Blob
Starter
The Kings need to do something strategically transformative this summer.
The man in charge is more inclined to do something tragically comical.
The goal of the season mercifully over was to define a core for 2018-19 and beyond, a hyper-competitive contingent capable of a Top 4 seed and deep post-season runs perennially.
The goal was to lay foundation in cement not sand.
To return to the glory days of Bibby daggers, C-Webb rim rattlers and Christie upper cuts.
To make the month of May more than a time of envy and idleness.
To finish the business that Vlade the player left undone.
To beat LA, H-Town, the Warriors and anyone else in our way.
This process is not going so well, unlike the process being trusted in Philly.
Don’t believe what your season ticket rep wants you to.
Unlike him or her I have nothing to sell you but the truth.
In the fall of 2017 there were 10 “future core” candidates:
A more realistic scenario would be about six guys consistently strutting their stuff displaying tantalizing value as projected stars, starters or trusted bench contributor.
Neither the best case or realistic case scenario was realized.
A near worse case scenario unfolded instead with uneven and uninspiring play from the majority (7 out of 10), the 29th point differential (against a handful of teams actively trying to lose) and no position outside of SG capably manned two deep.
Due to the exemplary crunch time competitiveness however our record (27-55) was deceptive to what our talent would otherwise dictate (21-61).
So not only did we not realize the primary mission of the season we are unlikely to be assuaged by parity rules to reward the downtrodden.
Our draft pick was likely pushed out of the Top 3 due to the late game heroics of Fox, Boggy and to lesser extent Buddy Buckets.
In exchange for meaningless wins, and barring defying 90% odds, we likely sacrificed our best chance for a franchise player to “foster culture”.
Beating the Suns in April and $2.65 will get you a large Starbucks dark roast.
If any fan base needed to be rewarded for having to watch Z-Bud usher opponents to the rim while doing his black hole shimmy, George Hill go through the motions 40 games and pretending to care, and Willie do his best Boogie impression and fooling no one, it was this fan base.
Instead of Ayton, Bagley or Doncic, we are looking at Bamba, Bridges (Miles) or Sexton, and this is if we are smart (a substantial presumption).
Instead of light at the end of the tunnel, we get platitudes from a cynical coach, a confounded GM, an esoteric-minded center, jaded vets cashing them checks, and few signs for luminous optimism.
Instead of a serious core six deep to rival the up and comers and league mainstays, we have as many questions as we did one year ago.
A decade of ineptitude marches on.
The climb from the bottom has barely gotten off the first rung.
In fairness, we can still land the best player in the draft at #7, but it would be due to luck more than prudence. It would take other teams bypassing the better player and us taking the “leftovers”. It would require the next Donovan Mitchell, who is likely out there somewhere, falling into our lap.
Being fortuitous is the more reasonable hope than prudence. To put an end to the 20 point second quarter deficits and 85 point embarrassments, a twist(s) of sweet fate is required. This GM is not outsmarting anyone.
If Vlade has a strength as a GM, it is not his vision, talent assessment or trade negotiation. It is not public relations, work ethic or his phone skills.
His strength, if you want to call it one, generously, is an admission of when it is not working. And willingness to act accordingly.
Vlade exiled Boogie when it was clear he was not worthy of the franchise tag or 200 million. The problem was not in the assessment. It was in the execution and the sparse return.
More recently he dumped George Hill to the only team with a whiff of interest. Bravo. Those fans who insisted we hold out for a first round pick wildly over-valued said player, presently bringing the ball across half court and getting out of LeBron’s way.
Vlade deserves credit for finding a taker for a role playing PG with whose eroding skills don't equal even half of the 20M owed, a maneuver I vehemently encouraged before it went down.
George was a system player whose last season in Utah was an outlier. He was not the high usage star the GM pegged him to be. Such misreads have been too common over this GMs tenure.
If Darrly Morey is the LeBron James of GMs, Vlade is the Bruno Cabulco.
Still Vlade did not compound the Hill signing with ego-based stubbornness and an expectation of a player transformation never to occur. Getting 10M in space is better than denying reality. Now we are players in free agency whether the dollars are wasted or optimized.
Now that I am done complimenting Vlade to the extent justified, I can address his most recent embarrassing escapade.
Vlade insulted fans who know better or deluded himself by selling the 9-11 record to end the season in his post-season press conference.
It was a sorry display of disingenuousness and WTF.
Winning 9 out of 20 games was an accomplishment?
A basis for optimism going into next year?
Unchallenged by a media of clowns and sycophants, Vlade emerged unscathed. Who is the bigger fool? Vlade for having the audacity or ignorance to try to perpetuate this ruse? Or those who blindly accept it?
I know this sounds harsh. But if no one is going to call out this inane sideshow I will.
Here are teams we beat over this epic stretch of unparalleled wizardry:
Embedded within this stretch of majestical dominance we dropped home games against the Mavs who wanted to lose but couldn’t, against a Pistons team going nowhere who fired their coach for taking them nowhere, and botched road game against the Suns who wanted to lose but couldn’t.
This was not real progress. This was playing out the string in dog days to mixed results. The nice wins (three) were offset by the ugly losses (three).
I would have more respect for a GM who doesn’t sugarcoat, who puts the work undone at the forefront, who distinguishes between real and negligible progress, who does not place significance on beating the Grizzlies in April.
Until he proves otherwise Vlade is the worst GM in all of sport.
For all the resources (dollars and draft picks and trade opportunities) to which he has had access, we have only three players around which to confidently build:
For those contending the future is so bright we have to wear shades, I think you may have us confused with the Celtics and Jazz.
Let’s play quick word association game with a few wannabe core players on this roster:
I have conveyed my sentiments on this foursome many times before but with the season in the rear view and time to reflect I will offer a fresh perspective (in other posts). I will then chart the path forward with a Blobian prescription for better days.
Consider this my dutiful deed to a former player who thought cancer sticks and tip outs to the three line (with clock expiring) were acceptable means to success.
(Note: I wrote over 6,000 words about the Kings over the last few days but will piecemeal it out. I have a post on Willie and Julius Randle about to go live! )
After Vlade made the trade for Boogie he said, paraphrasing, if the team was not headed in the right direction two seasons later he didn't deserve to be around.
He vowed to bow out gracefully for the sake of the franchise, to take ownership over the mess he (mostly) created and was unable to clean up.
This is one fan who intends to remind him of his word.
You could contend easily he should have already been let go, with enough flubs in terms of process and execution to make any reputable employer pull the plug.
Barring something dramatic and unexpected, and assuming an owner with accountability conscience, Vlade will be fired within the next 12 months.
Until then, not only do we hold out hope for prudent moves to catapult the team to relevancy, but that disastrous ones are not incurred.
Wasted cap space and draft picks have been the norm more than the exception.
Not only is this Vlade's last chance to get it right, it is his last chance not to screw it up into further disrepair.
Good luck #21, you are going to need it.
- Blob
The man in charge is more inclined to do something tragically comical.
The goal of the season mercifully over was to define a core for 2018-19 and beyond, a hyper-competitive contingent capable of a Top 4 seed and deep post-season runs perennially.
The goal was to lay foundation in cement not sand.
To return to the glory days of Bibby daggers, C-Webb rim rattlers and Christie upper cuts.
To make the month of May more than a time of envy and idleness.
To finish the business that Vlade the player left undone.
To beat LA, H-Town, the Warriors and anyone else in our way.
This process is not going so well, unlike the process being trusted in Philly.
Don’t believe what your season ticket rep wants you to.
Unlike him or her I have nothing to sell you but the truth.
In the fall of 2017 there were 10 “future core” candidates:
- De’Aaron
- Buddy
- Boggy
- Frank
- Jackson
- Skal
- Willie
- Papa G
- Malachi
- Giles
A more realistic scenario would be about six guys consistently strutting their stuff displaying tantalizing value as projected stars, starters or trusted bench contributor.
Neither the best case or realistic case scenario was realized.
A near worse case scenario unfolded instead with uneven and uninspiring play from the majority (7 out of 10), the 29th point differential (against a handful of teams actively trying to lose) and no position outside of SG capably manned two deep.
Due to the exemplary crunch time competitiveness however our record (27-55) was deceptive to what our talent would otherwise dictate (21-61).
So not only did we not realize the primary mission of the season we are unlikely to be assuaged by parity rules to reward the downtrodden.
Our draft pick was likely pushed out of the Top 3 due to the late game heroics of Fox, Boggy and to lesser extent Buddy Buckets.
In exchange for meaningless wins, and barring defying 90% odds, we likely sacrificed our best chance for a franchise player to “foster culture”.
Beating the Suns in April and $2.65 will get you a large Starbucks dark roast.
If any fan base needed to be rewarded for having to watch Z-Bud usher opponents to the rim while doing his black hole shimmy, George Hill go through the motions 40 games and pretending to care, and Willie do his best Boogie impression and fooling no one, it was this fan base.
Instead of Ayton, Bagley or Doncic, we are looking at Bamba, Bridges (Miles) or Sexton, and this is if we are smart (a substantial presumption).
Instead of light at the end of the tunnel, we get platitudes from a cynical coach, a confounded GM, an esoteric-minded center, jaded vets cashing them checks, and few signs for luminous optimism.
Instead of a serious core six deep to rival the up and comers and league mainstays, we have as many questions as we did one year ago.
A decade of ineptitude marches on.
The climb from the bottom has barely gotten off the first rung.
In fairness, we can still land the best player in the draft at #7, but it would be due to luck more than prudence. It would take other teams bypassing the better player and us taking the “leftovers”. It would require the next Donovan Mitchell, who is likely out there somewhere, falling into our lap.
Being fortuitous is the more reasonable hope than prudence. To put an end to the 20 point second quarter deficits and 85 point embarrassments, a twist(s) of sweet fate is required. This GM is not outsmarting anyone.
If Vlade has a strength as a GM, it is not his vision, talent assessment or trade negotiation. It is not public relations, work ethic or his phone skills.
His strength, if you want to call it one, generously, is an admission of when it is not working. And willingness to act accordingly.
Vlade exiled Boogie when it was clear he was not worthy of the franchise tag or 200 million. The problem was not in the assessment. It was in the execution and the sparse return.
More recently he dumped George Hill to the only team with a whiff of interest. Bravo. Those fans who insisted we hold out for a first round pick wildly over-valued said player, presently bringing the ball across half court and getting out of LeBron’s way.
Vlade deserves credit for finding a taker for a role playing PG with whose eroding skills don't equal even half of the 20M owed, a maneuver I vehemently encouraged before it went down.
George was a system player whose last season in Utah was an outlier. He was not the high usage star the GM pegged him to be. Such misreads have been too common over this GMs tenure.
If Darrly Morey is the LeBron James of GMs, Vlade is the Bruno Cabulco.
Still Vlade did not compound the Hill signing with ego-based stubbornness and an expectation of a player transformation never to occur. Getting 10M in space is better than denying reality. Now we are players in free agency whether the dollars are wasted or optimized.
Now that I am done complimenting Vlade to the extent justified, I can address his most recent embarrassing escapade.
Vlade insulted fans who know better or deluded himself by selling the 9-11 record to end the season in his post-season press conference.
It was a sorry display of disingenuousness and WTF.
Winning 9 out of 20 games was an accomplishment?
A basis for optimism going into next year?
Unchallenged by a media of clowns and sycophants, Vlade emerged unscathed. Who is the bigger fool? Vlade for having the audacity or ignorance to try to perpetuate this ruse? Or those who blindly accept it?
I know this sounds harsh. But if no one is going to call out this inane sideshow I will.
Here are teams we beat over this epic stretch of unparalleled wizardry:
- Nets (terrible team)
- Knicks (terrible team trying to lose)
- Magic (terrible team trying to lose)
- Warriors (good win w/o Curry vs disengaged opponent)
- Heat (good win)
- Hawks (terrible team trying to lose)
- Lakers (decent win against disengaged opponent)
- Grizzlies (terrible team trying to lose)
- Rockets (opponent didn’t care; all starters rested)
Embedded within this stretch of majestical dominance we dropped home games against the Mavs who wanted to lose but couldn’t, against a Pistons team going nowhere who fired their coach for taking them nowhere, and botched road game against the Suns who wanted to lose but couldn’t.
This was not real progress. This was playing out the string in dog days to mixed results. The nice wins (three) were offset by the ugly losses (three).
I would have more respect for a GM who doesn’t sugarcoat, who puts the work undone at the forefront, who distinguishes between real and negligible progress, who does not place significance on beating the Grizzlies in April.
Until he proves otherwise Vlade is the worst GM in all of sport.
For all the resources (dollars and draft picks and trade opportunities) to which he has had access, we have only three players around which to confidently build:
- Buddy
- Boggy
- Fox
For those contending the future is so bright we have to wear shades, I think you may have us confused with the Celtics and Jazz.
Let’s play quick word association game with a few wannabe core players on this roster:
- Skal: disappointing, disheartening, intermittent
- Willie: frustrating, clumsy, passive, delusional
- Frank: diminutive, inefficient, inauspicious finisher
- Jackson: passive, timid, weak, G-leaguer
I have conveyed my sentiments on this foursome many times before but with the season in the rear view and time to reflect I will offer a fresh perspective (in other posts). I will then chart the path forward with a Blobian prescription for better days.
Consider this my dutiful deed to a former player who thought cancer sticks and tip outs to the three line (with clock expiring) were acceptable means to success.
(Note: I wrote over 6,000 words about the Kings over the last few days but will piecemeal it out. I have a post on Willie and Julius Randle about to go live! )
After Vlade made the trade for Boogie he said, paraphrasing, if the team was not headed in the right direction two seasons later he didn't deserve to be around.
He vowed to bow out gracefully for the sake of the franchise, to take ownership over the mess he (mostly) created and was unable to clean up.
This is one fan who intends to remind him of his word.
You could contend easily he should have already been let go, with enough flubs in terms of process and execution to make any reputable employer pull the plug.
Barring something dramatic and unexpected, and assuming an owner with accountability conscience, Vlade will be fired within the next 12 months.
Until then, not only do we hold out hope for prudent moves to catapult the team to relevancy, but that disastrous ones are not incurred.
Wasted cap space and draft picks have been the norm more than the exception.
Not only is this Vlade's last chance to get it right, it is his last chance not to screw it up into further disrepair.
Good luck #21, you are going to need it.
- Blob
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