[Game] Kings at Toronto, Wednesday Nov. 6th, 4:30 PM PT/7:30 PM ET

[Agent23]

I hate moral victories but you see in there that improvement is coming along. That fight that was missing the first 5 games is there again. The defensive sets they are running are excellent. I can’t wait for them to play the Suns again.

 

[SacTownGrantFan]

Fox has all the tools to be a star in this league but he seems reluctant to actually want to be one. He just never looks like he wants to take over.

I think he just needs to learn how to hit the 3 at a high clip. He reminds me of Tyreke Evans in that way.

 

[Tetsujin]

Missed the game so just going off the box score and last few minutes. Happy to see Barnes go for 26 points on 15 shots. My problem is with Bjelica, Ariza and Dedmon, they kind of suck. The one I hold out for is Dedmon, he is new and maybe he will figure it out. But they don't make the Kings better. I don't understand all the love for Bjelica especially. He is kind-of below average at best. Yes it's nice when he hits those 3's in rhythm but it's not often enough. He gets burned on defense and that's the number one thing I'm tired of. And also...Bogdonovic. I hope fans don't get so high on him again after 1 good game. He hasn't earned that, not even close at all.
But not to be negative. I'm not going to declare a 'moral victory' because we as Kings fans are well past that. But I will say my perception of the team is far better than if they'd gotten blown out by 30 tonight in Toronto and in the last couple of games prior.

You need to watch the game on this one but none of those three were particularly bad

 

[Kingz19]

The offense is really settling in. That’s encouraging.

The defense was not encouraging. Some of it is the Raptors team passing ability but the ease that Ibaka was scoring when the Kings needed stops was infuriating.

2-6 is a hole but win or lose, whatever the hell that was from the first 5 games appears to be gone.

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

Fox has all the tools to be a star in this league but he seems reluctant to actually want to be one. He just never looks like he wants to take over.

So weird because against New York, he was the complete opposite.

 

[SacTownGrantFan]

You need to watch the game on this one but none of those three were particularly bad

Yeah I'll watch the re broadcast. That said, they are -9 -11 and -9 respectively. I don't care for +/- in a single game of course but it's a pattern. Getting beaten badly even in the span of a few minutes turns the tide between a win and loss, especially against a talented team like Toronto on the road..

 

[KingKong]

Fox just didn't have it today. Way too many costly turnovers for him.

We're definitely making strides on the defensive end, but still too many breakdowns (Ibaka always kills us for some reason).

The Kings showed heart today. With this type of energy and effort, the wins will come.

 

[Kings_of_California]

Fox has all the tools to be a star in this league but he seems reluctant to actually want to be one. He just never looks like he wants to take over.

I agree with this. He showed all the signs of being a superstar last year, but he hasn't really taken off like I thought he would. He's still been really good, but he doesn't have that alpha mentality sometimes.

I'm starting to think he might be a #2.

 

[mac]

Fox has all the tools to be a star in this league but he seems reluctant to actually want to be one. He just never looks like he wants to take over.

He has the makings of the tools, but until he becomes a threat to take and make outside shots he will not be a winning #1 option - whether scoring or setting guys up. He has shown flashes, just has to be more consistent and it will open up the offense way more for Buddy/Holmes etc to get open. Needs to cut down the turnovers as well.

 

[k_dubb90]

Lost to a good raptors team with pascal going off but we kept it close can’t be mad at that. Oh and look WCS can’t even get full starters mins on a gsw team full of g leaguers if that makes y’all feel any better

 

[Kings_of_California]

Lost to a good raptors team with pascal going off but we kept it close can’t be mad at that. Oh and look WCS can’t even get full starters mins on a gsw team full of g leaguers if that makes y’all feel any better

It does

 

[kb02]

Kings got out executed, but the coaching and play has done a 180 from the beginning of the year.

I always thought ten games would be a fair measurement of Walton. 8 games in, I like the progress. Although, truthfully, I was ready to burn the ship after game five. Lolzzz.

It struck me today, Buddy Hield is our version of JR Smith. Electric shooting mixed with a whole lot of WTF moments.

Joseph showed signs of why he was signed today. Solid offense, tough defense.

I don’t know if the Kings can afford to go with the Bogi, Joseph, & Ariza second unit any longer. They just don’t seem to compliment each other well.

If we had Bags for this game, we win. I took the Kings + 10 (bought 2 points). Felt good to not have to worry about the line n root for the straight win.

 

[tastyburger]

Based on that game, we'll at least have another year of somewhat entertaining basketball. That's all a long time kings fan can really ask for. Go kings!

 

[jellyfish]

Honestly that was a really good effort I have never seen a game where the opposing team would just hit us with a dagger (literally like 20+ of them) everytime we got a run going. I thought we were thoroughly outplayed but we kept scrapping the Raptors did an amazing job blowing up the pick n roll to Holmes who was rolling well but we could not get it to him due to the D.

If they lose like that it's acceptable because there really was not much more they could have done that effort gets you a W most the time.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

Original Gangsta Anunoby is amazing. What a player. Thats the type of wing defender the Kings need.

wish vlad would of drafted him

 

[Semi]

IIRC, didn't he do something to his foot/ankle/leg early in the game? I thought I heard Grant saying he was walking something off. (I was in the other room and couldn't see the screen at the time.)

He took a knee to the thigh going around a pick on defense and came up hobbling but looked to recover from that pretty quickly. To me Fox just looked to have tired legs coming down the stretch which showed in most of his shots coming up short.

 

[burekijogurt]

IIRC, didn't he do something to his foot/ankle/leg early in the game? I thought I heard Grant saying he was walking something off. (I was in the other room and couldn't see the screen at the time.)

dont think it was an injury, just run out of gas

 

[Tetsujin]

dont think it was an injury, just run out of gas

Gotta remember that he’s been playing with a bad hip/back since Roid Rage Ayton crunched him on opening night.

 

[Dime Dropper]

The reason a lot of Fox's shots come up short is more due to him not following through, he regularly jerks/pushes the ball towards the rim. He was definitely tired towards the end too but he also does this at the start of games. He's a much better shooter when he follows through instead of flicking it towards the rim.

 

[kb02]

The reason a lot of Fox's shots come up short is more due to him not following through, he regularly jerks/pushes the ball towards the rim. He was definitely tired towards the end too but he also does this at the start of games. He's a much better shooter when he follows through instead of flicking it towards the rim.

While true, those three missed mid range shots we're the byproduct of a player pressing. If Bags was playing, the Kings would've won, because they would've had a 6 to 8 point lead at that point. The Kings need that type of cushion against battle tested teams to win.

The Raps ability to make shots in crunch time, the composure was a direct byproduct of their championship experience.

I have always been of the belief that a team's ceiling is determined by their initial burst. It is what separates a special generation from a good, but not quite great generation. When the Kings make the playoffs, they need to not just make it, they need to push and surprise--potentially win it all. For every SF Giant and GSW generation where they exceeded expectations, you have the early 2000 Kings and the forever competing, but not quite there Sharks. Plus the recent failures of the Dodgers.

The Raps ability to get over that hump is what we saw last night. Just a belief that they'll squeeze out the win, one way or another. It's almost like a +3 in ability for everyone on their squad.

 

[MixM]

Just give Kings ( all staff, players ad coach ) little support and they will be good again.

 

[SCKingsfan]

I'm not as impressed with CoJo getting the mins as #2 point guard. Runs the offense okay, but his inability to hit the 3 has really hurt our second team, particularly when we need to make up points.. I'd like to see Yogi get some more burn with that second unit, especially when we're in a deficit. Yeah, he has his own deficits, but I think he gives the second team a scoring punch, that outside of bogi, they don't seem to have at the moment

 

[Tetsujin]

I'm not as impressed with CoJo getting the mins as #2 point guard. Runs the offense okay, but his inability to hit the 3 has really hurt our second team, particularly when we need to make up points.. I'd like to see Yogi get some more burn with that second unit, especially when we're in a deficit. Yeah, he has his own deficits, but I think he gives the second team a scoring punch, that outside of bogi, they don't seem to have at the moment

There are places to make this argument but the thread about the game where he was possibly the best player for the team probably isn’t one of them.

 

[ppine]

You cannot fairly judge a coach in 10 games. It is difficult to do in one season.