[Game] Kings vs. Chicago Bulls, 3/4/2024, 7:00p PT/10:00p ET

[Tetsujin]

Get the absolute F out of here with this. Caruso was like for 9 yet was probably the biggest player on the Bulls team for a long time. Caruso's defense kept them in the game, his offense was ugly and non existent but because he was so damn good defensively the Bulls stayed close to us.

We were up on the bulls by like 16 points for most of the game. I love me some Caruso but the dude was doing nothing for large portions of the game

 

[PorchSurfin]

Really hard to single out Davion on this one when he was both (a) really efficient on offense and (b) like the one guy who looked even remotely capable of putting up a fight against Coby White.

Davion was a hot mess. Minus 12 in plus/minus, and was a minus 6 at half. He was garbage in all of his minutes. He was a mess.

 

[kingdivac]

Not really because there are actually more playoff teams in the league than middling Chicago Bulls teams.

Losing to poor teams shows the quality of your team more than anything else. This year the Kings aren't making it past the playins. And tonight's game backs it up. The team is gonna be a a game or 2 over .500 maybe.

 

[PorchSurfin]

We were up on the bulls by like 16 points for most of the game. I love me some Caruso but the dude was doing nothing for large portions of the game

Deflecting every pass that came his way is hardly doing nothing tets

 

[The Effort Police]

So are the woes of a shooting team. When the Kings get hot offensively they roll. The offense slows and it's usually missed shots headed into a butt whooping on the other end haha.

Really I think it's the offense.

I think Davion and Keon and Davion and Kessler and Duarte and Davion's offense is worse than Huerter and Monk's defense. We know Monk and Huerter are bad defensively but what if we had another 3/D wing and backup point who was actually a two way player instead of completely one way?

 

[twslam07]

Derozan took 24 shots (field goals and free throws) and made 21 of them. That is the beginning and end of why we lost. All the rest balanced out. We killed them on the boards, both teams shot around the same, we played great defense (until the 4th) so did they.

I think there was plenty of things to point to this game…

• DeRozan going supernova and making virtually every shot he took (had like a 95% TS% today)
• 17 turnovers
• Sub 30% shooting from 3
• Fox looking like he was out of gas in the 4th (after a very impressive and active start to the game)
• Sabonis missing bunnies at the rim/in the paint
• Lyles missed a layup or two (and fumbled a sure layup and had to then kick it out)
• Keon Ellis not playing (could have helped with White)
  

There’s a lot that could have propelled this team to a win tonight.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Again, the only thing I can come up with is that they're still showcasing Mitchell, hoping to up his value for an off season trade, since they were not able to move him at the dead line. Also hoping that it doesn't hurt the team down the stretch, but willing to take that risk because the team isn't a contender yet

Davion is shooting 61 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3 over his last 10 games. He’s getting minutes because he is playing great.

 

[Tetsujin]

Losing to poor teams shows the quality of your team more than anything else. This year the Kings aren't making it past the playins. And tonight's game backs it up. The team is gonna be a a game or 2 over .500 maybe.

The number one seed got beaten by double digits by the Spurs last week.

 

[The Effort Police]

Get the absolute F out of here with this. Caruso was like for 9 yet was probably the biggest player on the Bulls team for a long time. Caruso's defense kept them in the game, his offense was ugly and non existent but because he was so damn good defensively the Bulls stayed close to us.

He's one player and eclipses all three of those guys defensively. I'm not against having one defensive specialist out there but giving all three of them minutes and it's a hard no.

He's also better offensively than any of them.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Davion is shooting 61 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3 over his last 10 games. He’s getting minutes because he is playing great.

That's great and could help in a trade, but the bigger picture is that the team plays better with the Ellis

 

[iowamcnabb]

The number one seed got beaten by double digits by the Spurs last week.

yeh we fans get dramatic its just so so so annoying. We tend to forget we have come back from several 20 point deficits namely the Hawks and Warriors to steal games we maybe shouldn’t have won.

 

[kingdivac]

You should create a “the refs are against us” thread. That way you can just copied and paste from prior posts

You're killing me

 

[hrdboild]

Davion is shooting 61 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3 over his last 10 games. He’s getting minutes because he is playing great.

Why bother. Anyone who thinks Davion is being "showcased" at the expense of the team while we're fighting for a playoff spot in March is already grasping at straws.

 

[kingdivac]

Why does it feel like a red flag when king go up big early? You never get the sense that they are safe with any big leads. Feels like more often than not whenever they go up big they will eventually give it up in the 4th quarter. Kings don't know how to play with big leads.

That's what we call the 2 'L's - lolly-gaggin and lackadaisical.

 

[SacTownKid]

Really I think it's the offense.

I think Davion and Keon and Davion and Kessler and Duarte and Davion's offense is worse than Huerter and Monk's defense. We know Monk and Huerter are bad defensively but what if we had another 3/D wing and backup point who was actually a two way player instead of completely one way?

It's hard to look at it that way though because the Kings play such a team oriented setup. The offensive ratings with Keon on the floor actually aren't much under Fox. So, as a team they technically aren't any worse. Now, of course that's with Keon not playing legit minutes every game but they actually kind of do pan out. In the Wolves game the offense didn't sputter much with him in there. Brown sat him out for like 12 straight game minutes between half way through the 1st and 2nd for some reason though.

 

[PorchSurfin]

Davion is shooting 61 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3 over his last 10 games. He’s getting minutes because he is playing great.

No he isn't. I don't care if he scores 13 points, he is giving up 17 the other way. Keon might score 5 and give up 7, but he is turning the possessions over (with steals and blocks/deflections) to end up with a + 7-10 AFTER his points. Davion is a negative minute producer. I don't understand how you guys don't see it. He is a TRex, short arms and no contests. Davion is a negative. Keon is a positive. We win when Keon is on the court. We lost when Davion is.

Next time Davion enters the game take note of the point differential. Note that when he is off. Do the same when Keon plays. I would imagine you will come back to these threads with a different outlook.

Davion is a net negative. He has been for a long time. We lose his minutes. I had high hopes but I'm not so stupid as to keep acting as if it isn't true.

Do your own research if I'm too much for you to stomach.

 

[iowamcnabb]

The team is gonna be a a game or 2 over .500 maybe.

Sounds like a great time for the annual charity bet. After a cool off period (tomorrow) let me know if you want to place a wager on a final record. Say something like 6 games above or below.

 

[Tetsujin]

yeh we fans get dramatic its just so so so annoying. We tend to forget we have come back from several 20 point deficits namely the Hawks and Warriors to steal games we maybe shouldn’t have won.

Hell, that very same number one seed lost to the Pistons by 16

 

[SacTownKid]

Why bother. Anyone who thinks Davion is being "showcased" at the expense of the team while we're fighting for a playoff spot in March is already grasping at straws.

It's very possible and Davion has been playing pretty well lately so that's good long term. Monte kind of had a tone that he knows this team isn't quite there in the presser he had. He pointed out they weren't even a playoff team at the deadline juncture and they weren't, they are riding the playin/last playoff spot line for the majority of this year.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Why bother. Anyone who thinks Davion is being "showcased" at the expense of the team while we're fighting for a playoff spot in March is already grasping at straws.

Got to think ahead to put the puzzle pieces together. They just committed a 3 year contract to Ellis, while announcing that Mitchell, Huerter, and Barnes were available for trade

 

[NewArena]

yeh we fans get dramatic its just so so so annoying. We tend to forget we have come back from several 20 point deficits namely the Hawks and Warriors to steal games we maybe shouldn’t have won.

This is true. We definitely have some wins that easily could have gone the other way, it just sucks to watch the Kings fall apart at home. I’d much prefer they have a clear homecourt advantage but we truly haven’t had one in years when the fans want so badly to lose their minds for our team and get the building rockin.

 

[hrdboild]

It's very possible and Davion has been playing pretty well lately so that's good long term. Monte kind of had a tone that he knows this team isn't quite there in the presser he had. He pointed out they weren't even a playoff team at the deadline juncture and they weren't, they are riding the playin/last playoff spot line for the majority of this year.

When you're trying to maximize your playoff seeding, the loss column is the only thing that matters and right now the Kings are closer to the #1 seed than the #11 seed (which is what they would have to be to miss the playoffs) if you look at the loss column. I guarantee you Mike Brown ain't coaching for next season either.

 

[NewArena]

Huerter was also getting into a rhythm, hitting back to back threes and and only saw the ball like once after that, with Keegan and Lyles passing up shot after shot. Mike Brown used to be quick on the timeout trigger when that would happen and he needs to start doing it again. Stop passing up shots

 

[iowamcnabb]

This is true. We definitely have some wins that easily could have gone the other way, it just sucks to watch the Kings fall apart at home. I’d much prefer they have a clear homecourt advantage but we truly haven’t had one in years when the fans want so badly to lose their minds for our team and get the building rockin.

the arena energy was crap tonight. Some of the games have been like that this year. A bit of a snooze fest out there ( at least it felt that way from my couch)

 

[SacTownKid]

When you're trying to maximize your playoff seeding, the loss column is the only thing that matters and right now the Kings are closer to the #1 seed than the #11 seed (which is what they would have to be to miss the playoffs) if you look at the loss column. I guarantee you Mike Brown ain't coaching for next season either.

Monte was talking about being a guaranteed playoff team I think. 7-10 is play in status. 9-10 have to win twice to even get in.

 

[Rain man]

All sortsa worms crawling out of the woodwork tonight. Where’s Gary and AriesMar?

I love this team and am usually a big defender of them, but tonight was shameful. The worms should be out. This team absolutely deserves criticism at this point.

Too many turnovers, too many guys not wanting to shoot, too many blow buys on defense. It wasn’t a lack of hustle. We scrapped a lot and were huge on the glass. We simply weren’t good enough to hold a 22 point lead against a really mediocre team.

Not enough impact defenders
Not enough playmakers
Not enough guys willing to shoot in crunch time.

when the team is locked in and playing their best they can beat anyone. But this team isn’t good enough to beat anyone with less than an “A game.”

 

[NewArena]

the arena energy was crap tonight. Some of the games have been like that this year. A bit of a snooze fest out there ( at least it felt that way from my couch)

It was the same being in the building tonight. Maybe nervous energy after seeing us crap the bed so many times in the past, idk.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

When you're trying to maximize your playoff seeding, the loss column is the only thing that matters and right now the Kings are closer to the #1 seed than the #11 seed (which is what they would have to be to miss the playoffs) if you look at the loss column. I guarantee you Mike Brown ain't coaching for next season either.

I mean we could finish 7th and miss the playoffs with two play-in losses.

Absolute worst case scenario there getting stuck with a dog draft pick and likely having to wait another year to make any moves unless we can get Atlanta to just bite on waiving our protection. uggh.

 

[kingdivac]

The number one seed got beaten by double digits by the Spurs last week.

So what - we're talking trends and multiple games....

 

[SacTownKid]

the arena energy was crap tonight. Some of the games have been like that this year. A bit of a snooze fest out there ( at least it felt that way from my couch)

It's also heading into those dog days of the season. Where everybody is kind of ready for the games to matter. Definitely better than waiting for the season to be over though haha.