Training Camp, October 2023

[Tetsujin]

Kevin Huerter working with the second unit at practice today. Looks like Davion Mitchell is grouped with the starters.

Chris Duarte, who suffered a bone bruise to his left knee on Sunday, is out for the final two preseason games, per the Kings.

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) October 17, 2023

 

[iowamcnabb]

Huh, maybe there is fire after all

 

[Capt. Factorial]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1714365881231557045

Breathlessly waiting for the news media to ask Fox how he feels about being moved down to work with the second unit and whether Brown has had any conversations with him suggesting Davion is going to be the starter. Gonna be awesome.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1714483943183982737

 

[NewArena]

Dang, no wonder they look so tired in the games haha.

Huerter needs to get with a shooting coach ASAP and figure out a solution for this flat hitch in his shot or whatever that is. He has no business missing some of the looks he's been missing dating back to the halfway point of last season. It's scaring me a little.

 

[NewArena]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1714483943183982737

Monte's eye for talent in the draft is something stellar.

 

[NewArena]

Brown sometimes makes no logical sense.

"We're going to run until we can't run no more!"

"Also, 35 year old Javale is gonna be back-up C!"

For a coach that had such a sophisticated and modern offensive system, he's very stuck to "traditional" positions and basically never likes to go small

Never is a strong word when he just completed a hell of a first season. Mike Brown has shown plenty of times that he's willing to try new things and implement new ideas. We're already seeing that in this preseason.

 

[kingsboi]

Huerter needs to get with a shooting coach ASAP and figure out a solution for this flat hitch in his shot or whatever that is. He has no business missing some of the looks he's been missing dating back to the halfway point of last season. It's scaring me a little.

it needs to be fixed no doubt if you want to see consistent shooting from Kevin, otherwise his up and down shooting numbers will continue and that I think, played a part in his disappearance in the Postseason.

 

[Caccia]

Jaylen Nowell was wiaved. According to HoopsHype, that brings the squad to 14, one under the regulation number for the regular season.

I believe Jordan Ford, Keon Ellis, and Jalen Slawson are the three two-way players allowed. The NBA site also has Jake Stephens and Dane Goodwin currently listed, who signed Exhibit 10 contracts this week, bound for the Stockton Kings. Stephens, of course, was on the Kings' summer league team.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/10/kings-sign-dane-goodwin-jake-stephens-to-exhibit-10-deals.html

 

[Rain man]

Monte's eye for talent in the draft is something stellar.

But but but he has never successfully hit a second rounder. And O Max Propser is gonna be Scottie Pippen….

Funny how there is radio silence from those posters

 

[funkykingston]

But but but he has never successfully hit a second rounder. And O Max Propser is gonna be Scottie Pippen….

Funny how there is radio silence from those posters

I think Prosper will figure things out and be a good role player, though his long term success will likely hinge on his outside shot. I originally liked him with the later of the Kings two 2nd rounders. And as he climbed up I would have been okay with him at #38. But I didn't see the value when he rose up draft boards into the first round.

In all fairness, Colby wasn't my first choice at #24, but I would have taken him over Prosper, so getting him at #34 was good value, and so far he's exceeding my expectations. Side note, my top choice at #38 was Jordan Walsh who the Celtics took at that spot after we traded picks with them. Walsh doesn't really fit the Fox/Domas timeline and will need a year or two in the G League, but I think he ends up being a better wing defender and overall player than OMax. We'll see.

But back to Jones - I think long term Brown wants a stronger 3 & D player at SG. Fox, Sabonis, and Murray are entrenched as starters so there's only two other spots that can be changed out to improve the defense. If either Colby or Duarte can provide most of what Kevin does offensively but be significantly better on defense, Brown will make that move. Maybe in that scenario Huerter plays more 3 in the 2nd unit to add some shooting/scoring. Or he falls out of the rotation altogether. In the meantime, I hope he busts out of his current slump. He was a huge part of the team's success last season and at least for the moment I don't think Jones or Duarte are an upgrade. That can change either if one of those guys make a leap or if Huerter really struggles. The former is a much better thing for the team.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715396160415031797

Riding that treadmill!

 

[funkykingston]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715396160415031797

Riding that treadmill!

Hopefully Davion can keep this up in the regular season.

 

[NewArena]

Hopefully Davion can keep this up in the regular season.

Can you imagine? Even if he hovers around 35-37 percent from three, we’ll kill a lot of teams

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Can you imagine? Even if he hovers around 35-37 percent from three, we’ll kill a lot of teams

I've been saying for a while the development of Davion's 3pt shot is the key to his game, because it's what kept him off the floor last year. A guy that can play that good of defense, paired with just one other adequate weapon like playmaking or shooting, all the sudden is at minimum a 15-20 min/game type of guy. Both his playmaking and shooting are coming along nicely. Instructions from coach seem to be something like "become a distributor and playmaker and improve your 3pt shot".

I'll also note here that among all the signings, picks and development of other guys, Edwards fell of my radar a bit - but he looked GREAT last night. We are beginning to look like an extremely deep team if guys continue to develop on current trajectories.

Jones
Mitchell
Duarte
Edwards

Starting to look very very solid on both sides of the ball at the glue guy 2 and 3 positions.

 

[NewArena]

@Vinny Basketballerino you’re so right! I think patience has really been one of the keys for us. People want to immediately jettison 2-3 rotation guys out of here for what may seem like an upgrade, but, there’s really no rush. Things and players can evolve, develop + come together in a beautiful way with the foundation we have and chemistry we’ve built that is still growing daily.