[Game] Kings @ Wizards - 3/21/2024 - 4:00PM PST/7:00PM EST

[megapoxy]

We didn't attack the paint facing the team that has the most points in the paint against... and Brown complaining about not taking open 3 point shots.
At Toronto we did the obvious things, apply pressure in their ball handler, make them turn the ball over, get easy fast breaks points, attack the paint, and won so so easily.
Now at Orlando whatever happens will be "the 3rd match in 4 days on the road" as an excuse.

 

[coolhandluke]

We didn't attack the paint facing the team that has the most points in the paint against... and Brown complaining about not taking open 3 point shots.
At Toronto we did the obvious things, apply pressure in their ball handler, make them turn the ball over, get easy fast breaks points, attack the paint, and won so so easily.
Now at Orlando whatever happens will be "the 3rd match in 4 days on the road" as an excuse.

Wizards traded their shot-blocking center to the Mavs and were playing Holmes at center.

 

[megapoxy]

Wizards traded their shot-blocking center to the Mavs and were playing Holmes at center.

This was a revenge games for Holmes, he was totally disrespected last season, barely playing, despite being solid when Sabonis was out in some matches (I remember he was brilliant in the match we won at Lakers). On a bright note it wasn't Bagley cooking us. Will stop ranting, moving on to the next one.

 

[Dime Dropper]

God I hate this team sometimes. Another totally non-surprising loss to an awful team.

 

[DynaPamm]

Well thank you to everyone on the boards I won’t wash, rinse, and repeat hahaha because all of us feel and see exactly how I did after watching this loser of a game. I’ll just add when we finally had that nice 19-2 run I had a totally different outcome in my head only obviously of the end of this game. For me the final pisser is dropping from 6 seed to 8 seed all because we lost to the worst western conference team! I mean including the win over the Kings they’ve only won like a dozen games!!! SMFH

 

[ESP47]

When the Kings get bounced in the play in game(s), we will all point back to all these losses to these bottom feeder teams. Way too many of them this year and they will be this team's undoing in the end. A little effort and some average bball IQ against the bottom of the barrel teams and the Kings are in the 5th or 6th seed and firmly in the playoffs.

 

[luckytkp]

When the Kings get bounced in the play in game(s), we will all point back to all these losses to these bottom feeder teams. Way too many of them this year and they will be this team's undoing in the end. A little effort and some average bball IQ against the bottom of the barrel teams and the Kings are in the 5th or 6th seed and firmly in the playoffs.

That would be a costly lesson, you would think Fox would have learned this by now after the hell years he had gone through early in his kings times.

 

[upinsmoke]

This squad isn't real folks. Team is missing a tough SOB who will call out everyone's softness and lead by example. When's the last time we laid someone out for hacking one of our guys b/c that needs to happen from time to time.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Fans across the base are starting to get pissed off that Brown wants to keep talking about "more spray 3's", when you're going up against a team like the Washington Wizards. Constantly pushing this regardless of the opponent and circumstance, shows little creativity and coaching acumen

 

[upinsmoke]

Fans across the base are starting to get pissed off that Brown wants to keep talking about "more spray 3's", when you're going up against a team like the Washington Wizards. Constantly pushing this regardless of the opponent and circumstance, shows little creativity and coaching acumen

I don't think he's the final solution. I feel like we are prepping DC for that role.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Fans across the base are starting to get pissed off that Brown wants to keep talking about "more spray 3's", when you're going up against a team like the Washington Wizards. Constantly pushing this regardless of the opponent and circumstance, shows little creativity and coaching acumen

Got lit up for saying this a few weeks ago.

 

[MizzouKing]

Whatever this thing is that "we just can't seem to figure out," there are other teams out there who's coaching staff have figured it out and know how to use it against us. I hope we don't meet those teams too early in the playoffs. We have a great coaching staff, but still I wonder if that isn't where we should be looking when we talk about "that missing piece."

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

I don't think he's the final solution. I feel like we are prepping DC for that role.

Are people slowly starting to warm up to the idea that I wasn't an insane nutjob for suggesting this a couple months ago? Thank you sir. And by the way, people misread that I was set on Fernandez. I wasn't necessarily. I said, "somebody already on staff"... yes I hinted at Fernandez, but I could see DC being that guy as well.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Whatever this thing is that "we just can't seem to figure out," there are other teams out there who's coaching staff have figured it out and know how to use it against us. I hope we don't meet those teams too early in the playoffs. We have a great coaching staff, but still I wonder if that isn't where we should be looking when we talk about "that missing piece."

Amazing! Glad to see others are open to this idea. I've had this thought as well. As good as our coaching staff is, I believe our roster is currently underperforming for the talent we have.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Whatever this thing is that "we just can't seem to figure out," there are other teams out there who's coaching staff have figured it out and know how to use it against us. I hope we don't meet those teams too early in the playoffs. We have a great coaching staff, but still I wonder if that isn't where we should be looking when we talk about "that missing piece."

For what reason is the staff "great"? Is it just relative to what we had for the 16 years prior?

 

[dude12]

Are people slowly starting to warm up to the idea that I wasn't an insane nutjob for suggesting this a couple months ago? Thank you sir. And by the way, people misread that I was set on Fernandez. I wasn't necessarily. I said, "somebody already on staff"... yes I hinted at Fernandez, but I could see DC being that guy as well.

Nope, not warm8ng up to it at all.

 

[ESP47]

This squad should be able to beat the Wizards without any coaching staff being involved at all. There was no 3D chess being played here. Kings just got outplayed and outworked on the boards.

 

[Kingster]

You know, the whole "losing to bad teams and beating good ones" bit may not matter anymore once the playoffs starts but chucking threes every time down the floor in the last five minutes of the game while trying to make a comeback is still going to matter and it could be the reason we don't win a playoff series this year.

Yes. After playing 69 games are the Kings a better team after all the practice and film sessions during the season? I can't say yes to that question. I see some individual improvement, such as Keegan's defense and Ellis's insertion into the lineup and his defense, but overall the negatives seem to nullify the positives for the team as a whole.

 

[Kingster]

Are people slowly starting to warm up to the idea that I wasn't an insane nutjob for suggesting this a couple months ago? Thank you sir. And by the way, people misread that I was set on Fernandez. I wasn't necessarily. I said, "somebody already on staff"... yes I hinted at Fernandez, but I could see DC being that guy as well.

I don't think Brown should be replaced, but I'd seriously look at the assistant coach in charge of the offense. The defense of this team has improved under Brown, but I don't see the cohesiveness on offense. I also don't see why Fernandez, the defense assistant, or Christie, for that matter, should be in consideration for the job. What credentials do they bring when it comes to offense?

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

This squad should be able to beat the Wizards without any coaching staff being involved at all. There was no 3D chess being played here. Kings just got outplayed and outworked on the boards.

Exactly. Fox plays like he is expecting to be traded half the time, Keegan looks terrified to be out there half the time, Sabonis refuses to shoot anything outside of 7 feet, even though he is constantly left wide open and can make them, and we rebound like the basketball is a live grenade. That's not to say that Brown doesn't need to step it up either, his gameplans and rotations have been super questionable at best this season, but coaching isn't going to make that much of a difference until our guys start playing like competitors instead of guys who look like they'd rather be doing anything else.

 

[sactowndog]

I'm afraid another early Playoff exit will be the best lesson they can go through, consecutive years of making it in and understanding what it takes to take that next step, which doesn't happen of course without some roster construction but its good for the main core guys to experience it

No the best lesson would be missing the play-offs all together. Then maybe Monte would balance out this roster.

 

[Srzly]

I think it’s fair to question the coaching on certain aspects, like why did it take almost the whole season and an injury for Ellis to start/get significant minutes when he has made us better every time he’s given a chance. Same thing with Len over McGee.

But I don’t blame the coaches for Sabonis turning it over 6 times last night or Fox shooting 30 times despite having an off shooting night, etc. Those guys don’t normally play that way and unfortunately they did last night against a bad team and it cost us. I don’t think Brown should or could bench them.

I feel pretty optimistic about this team with emergence of Keon. I think the coaches deserve credit for where we are at in a very tough Western Conference despite multiple of our normally reliable shooters not shooting well at various points this season.

Last night sucked but I don’t feel like the sky is falling. While we have proven we can lose to anyone, we’ve also proven we can beat anyone. We’re a good team, just not a super consistent one so far.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Nope, not warm8ng up to it at all.

Some are it seems as I am hearing my prognosticangiatoli coming from other dimly lit areas of this smoke-filled back bar room known as kings fans dot com.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

I wish fox would look to create for others more on the nights that hes shooting like that. The offense looks so much more dynamic when hes looking to drop dimes and it takes alot of pressure off of domas and monk to create. It sucks that players like Keegan or Barnes are kinda afterthoughts on offense some games. Share the rock, get people looks and it'll energize them. And its much less predictable.

No idea why Keon barely played yesterday. The rotations were all over the place and i think starting monk the second half was a mistake. They fell behind and had no one to come in and spark the comeback.
Its the same story with this team though, not enough offensive versatility/creativity. And defensive lapses. Very frustrating season.

 

[Caccia]

I wish Fox would look to create for others more on the nights that he's shooting like that. The offense looks so much more dynamic when he's looking to drop dimes and it takes alot of pressure off of Domas and Monk to create. It sucks that players like Keegan or Barnes are kinda afterthoughts on offense some games. Share the rock, get people looks and it'll energize them. And its much less predictable.

No idea why Keon barely played yesterday. The rotations were all over the place and I think starting Monk the second half was a mistake. They fell behind and had no one to come in and spark the comeback.

I agree about Fox passing the ball and not forcing up shots, but Monk did not start the second half, Keon Ellis did. He picked up his third foul at the 9:11 mark and Monk came in, along with Kessler Edwards. They were already down by 11 at that point, having scored only two points in three minutes. In those three minutes, according to the play-by-play, Fox missed two shots, Sabonis and Murray one apiece. Fox also threw a bad pass and Sabonis was called for three seconds in the lane. That's pretty much a summary of how the game went overall.

Malik has never started a game for the Kings, and I do not recall him ever starting the second half, either, only in overtime. Perhaps someone else remembers that happening?

 

[chief bromden]

Point to coaching all you want, but a game like last night is on the shoulders of the best players. Sabonis and Fox didn't play consistently well, and after falling on their faces against tanking teams in the past and what is at stake standing wise,I would love to see them come into that game with a killer instinct. Instead, Sabonis got worked on the defensive boards in the last few minutes, had 6 turnovers, and wasn't aggressive enough offensively; Fox had tunnel vision and kept chucking even though anyone watching could see his shot wasn't on point from the jump. Sadly, it's been this way all year so, at this point, they are who they are. So I'm just enjoying them being in the mix and not the lottery and will be excited to see what they do in the offseason

 

[SacTownKid]

Point to coaching all you want, but a game like last night is on the shoulders of the best players. Sabonis and Fox didn't play consistently well, and after falling on their faces against tanking teams in the past and what is at stake standing wise,I would love to see them come into that game with a killer instinct. Instead, Sabonis got worked on the defensive boards in the last few minutes, had 6 turnovers, and wasn't aggressive enough offensively; Fox had tunnel vision and kept chucking even though anyone watching could see his shot wasn't on point from the jump. Sadly, it's been this way all year so, at this point, they are who they are. So I'm just enjoying them being in the mix and not the lottery and will be excited to see what they do in the offseason

Yeah, but there are definitely clearly things on the defensive end strategically that have to be addressed. That or personnel wise. Browns Warriors system of sagging from the 3 point line on help is probably the single reason this team is up and down defensively. The Kings are smaller than even the Warriors when at their defensive peak. The Kings guard lineups of Davion, Monk, Fox, and Keon, while potentially good individually defensively leave them at a huge disadvantage in body weight and the Kings help scheme is largely dependent on help sliding in farther and farther the more a defender gets pushed to the rim on post ups or drives. It's pure physics, Monk, Fox, or Keon at 180 pounds or whatever are not stopping players 20-30 pounds heavier sometimes from getting deeper in the paint. However, Fox and Keon have shown to be much stronger than they look and have clear advantages in attacking via pressure. If Brown wants to continue to rely on spacing defenses he probably needs a squad that has a Klay Thompson type at SG with players all around 6'7" and 200 pounds or above next to the PG. Like the Warriors did. This team has "pesky" written all over it, not spacing. And when pesky the defense, just as in this game, improves dramatically. If you can't attack a players body because of a dramatic difference in size, attack the ball. That simple.

 

[The_Jamal]

Weird how the "fire coach brown" dudes only show up after a loss. Never mind the fact we've been excellent in March on both ends of the court

 

[dude12]

Weird how the "fire coach brown" dudes only show up after a loss. Never mind the fact we've been excellent in March on both ends of the court

Agreed. Just weird takes. Is it weird we have lost these bottom feeder games? Yes. Do we have kick ass records against many of the upper tier playoff teams? Yes

i mean to fire Brown after the season, even if it was a play in loss, would be similar to firing Micheal Malone. As in no reason to do it.
The more accurate take would be we need to make tweaks to the roster to go further.

 

[Tetsujin]

I see we’ve reached the mass insanity portion of the season. Do you guys actually read what your type before you post?