[Game] 21/82: Kings vs. Grizzlies 30 NOV 2025, 6pm PT/9pm ET

[Srzly]

Yeah, I don't understand it. His philosophy is just to keep going back to vets, no matter the game flow or whats happening on the floor. It's cost us quite a bit this year.

I'm not saying just bench the vets entirely either. But we've seen the bench several times throughout this year that got us back into the game, or at least we're playing far more competitive basketball... and just not get rewarded for it

It not only hurts our chances of winning, it stunts the development of the young guys, and it also stunts the development of Keegan using all of his energy on defense while maybe getting to just touch the ball on offense 1 out of every 15 possessions because he has to play most of his minutes with the vets.

It is just frustrating and pure stupidity at this point.

 

[The_Jamal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995525204416589856

Free this man to a playoff team that will actually use him and get him on the floor. 26th in DRtg and he's playing 6 minutes a game.

 

[Caccia]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995525204416589856

Free this man to a playoff team that will actually use him and get him on the floor. 26th in DRtg and he's playing 6 minutes a game.

In the NBA stats, Malik Monk leads the team (among rotation players) with a DRtg of 110.5. Keon Ellis is fifth at 115.6, behind Clifford, Achiuwa, and Eubanks. Last night, Monk was defending like a madman, possibly the most intense I have ever seen him play on that end of the court. He got knocked down hard twice, fighting through screens, resulting in turnovers by Memphis. He is the only rotation player with a positive net rating or positive +/- on the team in the midst of this abysmal season.

That second unit really showed the coach what they can do. I hope he "looks at the tape" and acts accordingly.

https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612758/players-advanced?dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING

 

[The_Jamal]

In the NBA stats, Malik Monk leads the team (among rotation players) with a DRtg of 110.5. Keon Ellis is fifth at 115.6, behind Clifford, Achiuwa, and Eubanks. Last night, Monk was defending like a madman, possibly the most intense I have ever seen him play on that end of the court. He got knocked down hard twice, fighting through screens, resulting in turnovers by Memphis. He is the only rotation player with a positive net rating or positive +/- on the team in the midst of this abysmal season.

That second unit really showed the coach what they can do. I hope he "looks at the tape" and acts accordingly.

https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612758/players-advanced?dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING

Monk's another guy that's kind of gotten tossed aside for the Dennis/LaVine/Russ/DDR contingent, which has proven to be a massive mistake. While he's not always effective, I never have to question Monk's heart or his energy levels on the floor.

He's also got hilarious on/off splits

ON: 438 minutes

ORtg: 113.0
DRtg: 114.6

Net: -1.6

Off: 576 minutes ( get ready for this one)

ORtg: 108.1
DRtg: 126.8 (LOL)

Net: -18.7 (LOL AGAIN)

Total net: +17.1

Now, to me, this is pretty clear that because Monk is playing a lot more with the bench units (you know, the guys who actually play defense) as well as being apart of more balanced offensive lineups because we don't have all the offense only dudes on the floor.

But there's something seriously wrong with our rotations when splits like this exist.

 

[Section 101]

Monk's another guy that's kind of gotten tossed aside for the Dennis/LaVine/Russ/DDR contingent, which has proven to be a massive mistake. While he's not always effective, I never have to question Monk's heart or his energy levels on the floor.

He's also got hilarious on/off splits

ON: 438 minutes

ORtg: 113.0
DRtg: 114.6

Net: -1.6

Off: 576 minutes ( get ready for this one)

ORtg: 108.1
DRtg: 126.8 (LOL)

Net: -18.7 (LOL AGAIN)

Total net: +17.1

Now, to me, this is pretty clear that because Monk is playing a lot more with the bench units (you know, the guys who actually play defense) as well as being apart of more balanced offensive lineups because we don't have all the offense only dudes on the floor.

But there's something seriously wrong with our rotations when splits like this exist.

The off has more to do with Zach and DDR on the floor when he isnt.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Yeah, I don't understand it. His philosophy is just to keep going back to vets, no matter the game flow or whats happening on the floor. It's cost us quite a bit this year.

I'm not saying just bench the vets entirely either. But we've seen the bench several times throughout this year that got us back into the game, or at least we're playing far more competitive basketball... and just not get rewarded for it

Their "plan" is much greater than this season. Could be the first post for "Thursday insights"

 

[hrdboild]

Lavine is this season’s low hanging fruit. It was Barnes. Then Fox. Now Zach. It’s tiresome. Christie trying to scheme a defense with these guys is ridiculous. Lavine’s best defense is outscoring the other team’s guard. We’re sacrificing his offensive excellence with this poor coaching.

It is completely within Zach LaVine's control to change the narrative by putting in the work on the defensive end. And I don't just mean hustling for loose balls and rebounds (though that would be a good place to start). He also needs to learn opponent tendencies and offensive sets so that he can be proactive about cutting off drives when his matchup is favoring their strong hand, know when to fight over a screen and when to cheat under or call for a switch, and when he needs to beat somebody to their spot before they get the ball or deny them the ball entirely. It's homework and it needs to be done before the game every game and it only works if everyone on the floor is doing it. One strong defender is not going to be able to cover for a poor one. That worked 20 years ago but it does not work now when almost everyone can shoot, handle, and pass regardless of position.

But Zach also believes his best defense is scoring and I just cannot abide that in a basketball player at any level. It's selfish and it's unfair to your teammates. If we're committed to riding him to the bottom of the standings then so be it but it's going to take a long time to unlearn all of the ways these guys are trying to compensate for playing defense short-handed and by the time we actually pull out of this losing mentality I hope that is the end of Kings fans thinking that we can win by out-scoring everyone and coasting on defense. That has never worked in the NBA and it will never work and if that's what people think is exciting to watch than I guess they must be okay with winning one or two playoff games a decade and forever talking about "next season". Maybe I'm greedy but I would like to see a 50 or 60 win season and another trip to the Conference Finals at some point. It's never going to happen without a full team defensive effort.

 

[Section 101]

It is completely within Zach LaVine's control to change the narrative by putting in the work on the defensive end. And I don't just mean hustling for loose balls and rebounds (though that would be a good place to start). He also needs to learn opponent tendencies and offensive sets so that he can be proactive about cutting off drives when his matchup is favoring their strong hand, know when to fight over a screen and when to cheat under or call for a switch, and when he needs to beat somebody to their spot before they get the ball or deny them the ball entirely. It's homework and it needs to be done before the game every game and it only works if everyone on the floor is doing it. One strong defender is not going to be able to cover for a poor one. That worked 20 years ago but it does not work now when almost everyone can shoot, handle, and pass regardless of position.

But Zach also believes his best defense is scoring and I just cannot abide that in a basketball player at any level. It's selfish and it's unfair to your teammates. If we're committed to riding him to the bottom of the standings then so be it but it's going to take a long time to unlearn all of the ways these guys are trying to compensate for playing defense short-handed and by the time we actually pull out of this losing mentality I hope that is the end of Kings fans thinking that we can win by out-scoring everyone and coasting on defense. That has never worked in the NBA and it will never work and if that's what people think is exciting to watch than I guess they must be okay with winning one or two playoff games a decade and forever talking about "next season". Maybe I'm greedy but I would like to see a 50 or 60 win season and another trip to the Conference Finals at some point. It's never going to happen without a full team defensive effort.

You put Monk's heart in Levine and he's a top 10 player in the league.

 

[kingdivac]

You put Monk's heart in Levine and he's a top 10 player in the league.

Yeah that other comment the other day reportedly from Levine - saying something like, "yah other guys can do that" ie I dont need to do x, or y, only z, was tres mal!

 

[Shaqfuey]

So lavine’s been a low hanging fruit for three different teams what an unfortunate coincidence for him

He was a two-time all-star and got a giant contract, so not so much.

 

[Shaqfuey]

BS

This box score doesnt lie. Zack lead the way with -30 +/-. All the starters were negative. All the reserves were +, with Clifford +19.

Zach's defense to start the game and 3rd quarter caused the deficets.

+/- is a skewed stat, as it depends on who is also on the floor at the time and what the team is doing. It's not all pinned on Zach's performance. It also goes to the fact that Christie is trying to play full-court press defense with ZL and DDR on the floor. This is a misuse of their talents. Let them cook and the +/- isn't the same.

 

[SacTownKid]

In the NBA stats, Malik Monk leads the team (among rotation players) with a DRtg of 110.5. Keon Ellis is fifth at 115.6, behind Clifford, Achiuwa, and Eubanks. Last night, Monk was defending like a madman, possibly the most intense I have ever seen him play on that end of the court. He got knocked down hard twice, fighting through screens, resulting in turnovers by Memphis. He is the only rotation player with a positive net rating or positive +/- on the team in the midst of this abysmal season.

That second unit really showed the coach what they can do. I hope he "looks at the tape" and acts accordingly.

https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612758/players-advanced?dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING

This is why individual defensive ratings can lie. They've pretty much always said Keegan is a meh defender and KAT is elite.

 

[The_Jamal]

Went to check the lineup data last night. The Monk-Keon-Nique-Precious-Maxime lineup that went on a huge run and got a lead... and never seen again the rest of the game:

115.4 Ortg
15.4 DRtg

Those were the only 6 minutes Keon played. Nique got one more stint after, for 12 minutes total. Doug's comments are complete nonsense again.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995361533845704763

"The game dictates how it goes" Huh? You can't just put in the same grouping that went +9 in 6 minutes and played with a bunch of energy? Literally exactly what you've claimed to have been preaching you want this team to be?

Stuff like this is where I look at Doug being completely over his head with how to manage a rotation and being a HC. Of course the roster isn't perfect, far from it. But you just have to be able to get the 5-man lineup on the floor that showed a lot of promise AT SOME POINT over the next 3 quarters. How could it possibly not stick in your head to go back to the unit that went on a massive run, played great defense and showed energy?

I just don't get it.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

He was a two-time all-star and got a giant contract, so not so much.

Do you consider him a potential top 1 or 2 highest paid player for a contending team?

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Went to check the lineup data last night. The Monk-Keon-Nique-Precious-Maxime lineup that went on a huge run and got a lead... and never seen again the rest of the game:

115.4 Ortg
15.4 DRtg

Those were the only 6 minutes Keon played. Nique got one more stint after, for 12 minutes total. Doug's comments are complete nonsense again.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995361533845704763

"The game dictates how it goes" Huh? You can't just put in the same grouping that went +9 in 6 minutes and played with a bunch of energy? Literally exactly what you've claimed to have been preaching you want this team to be?

Stuff like this is where I look at Doug being completely over his head with how to manage a rotation and being a HC. Of course the roster isn't perfect, far from it. But you just have to be able to get the 5-man lineup on the floor that showed a lot of promise AT SOME POINT over the next 3 quarters. How could it possibly not stick in your head to go back to the unit that went on a massive run, played great defense and showed energy?

I just don't get it.

If by chance a head coach was told how to manage contracts with playing time, do you think he or the GM would say so publicly?

 

[The_Jamal]

If by chance a head coach was told how to manage contracts with playing time, do you think he or the GM would say so publicly?

There's a line between "LaVine/DDR/Dennis/Russ are playing 10 MPG from here on out" and "I can find 20 minutes, every single game, to get Keon/Nique/Carter on the floor." I seriously doubt Perry is instructing Doug to push all the vets to their minutes maximum night in and night out. What business did LaVine and DDR have playing 35-36 minutes last night? Hell, pull just 5 minutes off each their totals, give those to Keon and at least you'd have something resembling a real role with Keon at 16 minutes, Nique at 13.

Also, are you really suggesting that Perry made a call at half time "Hey, get the money guys in there, you're playing the cheap contracts too much"? Is it really a problem if we found a spark for one game and Doug leaned into that? He's THAT afraid of pissing off his bosses that he won't look what's happening on the floor and "just stick with the vets" gameplan?

Absurd. People want to give Doug the benefit of the doubt so badly, because he's one of our legends, but it's time to look at what's happening on the floor here and properly asses his coaching performance.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

There's a line between "LaVine/DDR/Dennis/Russ are playing 10 MPG from here on out" and "I can find 20 minutes, every single game, to get Keon/Nique/Carter on the floor." I seriously doubt Perry is instructing Doug to push all the vets to their minutes maximum night in and night out. What business did LaVine and DDR have playing 35-36 minutes last night? Hell, pull just 5 minutes off each their totals, give those to Keon and at least you'd have something resembling a real role with Keon at 16 minutes, Nique at 13.

Also, are you really suggesting that Perry made a call at half time "Hey, get the money guys in there, you're playing the cheap contracts too much"? Is it really a problem if we found a spark for one game and Doug leaned into that? He's THAT afraid of pissing off his bosses that he won't look what's happening on the floor and "just stick with the vets" gameplan?

Absurd. People want to give Doug the benefit of the doubt so badly, because he's one of our legends, but it's time to look at what's happening on the floor here and properly asses his coaching performance.

Are you suggesting that if Ranadive and Perry wanted Ellis, Clifford, and Carter to be playing every game, that they wouldn't be? I'm not ready to conclude that Christie is a complete idiot who has no basketball iQ or vision moving forward. If things remain the same after one or both of DeRozan and Lavine are moved, then I'll go there. Until then, I maintain that the driving force is managing contracts in preparation for trades.

Keeping in mind that Ranadive/Perry are the ones who signed Shroder and then also decided to sign Westbrook

 

[Shaqfuey]

You put Monk's heart in Levine and he's a top 10 player in the league.

And still a lousy defender.

 

[Shaqfuey]

It is completely within Zach LaVine's control to change the narrative by putting in the work on the defensive end. And I don't just mean hustling for loose balls and rebounds (though that would be a good place to start). He also needs to learn opponent tendencies and offensive sets so that he can be proactive about cutting off drives when his matchup is favoring their strong hand, know when to fight over a screen and when to cheat under or call for a switch, and when he needs to beat somebody to their spot before they get the ball or deny them the ball entirely. It's homework and it needs to be done before the game every game and it only works if everyone on the floor is doing it. One strong defender is not going to be able to cover for a poor one. That worked 20 years ago but it does not work now when almost everyone can shoot, handle, and pass regardless of position.

But Zach also believes his best defense is scoring and I just cannot abide that in a basketball player at any level. It's selfish and it's unfair to your teammates. If we're committed to riding him to the bottom of the standings then so be it but it's going to take a long time to unlearn all of the ways these guys are trying to compensate for playing defense short-handed and by the time we actually pull out of this losing mentality I hope that is the end of Kings fans thinking that we can win by out-scoring everyone and coasting on defense. That has never worked in the NBA and it will never work and if that's what people think is exciting to watch than I guess they must be okay with winning one or two playoff games a decade and forever talking about "next season". Maybe I'm greedy but I would like to see a 50 or 60 win season and another trip to the Conference Finals at some point. It's never going to happen without a full team defensive effort.

I don't buy the narrative that Zach or Demar or Malik (all previously criticized) aren't trying on the defensive end. I don't buy the notion that one strong defensive player can't cover for a below average one. We see the opposite in the limited time we get Keon/Malik pairings. I'm not going to argue that Zach isn't a good defender. He's average/below average - but not due to lack of effort. But overemphasis on defense with this current group has them out of gas come the second half. I'd prefer to see Lavine paired with a solid on-ball defender, but Christie doesn't seem interested in that. He's interested more in talking about intensity and other buzz words and putting the same broken combos out there to fail. I'd love to see Lavine on a non-garbage roster and see what he can accomplish. Probably more than Fox did when he sporadically played defense and everyone cheered him.

 

[Section 101]

+/- is a skewed stat, as it depends on who is also on the floor at the time and what the team is doing. It's not all pinned on Zach's performance. It also goes to the fact that Christie is trying to play full-court press defense with ZL and DDR on the floor. This is a misuse of their talents. Let them cook and the +/- isn't the same.

Like I said this time it doesnt lie. I was at the game and saw the +/- effect in action. Zach was going under screens or just laying on them allowing his defender to get open 3's. Doug called a timeout and was yelling at Zach walking off the floor.

 

[hrdboild]

I don't buy the narrative that Zach or Demar or Malik (all previously criticized) aren't [isn't] trying on the defensive end. I don't buy the notion that one strong defensive player can't cover for a below average one. We see the opposite in the limited time we get Keon/Malik pairings. I'm not going to argue that Zach isn't a good defender. He's average/below average - but not due to lack of effort. But overemphasis on defense with this current group has them out of gas come the second half. I'd prefer to see Lavine paired with a solid on-ball defender, but Christie doesn't seem interested in that. He's interested more in talking about intensity and other buzz words and putting the same broken combos out there to fail. I'd love to see Lavine on a non-garbage roster and see what he can accomplish. Probably more than Fox did when he sporadically played defense and everyone cheered him.

Well then I strongly disagree. And cite as evidence the last 12 years of Zach LaVine failing to even try to contest shots in the paint, barely bothering to close out on shooters, getting turned around on switches and leaving his back to the guy he's supposed to be defending, leaking out instead of boxing out, getting hung up on almost every screen, not even raising his arms when he's guarding the ball, and almost always cheating into the passing lane when he should be stopping the ball. All of these are examples of lack of effort.

DeMar and Malik are usually giving effort (they step in to take charges and try to contest shots) but they have poor defensive instincts and need to be micro-managed on that end in order to be effective. With Zach he has both poor defensive instincts and gives little to no effort on that end a shockingly large amount of the time that he's on the floor. I'm sure that Coach Christie is doing a lot more than just talking about defense when these guys are on the practice court. Where he's failing ultimately is that he's not backing up his demand for commitment on defense with consequences vis a vis cutting playing time and/or taking away starting spots. But maybe that will change as the team continues to sink in the standings.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

So lavine’s been a low hanging fruit for three different teams what an unfortunate coincidence for him

He was a two-time all-star and got a giant contract, so not so much.

DeMarcus Cousins was a four-time All-Star.

 

[Shaqfuey]

Well then I strongly disagree. And cite as evidence the last 12 years of Zach LaVine failing to even try to contest shots in the paint, barely bothering to close out on shooters, getting turned around on switches and leaving his back to the guy he's supposed to be defending, leaking out instead of boxing out, getting hung up on almost every screen, not even raising his arms when he's guarding the ball, and almost always cheating into the passing lane when he should be stopping the ball. All of these are examples of lack of effort.

DeMar and Malik are usually giving effort (they step in to take charges and try to contest shots) but they have poor defensive instincts and need to be micro-managed on that end in order to be effective. With Zach he has both poor defensive instincts and gives little to no effort on that end a shockingly large amount of the time that he's on the floor. I'm sure that Coach Christie is doing a lot more than just talking about defense when these guys are on the practice court. Where he's failing ultimately is that he's not backing up his demand for commitment on defense with consequences vis a vis cutting playing time and/or taking away starting spots. But maybe that will change as the team continues to sink in the standings.

Poor defender doesn’t mean he doesn’t try. Those are two very different things. When paired with a strong defender in Lonzo Ball, DDR and he had a team at the top of the conference.

He’s consistently put in a losing situation. He’s not a defensive player. Trying to make him so is poor coaching. Playing combos of 3-4 minus defenders is asking for trouble. And we witness it. It’s poor roster construction, poor coaching, and poor performance due to one and two.

I’d love to see him traded for no reason other than he’s not a piece to build around. But he’s a plus offensive weapon in the right situation.

 

[Shaqfuey]

DeMarcus Cousins was a four-time All-Star.

Okay. And?

I never thought his shortcomings were due to lack of effort on the court

 

[hrdboild]

Poor defender doesn’t mean he doesn’t try. Those are two very different things. When paired with a strong defender in Lonzo Ball, DDR and he had a team at the top of the conference.

He’s consistently put in a losing situation. He’s not a defensive player. Trying to make him so is poor coaching. Playing combos of 3-4 minus defenders is asking for trouble. And we witness it. It’s poor roster construction, poor coaching, and poor performance due to one and two.

I’d love to see him traded for no reason other than he’s not a piece to build around. But he’s a plus offensive weapon in the right situation.

My philosophy is that if you are costing your team easy baskets because of your terrible defense (whether that is due to laziness, disinterest, injury, or otherwise) then you are the problem. LaVine finds himself in losing situations because he gives up as much as he gets. That makes him an empty stats guy in my eyes. Is he elite on offense? Well, if that were the case he'd be getting 30+ points every night or 10+ assists regardless of who his teammates are. Guys like Luka do that. Harden used to do that. KD has done that. These are guys who don't just get their points -- they also demand so much defensive attention that it opens up easy baskets for everyone else. LaVine has had every opportunity to be the alpha-omega of the offense on this squad and he is not it.

Is he a plus-offensive weapon as you say? Sure, I can concede that but then is he enough of a plus to make up for the defense? I really don't think so. Enough that you can afford to structure your roster around his limitations? Well, Minnesota and Chicago tried it and both gave up on him so that should tell you something. You've now softened your argument to such an extent that I can't exactly disagree -- he is not a piece to build around, he is not a defensive player, and he should be traded. I just take it one more step and say that he should be traded because we're not going to win with him on the team. Even if he made half as much money per year as he makes now we're not going to win with him and that's not because of poor coaching it's because he is a net negative every time he's on the floor.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Okay. And?

And his status as a former All-Star has ****-all to do with the criticism of him, is the point. Zach LaVine is a lazy defender and a liability on offense when his shot isn't going in, and his status as a former All-Star doesn't make that untrue. Hell, Bradley Beal is also a former All-Star that made a lot of money, as was Kemba Walker. Do you go up for all the overpaid bums in the league, or just the ones that have Kings jerseys on?

 

[TaxMan]

Are you suggesting that if Ranadive and Perry wanted Ellis, Clifford, and Carter to be playing every game, that they wouldn't be? I'm not ready to conclude that Christie is a complete idiot who has no basketball iQ or vision moving forward. If things remain the same after one or both of DeRozan and Lavine are moved, then I'll go there. Until then, I maintain that the driving force is managing contracts in preparation for trades.

Keeping in mind that Ranadive/Perry are the ones who signed Shroder and then also decided to sign Westbrook

I’m at the point now that I just want to call it like I see it and stop speculating about personal motivations, behind the scenes collusion, and the like. Doug was hired to coach the team and so coaching decisions are on him. Perry is the GM and so the roster is on him. Vivek is the owner and so he’s responsible for the McNair firing and Perry hiring (and overall stewardship of the franchise). Until there is specific evidence to the contrary, each of them need to own their role. What I’m seeing is overall incompetent coaching and so personally I think Doug needs to own it.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Are you suggesting that if Ranadive and Perry wanted Ellis, Clifford, and Carter to be playing every game, that they wouldn't be? I'm not ready to conclude that Christie is a complete idiot who has no basketball iQ or vision moving forward. If things remain the same after one or both of DeRozan and Lavine are moved, then I'll go there. Until then, I maintain that the driving force is managing contracts in preparation for trades.

Keeping in mind that Ranadive/Perry are the ones who signed Shroder and then also decided to sign Westbrook

I’m at the point now that I just want to call it like I see it and stop speculating about personal motivations, behind the scenes collusion, and the like. Doug was hired to coach the team and so coaching decisions are on him. Perry is the GM and so the roster is on him. Vivek is the owner and so he’s responsible for the McNair firing and Perry hiring (and overall stewardship of the franchise). Until there is specific evidence to the contrary, each of them need to own their role. What I’m seeing is overall incompetent coaching and so personally I think Doug needs to own it.

So you think there might be a current reality where Ranadive and Perry want Ellis, Clifford, and Carter to be playing, but Christie isn't willing or refusing to?

Doug will take the bullets and own it. No doubt about that, as it is understood that it's part of the job. Just like McNair was expected to act like all the player decisions were his alone. Do I believe that McNair was working alone without heavy input and final say from Ranadive, on the situations with DeRozan, Fox, and Lavine? No chance

 

[twslam07]

There's a line between "LaVine/DDR/Dennis/Russ are playing 10 MPG from here on out" and "I can find 20 minutes, every single game, to get Keon/Nique/Carter on the floor." I seriously doubt Perry is instructing Doug to push all the vets to their minutes maximum night in and night out. What business did LaVine and DDR have playing 35-36 minutes last night? Hell, pull just 5 minutes off each their totals, give those to Keon and at least you'd have something resembling a real role with Keon at 16 minutes, Nique at 13.

Also, are you really suggesting that Perry made a call at half time "Hey, get the money guys in there, you're playing the cheap contracts too much"? Is it really a problem if we found a spark for one game and Doug leaned into that? He's THAT afraid of pissing off his bosses that he won't look what's happening on the floor and "just stick with the vets" gameplan?

Absurd. People want to give Doug the benefit of the doubt so badly, because he's one of our legends, but it's time to look at what's happening on the floor here and properly asses his coaching performance.

PG - Westbrook (20) / Schroder (20) / Monk (8)
SG - Ellis (20) / Monk (12) / Clifford (16)
SF - LaVine (30) / DeRozan (14) / Clifford (4)
PF - Murray (34) / DeRozan (14)
C - Sabonis (34) / Raynaud (14)

Murray = 34 min
Sabonis = 34 min
LaVine = 30 min
DeRozan = 28 min
Westbrook = 20 min
Schroder = 20 min
Monk = 20 min
Ellis = 20 min
Clifford = 20 min
Raynaud = 14 min


Then if you trade one of your guards away at the deadline, that’s 20 mins freed up for Devin Carter. And if you trade two of them, well that’s where you can start bumping Ellis and Clifford up to the 26-30 min range.

The issue is obviously the overplaying of the vets. Playing all of these guys 30-35 min a night quickly leaves little to no playing time for the young guys. Can’t have that. That’s unacceptable.

 

[serbiangoat]

Man the Kings are literally playing and treating Clifford like he's Chris Duartes replacement