Insomniacal Fan
Starter
Short notice, but I think a prediction thread might be interesting. I'll leave it open for a week
How many wins in 2025-2026
- Thread starter Insomniacal Fan
- Start date
sactowndog
Hall of Famer
Yeah. I think we need two versions of each game thread. The win thread and the Lin thread
Insomniacal Fan
Starter
56+ not optimistic enough?You didn't have 82 as an answer....
I'm not sure how I'm more doomer than you, but here we are.
I voted 26-30. Keegan being out just destroys the floor of this team. And Domas probably misses a week or 2 at least with the hamstring.
We just aren't going to stop anyone, ever. Especially since the remaining good defensive players, aren't going to play enough. And without Domas, theres no chance this offense is good enough to make up for it to start the year and even with him, we'd need to be top 5 at a minimum to threaten .500.
I legitimately think a 4-16 type start is more likely than a 11-9 start. Like this team needed to get off to a good start to gain momentum and I see 0 paths for that without Keegan and Domas
Joshyjosh31
Starter
People voting 36-40 need to look at the 15 games we have without Keegan we could start 2-13
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
So many factors. The injuries and the rough 20 game schedule to start the season. The last 20 some games are supposedly easier. Will we sell anything off? There is one team in the West not trying to win. We won 40 games last year with all the drama and some of the worst 3 point differential in the history of the league to start the season. A team or two will be devastated by injuries. I think that betting number of 35 makes a lot of sense so I’m going with that but I won’t be totally surprised if we outperform expectations
That's why I voted 36-40
QWERTYLICIOUS
Starter
98-0, baby!!! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
In all seriousness, 36-40 seems realistic enough, and that is what I am going to go with right now.
In all seriousness, 36-40 seems realistic enough, and that is what I am going to go with right now.
Insomniacal Fan
Starter
35 feels right to me. Having injured Keegan and Sabonis out to start the season is rough, but I think we'll muddle through. I think we have enough playmaking now to weather a few nights without Domas, (and there is some defensive upside there). Keegan being gone is bad for our defensive efficiency, but his offensive role can be replicated by any number of our guards (albeit with less efficiency)
With nominal health I think it's a .500 team. I'm more worried about what the team becomes when LaVine goes out.
With nominal health I think it's a .500 team. I'm more worried about what the team becomes when LaVine goes out.
GWD
Bench
Ask me after the season is over. Then I'll get it right.
A prediction is that there will be so much upheaval during the season that prediction is folly, even this one. Injuries, coaching decisions, trades, signings, rookie development, playing times, but most importantly, attitude and desire will rule the season. And we all thought last season was a **** show....just wait. The seeds are sown.
(No, I'm not attempting a coop to overturn Slab as the resident Mr. Negative, just observing what is evident.
)
A prediction is that there will be so much upheaval during the season that prediction is folly, even this one. Injuries, coaching decisions, trades, signings, rookie development, playing times, but most importantly, attitude and desire will rule the season. And we all thought last season was a **** show....just wait. The seeds are sown.
(No, I'm not attempting a coop to overturn Slab as the resident Mr. Negative, just observing what is evident.
)That's the thing. If we somehow survive this early stretch, I dont think we sell. Vivek will pursue 38 wins and the 10 seed. But say we get to Dec 15th, when trading season begins and we're near the bottom of the league record wise. Vivek would have no choice but to sign off
I just really don't know how we survive this first month and a half. Maybe if you told me Keon would 30+ MPG and Nique and Carter were 25+ MPG, youd get enough defense on the floor to survive Keegan off. But it's not going to be close to that minutes wise.
I mean Dario Saric in the year of our lord 2025 is very likely to be 20+ MPG and playing over IJ, once he's back healthy. Could not be anymore bearish on our early season defensive potential
twslam07
All-Star
Low 30s feels about right considering the top heavy, non defensive, non shooting, small lineup we have that will be eating up many of the minutes. Add on the fact that Murray will be out for awhile and Sabonis could be battling a hamstring injury for a bit, and it doesn’t help.
Looking at the west, I only feel confident in saying we’ll finish better than UTA. I think us, PHX, and NOP are in the 12-14 range which means we’re not even in a good position to snatch up the last play-in spot at 10.
Just look at the list. I don’t think we’re better than any of these teams in the west…
DEN
MIN
OKC
POR
GSW
LAC
LAL
DAL
MEM
SAS
HOU
Fortunately, it should result in us getting a solid pick this coming season and give us a chance of drafting a star talent.
Looking at the west, I only feel confident in saying we’ll finish better than UTA. I think us, PHX, and NOP are in the 12-14 range which means we’re not even in a good position to snatch up the last play-in spot at 10.
Just look at the list. I don’t think we’re better than any of these teams in the west…
DEN
MIN
OKC
POR
GSW
LAC
LAL
DAL
MEM
SAS
HOU
Fortunately, it should result in us getting a solid pick this coming season and give us a chance of drafting a star talent.
Dime Dropper
All-Star
I don't think we're as talented as this forum thinks, and our team is a group of mismatches. I'm going 26-30, but they may scrape past that.
Yeah, this Keegan injury and potentially longer than expected Domas injury is going to unintentionally put this team on the right path to being sellers.
Srzly
G-League
Depends how quickly the org decides to make the shift it needs. If we can move off of DDR soon and play our young guys more minutes, I actually thing we win high 30s and maybe even low 40s.
The more minutes Keon and Keegan and Nique get together, the more wins we get. Every time Keon and Keegan played together we looked so much better and I’m pretty sure the analytics backed that up.
The more minutes Keon and Keegan and Nique get together, the more wins we get. Every time Keon and Keegan played together we looked so much better and I’m pretty sure the analytics backed that up.
ockingsfan
Starter
I think the Kings will stun the world and get 47 wins and #7 seed in the playoffs.
I’m banking on some of these early injuries to Keegan and Domas to force Christie’s hand and force him to play the young guys significant PT. Once the young guys show their worth, Christie will trust them and give them the PT to energize this team this rest of the season.
I’m banking on some of these early injuries to Keegan and Domas to force Christie’s hand and force him to play the young guys significant PT. Once the young guys show their worth, Christie will trust them and give them the PT to energize this team this rest of the season.
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Padrino
All-Star
While I want more than anything for the Kings to prioritize their youth over their aging veterans, I'm curious why there seems to be a prevailing opinion among Kings fans that the team would somehow defy expectations if they lean into their younger talent. I'm a big fan of all four of Murray, Ellis, Carter, and Nique, but those guys alone aren't about to turn this team into a serious competitor. Not yet, anyway.
By virtue of the fact that those four actually give a sh*t on the defensive end, I can see a pathway through which the Kings win 30 games instead of 25 by elevating their young guys as soon as possible. That said, this team is in the Western Conference, and it's without a legitimate star presence to carry it. They absolutely should lean into their youth, but the idea that they'd crack 40 wins by getting Ellis, Carter, and Nique on the floor regularly seems bullish in the extreme.
ockingsfan
Starter
My feeling is the young guys bring the energy and defensive intensity that the vets lack. Inject that energy and defense with the offensive prowess of the vets and we might catch lightening in a bottle.
Stay with the stagnant vets one on one games and we are toast. Playing the young guys gives us some hope.
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Padrino
All-Star
Here's the thing: it's not even a shortcut! It's a long and arduous process back to respectability. The "shortcut" is wasting a year of development for the Kings' younger talents to elevate 36 year old DeMar DeRozan and 37 year old Russell Westbrook in the hopes of making the play-in.
Padrino
All-Star
The young guys do bring those things, and yes, it definitely would represent more "hope" for the fanbase than sticking with the stagnant veteran core the team has decided to invest in. But it's not likely to translate to wins. And that's the point. Veteran teams are more likely to win in the NBA than younger teams. Younger players have to learn how to win in this league by playing significant minutes against their more experienced peers. The benefit, of course, is a high draft pick. It's two birds with one stone, so to speak. The young guys get run, and the Kings get to add another young, high value piece through the draft as the losses pile up.
LPKingsFan
All-Star
36-37 wins, just outside of the play in, and just outside of meaningful lottery odds, seems like the most frustrating outcome, so I chose that.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
26-30. Terribly constructed, soft and old team starting the season with injuries to the most important players. New and for the most part untested coach.
I don't much care about the winning and losing this season. It's the playing time of Clifford and Maxime that I care about, as well as shipping out players such as DDR and Lavine to reconstruct the roster to make some sense. It would also be nice to see some imagination from Christie on an offensive scheme to maximize the talent of Murray, Clifford and Maxime. Very little playing time for Clifford and Maxime and the misuse of Murray in the offense once he returns would translate for me into a worthless season.
I don't much care about the winning and losing this season. It's the playing time of Clifford and Maxime that I care about, as well as shipping out players such as DDR and Lavine to reconstruct the roster to make some sense. It would also be nice to see some imagination from Christie on an offensive scheme to maximize the talent of Murray, Clifford and Maxime. Very little playing time for Clifford and Maxime and the misuse of Murray in the offense once he returns would translate for me into a worthless season.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
Jazz and hornets have better young guys then us and won’t win games because of it pure delusional to think that we’d win games because of them while lacking star players