one other time in our entire Sacramento tenure. He brought level-headed decision making and actually produced a winner, which again, has really only happened through one other time in our history. Not perfect by any means, but a serious case of the grass is never greener on the other side... which we have 40+ years of proof behind.

Really, same sort of evaluation on Brown. Just a solid coach for a franchise that has only seen one other "solid-great" coach in its history. And we're seeing it play out this season when you kick out the very strong power structure that headed up the winner and replace them with the typical jabronis this franchise tends to hire

Monte downfall really came down to his man love of PG and failed quest for a perfect wing.

 

[TaxMan]

Yeah, you don't have to tell me about Deni, he's another dude that's been on my list for years. Some of these guys are just so freaking easy to see the breakout potential if/when they're in the right situation in the right role. Smart teams gobble them up and reap the benefits of the dumb teams. We'll soon see that if/when Keon heads to his next team

Deni was a lot more a "Monte archetype" sort of player over DDR, but I think we know Vivek had a big hand in getting him here.

DDR kind of just is what it is. You gave up the fit piece for a talent upgrade and to shake up the core that really started getting stale after Beam team year 2. It was certainly a risk, that if we had a fully bought in Fox, I think probably would have paid off in the end. We heard and got a lot of nonsense, but I'm guessing what ended up being reported was a pretty small portion of what actually happened. All the different factions pairing off and hating each other, etc.

Not to make everyone feel terrible, but we didn’t just try to shake things up by flipping Barnes for Deebo….but we also had to pay that pick swap with the spurs to get them to do it. Im not going to lie, I talked myself into the move at the time as solid, but it really could end up a catastrophe in a lot of ways.

Lesson learned? We need to be smart like the spurs over the next three years. Get paid by other desperate teams to help them make moves.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Not to make everyone feel terrible, but we didn’t just try to shake things up by flipping Barnes for Deebo….but we also had to pay that pick swap with the spurs to get them to do it. Im not going to lie, I talked myself into the move at the time as solid, but it really could end up a catastrophe in a lot of ways.

Lesson learned? We need to be smart like the spurs over the next three years. Get paid by other desperate teams to help them make moves.

Don't know what our cap situation will be if we can't move Zach before he expires but I'd rather be a team that can absorb a contract for nothing or facilitate a trade between two other teams like they were for us than just take dead weight if we aren't getting picks back. It's still just hard to believe their luck. And they wind up with Huerter in the end too, lol. San Antonio fleeced us out the front and the back.

 

[Caccia]

Barnes looks like the same player now, as he did in 22/23'. Just goes to show that writing guys off because they have reached whatever age passed what one assumes is their prime, is not always the best idea.

Exactly my thought in watching him this game. Very solid still.

 

[serbiangoat]

My fault I was referring to Ellis using his hands, with davion not having the strength.

I think Carter is best of both worlds. Plus I think Carter has more upside as hes actually fast as hell with the ball.

I dont understand why we dont use him. I really dont

Carter is terribly slow with the ball he has the handle of a SF/PF ( he handles the ball like, Franz Wagner) Davion is way quicker and can get into the lane easily in the half court (in Miami at least) and has a way better burst. As a ball handler he's easy to cut off and turn around and has very little trickery to make up for it.

 

[serbiangoat]

Russell Westbrook is worse than DMC when it comes to getting back on defense after making his customary 5-10 stupid decisions passing/bricked lay ups there's a big difference playing hard for stats than playing hard for winning to me he's not a guy who plays hard.

 

[ESP47]

Watched it on DVR and just fast forwarded through it quickly after a while. I just don't really care much at this point. Hopefully the rest of the fan base stops caring fairly soon so Vivek can get the message when he sees the arena filled with empty seats.

What worries me is I don't think the Kings can get much from their tradeable pieces. Even Sabonis. I see trade ideas flying around with 3 first round picks coming back to us. We'll be lucky to get one back end of the first round pick back if we traded all of our "talented" vets.