Stephen A. Smith trashes Kings

TaxMan said:
I don’t know, sure seemed the like the ratio of positivity to negativity was pretty damn high with the first beam team year. Give us something reasonably good to cheer for and I think this board is bleeding purple blood.

Unfortunately, this isn’t 1985 anymore (for a variety of reasons). Fans aren’t just happy to have a pro team anymore.
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I’m not sure that point is even true. Many of us would be happy to cheer for and watch young kids develop. Say what you will about Vlade but we had young players that could give a glimmer of hope. For many that was enough.

The current roster is the most soul sucking possible. Clearly not good enough to compete for a second round. Clearly not bad enough for a high pick. We have the second highest average age by minutes in the league. We are not a free agent destination.

The Monte era was the anti Sam Presti era. I don’t think Perry can possibly be worse so it’s only up from here.
 
sactowndog said:
I’m not sure that point is even true. Many of us would be happy to cheer for and watch young kids develop. Say what you will about Vlade but we had young players that could give a glimmer of hope. For many that was enough.

The current roster is the most soul sucking possible. Clearly not good enough to compete for a second round. Clearly not bad enough for a high pick. We have the second highest average age by minutes in the league. We are not a free agent destination.

The Monte era was the anti Sam Presti era. I don’t think Perry can possibly be worse so it’s only up from here.
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Absolutely…. I would say give me a coherent long term direction, and let me believe we will actually stick to a plan. I am totally fine with a losing season if I have potential to root for.

I’ve disagreed with many of your historical takes on Monte, but I must say you were kinda right. He took a gamble on the Domas/Hali trade. I think most were wide eyed of what we gave up and that Hali would be excellent. But it did give us the beam team. Monte’s sin was not going for broke from that point and so it now just feels like a wasted experience.

I will give Perry a chance up until the next offseason. However as I noted in another thread I worry I’m giving him too much credit thinking he sees the same ridiculousness I see in this team and will make eventually make smart decisions. What if he is just not a smart GM?
 
TaxMan said:
Absolutely…. I would say give me a coherent long term direction, and let me believe we will actually stick to a plan. I am totally fine with a losing season if I have potential to root for.

I’ve disagreed with many of your historical takes on Monte, but I must say you were kinda right. He took a gamble on the Domas/Hali trade. I think most were wide eyed of what we gave up and that Hali would be excellent. But it did give us the beam team. Monte’s sin was not going for broke from that point and so it now just feels like a wasted experience.

I will give Perry a chance up until the next offseason. However as I noted in another thread I worry I’m giving him too much credit thinking he sees the same ridiculousness I see in this team and will make eventually make smart decisions. What if he is just not a smart GM?
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Your point on Perry is fair. For now I am trying to remain optimistic he does have a reasonable path. So far he has not said anything to dissuade me.
 
I don’t understand why he signed Westbrook, at all. I don’t get why Schroeder is here. I’m only hoping all the vets are gone by the trade deadline.. this team cannot get stuck in low class mediocrity forever. I get Bivek wants ticket sales but after so many years as a Kings fan this is the worst. We know we are bad but we refuse to get better.
Vivek runs this team like we are the Warriors. We aren’t we are a small market team without Steph Curry. We cannot draw good free agents. Just has been vets.
 
TaxMan said:
Absolutely…. I would say give me a coherent long term direction, and let me believe we will actually stick to a plan. I am totally fine with a losing season if I have potential to root for.

I’ve disagreed with many of your historical takes on Monte, but I must say you were kinda right. He took a gamble on the Domas/Hali trade. I think most were wide eyed of what we gave up and that Hali would be excellent. But it did give us the beam team. Monte’s sin was not going for broke from that point and so it now just feels like a wasted experience.

I will give Perry a chance up until the next offseason. However as I noted in another thread I worry I’m giving him too much credit thinking he sees the same ridiculousness I see in this team and will make eventually make smart decisions. What if he is just not a smart GM?
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Carmichael Dave said on the radio the other day that he's wondering if we're actually doing a "soft tank" - the pick-ups by Perry do not have more than 1 year or so on the contract and he might be using Vivek's desire for win-now vet moves against him. We already had some vets that didn't work well together and he's brought in a couple more that don't really address the biggest team needs, or at least don't address them effectively (while selling it as being "competitive"). When Perry was in NY he had incredible roster turnover in just 2 years if I recall correctly. Might he be priming the pump to do the same thing here? Who knows? I sure hope it is more than just what we see on the surface.

I never encourage "tanking" but moving vets for promising youth/picks and naturally losing games while developing the future should be the goal at this point - and that isn't the same as "tanking". With OKC and other teams seeming to be in the driver's seat for the next couple of years for top PO spots and division titles, now is the time.
 
Warhawk said:
Carmichael Dave said on the radio the other day that he's wondering if we're actually doing a "soft tank" - the pick-ups by Perry do not have more than 1 year or so on the contract and he might be using Vivek's desire for win-now vet moves against him. We already had some vets that didn't work well together and he's brought in a couple more that don't really address the biggest team needs, or at least don't address them effectively (while selling it as being "competitive"). When Perry was in NY he had incredible roster turnover in just 2 years if I recall correctly. Might he be priming the pump to do the same thing here? Who knows? I sure hope it is more than just what we see on the surface.
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Stipulating that this is possible, it seems like a waste of a season of Keegan Murray (and, by extension, Carter, Ellis and Clifford?).
 
Warhawk said:
Carmichael Dave said on the radio the other day that he's wondering if we're actually doing a "soft tank" - the pick-ups by Perry do not have more than 1 year or so on the contract and he might be using Vivek's desire for win-now vet moves against him. We already had some vets that didn't work well together and he's brought in a couple more that don't really address the biggest team needs, or at least don't address them effectively (while selling it as being "competitive"). When Perry was in NY he had incredible roster turnover in just 2 years if I recall correctly. Might he be priming the pump to do the same thing here? Who knows? I sure hope it is more than just what we see on the surface.

I never encourage "tanking" but moving vets for promising youth/picks and naturally losing games while developing the future should be the goal at this point - and that isn't the same as "tanking". With OKC and other teams seeming to be in the driver's seat for the next couple of years for top PO spots and division titles, now is the time.
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I heard that Carmichael Dave clip and that’s really what got me thinking more about Perry. I would love for that hypothesis to be true. That Perry is just playing the long game (maybe more so in an effort to manipulate Vivek in some way). I just worry that may be giving him too much credit. Again, I will give him a chance for sure, but worry about being very disappointed in two years. He does have some traits that I do definitely value; however, between his age, past performances, and daily affirmation posts (well meaning but just rub me the wrong way as clueless, mumbo jumbo corporate speak nonsense I deal with at work), I do have some doubts.
 
Warhawk said:
Carmichael Dave said on the radio the other day that he's wondering if we're actually doing a "soft tank" - the pick-ups by Perry do not have more than 1 year or so on the contract and he might be using Vivek's desire for win-now vet moves against him. We already had some vets that didn't work well together and he's brought in a couple more that don't really address the biggest team needs, or at least don't address them effectively (while selling it as being "competitive"). When Perry was in NY he had incredible roster turnover in just 2 years if I recall correctly. Might he be priming the pump to do the same thing here? Who knows? I sure hope it is more than just what we see on the surface.

I never encourage "tanking" but moving vets for promising youth/picks and naturally losing games while developing the future should be the goal at this point - and that isn't the same as "tanking". With OKC and other teams seeming to be in the driver's seat for the next couple of years for top PO spots and division titles, now is the time.
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Dave’s view and mine are very similar.

I think all the recent moves are Vivek driven or inspired. I think Perry is leaning into the Vivek moves, including hiring Doug, to purposefully allow the team to suck. Once they really suck does Perry drop the hammer and do what he really wants. It’s a better approach than trying to fix Vivek’s stupidity and being mid.

We shall see how it plays out but a 1-10 record over the next few games would go a long way to making that hope come true.
 
Warhawk said:
Carmichael Dave said on the radio the other day that he's wondering if we're actually doing a "soft tank" - the pick-ups by Perry do not have more than 1 year or so on the contract and he might be using Vivek's desire for win-now vet moves against him.
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But wait - what have Perry's pickups been?

Schröder: 2 years plus $4.35M guaranteed in the third year (well over 1 year)
Clifford: Rookie scale 2 guaranteed + 2 option years (no choice)
Raynaud: 2 guaranteed + 1 option year for a second round pick (pretty much the most you can give a second-rounder)
Eubanks: 1 year min (who would give Eubanks more than one year?)
McDermott: 1 year min (who would give McDermott more than one year?)
Then some two-way guys.

So the only transaction that actually fits that "minimal years" script is the Valanciunas-Saric deal, which reduced our commitment from two years to one (and was obviously such a mind-numbingly stupid trade that not even somebody like me who wanted to give our new front office - however skeptical I am of Perry - the benefit of the doubt can look at it kindly).

Perry had one shot this summer, and that was to seal the deal on Kuminga. He didn't.

Soft tank? Or maybe just "makes up his own motivational quotes every morning" settling to his own level? This may not be a soft tank. This may be a toddler trying to make a happy face out of his mac and cheese.
 
Capt. Factorial said:
But wait - what have Perry's pickups been?

Schröder: 2 years plus $4.35M guaranteed in the third year (well over 1 year)
Clifford: Rookie scale 2 guaranteed + 2 option years (no choice)
Raynaud: 2 guaranteed + 1 option year for a second round pick (pretty much the most you can give a second-rounder)
Eubanks: 1 year min (who would give Eubanks more than one year?)
McDermott: 1 year min (who would give McDermott more than one year?)
Then some two-way guys.

So the only transaction that actually fits that "minimal years" script is the Valanciunas-Saric deal, which reduced our commitment from two years to one (and was obviously such a mind-numbingly stupid trade that not even somebody like me who wanted to give our new front office - however skeptical I am of Perry - the benefit of the doubt can look at it kindly).

Perry had one shot this summer, and that was to seal the deal on Kuminga. He didn't.

Soft tank? Or maybe just "makes up his own motivational quotes every morning" settling to his own level? This may not be a soft tank. This may be a toddler trying to make a happy face out of his mac and cheese.
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Also Westbrook.

I think he may have said 1-2 years (don't recall exactly) and he was talking vets, not draft picks (sorry, I should have made that clear). But yes, other than Dennis, all 1-year deals for the "vets" and Dennis is only 2 years plus a cheap amount on the 3rd year. I don't consider draft picks to be "pick-ups".
 
It’s a hell of a way to soft tank. As said previously, wasting years 2 years of some of our young guys careers and Domas if the goal is to keep him here. I don’t think it’s by Perry’s design
 
dude12 said:
It’s a hell of a way to soft tank. As said previously, wasting years 2 years of some of our young guys careers and Domas if the goal is to keep him here. I don’t think it’s by Perry’s design
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This was clearly going in multiple directions without committing to anything too much. Perry kind of went in on making Domas happy, getting him a "PG". Now two "PG's" haha. Of course doing so without having to sacrifice too much in the way of assets. Unlike Monte, Perry didn't really do too much damage overpay wise although Schroder was close to a reach potentially since there wasn't going to be a full MLE deal out there for him most likely. Still not a fan of year 3 being partially guaranteed on Schroder. Every little bit counts in a year where the team might squeak by with a little cap space.
 
My only issue is these national media people barely ever talked about the Kings in the back to back seasons they nearly won 50 games, but all of a sudden everyone wants to have roundtable discussions?? It’s so **** weird
 
The_Jamal said:
I love the PR Scott Perry gets

"He's actually a genius, fooling Vivek into being competitive, but he's actually tanking with these horrible moves!"

He might just be a bad GM lol. That's entirely possible.
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Oh, he might. We'll have to see how it ends. But he may just be doing a bit of "playing along with Vivek" for the time being. Who knows, maybe that was part of the negotiations coming here - give it until the trade deadline or one year before blowing it up? Not saying that it's the right approach, but if Perry wasn't able to get what he wanted in trades immediately, waiting 6 months isn't the worst thing in the world. Heck, everyone here seems to have their heads explode that we traded Fox so soon instead of waiting for a better deal. Can't please everyone!
 
Warhawk said:
Oh, he might. We'll have to see how it ends. But he may just be doing a bit of "playing along with Vivek" for the time being. Who knows, maybe that was part of the negotiations coming here - give it until the trade deadline or one year before blowing it up? Not saying that it's the right approach, but if Perry wasn't able to get what he wanted in trades immediately, waiting 6 months isn't the worst thing in the world. Heck, everyone here seems to have their heads explode that we traded Fox so soon instead of waiting for a better deal. Can't please everyone!
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For sure. I'm a big proponent of not selling for pennies on the dollar.

But I guess what I don't understand is if the whole "gap year" mentality and what we're doing with it. If the idea is we can't shake up our team because the market is cold (which I'm a bit dubious of), but if we accept that was true, then why not focus in-house on internal development? Why are we bring in a Dennis/Russ/Eubanks to take huge minutes and USG roles away from guys who might be on the team in 3 years? Why are we not taking a very close look on what Carter/Keon/Raynaud/Cardwell/IJ/Nique can be? Maybe they all suck and none of them are worth much, but isn't it better to discover that now? In a prescribed "gap year"? Wouldn't it be better to have 1500 minutes of Carter to evaluate than 500 scattered minutes? 2500 Keon? 1500 Nique? 1000 of Maxime/IJ/Cardwell?

And if we're good and winning games, awesome, then it's because the young guys are properly supporting the vets and maybe we have something brewing. If we're bad, we can evaluate who are potential keep players that can be apart of the next great Kings team. I just don't see a direction with what's currently being employed.
 
NewArena said:
My only issue is these national media people barely ever talked about the Kings in the back to back seasons they nearly won 50 games, but all of a sudden everyone wants to have roundtable discussions?? It’s so **** weird
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We had two All Stars for the first time since the Rick Adelman days during that 48 win season and both guys made Third Team All-NBA. Also, Mike Brown was unanimous Coach of the Year and Monte McNair was Executive of the Year. I think we were talked about plenty for a team which ultimately flamed out after just one year. Sabonis still gets a bad rap because of his poor performance against Kevon Looney in that 7 game series against Golden State -- that part is unfair. But we shouldn't be surprised that the spotlight moved on once our Cinderella story stopped being compelling. Now if we're talked about at all it's as the team that blew it, which is certainly a fair assessment imo. If we can't even get past the play-in we're not worth talking about.
 
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The_Jamal said:
I love the PR Scott Perry gets

"He's actually a genius, fooling Vivek into being competitive, but he's actually tanking with these horrible moves!"

He might just be a bad GM lol. That's entirely possible.
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I just don’t think 3 months is enough to draw any conclusions either way. He literally just walked in the door and it takes two to tango. Movement of a few of the vets will likely happen before the season ends.
 
Currently, this is a Team Frankenstein. From beam team to this. Pieces that shouldn't be together are held together just because they put a signature under their contract with Kings organization.
Kings now serve as good example to all other NBA teams fans. "You think we are bad? Just look at the Kings."
Sure, by pure talent of Domas, LaVine (DDR and his "middys" can go and bleep himself for all I care) will win some games this season. What's next? 2 more decades of no postseason?
 
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