[Game] Kings vs Suns Jan 6PT-9ET

[Tizzy Flip]

Stein, has better lateral quickness than either of the other 2. You see glimpses of his fight on defense, but he holds it back too often especially on rebounds. and he has regressed in his shooting. Giles on the other hand is competing hard most of the time consistently which is more than Stein at this point. Giles focuses on his jump-shooting while Stein looks like he's throwing darts or something. Bagley may have the best overall offensive game and jumping ability of the 3. Giles is fundamentally strong, but his reactions sometimes look slow. Love his boxing-out and hard defense. Its good to see him getting minutes.

I think more players on the team need to be shooting the ball with more confidence - too much reliance on Hield and Bogdanovic. Work with Giles and Stein on the elbow jump shot. Encourage them to practice that shot if defenders sag off.

Willie could be an elite tight end. Apparently he was the faster player on the field in high school. He probably just couldn’t catch the ball

 

[KingsSelecao]

I am not giving up on playoffs yet. we are right there. development through meaningful games.

Outside of a total Lakers collapse, Sans Lebron.

Seriously, who are they catching in the Top 7 seeds? Really? Unless you’re expecting a Rockets, Spurs, Clips collapse, don’t hold your breath.

 

[Hoovtrain]

Off course they are, but temper expectations I think. He's still young and learning too - as much or more so than others .

Totally agree, he’s still incredibly raw as well, which makes it more exciting. However, this little slide they went on coincided with when he went down. Not saying he’s the sole reason, but His value to this team is hard to replicate imo

 

[Tizzy Flip]

Outside of a total Lakers collapse, Sans Lebron.

Seriously, who are they catching in the Top 7 seeds? Really? Unless you’re expecting a Rockets, Spurs, Clips collapse, don’t hold your breath.

Yep, small chance of happening. If anything, pelicans get in once Mirotic is back. And either Clippers or Trailblazers drop out.

 

[Kingsfan23]

Totally agree, he’s still incredibly raw as well, which makes it more exciting. However, this little slide they went on coincided with when he went down. Not saying he’s the sole reason, but His value to this team is hard to replicate imo

It’s probably coincided more with the strength of schedule, good teams and B2Bs. He’s a developing player whose advanced stats reflect that of a developing player. Obviously it would be great to have as many options as possible but, teams around the NBA miss their 5th best current players (?) all the time

Glad I missed this one from the comments, damn. Glad it looks like JJ continued positive improvement, and De’aaron despite the messy turnovers looked to at least put some imprint. Aside from being a headache and a point of contention, it will be a positive to have another starting center next year than WCS next year. Just a young, upside piece at that position, like Harrell last offseason, and there will be several available, can form a frontline with Bagley/Giles and solidify the unit going forward

 

[steelevt]

the suns have beaten san antonio, milwaukee, and boston. And lesser yet formidable opponents in memphis, minnesota and dallas twice. it's not like all there wins are against east coast scrubs so i dont feel as bad as earlier. the loss still sucks though

 

[RaY Z]

Patience is hard especially how we have been for the past 10+ years. But we gotta get over it and move on. I was angry at first but the past is the past.

On to the next game!

 

[The Effort Police]

I've never seen so many "drive into traffic and cough it up" turnovers. Or "throw it right to the opposing team" turnovers.

The three guards lost the game tonight. Special mention to Bogdan who's been isoing and throwing up terrible shot after terrible shot for a while now.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

the suns have beaten san antonio, milwaukee, and boston. And lesser yet formidable opponents in memphis, minnesota and dallas twice. it's not like all there wins are against east coast scrubs

True. But how many of those opponents held 21-point leads in the 3rd Q. And how many of those games did Devin Booker play?

W/O looking it up, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that Booker played in a couple of those games and that SA, Boston and Milwaukee didn't hold huge 3rd quarter leads.

That was a bad basketball team the KINGS lost to tonight. IIRC, it was said on the broadcast that the Suns had only won only ONE GAME when Devin Booker didn't play. Now it's two.

Especially considering the 21-point lead, this is an inexcusable loss. And I'm still quite salty about it. For a team hoping to overachieve and make the postseason, these are the types of games they can't afford to give away.

 

[steelevt]

True. But how many of those opponents held 21-point leads in the 3rd Q. And how many of those games did Devin Booker play?

W/O looking it up, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that Booker played in a couple of those games and that SA, Boston and Milwaukee didn't hold huge 3rd quarter leads.

That was a bad basketball team the KINGS lost to tonight. IIRC, it was said on the broadcast that the Suns had only won only ONE GAME when Devin Booker didn't play. Now it's two.

Especially considering the 21-point lead, this is an inexcusable loss. And I'm still quite salty about it. For a team hoping to overachieve and make the postseason, these are the types of games they can't afford to give away.

OK I'm sad again. Are you happy now?

 

[rosa u podne]

Outside of a total Lakers collapse, Sans Lebron.

Seriously, who are they catching in the Top 7 seeds? Really? Unless you’re expecting a Rockets, Spurs, Clips collapse, don’t hold your breath.

I don't think Kings will make PO, but hopefully they will stay close. I expect OKC to loose much more, not quite collapse.

 

[Nokidding]

I've never seen so many "drive into traffic and cough it up" turnovers. Or "throw it right to the opposing team" turnovers.

The three guards lost the game tonight. Special mention to Bogdan who's been isoing and throwing up terrible shot after terrible shot for a while now.

Not to mention his appalling boxing out which has killed us as well.

In the 2nd half we kept going to WCS in low post/high post situations which completely changed the momentum, Giles was also terrible.

I'd offer the Suns anything other than Bagley/Fox/Hield/Giles to get TJ Warren he's become a decent to good defender and improved his 3point shooting by like 20% he's the SF we want.

I have been also saying for the past few games now that Bagley/Giles will get playing time/development the Kings NEED to trade Bjelica to a playoff team in need of shooting his value will never be higher and he provides something a playoff team needs. Also factoring in Jackson's improved play and Dave's love of going small lately it makes a ton of sense.

 

[Chupacabra]

For the foreseeable future all practices should include a ridiculous drill that makes all of the players feel stupid. This drill should somehow relate to not getting the ball stolen. The Suns looked like a video game version of the '04 Pistons that was pressing the entire game with fatigue turned off. The Kings didn't even look like an NBA team. If I'm a Kings player I avoid making eye contact with anyone in sac for awhile. This was pathetic to watch and I demand to be paid for the time I spent watching it.

 

[The Effort Police]

Not to mention his appalling boxing out which has killed us as well.

In the 2nd half we kept going to WCS in low post/high post situations which completely changed the momentum, Giles was also terrible.

I'd offer the Suns anything other than Bagley/Fox/Hield/Giles to get TJ Warren he's become a decent to good defender and improved his 3point shooting by like 20% he's the SF we want.

I have been also saying for the past few games now that Bagley/Giles will get playing time/development the Kings NEED to trade Bjelica to a playoff team in need of shooting his value will never be higher and he provides something a playoff team needs.

Everybody was terrible. I can point to something for pretty much every player that was a killer.

The three guards' turnovers.

Bogdan chucking.

WCS' inability to finish.

Giles forcing.

Koufos general clumsiness and lack of basketball ability.

Bjelica didn't do anything too egregious but tbh I've kind of been forgetting he's even there for a while now.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Ugh, left to take my son to his mom's about 5 minutes into the second half, saw the Kangz post but no way.

Ugh.

In the end, I am not sure this one is going to matter unless we miss the playoffs by one spot, but I'm not sure the prioritized a win when they decide to rest Bagley. Still it would have felt nice to be over .500 at the literal halfway point.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

OK I'm sad again. Are you happy now?

LOL.
I just hope the team is sad over it. Gotta get their act in gear.

 

[burekijogurt]

Outside of a total Lakers collapse, Sans Lebron.

Seriously, who are they catching in the Top 7 seeds? Really? Unless you’re expecting a Rockets, Spurs, Clips collapse, don’t hold your breath.

the playoffs are not decided at this point. we are 2 games out. a lot can change. and even if we don't make it we will be in the hunt and the games will be meaningful, at least for the time being.

 

[Cojc]

Ok everyone has already expressed the opinion I have one way or another.
But dang when I saw the lineup we had in the last two minutes all I could think of is here comes foul a Willie time. And in the last minute why didn’t we have our best shooters in the game.
And how about someone to run pick and rolls from 10 to 12 feet that can hit a shot instead of 15 to 22 feet with WCS? If we don’t have one then we may need to find one.
I have about as much confidence in WCS making a jump shot as I did back in the day of watching manute Bol taking a 3 pointer. I am surprised that opposing fans have not started chanting shoot it ever time WCS touches the ball.

 

[jcassio]

It’s hard to love this team when they do this.
Not saying I don’t still love this team. Just saying it’s hard. Sometimes.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Kayte just trotted out the back to back and this many games in this many nights excuse

Does it count as an "excuse," if it's accurate?

They've been using this excuse all season and who knows maybe the team is starting to believe it. You can't be a good team let alone a playoff team when you lose almost all of your back to backs.

I mean, I guess. I do feel like it's worth noting that, among the sixteen teams currently occupying playoff positions, five of them have losing records on the second night of a back-to-back, one of which would have homecourt in the first round, if the regular season ended today: 76ers (2-5), Celtics (2-4), Clippers (3-4), Spurs (1-6) and Nets (2-8). It also bears noting that, of the sixteen best teams in the NBA by record, only one team (lakers) have played as many back-to-backs as the Kings (9), and most of the teams that have better records than the Kings have played six or fewer.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

“Postgame live with Jim Kozimor and Kelly H..I mean Kayte Hunter. I’ll get it eventually. Where did I get Kelly from? Well, I DID date a high school girl named Kelly”

That's still better than the last time he flubbed her name on the air.

 

[ppine]

Gimme some Holmes.
Bagley and Shumpert are the kind of players that would have helped last night, but their absence is not why the Kings lost.

The Kings's were outhustled and out played by a crummy team. The passing was lazy. Way too much dribbles into an aggressive defense. We were slow to figure out that the way to beat pressure defense is over the top passes and back door cuts. Turnovers were the difference in the game. The Kings lost all quarters except the second.

Fox and Bogdan were lazy in their ball handling.
I take back everything positive I said yesterday.
Okay, the Kings' are still a young team, and sometimes they play like it.

 

[KingsSelecao]

I don't think Kings will make PO, but hopefully they will stay close. I expect OKC to loose much more, not quite collapse.

With Paul George, their not going to lose many. He’s playing like an MVP.

 

[kingsfan1984]

Mad

 

[ockingsfan]

As bad as losing to the woeful Suns is, we need to put it in perspective. This was the 2nd of back to backs on a road game. The Kings simply looked listless and careless after the break. They were one step slow the whole second half.

Also, I looked up the other teams that also lost to the Suns this year and they were pretty good teams, Dallas (twice), Boston, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Memphis, Minnesota, New York and Orlando. Those are some pretty good teams that the Suns beat.

I know it sucks, but Phoenix seems to show up better against the better teams and just plain tanks versus the lottery teams. As bad as they are, they do have some talent and some nights they just come out blitzing. The Kings just got caught flatfooted and not paying attention.

 

[chief bromden]

This team thought they had this game won at halftime, and the Suns made them pay. Sloppy unfocused play in the second half means this will be another learning experience that they will benefit from in the future.

 

[ppine]

So when are the Kings going to win a game after playing the night before?

 

[SLAB]

So when are the Kings going to win a game after playing the night before?

They won’t. It’s both a convenient excuse and mental now.

 

[k_dubb90]

As bad as losing to the woeful Suns is, we need to put it in perspective. This was the 2nd of back to backs on a road game. The Kings simply looked listless and careless after the break. They were one step slow the whole second half.

Also, I looked up the other teams that also lost to the Suns this year and they were pretty good teams, Dallas (twice), Boston, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Memphis, Minnesota, New York and Orlando. Those are some pretty good teams that the Suns beat.

I know it sucks, but Phoenix seems to show up better against the better teams and just plain tanks versus the lottery teams. As bad as they are, they do have some talent and some nights they just come out blitzing. The Kings just got caught flatfooted and not paying attention.

But we dropped 40 in a quarter there’s no excuses for this one

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

So when are the Kings going to win a game after playing the night before?

They won’t. It’s both a convenient excuse and mental now.

They've won the same number of games in those circumstances as the Clippers (3-4), Rockets (3-3), Hornets (3-3) and Heat (3-2), and more than the 76ers (2-5), Celtics (2-4), Spurs (1-6) and Nets (2-8). All eight of those teams currently occupy playoff position.