[Game] Kings @ Suns 2/14/2023 6pm Pacific 9pm Eastern

[Tetsujin]

We'll see but the reason I'd be concerned is that KD pretty much just feasts on the pick and roll and that's all they run anyway. They have a PG known for being glue and Booker. They can just run a take your turn offense at this point.

They could but they're going to have to learn how to get out of each other's way, which took a while for some of the past superteams even with the luxury of a full offseason. I'm not saying they won't be good this season but they probably won't be running at peak efficiency until next year.

 

[NewArena]

7 games over going into the all star break and the 3 seed. You could not have told me this back in October.

 

[SLAB]

Gotta have faith, my friend. Especially this season...

Above the play-in is faith. I’m not delusional. This Suns team is ridiculous and only two games back. When they got KD, they overtook us.

 

[The_Jamal]

We'll see but the reason I'd be concerned is that KD pretty much just feasts on the pick and roll and that's all they run anyway. They have a PG known for being glue and Booker. They can just run a take your turn offense at this point.

I think it's very likely we see some KD at C lineups and they run some Cp3/KD PnRs and just crush everyone offensively. Like cp3-book-okogie-craig-KD type roster when Ayton is resting.
Filthy

 

[SacTownKid]

Barnes is that girlfriend you wasnt expecting. Like you never wanted to.date her, but she was all over you. Then she starts doing all these nice things so you give her a shot, then as soon as you do she plays hard to get.

Barnes is reliable. You never all the way lose, but never quite all the way win. Not ever a problem to have, but perhaps a problem to rely on if you expect too much.

 

[The_Jamal]

They could but they're going to have to learn how to get out of each other's way, which took a while for some of the past superteams even with the luxury of a full offseason. I'm not saying they won't be good this season but they probably won't be running at peak efficiency until next year.

Usually super teams take like 20 or so games to find a groove. So they'll be able to peak... right at the start of the playoffs

 

[KF8]

Above the play-in is faith. I’m not delusional. This Suns team is ridiculous and only two games back. When they got KD, they overtook us.

I have suns overtaking us, but I can't say with the same confidence that the Mavs or Clippers will. The mavs are as bad as us defensively even though they got Kyrie and the clippers stars are on load management every other game. I don't think the Clippers care too much about the regular season.

 

[sactowndog]

It was a good game for much of the game. The Suns are a good team who has never won it all. If they win it all good for them. I hope they do win it all.

 

[miltonap]

I didn't catch a lot of the game, part of the 3rd and 4th, what I noticed at times was really bad perimeter defense.

Just way too easy letting guys break down the defense then it was either an easy shot or an easy dump off to someone else.

You can't double someone like Devin Booker THEN get beat off the dribble. That's pretty bad.

Also, lack of rebounding was unacceptable.

Kessler Edwards in his minutes looked fantastic to me. Metu (I think that's who it was) was letting guys get boards and that's really unacceptable

Bench and never play again type of unacceptable.

I think that Kessler Edwards acquisition will be a big deal in that it looks like he can defend and shoot the ball on the other end.

Backup C needs to be resolved. Either by throwing Lyles in there or idk but someone needs to be able to get boards

 

[Ozymandias]

Who we can get from a buyout list? Would like a backup PG because Davion is not having a great time running the team, shooting the ball. Basically everything we need from him.

Cory Joseph ? John Wall? Maybe if we're lucky RJ Hampton.

Id say Bryn Forbes but I think theres a rumor he's headed back to Milwaukee.

 

[SacTownKid]

They could but they're going to have to learn how to get out of each other's way, which took a while for some of the past superteams even with the luxury of a full offseason. I'm not saying they won't be good this season but they probably won't be running at peak efficiency until next year.

Perhaps but the question is whether or not they need it to get out of the West this year. The Nuggets and the Clippers will probably be the best matchups on paper but with knowing how back Jokic is guarding pick and roll, yikes. You see him stepping out on KD and Booker? Not a chance.

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

I don't know but I kind of agree with SLAB here. The Suns are just too good with durant and it's hard to see them not overtaking the third seed. Still our goal is to be at minimum no lower than 6th seed which is still an amazing achievement.

Above the play-in is faith. I’m not delusional. This Suns team is ridiculous and only two games back. When they got KD, they overtook us.

I'm just giving @SLAB some crap, that's all. Seems to be a good kid who can take some "heat" around here...

Honestly, I, too, believe that the Suns are going to leapfrog us, and win the Pacific. I'd be shocked, actually, if they don't. I understand the whole "play-in or bust" mentality but, to me honestly, even if we slip down into one of the play-in spots, I'll still be somewhat content with our end result. Obviously, a top 6 finish would be ideal and that is what I am expecting, especially considering our success so far this season, but I won't cry too much if we find ourselves somewhere in the 7 to 10 seed range at the end of the day. Would I be disappointed? Absolutely. But would I consider the season a complete failure as a result, Absolutely not.

Just being able to talk about the Kings in the same conversation as the rest of the postseason contenders makes this season somewhat of a success already, if you really want to be honest with yourself.

 

[Kingz19]

7 games over going into the all star break and the 3 seed. You could not have told me this back in October.

well, I actually did think the Kings would have a record like this in October(before they started 0-4). I just didn’t think it would be good enough for a 3rd seed. Usually, something like 32-25 is the 6-8 range. I definitely didn’t expect the parity.

only thing that worries me is that the Kings have been pretty much the only healthy team out of the the 3-10 teams and it worries me what happens as everybody else gets healthy.

but they are on schedule I guess.

 

[Tetsujin]

Perhaps but the question is whether or not they need it to get out of the West this year. The Nuggets and the Clippers will probably be the best matchups on paper but with knowing how back Jokic is guarding pick and roll, yikes. You see him stepping out on KD and Booker? Not a chance.

Do you see the Suns stopping Jokic though? Domas had 24/15/7 against them tonight and that was even with the Kings randomly deciding to stop running their offense somewhere around midway through the third quarter. KD is a really solid backline defender but I think a lot of his numbers on that end were inflated this season by playing next to Claxton, who's become one of the best defenders in the league. Those scary defensive wings they were throwing out on the floor tonight do great against more traditionally perimeter based offenses but they can be beat off-ball.

 

[SLAB]

I'm just giving @SLAB some crap, that's all. Seems to be a good kid who can take some "heat" around here...

Honestly, I, too, believe that the Suns are going to leapfrog us, and win the Pacific. I'd be shocked, actually, if they don't. I understand the whole "play-in or bust" mentality but, to me honestly, even if we slip down into one of the play-in spots, I'll still be somewhat content with our end result. Obviously, a top 6 finish would be ideal and that is what I am expecting, especially considering our success so far this season, but I won't cry too much if we find ourselves somewhere in the 7 to 10 seed range at the end of the day. Would I be disappointed? Absolutely. But would I consider the season a complete failure as a result, Absolutely not.

Just being able to talk about the Kings in the same conversation as the rest of the postseason contenders makes this season somewhat of a success already, if you really want to be honest with yourself.

I lose my mind if we end up choking to the play-in. At that point Monte has so much to answer to for not going harder after guys at the deadline.

That said, I don’t think it will happen so I won’t dwell on it. 6+ is an amazing accomplishment.

 

[reptilexcq2]

Kings record 46-36

 

[SacTownKid]

Do you see the Suns stopping Jokic though? Domas had 24/15/7 against them tonight and that was even with the Kings randomly deciding to stop running their offense somewhere around midway through the third quarter. KD is a really solid backline defender but I think a lot of his numbers on that end were inflated this season by playing next to Claxton, who's become one of the best defenders in the league. Those scary defensive wings they were throwing out on the floor tonight do great against more traditionally perimeter based offenses but they can be beat off-ball.

No, I don't, but the question is whether the 2nd and 3rd Nuggets options can keep up with Durant and Booker if they do find a groove. It's all about how big your guns are and the Suns got them now for sure. Plus even after trading all their wings, they set themselves up to just fill it in with 3 and D guys as it is. The Suns originally thought getting KD would cost them Ayton. Well, this is why this move sucked for any team named Kings, Grizzlies, or Nuggets. Make no bones, I'm rooting for anyone not named the Suns and I wish a 17 year drought upon the Nets.

 

[Tetsujin]

well, I actually did think the Kings would have a record like this in October(before they started 0-4). I just didn’t think it would be good enough for a 3rd seed. Usually, something like 32-25 is the 6-8 range. I definitely didn’t expect the parity.

only thing that worries me is that the Kings have been pretty much the only healthy team out of the the 3-10 teams and it worries me what happens as everybody else gets healthy.

but they are on schedule I guess.

The Kings have had their fair share of injuries, it's just that their players have decided to play through them rather than sit (which led to all that angst in November when Fox tried playing through his foot injury for three weeks and didn't look amazing). Domas's broken thumb typically sidelines guys for a month plus. He's just a beast who decided he could play through the pain.

Heck, the ancillary guys have missed games here and there. Huerter has missed a couple of games with minor injuries and Malik has had a couple of missed stretches. Harrison hasn't missed action but he's been an iron man for most of his career. Keegan was also playing with a broken thumb.

There's something to be said for building a roster of guys who traditionally haven't been very injury prone.

 

[Livinthedream]

Suns played super hard because they took us seriously. Says a lot about where we are and how much better we've gotten, not much to be down about IMO.

Suns played like it mattered in playoff positioning and to set the tone in case the teams meet in the playoffs.

Kings are going to have to learn to play against physical teams. Can't have our shooters shy away when they get man handled. That's playoff basketball. Makes me think that is why Ellis and Edwards played early tonight. Brown trying to find players with fight in them. If the only players producing on offense consistently are Fox and Sabonis, the best you can do is surround them with defense. Brown tried.

 

[iowamcnabb]

The guys who will benefit from this break the most are Domas and Keegan in my opinion. Domas to heal up and get much needed rest and for Keegan to see his family. I know he is going to his sisters game on Saturday and then to Kris’ game in Chicago on Sunday

 

[206Fan]

37-year-old Chris Paul is why we lost tonight... we couldn't defend a single PnR. He toyed with us all night and got to wherever he wanted on the floor.

The Suns are also a better team flat out... and they didn't even have KD yet. They're a finals team and it showed tonight. oh well.

 

[kingdivac]

Yeah at the end of the day, absolutely no one expected the Kings to be the 3 seed heading into the all-star break/7 games over .500 and hold it for over a month as we've done thus far. We're starting to get very nit-picky in terms of our play, but the reality is this squad is so far ahead of anything we've seen in the last 18 years, it's not even funny.

The goal remains to avoid the play-in and get a 7-game playoff series. That would be an incredibly successful season and probably near the ceiling of our expectations. Kings control their destiny to do so, which is all we can ask.

I dunno The 06 team was pretty good....they'd give this team a good run for their money. A steadier team too. Too bad Wells got greedy.

 

[The_Jamal]

37-year-old Chris Paul is why we lost tonight... we couldn't defend a single PnR. He toyed with us all night and got to wherever he wanted on the floor.

The Suns are also a better team flat out... and they didn't even have KD yet. They're a finals team and it showed tonight. oh well.

2020 playoff Ayton occasionally pops out and the Suns are just unstoppable when he does. CP3 gets him the rock in such good spots and oh btw you have Devin Booker on the wing to try and stop too. OH AND BTW you just added a top 3 offensive player to the fray.

 

[iowamcnabb]

What do you the Suns shooting percentage from mid range was tonight? 80 percent?

 

[SacTownKid]

I dunno The 06 team was pretty good....they'd give this team a good run for their money. A steadier team too. Too bad Wells got greedy.

They didn't have a player at Fox's level but they had insane depth for sure. Also, that Wells/Artest mismatch of bully ball was the system and when one was gone, so it went.

 

[SacTownKid]

The guys who will benefit from this break the most are Domas and Keegan in my opinion. Domas to heal up and get much needed rest and for Keegan to see his family. I know he is going to his sisters game on Saturday and then to Kris’ game in Chicago on Sunday

One things for sure, Keegan will have some time to digest that he got benched in a playoff preview type game for a G leaguer.

 

[iowamcnabb]

One things for sure, Keegan will have some time to digest that he got benched in a playoff preview type game for a G leaguer.

I don’t think it was his doing though. He wasn’t getting cooked on defense or anything. He wasn’t hitting his shots but he was doing the other things he needed to do to stay on the court. Brown said in his presser that he planned to play Kessler some tonight. Guess he figured KVon had it going a bit and would rather ride with HB

 

[SacTownKid]

I don’t think it was his doing though. He wasn’t getting cooked on defense or anything. He wasn’t hitting his shots but he was doing the other things he needed to do to stay on the court. Brown said in his presser that he planned to play Kessler some tonight. Guess he figured KVon had it going a bit and would rather ride with HB

Still, number 4 pick, you want that to hurt. Show everyone after the break what you've got Keegan.

 

[PorchSurfin]

Davion is hot garbage.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Do you see the Suns stopping Jokic though? Domas had 24/15/7 against them tonight and that was even with the Kings randomly deciding to stop running their offense somewhere around midway through the third quarter. KD is a really solid backline defender but I think a lot of his numbers on that end were inflated this season by playing next to Claxton, who's become one of the best defenders in the league. Those scary defensive wings they were throwing out on the floor tonight do great against more traditionally perimeter based offenses but they can be beat off-ball.

They won't stop Jokic, but they will out score the Nuggets team. The Warriors didn't match up well against Jokic last season either and it didn't matter