Post National Media Coverage Here
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On point:
"Jonathan Tjarks: Real. The Kings are playing NBA-style basketball for the first time … in a decade? Maybe even longer? They run a basic four-out offense with a slashing PG, a stretch 4, a rim-running 5, and wings who can shoot and defend. That’s really all it takes to not be bad. They won’t make the playoffs, but there’s no reason they can’t be competitive on their home court and steal the occasional game on the road."
Only argument to Tjarks' quote is I don't think a "slashing" PG is the right description. A top 3, beast two way PG is more appropriate. And for all of the folks who are saying not real in that article, they're forgetting that our biggest weakness (scoring on the second unit) will be fixed in a few weeks when Bogie returns. Plus the acceleration of Bags and hopefully the introduction of Giles (I'm not worried).
"Jonathan Tjarks: Real. The Kings are playing NBA-style basketball for the first time … in a decade? Maybe even longer? They run a basic four-out offense with a slashing PG, a stretch 4, a rim-running 5, and wings who can shoot and defend. That’s really all it takes to not be bad. They won’t make the playoffs, but there’s no reason they can’t be competitive on their home court and steal the occasional game on the road."
Only argument to Tjarks' quote is I don't think a "slashing" PG is the right description. A top 3, beast two way PG is more appropriate. And for all of the folks who are saying not real in that article, they're forgetting that our biggest weakness (scoring on the second unit) will be fixed in a few weeks when Bogie returns. Plus the acceleration of Bags and hopefully the introduction of Giles (I'm not worried).
Are you really waiting to read the latest positive news about the Orlando Magic or Atlanta Hawks rebuild? Sure, there was a general narrative for a number of years of Vlade and Vivek as bumbling idiots which was of course a lazy caricature; however, what exactly have we done over the past decade plus to get people to sit up and take notice?
We've produced something nice in the first couple weeks of the season and we're starting to get nice things written about the team; however, it's also cautious praise that things may (probably will?) come tumbling back to earth a little bit starting real soon. Is that really any different than most of us feel?
We've produced something nice in the first couple weeks of the season and we're starting to get nice things written about the team; however, it's also cautious praise that things may (probably will?) come tumbling back to earth a little bit starting real soon. Is that really any different than most of us feel?
You're thinking of Riley McAtee. He's a big time Kings fan, tweets about them often (including daily updates about us having a better record than the Lakers). Dave had him on his morning show before the season started I believe.
Reading those it must be painful for some of them to have to dance around what they're seeing.
I can't take issue with the fact that in my universe "good" also means more than .500 or a fringe playoff contender. It means competing for home court in at least the first round (so let's say slots 7-12 in the league record wise). But this isn't just about this year. We've got all this young talent signed at bargain prices (save WCS) and players actually with defined positions and roles which makes putting the rest of the puzzle together something doable. And they seem to like each other! There's no denying that was the real key ingredient in the golden years. The players, coach, FO and ownership were all on the same page and got along in bliss. Plus we have a ton of tradeable 1 year deals that clearly aren't part of the future for anyone that thinks they can roll the dice better than we can in FA.
So if we're not "good", we're certainly in great shape looking forward.
I can't take issue with the fact that in my universe "good" also means more than .500 or a fringe playoff contender. It means competing for home court in at least the first round (so let's say slots 7-12 in the league record wise). But this isn't just about this year. We've got all this young talent signed at bargain prices (save WCS) and players actually with defined positions and roles which makes putting the rest of the puzzle together something doable. And they seem to like each other! There's no denying that was the real key ingredient in the golden years. The players, coach, FO and ownership were all on the same page and got along in bliss. Plus we have a ton of tradeable 1 year deals that clearly aren't part of the future for anyone that thinks they can roll the dice better than we can in FA.
So if we're not "good", we're certainly in great shape looking forward.
Weird one from the Ringer today...
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/11/6/18066284/sacramento-kings-start-marvin-bagley
It's weird because we're seeing difficulty with teams forcefully integrating high picks (Fultz/Simmons and Doncic/Smith) whereas we're letting our rooks take their time. It points out that best player every year means constantly tweaking and never getting better and we've actually played the long game in choosing not to take a player who will take the ball out of Fox's hands.
It's true that right now Bagley can't get starters minutes. It remains to be seen for how long that is the case. Also it never kills to have multiple big men, especially when they are so prone to foul trouble. But I think most importantly if we're going to run the pace we have being able to ease Bagley into the lineup (and hopefully Giles gets there too) will allow us to keep our foot on the pedal deeper into games later in the season and hopefully in a season or two into the playoffs.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/11/6/18066284/sacramento-kings-start-marvin-bagley
It's weird because we're seeing difficulty with teams forcefully integrating high picks (Fultz/Simmons and Doncic/Smith) whereas we're letting our rooks take their time. It points out that best player every year means constantly tweaking and never getting better and we've actually played the long game in choosing not to take a player who will take the ball out of Fox's hands.
It's true that right now Bagley can't get starters minutes. It remains to be seen for how long that is the case. Also it never kills to have multiple big men, especially when they are so prone to foul trouble. But I think most importantly if we're going to run the pace we have being able to ease Bagley into the lineup (and hopefully Giles gets there too) will allow us to keep our foot on the pedal deeper into games later in the season and hopefully in a season or two into the playoffs.
The guy who wrote that post is an idiot. He says there’s little reason to expect that Bagley will become a good 3-point shooter or defender as a rookie" .... Um, except for the fact he's made 6-12 on 3s so far and played good defense on the perimeter and interior! What this is is a loser prognosticator with no special insight who dismissed and discounted the pick at the time scrambling to reconcile his performance with his pre-draft expectations.
Bagley is a highly poised confident player because he knows he belongs and he is not the least bit fazed going up against guys like Giannis and others. He's not surprised when he executes plays, he is surprised when he doesn't. His fundamentals are solid as he even finished a play the other day with his right hand.
. I think that MB3 is due for an explosion soon of 25/15 game. That game is coming. He's on the precipice of breaking out. Then the team will grow even more confident playing through him and the coaching granting him more responsibility.
Joerger loves this kid too. You can tell by the way he subs him in with priority. This bodes well for his production even playing behind Bjelica. I said before the season that he was going to produce because he can stay on the floor defensively without fouling and versatility of guys he can guard, i.e. switchability. I also said that his degree of production would correlate to how expansive his game becomes away from the basket. If he starts making that midrange it is going to open up drives and inside game. That is what is in the process of happening now.
Bagley is good at not allowing the defense to dictate what he does. He seeks to attack and exploit angles. He makes accurate reads more advanced than you would expect for 19 year old. Certainly far ahead of Willie and Skal. He has a steep development curve like De'Aaron because he is superiorly talented and committed, something the "experts" missed last year on Fox and same "experts" miss with regards to Bagley. The Ringer analysis is trash.
This is the same sorry source where Bill Simmons said trading Jayson Tatum for Kawhi was blasphemy and that his status as Top 10 NBA player was fairly etched in stone. Umm, not fast ultimate homer. Tatum is a nice player with size and mobility but his play last year has come crashing down to Earth after being the beneficiary of this system to best cater to him. D-Fox is outperforming Tatum and every high draft pick from his draft class with the exception of Donovan. The fakers in the media will have to put their precarious spin and meaningless posts to justify their foolhardy proclamations.
Again, Tatum is a good player a little better than I thought. But Fox (and Donovan) is the real the gem from that draft class. We will be saying the same thing about Bagley one year from now or sooner.
Bagley is a highly poised confident player because he knows he belongs and he is not the least bit fazed going up against guys like Giannis and others. He's not surprised when he executes plays, he is surprised when he doesn't. His fundamentals are solid as he even finished a play the other day with his right hand.
. I think that MB3 is due for an explosion soon of 25/15 game. That game is coming. He's on the precipice of breaking out. Then the team will grow even more confident playing through him and the coaching granting him more responsibility.Joerger loves this kid too. You can tell by the way he subs him in with priority. This bodes well for his production even playing behind Bjelica. I said before the season that he was going to produce because he can stay on the floor defensively without fouling and versatility of guys he can guard, i.e. switchability. I also said that his degree of production would correlate to how expansive his game becomes away from the basket. If he starts making that midrange it is going to open up drives and inside game. That is what is in the process of happening now.
Bagley is good at not allowing the defense to dictate what he does. He seeks to attack and exploit angles. He makes accurate reads more advanced than you would expect for 19 year old. Certainly far ahead of Willie and Skal. He has a steep development curve like De'Aaron because he is superiorly talented and committed, something the "experts" missed last year on Fox and same "experts" miss with regards to Bagley. The Ringer analysis is trash.
This is the same sorry source where Bill Simmons said trading Jayson Tatum for Kawhi was blasphemy and that his status as Top 10 NBA player was fairly etched in stone. Umm, not fast ultimate homer. Tatum is a nice player with size and mobility but his play last year has come crashing down to Earth after being the beneficiary of this system to best cater to him. D-Fox is outperforming Tatum and every high draft pick from his draft class with the exception of Donovan. The fakers in the media will have to put their precarious spin and meaningless posts to justify their foolhardy proclamations.
Again, Tatum is a good player a little better than I thought. But Fox (and Donovan) is the real the gem from that draft class. We will be saying the same thing about Bagley one year from now or sooner.
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It's a stupid Ringer article on Bagley. Bagley is a key foundational block of this team, along with Fox. By the very latest of the beginning of next season, and probably much sooner, he will be earning 30+ minutes a game. Then the questions will be centered around who fits with Fox and Bagley, not how or whether Bagley fits with the team. To my mind, the main thing hindering Bagley's minutes is his understanding of the nuances of team defense. Once he does understand it and defends accordingly, Joerger is going to unleash him. Neither WCS nor Bjelica have his defensive DNA. Neither can man on man defend and rebound like he can. The only reason that Bagley hasn't gobbled up more of WCS's minutes is that WCS is in his 4th year and Bagley is in his first month of his NBA career. With Bagley seeming to improve almost logarithmically, those line are going to be crossing pretty soon.
Ringer must have realized they were saying too many nice things about the Kings.
I do think that there's going to be a cool down period after the hot start (the next 10 games or so is a brutal stretch), so I agree with that part of the article.
But Bagley, a speed demon big who's shown he can hit the 3, clean up inside, rebound, block shots, and defend the paint isnt a good fit because he's having trouble with the nuances of team defense as a rookie? Come on now.
I do think that there's going to be a cool down period after the hot start (the next 10 games or so is a brutal stretch), so I agree with that part of the article.
But Bagley, a speed demon big who's shown he can hit the 3, clean up inside, rebound, block shots, and defend the paint isnt a good fit because he's having trouble with the nuances of team defense as a rookie? Come on now.
It's the lack of instant gratification that has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. He's not starting, and "only" playing 25 minutes a game....something must be wrong. 10 games in...come on.... Have you read the questioning articles about Jaren Jackson? Yeah, neither have I.
Marvin has played outstanding in a handful of games, solid in the rest. In games where he doesn't "have it", he has contributed in other ways - not the least is just his pure hustle.
Marvin has played outstanding in a handful of games, solid in the rest. In games where he doesn't "have it", he has contributed in other ways - not the least is just his pure hustle.
In another piece from The Ringer today found here - https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/11/6/18067022/zion-williamson-rj-barrett-bol-bol-team-pairing
Jonathan Tjarks writes a little blurb on the Mavericks and how Zion Williamson would be a good fit, pairing with Luka. At the very end
he concludes he is a Mavs fan.
I am sure it is only coincidence he wrote the piece on MB3.
Jonathan Tjarks writes a little blurb on the Mavericks and how Zion Williamson would be a good fit, pairing with Luka. At the very end
he concludes he is a Mavs fan.
I am sure it is only coincidence he wrote the piece on MB3.
In another piece from The Ringer today found here - https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/11/6/18067022/zion-williamson-rj-barrett-bol-bol-team-pairing
Jonathan Tjarks writes a little blurb on the Mavericks and how Zion Williamson would be a good fit, pairing with Luka. At the very end
he concludes he is a Mavs fan.
I am sure it is only coincidence he wrote the piece on MB3.
Jonathan Tjarks writes a little blurb on the Mavericks and how Zion Williamson would be a good fit, pairing with Luka. At the very end
he concludes he is a Mavs fan.
I am sure it is only coincidence he wrote the piece on MB3.
I like Tjarks a lot. This is an odd piece from him. He’s the same Ringer staffer who said our hot start was for real, too. Tjarks is one of the few Ringer staffers who actually played basketball and can explain his positions without resorting to snark or lazy memes. He’s also from Dallas, so no east coast or SoCal bias.
Bottom line—he’s right in that the Kings will need to develop Bagley to have long term success. But, that’s kind of obvious, right? Rookies have to develop. Anyway, I’m very encouraged by Bagley. As others pointed out, this is probably a first step to a week long celebration of Luka by the Ringer staff—first they have to knock down the guys taken ahead of him.
Bottom line—he’s right in that the Kings will need to develop Bagley to have long term success. But, that’s kind of obvious, right? Rookies have to develop. Anyway, I’m very encouraged by Bagley. As others pointed out, this is probably a first step to a week long celebration of Luka by the Ringer staff—first they have to knock down the guys taken ahead of him.
Agree. Although there are some details in the article that are accurate, the premise of the article - that MBIII isn't well suited to this squad and won't be able to make a net positive contribution - is fiction.
If some of these writers have spent the last couple of seasons ragging on the Kings obv. any shift is going to require an adjustment period. I guess being able to watch how different parties/ voices adjust is part of the fun.
If some of these writers have spent the last couple of seasons ragging on the Kings obv. any shift is going to require an adjustment period. I guess being able to watch how different parties/ voices adjust is part of the fun.
There are many good points in the article I agree with. However, I don't agree with the conclusion. The good point is that Kings should keep him with the bench unit until he improves his team defense. I am sure he will improve and replace WCS or Bjelica down the road. There is no need to rush him right now, he plays heavy minutes for a rookie and plays pretty well.
Tjarks points were fine in the here and now. He thinks Bags is going to be a 5 and will end up taking like 6 years to become a stretch 4. And even then only a stretch 4.
Bags is a full generation younger than WCS and two/three gens younger than Bjelly.
We have a #2 pick with the best feet for a big since Dennis Rodman, has his head on straight, is an all day competitor, and who's accelerating his growth each and every game. If that's a problem, give me more, please!
Bags is a full generation younger than WCS and two/three gens younger than Bjelly.
We have a #2 pick with the best feet for a big since Dennis Rodman, has his head on straight, is an all day competitor, and who's accelerating his growth each and every game. If that's a problem, give me more, please!
I pretty much liked the article but the end about Bagley just can’t see where they are coming from. I always saw him as a PF who may be able to play some center down the road in certain situations. That’s what I saw in his year at Duke and see NO reason up to now to change my feeling on that.
I saw a decent outside shot at Duke and believe that he will strongly progress with it. This is a good place for him to be and he will benefit from the way they are working with him and bringing him along.
GO Kings!!!!!
I saw a decent outside shot at Duke and believe that he will strongly progress with it. This is a good place for him to be and he will benefit from the way they are working with him and bringing him along.
GO Kings!!!!!
And the Kings take another lead role in a Ringer article: https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/11/9/18077226/nba-biggest-winners-pace-boom
1!
As expected they wrote nice things about Fox and pace, but who is the fastest athlete on the court ----buddy buckets!
1!
As expected they wrote nice things about Fox and pace, but who is the fastest athlete on the court ----buddy buckets!
Alright guys you know the drill (most of you). I realize it's been over 5 years since this team has gotten any buzz but bad buzz, and we need to keep the good vibes goin. Now is about when I expect some coverage to start (like an article on Hoops Hype or whatever. Or shoot even anything local. Let's talk about what other people are talking about the Kings. Oh, no, I don't actually have a link to anything. Oh, and yes, I realize I'm cursing the hell out of us right now, but it's actually a Magic Kings media dispel the demons reverse curse. If that makes sense. lol enjoy
Years ago some wise people kept pointing out to me that other peoples opinions of me was not my business. This is even better advice for a team. Sports writers/talkers/bloggers etc. have a day in day out need to do the the thing that brings in the pay check which also means "hot take" after hot take and a perpetual quest for the next new thing and new ways to gripe about the old things and that's fine it's their job and more often than not it's their passion as well but it is also yields a lot of pretty empty words that get way more attention than they probably deserve. The team would do well to ignore it and as a fan most days if I read it at 7 I forget it by 9 unless something truly interesting pops up. This is true for both negative and positive spin.