Skal Labissière?

#1
The guy deserves to get a chance to show off the improvements he made during the off season. I rather have Skal take Justin Jackson's minutes or the least we can do is send him to the G-league. I feel like his talent is rotting on the end of bench...

What's your take on him and his future with the Kings?
 
#5
Skal has had plenty of opportunities with the Kings last year. I feel that he is an ok player, but to me he clearly is below the rest of the bigs on the depth chart. He would benefit from going to the G league to at least get some playing time in. I’ll be honest I was never really that impressed by him to begin with, but he’s a good guy and I will root for his success as long as he’s a King.
 
#6
He's not that good. Really. And it's not like we are stubbornly playing veterans only. Useful backup player if injuries accumulate. Am sure he is being compensated fairly for his time on bench.
 
#7
The guy deserves to get a chance to show off the improvements he made during the off season. I rather have Skal take Justin Jackson's minutes or the least we can do is send him to the G-league. I feel like his talent is rotting on the end of bench...

What's your take on him and his future with the Kings?

Dude has had two years to show out.

He's shown a nice shot and an improved weak side defense.

Has slow upload speed (Dude's AOL in a 5G world), is a subpar passer (compare him to Giles), and I think he took the ball off the bounce like 3 times last year--long winded way of saying he's one dimensional and a plodder.

Trade bait.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#8
Dude has had two years to show out.

He's shown a nice shot and an improved weak side defense.

Has slow upload speed (Dude's AOL in a 5G world), is a subpar passer (compare him to Giles), and I think he took the ball off the bounce like 3 times last year--long winded way of saying he's one dimensional and a plodder.

Trade bait.
In fairness to Skal, Giles is randomly one of the best passing big men I have ever seen.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#9
he's a victim of too much big man depth ahead of him. he doesn't stand out over the others infront of him on the depth chart so therefore he is left with towel waving and hand clapping duties. maybe the Kings do him a service and ship him out for an asset they could play.
 
#10
Skal needs to spend time in Stockton. Him being buried on the bench is neither good for him, nor us. I'm sure he's itching to go out there, make some nice plays, and showcase himself for a good contract two years down the line. If he can't crack the rotation here, he needs to get a chance in Stockton.

Even for us, his good performance can make him a useful trade chip. Right now, his value is extremely low. A few good showings, even in the G-league, can help us get something of value. Teams in our position need to maximize the value of their assets, and Skal as a promising young big is certainly an asset.
 
#12
Small motor, thinks too much, started the game late, not enough desire, not aggressive enough.
He has physical tools, but he is a radical under achiever. He is a good guy, but I have never liked him as a player.
 
#13
I used to think Skal was an above average athlete but he doesn't appear particularly athletic to me any more. I can't put my finger on it. Heavy feet? Ponderous in reading plays? Seems too slow to play in our uptempo system too. Let's grant he has his flaws defensively. Okay fine, but wasn't there supposed to be a high flyer there getting up and down the floor? I don't see that anymore. I see a plodder. Maybe it is because MB3 is a superior athlete by contrast and when Skal gets in there there is downgrade. That might be it. Skal looked like an athlete compared to Z-Bo and Kosta from one year ago, when in reality he was average. Average athleticism with subpar fundamentals makes for an end of bench player. Being nice is also not necessarily an attribute. I would rather be disliked and respected than liked and disrespected. And I would not be happy go lucky if my career was going nowhere. Well, Skal did get his option get picked up for next season without merit, maybe that is why he wears a perpetual smile. For the good of his career and our logjam at center, I hope Skal gets traded before the deadline.
 
#14
I rather have Skal take Justin Jackson's minutes....
It is not a choice of Skal vs Jackson for playing time. It is a choice of Jackson vs Williams, where the wrong choice is currently being made. It is a choice of Skal vs Bagley or Skal vs Harry, where the right choice is currently being made. I do wonder what Skal could have done with all the minutes granted to Willie. I will however defer to Joerger and assume Willie outplayed Skal in training camp to earn the starting center position. In the summer I had hopes Skal would outperform Willie and win the starting job. He wasn't good enough is the most likely conclusion.
 
#15
I agree with ppine (above) except that I HAVE LIKED SKAL AS A PLAYER - at least for that one half a season when he came back from Reno with his mojo intact. Then, during an offseason in which half of this board saw him as a future all-star, someone took his lunch and he hasn't been the same player since.
 
#17
I agree with ppine (above) except that I HAVE LIKED SKAL AS A PLAYER - at least for that one half a season when he came back from Reno with his mojo intact. Then, during an offseason in which half of this board saw him as a future all-star, someone took his lunch and he hasn't been the same player since.
Its clear as day the remedy is another stint in Stockton. Not sure why he hasnt been assigned
 
#18
Look, this isn't a popularity contest. You work your butt off in practice and if you get better and produce sufficiently then you earn your way onto the floor. If you still aren't good enough you work harder, and then repeat. I've wondered too about the G-League... seems to me that Skal may be extremely close in his improved production to earning himself some minutes, and it could also be that -- in the meantime -- his skills are adding a lot of value to the team during practice.

Ultimately, Skal is getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to play basketball and he's in the NBA. I'll continue to cheer for him to succeed enough to get on the floor, and I'll continue to trust Coach to make that call.
 
#19
Look, this isn't a popularity contest. You work your butt off in practice and if you get better and produce sufficiently then you earn your way onto the floor. If you still aren't good enough you work harder, and then repeat. I've wondered too about the G-League... seems to me that Skal may be extremely close in his improved production to earning himself some minutes, and it could also be that -- in the meantime -- his skills are adding a lot of value to the team during practice.

Ultimately, Skal is getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to play basketball and he's in the NBA. I'll continue to cheer for him to succeed enough to get on the floor, and I'll continue to trust Coach to make that call.
Yes and no. We have just too many people above him in the pecking order. He might play well in practice, at times, even make a case for himself. To see court time though, coach will have to take minutes from someone else. Unless Skal is playing way better than Willie/Kosta/Bagley/Giles, it won't happen. Any coach will seek consistency in minutes, and a young guy, even when playing well in practice, won't crack the rotation easily.

Remember a kid named Gerald Wallace?
 
#20
Yes and no. We have just too many people above him in the pecking order. He might play well in practice, at times, even make a case for himself. To see court time though, coach will have to take minutes from someone else. Unless Skal is playing way better than Willie/Kosta/Bagley/Giles, it won't happen. Any coach will seek consistency in minutes, and a young guy, even when playing well in practice, won't crack the rotation easily.

Remember a kid named Gerald Wallace?
Can I dislike a post.. that Gerald Wallace reference is too much.. ;(