[Game] Kings vs. Lakers, 4/2/2021, 7pm PST 10pm EST

I'll give credit where credit is due. Walton and his team are best at managing players off the court, managing egos etc. The team did bond well this year but there's also a lot of it has to do with Haliburton and the younger players buying in.
That's why I think if Luke would just step out of his own way and be a sideline cheerleader type of coach he could be a coach that lasts in a variety of gigs for 10-15 years. Know what you are and go with it. Lady Gaga might not be Mozart but she sells a heck of a lot more albums.
 
That's why I think if Luke would just step out of his own way and be a sideline cheerleader type of coach he could be a coach that lasts in a variety of gigs for 10-15 years. Know what you are and go with it. Lady Gaga might not be Mozart but she sells a heck of a lot more albums.
Since McNair joined the team AFTER Walton, plus the financial incentives of keeping Walton, and COVID being COVID, he chose to ride this year along with him since that means McNair's own record with the new team won't be tainted by Walton not being his hire.

And with his rather short track record with the Kings so far, I'd say he's probably looking around for Walton's replacement for next year, where his performance for the Kings in a full season will really be watched.
 
To be honest, before this game, I was thinking Drummond will be a tough matchup for Richaun and probably the most likely suspect to go off on us.

Hell, I was so naive, when I saw them starting Gasol, I thought to myself, with our new players enforcing a better defensive scheme overall, maybe we'll at least play well against the Lakers' bench.
 
This is the first full kings game I've watched all year.

Simple to me, lakers are so disciplined to me, especially on the defensive end.

You have a bunch of role players destroying the kings because they play harder and tougher than you.

They were lightning fast on rotations, and you could tell they've all boughten in.

The kings need to play like this, it's just an effort thing.

I really like what Vogel and LeBron did with the Lakers. They are a defense first team. And elite at that.

If the kings want to be better they need to be tougher. Way tougher.
 
Since McNair joined the team AFTER Walton, plus the financial incentives of keeping Walton, and COVID being COVID, he chose to ride this year along with him since that means McNair's own record with the new team won't be tainted by Walton not being his hire.

And with his rather short track record with the Kings so far, I'd say he's probably looking around for Walton's replacement for next year, where his performance for the Kings in a full season will really be watched.
Yeah, regardless of what happens I'm going with history long term. Transition coaches don't last.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
To be honest, before this game, I was thinking Drummond will be a tough matchup for Richaun and probably the most likely suspect to go off on us.

Hell, I was so naive, when I saw them starting Gasol, I thought to myself, with our new players enforcing a better defensive scheme overall, maybe we'll at least play well against the Lakers' bench.
You forgot that Holmes’s Kryptonite is chubby dudes from Europe.
 
This is the first full kings game I've watched all year.

Simple to me, lakers are so disciplined to me, especially on the defensive end.


You have a bunch of role players destroying the kings because they play harder and tougher than you.

They were lightning fast on rotations, and you could tell they've all boughten in.

The kings need to play like this, it's just an effort thing.

I really like what Vogel and LeBron did with the Lakers. They are a defense first team. And elite at that.

If the kings want to be better they need to be tougher. Way tougher.
First of all, I'm sorry if this is your first full game watched.

Secondly, the Lakers without their 2 superstars, they are still up in the top in defense because Vogel is a schemer and his performance last year taking the Lakers to the promise land definitely earned his trust among all his players.
 
It's on Walton.

Your superstar performing like a superstar should get you a win, and when your superstar isn't performing, your role players don't have enough skills/authority to create something out of nothing, which left Walton and his coaching team in this equation.
I think it’s on Monte. A competent GM would realize and tell his owner this team isn’t good enough to be a play-off team.

Being the team good enough to beat the smart GM’s and bad enough to lose to the real teams is how you set a record for consecutive seasons out of the playoffs.
 
I think it’s on Monte. A competent GM would realize and tell his owner this team isn’t good enough to be a play-off team.

Being the team good enough to beat the smart GM’s and bad enough to lose to the real teams is how you set a record for consecutive seasons out of the playoffs.
I've commented on this earlier but I'll put a summary version here as a response.

There is not enough positive for McNair to find his own head coach that utilizes his players the way he wants so instead he chose to keep Walton around. Thus this year will be a wash on McNair's record since Walton wasn't his hire.

Plus, I'm sure McNair is competent enough to have already let his organization knows that they aren't a Playoffs team.
 
We were never expecting our Cardiac Kings to get to the Playoffs this year anyway, especially with Luke Walton at the helm.

Better stock up another young promising rookie, get rid of Walton, and actually find someone who doesn't prioritize his "plays" around role players because he is one himself and will always stick up for them.
If that was the plan you don’t “improve” the team, give up second round picks, and lose cap flexibility.
 
This is the first full kings game I've watched all year.

Simple to me, lakers are so disciplined to me, especially on the defensive end.

You have a bunch of role players destroying the kings because they play harder and tougher than you.

They were lightning fast on rotations, and you could tell they've all boughten in.

The kings need to play like this, it's just an effort thing.

I really like what Vogel and LeBron did with the Lakers. They are a defense first team. And elite at that.

If the kings want to be better they need to be tougher. Way tougher.
The concerns were apparent before this. The Kings while now playing small don't play traditional small ball. They play SUPER smallball. Walton wants them to go mano y mano with small ball teams that aren't running 3 guards out there. Let alone one with a SG that clocks in at around 170 pounds. Their advantage is going to be with quickness and the ability to break down the defense by finding the gaps, drawing and kicking, or finessing shots over the defense in the paint. Fox is the man when it comes to finishing through bigger players so just spread the dang floor out and run that middle pick and roll. If it doesn't work you're screwed anyway. They started this game flashing players into the paint off the ball and trying to finish over and through a bigger, stronger team for the 2nd game in a row and it was even worse this go around.
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
I've commented on this earlier but I'll put a summary version here as a response.

There is not enough positive for McNair to find his own head coach that utilizes his players the way he wants so instead he chose to keep Walton around. Thus this year will be a wash on McNair's record since Walton wasn't his hire.

Plus, I'm sure McNair is competent enough to have already let his organization knows that they aren't a Playoffs team.
Didnt the newz people say the FO agreed this wasn’t a playoff team, and wanted to sell but good ol’ Vivek overruled them?
 
I've commented on this earlier but I'll put a summary version here as a response.

There is not enough positive for McNair to find his own head coach that utilizes his players the way he wants so instead he chose to keep Walton around. Thus this year will be a wash on McNair's record since Walton wasn't his hire.

Plus, I'm sure McNair is competent enough to have already let his organization knows that they aren't a Playoffs team.
You have your opinion that Walton is the problem and I think it’s McNair. After the next coach we shall see who is correct.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
Didnt the newz people say the FO agreed this wasn’t a playoff team, and wanted to sell but good ol’ Vivek overruled them?
it was a certain particular unconnected/connected to certain minority owners bunch of national guys that were really saying it tough.
 
I think it’s on Monte. A competent GM would realize and tell his owner this team isn’t good enough to be a play-off team.

Being the team good enough to beat the smart GM’s and bad enough to lose to the real teams is how you set a record for consecutive seasons out of the playoffs.
This team is right in the window of making the play in whether that was the smart call or not time will tell. I guess them just picking a definitive direction is a step up, haha. If Monte puts his trust in his on floor decision maker then he didn't learn from Vlades mistakes.
 
You have your opinion that Walton is the problem and I think it’s McNair. After the next coach we shall see who is correct.
Do you think that a new front office starting off with a holdover coach is ideal? I think regardless of fault that right there is a recipe for time wasted. The great thing out of it is at least we know for sure Fox is a legit star. I just hope McNair does understand what the deal is and who is the one responsible for any respectability the team has shown this year.
 
If that was the plan you don’t “improve” the team, give up second round picks, and lose cap flexibility.
He did, albeit not how you described it.

Delon Wright is a good pick-up, he's only 28 if I remember correctly, around the same age as Barnes, who I also believe that McNair wants to keep as vet presence for when Fox and the youngsters hit their stride. Plus his 3 year / $28,050,000 is a steal for his skill set. Harkless is on a 1-year contract playing the next 30 or so games as Barnes backup only. And Davis is only 23, and his 2 year / $2,416,291 definitely worths the gamble with his off-court issue potentially.

Other than that, I don't see how he "lose cap flexibility" if 2 of those 3 players remain as part of the core for the future.
 
You have your opinion that Walton is the problem and I think it’s McNair. After the next coach we shall see who is correct.
Ha! Sure if you wanna just ignore facts and stick with "agree to disagree". I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, only 30ish games away from not having Kings basketball for some months.

I just think the fact that McNair ingeniously created a situation where he can gain for short term and not completely ruin long term goes above many people's heads.
 
This team is right in the window of making the play in whether that was the smart call or not time will tell. I guess them just picking a definitive direction is a step up, haha. If Monte puts his trust in his on floor decision maker then he didn't learn from Vlades mistakes.
I don’t consider picking up guys for 2nd round picks is a definitive direction. I think it’s “keeping all your options open”..... and ending up picking 10-12. I could well be proven wrong and you are free to put this back in my face. We shall see.

I would rather be wrong, eat my words and watch the kings in the play-offs. Sadly, I don’t think I am.