I'm probably in the minority on this one, but seeing the Kings get demolished and demoralized in the playoffs by a healthy Zion Williamson is a spectacle I'm willing to live with in 2024 if that pushes Monte McNair toward solving the PF situation right away instead of kicking it down the road another year. Our long-term goals and short-term goals shouldn't conflict with each other. Yes of course we want to win but I don't need to see a playoff series win this year to mark "progress" so much as I just want the team working toward eventually winning a championship within this current "Fox and Ox" window of opportunity. Small steps backward can still lead to good things.
I do think we've found a formula that works over the past few weeks with Fox, Ellis, Murray, and Sabonis. All four of those guys provide value on both sides of the floor. Monk should be part of that core group too but that depends on how much money he's willing to give up to stay in Sacramento and how badly he wants a starting role. Now that we're in that 40-50 win range in back-to-back seasons, we can feel reasonably safe that we have the beginnings of a winning formula. Now the question ultimately becomes "what needs to happen to make the jump from playoff participant to actual contender"?
I do think we've found a formula that works over the past few weeks with Fox, Ellis, Murray, and Sabonis. All four of those guys provide value on both sides of the floor. Monk should be part of that core group too but that depends on how much money he's willing to give up to stay in Sacramento and how badly he wants a starting role. Now that we're in that 40-50 win range in back-to-back seasons, we can feel reasonably safe that we have the beginnings of a winning formula. Now the question ultimately becomes "what needs to happen to make the jump from playoff participant to actual contender"?