[Game] Play-in Tournament 9/10 game: Kings vs. Mavericks 16 APR 2025, 7pm PT/10pm ET (ESPN)

[SacTownKid]

There's a bunch of good playoff teams that would love to have him

And Kings fans really need to stop this always only the high end of a player. Keon is a decent role player. Jason Thompson couldn't just be a decent rotation big, he had to be the next Bosh. Keegan has to be Tatum. No, those types of players are clear from day 1, very rarely do they materialize when nobody knowing it. Players like Giannis and Kawhi are NOT the norm. The thing about Keon moving forward is DO NOT overpay for them. If you can't run pick and roll, value is limited to whatever players like Herb Jones or KCP got and even then regrets tend to come.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Not so ready to ditch or get rid of Sabonis though. This has been a very strange season but i do think a healthy Sabonis could have had us in the mix for 7/8. I just would hate to see us trade him away without trying to put one more good team around him - and a better one that actually fits. If this team can go from how horrible we were before the first beam team year to what we got in 2022-23, then they can do it again.

Build around Sabonis lol

 

[coolhandluke]

Doug Christie got exposed as a rookie head coach. Could not get the team playing the right way with intensity. Could not make meaningful in-game adjustments either. A postseason game is a different animal compared to a regular season game when teams don't have time to prep.

 

[SacTownKid]

I still think that Monk cares, this is just his personality. He likes to keep things light. We loved that about him when the Kings were winning.

I have to admit, that kind of irked me too. Monk is cool but he a cares about his numbers guy. And he's not even shy about it. It's just who he is.

 

[Tetsujin]

And Kings fans really need to stop this always only the high end of a player. Keon is a decent role player. Jason Thompson couldn't just be a decent rotation big, he had to be the next Bosh. Keegan has to be Tatum. No, those types of players are clear from day 1, very rarely do they materialize when nobody knowing it. Players like Giannis and Kawhi are NOT the norm. The thing about Keon moving forward is DO NOT overpay for them. If you can't run pick and roll, value is limited to whatever players like Herb Jones or KCP got and even then regrets tend to come.

Yep. pacers gave Bruce Brown a big contract and immediately regretted it and ended up trading him at the first possible opportunity. 6’5” 3-and-D guys are valuable but not exactly unicorns despite what the Kings track record would suggest. The Magic probably already regret throwing all that money at KCP this summer. Hell, I don’t even think the Thunder are particularly happy with having to pay Alex Caruso 80 million bucks over the next couple of years.

 

[upinsmoke]

Doug Christie got exposed as a rookie head coach. Could not get the team playing the right way. Could not make meaningful in-game adjustments either. A postseason game is a different animal compared to a regular season game when teams don't have time to prep.

This wasn't the post season it's the same inconsistent effort from the team as usual.

 

[SacTownKid]

Doug Christie got exposed as a rookie head coach. Could not get the team playing the right way with intensity. Could not make meaningful in-game adjustments either. A postseason game is a different animal compared to a regular season game when teams don't have time to prep.

Red freaking Auerbach ain't making up for the game Domas put out tonight. Hurt Domas is almost impossible to overcome if the matchup is bad anyways.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Twenty-nine more days until the start of WNBA season...

 

[PHXSUNSFAN]

Could be worse Kings fans…you could be a Suns fan…a team with an owner that meddles in all basketball decisions, makes terrible trades and ends up with a team that sucks, has no picks and is fully capped out.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

All right, kids, I gotta head out and hold down second base for my boys on the softball field, so play nice and get us a W

Well, guys, that wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I guess we have three rooting interests left: Dallas, Miami, and the commemorative quarter.

 

[Tetsujin]

Doug Christie got exposed as a rookie head coach. Could not get the team playing the right way with intensity. Could not make meaningful in-game adjustments either. A postseason game is a different animal compared to a regular season game when teams don't have time to prep.

What was Doug supposed to do? Tell the guys to make more shots? His sub patterns in the first half weren’t great but once the game gets that out of hand there’s only so much you can possibly do.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Doug Christie got exposed as a rookie head coach. Could not get the team playing the right way with intensity. Could not make meaningful in-game adjustments either. A postseason game is a different animal compared to a regular season game when teams don't have time to prep.

I mean, when the Kings started Christie's coaching tenure winning 10 out of his first 12 and he couldn't get the Interim tag taken off, his job had an expiration date on it, anyway.

 

[Tetsujin]

Could be worse Kings fans…you could be a Suns fan…a team with an owner that meddles in all basketball decisions, makes terrible trades and ends up with a team that sucks, has no picks and is fully capped out.

Yeah but maybe the Rockets will give you guys one of your picks back when you get forced to trade KD to them for pennys on the dollar!

 

[kingsfan_4Life]

Oh well. Was hoping for a win, but not to be. At least I still have my SF Giants who are going to be really good this year!
I guess we just have to see what moves the Kings make.

 

[SacTownKid]

Could be worse Kings fans…you could be a Suns fan…a team with an owner that meddles in all basketball decisions, makes terrible trades and ends up with a team that sucks, has no picks and is fully capped out.

At least Booker wants to stay right? And if this debacle keeps the Kings from making the same desperation heave then it's for the best. At least the Suns had Booker. The Kings don't have a single Booker level talent right now so damaging the future any more would be a disaster.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Let’s talk some positives since it’s going to be doom and gloom for a while.

1) Keegan Murray’s defense and shooting since the break
2) Keon’s defense as a whole. Needs to get stronger but has a great base. Awesome shooting, has to shoot 4 more a game
3) Lavine’s shooting. Why can’t this guy just be MPJ for us? Shoot shoot shoot and shoot again with occasional drives
4) Devin Carter- the Defense is already legit. Already gets to the line. Has pretty good court vision. Not afraid. Has to shoot better and get more in the flow of the offense.
5) either Dallas and the Heat win and we win the coin flip to keep the pick or it conveys and we have a clean slate.
6) IJ is probably a rotational player in the future
7) Monk goes back to top 3 sixth man
8) Sabonis heals up and starts jumping over phone books again
9) if we keep Doug he brings in several new assistants and a new philosophy
10) kings are still in Sacramento
11) it’s just a hobby, albeit one we are passionate enough about to spend hours on the internet talking about. Try not to let it ruin your day and hopefully we don’t unintentionally ruin others days as well.

I’d be surprised if Deebo is back but dude was a lot of fun to watch this year. Plenty of faults but dude is a certified bucket and got us out of a lot of jams.

 

[hrdboild]

I have to admit, that kind of irked me too. Monk is cool but he a cares about his numbers guy. And he's not even shy about it. It's just who he is.

Yeah that's fair. I'm also in favor of trading him but I'll still root for the guy wherever he ends up. His loose style of leadership was great to have to balance out Fox's moodiness. It's less of an asset though for the current player mix.

 

[SacTownKid]

What was Doug supposed to do? Tell the guys to make more shots? His sub patterns in the first half weren’t great but once the game gets that out of hand there’s only so much you can possibly do.

The only hill Doug could have died on was taking Domas and planting his butt firmly on the bench and he didn't do it until it was too late.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

And Kings fans really need to stop this always only the high end of a player. Keon is a decent role player. Jason Thompson couldn't just be a decent rotation big, he had to be the next Bosh. Keegan has to be Tatum. No, those types of players are clear from day 1, very rarely do they materialize when nobody knowing it. Players like Giannis and Kawhi are NOT the norm. The thing about Keon moving forward is DO NOT overpay for them. If you can't run pick and roll, value is limited to whatever players like Herb Jones or KCP got and even then regrets tend to come.

He's a 3&D guard who shot 43% this season and over 40% last season. There are good playoff teams that would be interested in him.

As improved as Davion Mitchell has looked for the Miami Heat, Keon Ellis would be the same story at a higher value for a good organization that he fits with

 

[coolhandluke]

This wasn't the post season it's the same inconsistent effort from the team as usual.

When you have an inconsistent game plan, the output will be inconsistent. You can make some ground with better intensity and exploiting 1-on-1 advantages. Sadly, nothing worked out today. LA fitness offense is not getting it done at this level. The less said about the repeated defensive breakdowns (due to the same actions) the better.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Could be worse Kings fans…you could be a Suns fan…a team with an owner that meddles in all basketball decisions, makes terrible trades and ends up with a team that sucks, has no picks and is fully capped out.

Suns bout to get pieces for KD and if they were smart they could sell Booker for the kitchen sink in Houston

 

[SacTownKid]

He's a 3&D guard who shot 43% this season and over 40% last season. There are good playoff teams that would be interested in him.

As improved as Davion Mitchell has looked for the Miami Heat, Keon Ellis would be the same story at a higher value for a good organization that he fits with

Absolutely, and I get why fans see impact and they automatically expect all the gaps to be filled with rainbows and superstar productivity. Keon is going to be 26 next season, he is what he is, and what he does well has definite value. Same as Keegan.

 

[Letsgokings13]

A break from Kayte will be nice

 

[upinsmoke]

When you have an inconsistent game plan, the output will be inconsistent. You can make some ground with better intensity and exploiting 1-on-1 advantages. Sadly, nothing worked out today. LA fitness offense is not getting it done at this level. The less said about the repeated defensive breakdowns (due to the same actions) the better.

This is not a coaching issue with the exception of not having Keon start all 82 games but I digress. This team is soft and selfish and makes no sense on paper or hardwood. DC deserves more time and a fresh start with a team he can mold into his own vision.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Absolutely, and I get why fans see impact and they automatically expect all the gaps to be filled with rainbows and superstar productivity. Keon is going to be 26 next season, he is what he is, and what he does well has definite value. Same as Keegan.

Hot take: RINGZ~! Culture™ is the second-worst thing ever to happen to basketball, behind only the three-point shot. I'm old enough to remember when all most fans wanted was to be able to root for a team of good character guys, who gave it one hundred percent every night. This ol' Ricky Bobby "If you ain't first, you're last" headassery is the worst thing about sports fandom.

 

[hrdboild]

This is not a coaching issue with the exception of not having Keon start all 82 games but I digress. This team is soft and selfish and makes no sense on paper or hardwood. DC deserves more time and a fresh start with a team he can mold into his own vision.

I think that you're right. But is he going to get any of that in Sacramento? Believe me it brings me no joy to say this but I don't think he will.

 

[Sam0ah]

This is not a coaching issue with the exception of not having Keon start all 82 games but I digress. This team is soft and selfish and makes no sense on paper or hardwood. DC deserves more time and a fresh start with a team he can mold into his own vision.

I am okay with that, or bring Malone back.

 

[Tetsujin]

Absolutely, and I get why fans see impact and they automatically expect all the gaps to be filled with rainbows and superstar productivity. Keon is going to be 26 next season, he is what he is, and what he does well has definite value. Same as Keegan.

And the Keon that has shown up in the NBA is largely the same Keon that was in college.
The thing that makes Devin and Keegan’s situations different from his is that both guys are a little younger and also displayed skills in college that they haven’t really been allowed to show at the NBA level. Probably the main difference between a first round prospect and a UDFA who wound up maxing out as a starter. Devin barely was utilized as a downhill scorer this season despite that being his best offensive trait at Providence. Keegan hasn’t ever really had the opportunity to flash his interior game that he had at Iowa.

Isaac Jones’s situation is a bit different from everyone else’s in that he was a LATE bloomer who grew into his body after high school and never really had a chance to develop as a basketball player until now so
while hes older he also has possibly the most pure potential of everyone on the team in a sense.

 

[SacTownKid]

I am okay with that, or bring Malone back.

Haha. Mike Malone? Dump all over Vivek and expect him to crawl back to you, to do what? Malone without Jokic? Been there done that. Should have been kept but there was hardly anything there to write home about.

 

[Tetsujin]

Hot take: RINGZ~! Culture™ is the second-worst thing ever to happen to basketball, behind only the three-point shot. I'm old enough to remember when all most fans wanted was to be able to root for a team of good character guys, who gave it one hundred percent every night. This ol' Ricky Bobby "If you ain't first, you're last" headassery is the worst thing about sports fandom.

Ringz culture led to Nico Harrison trading Luka for AD because of some “defense wins championships” fueled swing for the fences mumbojumbo. No one should ever aim to be Nico Harrison.