I've been using the word 'trust' but that's probably not the best word for it. Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles were both here last season and proved themselves by hitting game winners, making key baskets in overtime, coming up with big stops to finish off wins, etc. It might be hard to see that having joined in this season, but both are good players who have had iconic moments for this franchise. On top of that, for Barnes specifically, this is his 6th year with the team which makes him the second longest tenured King after Fox. Both of these guys have built up a lot of 'equity' with the Coach and with their teammates because of that history and that gives them more leeway to make mistakes and still keep their roles and their minutes consistent.
We have a lot of Kings fans who join the community as fans of specific players and of course all are welcome! I think perhaps because you're focusing more on Vezenkov, it's harder to see the context of why Coach is making the moves he's making. The Kings were a brilliant success last season jumping up from the ranks of the perennial lottery teams into a #3 seed is almost unheard of. But now they're back in year 2 which is the "prove you're for real" year and Coach is being particularly hard on the young players and rookies because he's been in the league long enough to know that, more than anything else, complacency is the enemy of success. He doesn't want anyone feeling good about themselves -- he wants them pushing even harder. It's a tough line to walk as a coach but I think it's the right one for this team and these players judging how Fox, Murray, and Sabonis have all responded to it.
I'll just add that -- having lived through every excruciating year of the Kings non-playoff streak -- all I can tell you is that patience goes a long way as a fan of this team. Nothing comes easy for us. I do personally enjoy the enthusiasm you're bringing to the board though so feel free to keep the same energy. In time all these players will have earned their equity with you too as a fan of the Kings.
