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

[SacTownKid]

No bones about it, teams are going to go all in with the 3's against the Kings help D from here on. They've even had the Spurs relenting and just taking them.

 

[NewArena]

Gee, this is shocking.

i pray we do that thing where we suddenly turn it on and hit a bunch of threes, but .. i just don’t know.

 

[Woot!]

DFox is 12-37 over his last two. Damn, he came down hard.

 

[KainLear]

If we are losing to the Lebron/AD-less Lakers by 20 points, we should just automatically be declassified for whatever that Play-in/Playoffs.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

i swear sometimes i feel like the universe created the kings just to eff with my heart

 

[Tetsujin]

Still enough time to lose as bad as the Warriors!

 

[KainLear]

Still enough time to lose as bad as the Warriors!

I am almost rooting for it for the off-chance that it is so embarrassing that Vivek/Monte will have no choice but to fire Walton on the spot.

 

[dude12]

Time to watch baseball

 

[Krunker]

Ugh Kuzma is killin us, plus the carushow dunk, it always sucks to lose to the Lakers but it is worse to get crushed without the stars

 

[SacTownKid]

A lot of it is straight shot-making. Kings missing a lot of open shoots. Lakers, not so much.

Whatever. Kings had every incentive to come back strong tonight. Losing by 18 in the 4th to a team w/out its two superstars really blows.

Part of it is and Fox is off for sure. The issue is the attack plan was clear from the first play on and this DOESN'T play to the strengths of a 5 man unit that has turned into a league best. Maybe outside of Fox and Barnes but they both need space. You have to force teams to give space, driving in and attempting to destroy teams from all angles and all positions in the paint is the opposite of modern Bball.

 

[KainLear]

Time to watch baseball

At this point, it's more fun watching paint dry.

 

[Tetsujin]

Luke’s inability to make adjustments aside from entirely unnecessary ones to the parts of our team that were working good makes me wonder whether he’s actually seen a game of basketball or not.

 

[SLAB]

Unfortunately, these last few game are why I think the playoffs have always been a dream. When De’Aaron isn’t going supernova... we lose.

He’s gone supernova for exactly two stretches of games this season, which have been good for about 14 wins of our 22 total.

What’s our record in the rest of them when he’s either “only” good, or has an off night? He isn’t an every night superstar yet. And we’re not nearly good enough to make up the difference when he isn’t.

It was fun pretending we had a shot, but we don’t. This team isn’t good enough.

((I’m not in any way bashing on Fox for not being elite every night, btw))

 

[iowamcnabb]

I just joined the party and maybe it’s been said, but this feels like Deja vu. Kings go on streak. Lose to a good team and then start getting smoked by teams shooting 80 percent from three. Ugly

 

[KainLear]

Unfortunately, these last few game are why I think the playoffs have always been a dream. When De’Aaron isn’t going supernova... we lose.

He’s gone supernova for exactly two stretches of games this season, which have been good for about 14 wins of our 22 total.

What’s our record in the rest of them when he’s either “only” good, or has an off night? He isn’t an every night superstar yet. And we’re not nearly good enough to make up the difference when he isn’t.

It was fun pretending we had a shot, but we don’t. This team isn’t good enough.

((I’m not in any way bashing on Fox for not being elite every night, btw))

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.

 

[Krunker]

Hah, this was one of the nba.com poll questions during the livestream

 

[Tetsujin]

Did Luke make the guys run sprints before the game or something? All of our shots have been short tonight.

 

[SacTownKid]

Hah, this was one of the nba.com poll questions during the livestream

View attachment 10502

Two games back to back Pop and Vogel took his lunch money.

 

[KainLear]

Hah, this was one of the nba.com poll questions during the livestream

View attachment 10502

I'd rather have Kermit the Frog than Luke Walton.

I won't even have Walton coach my son's elementary school team...

if I had a son...

 

[Hoovtrain]

Classic freaking kings. I knew they were going to pull this crap. A depleted laker team and favorable schedule coming up and just in time for a losing streak. Screw these guys. So glad they played themselves out of that top 5 slot and are now in no mans land. Done!

 

[Tetsujin]

Schroeder remains among the dirtiest players in the league

 

[SLAB]

Classic freaking kings. I knew they were going to pull this crap. A depleted laker team and favorable schedule coming up and just in time for a losing streak. Screw these guys. So glad they played themselves out of that top 5 slot and are now in no mans land. Done!

It’s okay. Instead of the top 5 which looked nice and stacked we’ll assuredly just get another Hali at 12. Its all good.

And maybe a new coach? Oh man, the 8th seed has never been closer than next year!!!

 

[Tetsujin]

It’s okay. Instead of the top 5 which looked nice and stacked we’ll assuredly just get another Hali at 12. Its all good.

Not gonna get mad at Monte for thinking that Luke would be smart enough to stick with what’s working instead of deciding to redesign his entire playbook for no apparent reason.

 

[Woot!]

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.

Maybe when the superstar isn't performing he shouldn't have 20 shot attempts in 28 min.

 

[SacTownKid]

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.

And coaches have stuck for years being no better or smarter as a coach. All they did was keep it simple and keeping milking the cow. They didn't attempt to throw in a variety of wrinkles or change the scheme after 1 or 2 iffy games. Or to acclimate a group of role players they just traded for.

 

[KainLear]

It’s okay. Instead of the top 5 which looked nice and stacked we’ll assuredly just get another Hali at 12. Its all good.

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.

 

[TaxMan]

It’s really amazing how many times over the last 35 years I fallen like an idiot for this team.

 

[Tetsujin]

Maybe when the superstar isn't performing he should have 20 shots attempted in 28 min.

You live and die with your superstar. Force feed him shots to get him going. That’s how you win in this league. Not by running dumbass sets through your undersized energy role player center and your 6’8” wingman

 

[SacTownKid]

Not gonna get mad at Monte for thinking that Luke would be smart enough to stick with what’s working instead of deciding to redesign his entire playbook for no apparent reason.

Again too! Tonight was likely going to be an L because of how dragged out Fox looks but dude, this is the 2nd time and with two different gameplans entirely. Usually it's trying to throw in off ball motion and they've done some of that but now it's a pound you inside attack team. Bizarre.

 

[KainLear]

And coaches have stuck for years being no better or smarter as a coach. All they did was keep it simple and keeping milking the cow. They didn't attempt to throw in a variety of wrinkles or change the scheme after 1 or 2 iffy games. Or to acclimate a group of role players they just traded for.

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.