[Game] Knicks at Kings, Friday Dec. 13, 7 PM PT/10 PM ET

[KingsFanSince85]

Much to Buddy's credit, it seems like he was fully intent on not letting a bad team beat us. Unfortunately for him, he started cooling off and some of those bad tempo shots started to roll out and on the other end Elfrid Payton was possessed by the spirit of John Starks and he got absolutely lit up for a stretch.

Buddy and the team shot it well. What ultimately lost them the game IMO was going into cruise control with about 3-4 minutes remaining in Q3 and lasting several minutes into Q4. Lots of poor decisions and bad shots coupled with lackluster effort on defense and on the boards. That stretch significantly diminished the previous double digit lead and gave the Knicks the confidence boost they needed.

Also thought another key point was late in Q4 when the KINGS reforged a 6 point lead and Buddy took a transition 3 that rattled in and out. If that goes in, I believe they hold on for the W. But it didn’t. So instead we got by far the worst loss of the season.

This team needs to learn how to focus. Forget about the opponent and think about the fact that they were 2 games below .500 and they need wins regardless who they play to get their head back above water. Focus on that. Focus on survival. They’ll be better off.

 

[midtowner]

This game made me angry. I went to bed mad. But then I woke up, sun is out, played with the kiddos, had good coffee, and life goes on.

but I’m still pissed.

 

[Kingster]

Buddy and the team shot it well. What ultimately lost them the game IMO was going into cruise control with about 3-4 minutes remaining in Q3 and lasting several minutes into Q4. Lots of poor decisions and bad shots coupled with lackluster effort on defense and on the boards. That stretch significantly diminished the previous double digit lead and gave the Knicks the confidence boost they needed.

Also thought another key point was late in Q4 when the KINGS reforged a 6 point lead and Buddy took a transition 3 that rattled in and out. If that goes in, I believe they hold on for the W. But it didn’t. So instead we got by far the worst loss of the season.

This team needs to learn how to focus. Forget about the opponent and think about the fact that they were 2 games below .500 and they need wins regardless who they play to get their head back above water. Focus on that. Focus on survival. They’ll be better off.

That may be, but I think the seeds of defeat were sown in the first half, especially at the end of the first half, when Walton at a TO went out into the floor and screamed the F bomb. I don't recall seeing that anytime this year. He saw they weren't prepared to play.

 

[ESP47]

It's the same old song for the Kings. Haven't made the playoffs in over a decade, haven't even finished with a .500 record in over a decade....yet year in and year out they think they're better than a handful of teams and go into the games taking them lightly and ultimately come out with a big fat L.

 

[Kingster]

Rebounding wasn't great but the biggest issue in this game that led to their demise was without a doubt the scoring drought down the stretch. They searched the same path over and over again and came up empty.

Rebounding was a symptom of a deeper problem. The Kings had a big let-down in the 2nd quarter, hence Walton's mid-court F bomb scream. No sustainable energy and play. The scoring drought down the stretch is nothing new. The Kings won against Denver and Houston with scoring droughts down the stretch. In NY the Kings absolutely took it to NY in toughness and physicallity. This game was the opposite.

 

[SacTownKid]

Rebounding was a symptom of a deeper problem. The Kings had a big let-down in the 2nd quarter, hence Walton's mid-court F bomb scream. No sustainable energy and play. The scoring drought down the stretch is nothing new. The Kings won against Denver and Houston with scoring droughts down the stretch. In NY the Kings absolutely took it to NY in toughness and physicallity. This game was the opposite.

But here's the thing about this team, the Kings are far from the biggest and most physically tough team out there. The Kings are much better off than they were in prior years but this team is deep with scoring talent and skill at it's heart. They are likely to send teams packing by putting up points on the board than being more physical and if they are they have to rely on their one on one talent a little more and in more efficient ways. The Kings are likely to lose some rebounding battles when you consider their best defensive lineup is a smaller one with Ariza and Barnes in the front court. There's give and take with this roster. No team can go on a multi minute scoring drought down the stretch habitually and expect to be a serious threat in todays NBA. I've brought it up in more than a few games already as it was happening. They become stale offensively because they are looking to continually move the ball in the areas where the defense is now disallowing. The Kings on paper can do it all, yet they refuse to down the stretch of some games. There's always a chance to pull it out when you have a Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or Nemanja Bjelica launching it but they are playing a lower percentage game than they need to be IMO.

 

[SacTownKid]

Buddy and the team shot it well. What ultimately lost them the game IMO was going into cruise control with about 3-4 minutes remaining in Q3 and lasting several minutes into Q4. Lots of poor decisions and bad shots coupled with lackluster effort on defense and on the boards. That stretch significantly diminished the previous double digit lead and gave the Knicks the confidence boost they needed.

Also thought another key point was late in Q4 when the KINGS reforged a 6 point lead and Buddy took a transition 3 that rattled in and out. If that goes in, I believe they hold on for the W. But it didn’t. So instead we got by far the worst loss of the season.

This team needs to learn how to focus. Forget about the opponent and think about the fact that they were 2 games below .500 and they need wins regardless who they play to get their head back above water. Focus on that. Focus on survival. They’ll be better off.

I think the important thing is still what this team does when the game gets tight. The good teams dial in to their best option plays when things get close in the waning moments of the game. Sure, Buddy and Bogdan can hit those shots, but the question is are those the best shots the defense is giving you? If the Kings had no post options they'd be solely reliant on those shots and you do what you have to because it's likely your best chance. That makes it all the more frustrating when the defense gives them an option in the post and they don't take it. Nothing guarantees a win, but playing the percentages in your favor is the best bet. Again, Walton likes a slower half court team apparently, so ignoring the paint/post isn't an option because otherwise they are now not only cutting the court from a full 94 to 47, but they are only playing in the top half of that 47 to boot. We've seen teams be able to change up their defense and pressure the Kings into either losses or droughts when their might not need to be.

 

[reptilexcq2]

One step forward, two steps back....I guess this is how the Kings operate this year. They beat Nuggets, then lose to Bulls@home....they beat Rockets and lose to Knicks@home. I truly think there are players on the rosters that like to chill and relax and only play up the opponents standard. This is the reason the Kings lose more close games than any team in the entire league last year and it carry over this year.

 

[PHXSUNSFAN]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1205705739416682503

Gotta say this is the dumbest play I’ve seen this year. Taking tanking to a whole new level.

 

[VF21]

Not even gonna pretend I've read the thread.

This was IMHO almost to be expected. When Doug spends a lot of time yelling about them letting the Knicks stick around, it's almost a certainty bad things are gonna happen. I would not want to be a Kings player today at practice. I have a feeling Walton isn't going to be giving anybody any breaks...

 

[ppine]

So if that is true how come when we played in New York we out rebounded the Knicks 50-38? In that game, Richaun had 10, Beli had 9, and Dedmon had 8. All strong bigs who can box out,

Because the Kings seem to rebound when they feel like it. It is not something you can turn on and off and expect to win games. Buddy had a big night. But the Kings lost 3 quarters to one of the worst teams around. Their defense showed lapses, but their rebounding was crummy.

 

[Hoovtrain]

Still pissed

 

[Hoovtrain]

And to top it Bagley with some clear shade at coach Walton in the locker room. I'm sure he's more pissed about his minutes but c'mon dude.

Lovely. He and his dad need to muzzle it.

 

[Tetsujin]

I would have to look at the tape but I am curious how many times Beli had his man boxed out and Bagley’s man out jumped him for the rebound. Beli isn’t going to win an athletic contest and if rebounding turns into pure athleticism it’s a problem. Beli is a good team rebounder because he is fundamentally sound.

The problem is to verify this theory I would have to actually watch that game again and I’m not that masochistic.

Yeah, I’m not going to rewatch that game either but I’m not sure how often Bjeli and Bagley were on the floor together. It seemed like we played a lot of small ball with Bagley on the floor with Ariza or Barnes at the 4

 

[steelevt]

Yeah, I’m not going to rewatch that game either but I’m not sure how often Bjeli and Bagley were on the floor together. It seemed like we played a lot of small ball with Bagley on the floor with Ariza or Barnes at the 4

I think it was end of the 3rd they were together when our lead was trimmed from like ~15 to an 8 point lead. Dunno how much of the lead loss was due to rebounding but defense was definitely an issue.

 

[sactowndog]

Yeah, I’m not going to rewatch that game either but I’m not sure how often Bjeli and Bagley were on the floor together. It seemed like we played a lot of small ball with Bagley on the floor with Ariza or Barnes at the 4

That can be found. They were on the floor for 7 minutes together with the 2nd worst defensive rating of pairs. The had a 50% defensive rebounding percentage which was extremely low. Certainly not definitive but possibly indicative of a bad pairing. 2 rebounds total in that 7 mins.

 

[SLAB]

Lovely. He and his dad need to muzzle it.

How come this isn’t being talked about more? Much ado about nothing? Or looking the other way?

 

[jellyfish]

How come this isn’t being talked about more? Much ado about nothing? Or looking the other way?

If it does keep this up imo the only thing the Kings can do is trade Bjelly who's services i'm sure a team like Houston/decent playoffs teams would want), the Kings picked Bagley as there guy and if he can't legitimately beat out Belly for the PF spot and he's complaining than they have to move the guy keeping him from playing.

Bagley is reminding me of WCS vs Karl atm and we know who was right on that argument.

 

[steelevt]

If it does keep this up imo the only thing the Kings can do is trade Bjelly who's services i'm sure a team like Houston/decent playoffs teams would want), the Kings picked Bagley as there guy and if he can't legitimately beat out Belly for the PF spot and he's complaining than they have to move the guy keeping him from playing.

Bagley is reminding me of WCS vs Karl atm and we know who was right on that argument.

I wonder if we should retry the Dedmon Bagley pairing again. Even if it’s during practice cuz dedmon’s defense might hide some of Bagley’s deficiencies better than bjelli. Keep Holmes/bjelli paired up and dedmon/Bagley.

 

[VF21]

If it does keep this up imo the only thing the Kings can do is trade Bjelly who's services i'm sure a team like Houston/decent playoffs teams would want), the Kings picked Bagley as there guy and if he can't legitimately beat out Belly for the PF spot and he's complaining than they have to move the guy keeping him from playing.

Bagley is reminding me of WCS vs Karl atm and we know who was right on that argument.

As much as I like MB3 and want him to succeed, I do not condone or support any player OR HIS PARENT if they're gonna talk trash about the coach in public. Bjeli has been playing his heart out. Marvin has done little as yet to prove his worth.

"If he can't legitimately beat out Belly for the PF spot" then we need to admit we made a huge mistake...

This really angers me. I didn't see the post-game locker room comments, so I don't know what was said but IIRC this isn't the first time Bagley's dad has tried throwing his weight around.

Our locker room chemistry has been fantastic. Something like this could really mushroom out of control very quickly. I hope it was all much ado about nothing...

 

[VF21]

I wonder if we should retry the Dedmon Bagley pairing again. Even if it’s during practice cuz dedmon’s defense might hide some of Bagley’s deficiencies better than bjelli. Keep Holmes/bjelli paired up and dedmon/Bagley.

He was our #2 pick and the supposed savior of the franchise. If we're already worried about hiding "SOME of Bagley's deficiencies" then we're looking at a long season...

 

[Livinthedream]

The Kings on paper can do it all, yet they refuse to down the stretch of some games. There's always a chance to pull it out when you have a Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or Nemanja Bjelica launching it but they are playing a lower percentage game than they need to be IMO.

Yeah. I saw the repeated late game heroics as a big red flag. Have to find easier ways to score without throwing up contested 3s. Once teams lock down in the 4th and take away the 3s, the Kings don't adjust. They got away with it 2 out of 3 times in Texas. But the law of averages will catch up.

 

[Livinthedream]

How come this isn’t being talked about more? Much ado about nothing? Or looking the other way?

Because there was nothing there.

 

[King Baller]

Bagley is reminding me of WCS vs Karl atm and we know who was right on that argument.

Two wrongs don't make a right in the case of WCS and Karl.

 

[Solicitor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1205705739416682503

Gotta say this is the dumbest play I’ve seen this year. Taking tanking to a whole new level.

Even with the help from Knox, it was not enough to get us the win though LOL!

 

[SLAB]

He was our #2 pick and the supposed savior of the franchise. If we're already worried about hiding "SOME of Bagley's deficiencies" then we're looking at a long season...

I think Fox was solidly established as savior of the franchise the second Vlade picked a guy who would supposedly best gel with him and his style of play.

 

[steelevt]

He was our #2 pick and the supposed savior of the franchise. If we're already worried about hiding "SOME of Bagley's deficiencies" then we're looking at a long season...

Even superstars can have a deficiency. The almighty Luka has been known to have his defensive prowess hidden when the mavs are on defense.

 

[jellyfish]

Two wrongs don't make a right in the case of WCS and Karl.

Karl was proven right on Wcs/DMC

 

[Capt. Factorial]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1205705739416682503

Gotta say this is the dumbest play I’ve seen this year. Taking tanking to a whole new level.

I WAS RIGHT!!!!

 

[Tetsujin]

As much as I like MB3 and want him to succeed, I do not condone or support any player OR HIS PARENT if they're gonna talk trash about the coach in public. Bjeli has been playing his heart out. Marvin has done little as yet to prove his worth.

"If he can't legitimately beat out Belly for the PF spot" then we need to admit we made a huge mistake...

This really angers me. I didn't see the post-game locker room comments, so I don't know what was said but IIRC this isn't the first time Bagley's dad has tried throwing his weight around.

Our locker room chemistry has been fantastic. Something like this could really mushroom out of control very quickly. I hope it was all much ado about nothing...

Here’s the thing, I’ve been looking for these comments all day and I can’t really find any quotes of what’s been said.

here’s Marvin

https://twitter.com/x/status/1205728163646427136

and here’s his dad

“I just want to know, from your guys’ expertise and your experience, what identity do you see the team taking?” Marvin Bagley Jr. said on “The Grant Napear Show.” “Obviously, they’re an extremely talented team, and they could pretty much take on any identity they want. Is it going to be a 3-point shooting team or is it going to be a transition, speed team? Where do you see this team going and what identity would help them have the most success?”

While neither sounds particularly great, neither really seems to quite qualify as a Bagley trashing the head coach. I’m probably missing a quote or something but thus far it seems like people are making Mount Everest out of a molehill.