Training Camp, October 2023

[PorchSurfin]

not sure why that is a shock. Kessler is literally the only player on the roster who can be a plus defender at the 3. Matt George came across as a dufus expressing his absolute shock. If Kessler can be even close to average as a shooter he will be a lock.

In preseason form once again I see.

It's already been said that Vezenkov's defense is better than advertised. Maybe wait to see some actual game time and rotations before telling us how we missed out on OMP again hmm?

You're wrong WAY more than you are right, so might wanna chill on your agenda and push your narrative AFTER some actual results.

Remember, you said Fox was absolute garbage and would never be a leader and was going to be traded (for I think Ben Simmons, how's that one working out for you?) and wow, dude was an all star and all NBA player last year.

You should probably stop while you're not too far behind.

 

[iowamcnabb]

not sure why that is a shock. Kessler is literally the only player on the roster who can be a plus defender at the 3. Matt George came across as a dufus expressing his absolute shock. If Kessler can be even close to average as a shooter he will be a lock.

I’m sure the order means very little this early but if Kessler is higher on the depth chart than Sasha, that will be pretty shocking.

If Sasha is for real, the idea of him starting and having HB take all those back up 3 minutes is growing on me.

 

[sactowndog]

I’m sure the order means very little this early but if Kessler is higher on the depth chart than Sasha, that will be pretty shocking.

If Sasha is for real, the idea of him starting and having HB take all those back up 3 minutes is growing on me.

We shall see but 4/5 of Sasha and Sabonis would be quite defensively challenged.

As for Kessler being higher on the depth chart…. We have 4 players whose best spot is the 4….. Keegan, Barnes, Lyles and Vezenkov.

We have one guy whose best spot is the 3: Kessler.

it would not shock me at all if he passes up one of Lyles or Vezenkov.

 

[Rain man]

We shall see but 4/5 of Sasha and Sabonis would be quite defensively challenged.

As for Kessler being higher on the depth chart…. We have 4 players whose best spot is the 4….. Keegan, Barnes, Lyles and Vezenkov.

We have one guy whose best spot is the 3: Kessler.

it would not shock me at all if he passes up one of Lyles or Vezenkov.

I honestly don’t get the handwringing about who is a 3 and who is a 4. The best NBA teams put their best guys on the court and make you adapt. Instead of worrying about how to match what other teams are doing, teams like the Warriors, Suns, Celtics, Nuggets, etc… get their best guys out there and beat you playing their game. The Warriors aren’t worrying about wing defense- they are telling you that they will play Steph, Paul, Klay and Wiggins and make you figure it out. The suns aren’t worrying about who can play point guard. They are rolling their best guys on to the court and saying “stop us.”

So why are you always so worried about who plays the 3? Our best pure 3 is probably Kessler. He is also probably (at best) the 10th best player on the team. The kings shouldnt change their rotation to fit some standard model in order to play the 10th best guy more minutes. They should roll out their tremendous firepower and make teams adjust to them.

I mean, if we had a strong 3 who was one of our top 6-7 players, then sure, play him. But don’t take minutes from better players just to play a “3.” We did plenty fine with non-3s like HB and Keegan last year.

 

[Warhawk]

Kings Preseason TV Schedule (PST):

Sunday, October 8
Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors — 5 p.m. (NBA League Pass)

Up against the 49ers-Cowboys game, unfortunately, and I'm likely out of town that afternoon anyways. Argh.

 

[gilly420]

Kessler needs to shoot the ball pretty well to earn consistent playing time imo. If he's shooting low 30's or worse from 3, someone will take his minutes. We are too deep this year.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Keegan looks SWOLE. Also, love seeing Vezenkov with his arm around Keegan. Those 2 could be DEADLY on the front line together!

Imagine a lineup of Monk, Huerter, Keegan, Sasha, Lyles.

Could that be the best 3pt shooting lineup in NBA history?

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Imagine a lineup of Monk, Huerter, Keegan, Sasha, Lyles.

Could that be the best 3pt shooting lineup in NBA history?

From 1-5 that's obviously a very good shooting lineup (though the lack of a true PG and true C could spell trouble in other ways). But I'd probably argue that Curry, Klay, and three guys from the YMCA is the best 3PT shooting lineup in NBA history.

 

[NewArena]

Those big wide smiles tell me all i need to know. These guys have so much fun together as im sure they're scoring 165 points in practice with ease

https://twitter.com/statuses/1709744520190107994

 

[NewArena]

Yeah- our team that finished 3rd in the west, comes back mostly intact and with additional talent should be out there saying “our goal would’ve been a championship, but given that we didn’t win a series last year, we are cool making the second round.”

not everything needs to be hyper analyzed. Why can’t they shoot for a championship? You know they don’t actually get to skip hurdles just because they set big goals right?

THIS! They took the then defending champions to 7 games and they're supposed to come in with their heads down, eyeing the 2nd round? I would be so disappointed to hear any of that kinda talk. This team is capable of 50 + wins and more and should absolutely be talking championships from now until everyone is out of their prime, years from now. That kind of talk is how you build toward that goal and maintain a sense of urgency across the board, from management on down. Thank God for Mike Brown and his understanding of this.

 

[NewArena]

only concern I have about talking championship right now is that if the team exits in the first or second round again, who's on the chopping block?

That's not how it works, or at least it shouldn't be. If you're a winning team and you aren't talking championships, that's pretty sad and pointless to me. Idc how unrealistic it may seem to others - especially when there's no way you could have told me we'd win close to 50 games in the West and be the 3rd seed during last year's training camp. That would have sounded crazy to me as well.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Kessler needs to shoot the ball pretty well to earn consistent playing time imo. If he's shooting low 30's or worse from 3, someone will take his minutes. We are too deep this year.

I agree. It should be his #1 focus right now. Just get a consistent 3pt shot.

 

[NewArena]

Imagine a lineup of Monk, Huerter, Keegan, Sasha, Lyles.

Could that be the best 3pt shooting lineup in NBA history?

What i love most about lineups like this is the ability of at least 2-3 of these guys being able to create for themselves and others. This lineup is no one trick pony--even with their shared ability to shoot the heck out of the ball.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

What i love most about lineups like this is the ability of at least 2-3 of these guys being able to create for themselves and others. This lineup is no one trick pony--even with their shared ability to shoot the heck out of the ball.

Yup, and moreover, this lineup is a very real possibility in the first quarter of games - if Sasha ends up starting, and Monk and Lyles are the first off the bench to give Domas and Fox a blow. I know in the past we preferred to keep one of them on the floor as much as possible - but that can change, and we have not only a much deeper team this year - but a much more versatile set of players.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

only concern I have about talking championship right now is that if the team exits in the first or second round again, who's on the chopping block?

It's more likely that someone is on the chopping block if we are NOT aiming for the championship, exit the first or second round, and coaches call that a successful season because we equaled or slightly improved last seasons performance. If at the press conference following such an exit the Coach says. "We won a few more games than last year and made it to the second round, we're happy with this season." I, and everyone rooting for or running this organization should want that coach fired.

 

[SacTownKid]

Probably no big deal but Matt George said Sasha was on the third team today behind Kessler Edwards

IIRC, last year Brown switched around a lot of the teams in preseason camp. He's obviously someone that wants everyone to play with a bunch of different lineups.

 

[Section 101]

Probably no big deal but Matt George said Sasha was on the third team today behind Kessler Edwards

Omg, a rookie coming into camp starts on the third string. The season is over already.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

From 1-5 that's obviously a very good shooting lineup (though the lack of a true PG and true C could spell trouble in other ways). But I'd probably argue that Curry, Klay, and three guys from the YMCA is the best 3PT shooting lineup in NBA history.

IDK, in a game to 176, I like the KINGS chances better. They almost, and should have, beaten those guys last season and didn't have Sasha, Duarte, McGee nor a healthy Domas. Obviously we need to see these new lineups in action, but, on paper, I'll take that KINGS 5.

And for me, in today's rule set and emphasis on the 3-point shot, I'll take Larry Bird and 4 guys from the YMCA as the best 3PT shooting lineup in NBA history. Larry admittedly didn't even work on the shot, as all these kids today do, yet still managed to shoot over 40% six times during his career and won 2 all-star weekend shootouts without even taking off his warmups.

If prime Bird was playing today, I like his chances of improving his career 3pt shooting numbers by 5.3% to exceed Curry's career number if he was working on that shot as diligently as Curry and all players playing today. As it were, he still shot right at 40% from 3 the last 7 full seasons of his career.

If aliens ever come down from above and grant us one shot from any spot on the floor they choose to stave off annihilation, I'm choosing Larry Bird to take that shot without hesitation. And this from a lifelong Celtics hater.

 

[midtowner]

IDK, in a game to 176, I like the KINGS chances better. They almost, and should have, beaten those guys last season and didn't have Sasha, Duarte, McGee nor a healthy Domas. Obviously we need to see these new lineups in action, but, on paper, I'll take that KINGS 5.

And for me, in today's rule set and emphasis on the 3-point shot, I'll take Larry Bird and 4 guys from the YMCA as the best 3PT shooting lineup in NBA history. Larry admittedly didn't even work on the shot, as all these kids today do, yet still managed to shoot over 40% six times during his career and won 2 all-star weekend shootouts without even taking off his warmups.

If prime Bird was playing today, I like his chances of improving his career 3pt shooting numbers by 5.3% to exceed Curry's career number if he was working on that shot as diligently as Curry and all players playing today.

If aliens ever come down from above and grant us one shot from any spot on the floor they choose to stave off annihilation, I'm choosing Larry Bird to take that shot without hesitation. And this from a lifelong Celtics hater.

MJ from the elbow

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1710038693191561342

every preseason game is going to be available to watch either via stream or NBCSN

 

[KingsFanSince85]

MJ from the elbow

Yeah, that would be a hard one to pass on. Definitely. Or Kareem's sky hook.

However, I was coming from more of the angle than you don't know where the shot is going to come from. Could be from 20-feet, could be from 40-feet, could be from 12-feet.

You have to pick one player to take that unknown shot beforehand for the game of life.

I'm taking Bird. The guy that often told defenders what he was going to do before he actually did it. And even sometimes did it twice when the officials determined that the clock didn't properly start.

Dude was an assassin from everywhere on the floor.

 

[Tetsujin]

I dunno but if we needed someone to hit a shot to save the human race from aliens, I’m putting a Kings jersey on the aliens and resurrecting Kobe.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Omg, a rookie coming into camp starts on the third string. The season is over already.

if that 28 year old rookie is behind Kessler on the depth chart when the season starts it is a big deal.

in Browns most recent interviews I get the feeling he really sees Trey as a 4 that will get occasional minutes at the 5. If that’s the case, it could be a battle between Sasha and Trey for minutes

 

[Caccia]

“(Lyles) can play the four, he can play the three,” Brown said. “But just as importantly, he can play the five if we want to go small and stretch the floor. And we know if he is that (the five), we’re not going to get beat by a big ducking in, because Trey is going to fight like hell just to keep that guy out of the paint.”

https://theathletic.com/4931922/2023/10/05/kings-trey-lyles-consistency/

Harrison Barnes says he is still waiting for an invitation to the Trey Lyles Book Club.

 

[sactowndog]

I honestly don’t get the handwringing about who is a 3 and who is a 4. The best NBA teams put their best guys on the court and make you adapt. Instead of worrying about how to match what other teams are doing, teams like the Warriors, Suns, Celtics, Nuggets, etc… get their best guys out there and beat you playing their game. The Warriors aren’t worrying about wing defense- they are telling you that they will play Steph, Paul, Klay and Wiggins and make you figure it out. The suns aren’t worrying about who can play point guard. They are rolling their best guys on to the court and saying “stop us.”

So why are you always so worried about who plays the 3? Our best pure 3 is probably Kessler. He is also probably (at best) the 10th best player on the team. The kings shouldnt change their rotation to fit some standard model in order to play the 10th best guy more minutes. They should roll out their tremendous firepower and make teams adjust to them.

I mean, if we had a strong 3 who was one of our top 6-7 players, then sure, play him. But don’t take minutes from better players just to play a “3.” We did plenty fine with non-3s like HB and Keegan last year.

Because you have 2 sides of the court and you are what you can guard.

 

[SacTownKid]

if that 28 year old rookie is behind Kessler on the depth chart when the season starts it is a big deal.

in Browns most recent interviews I get the feeling he really sees Trey as a 4 that will get occasional minutes at the 5. If that’s the case, it could be a battle between Sasha and Trey for minutes

This can certainly be an overloaded roster depending on how Brown views it. One thing sounds pretty consistent, you have Fox and Domas and then the rest lol. I agree, I think this is a battle between Sasha and Lyles if it comes to that. Kessler is an entirely different type of player that can play the SG so his battle should be elsewhere if last season was any clue. Be glad Monte is who he is, if there is a mess somewhere, he'll likely clean it up. That said, if Lyles isn't either replacing someone in the lineup or playing the 5, his deal starts to look like an overpay.

 

[iowamcnabb]

This can certainly be an overloaded roster depending on how Brown views it. One thing sounds pretty consistent, you have Fox and Domas and then the rest lol. I agree, I think this is a battle between Sasha and Lyles if it comes to that. Kessler is an entirely different type of player that can play the SG so his battle should be elsewhere if last season was any clue. Be glad Monte is who he is, if there is a mess somewhere, he'll likely clean it up. That said, if Lyles isn't either replacing someone in the lineup or playing the 5, his deal starts to look like an overpay.

I think that’s why the idea of starting Sasha (assuming he is a great shooter with impact of Lyles or better) is growing on me. HB getting back up 3/4 minutes might give us the best bench in the league and possibly one of the best shooting starting lineups. On top of that, I’ve always noticed that HB tends to wear down with too many minutes. We get Black Falcon for a decent stretch and then he gets gassed. He plays a super physical offensive game so maybe fewer minutes would keep him fresh.

 

[miltonap]

I think that’s why the idea of starting Sasha (assuming he is a great shooter with impact of Lyles or better) is growing on me. HB getting back up 3/4 minutes might give us the best bench in the league and possibly one of the best shooting starting lineups. On top of that, I’ve always noticed that HB tends to wear down with too many minutes. We get Black Falcon for a decent stretch and then he gets gassed. He plays a super physical offensive game so maybe fewer minutes would keep him fresh.

HB off the bench would be fantastic.

Sasha as the starting 4 and this is a western conference finals team.

I really do think an O Max or Bobby Portis type player at the 4 instead of Sasha and this is a championship team. Need someone with an edge at the 4

 

[kingsboi]

That's not how it works, or at least it shouldn't be. If you're a winning team and you aren't talking championships, that's pretty sad and pointless to me. Idc how unrealistic it may seem to others - especially when there's no way you could have told me we'd win close to 50 games in the West and be the 3rd seed during last year's training camp. That would have sounded crazy to me as well.

indeed, the amount of games they won took us by surprise. There will be no surprises this season and every team will bring it. When you set your barometer that high without much success, you better come and back it up with playoff success otherwise it's just pie in the sky.

 

[kingsboi]

It's more likely that someone is on the chopping block if we are NOT aiming for the championship, exit the first or second round, and coaches call that a successful season because we equaled or slightly improved last seasons performance. If at the press conference following such an exit the Coach says. "We won a few more games than last year and made it to the second round, we're happy with this season." I, and everyone rooting for or running this organization should want that coach fired.

I remember at some point last season I mentioned that if the Kings don't have success in the Postseason with Brown for the first 2 or 3 years that we as fans and especially the front office should not panic and remain patient with the course and the continuity and now that you have him talking championship, there is added pressure in my view if you don't bring it.