Westbrook Signs with the Kings

[Spike]

I don't even know what to think at this point.
Well, I do, but this is a family-friendly board.

If we're stealth tanking, we're spray painting the tank in highly-visible #ccff00. If MGMT believes that they are truly building a winning team...oy.
The reality of the situation is that we're probably looking to put butts in the seats AND gloriously lose. The fallout from this process, however, may be too much, and we could lose some players that we need for the next iteration. Oddly enough, I believe that somewhere within all of this rubble is actually a competitive team - but we seem to make moves in spite of that fact. This is one such move.

 

[Krunker]

You guys are totally misreading this move, along with the NBA punditry: it is intended to put fans in the seats and watching on television.

Winning? How quaint.

Yeah I'm sure that is what Vivek is going for, if he came off the bench and was the tough vet to mentor the young guys that could be good, but if he is starting and taking up big minutes then I dunno, it is short term entertainment I guess. He is pretty close to 10,000 assists and the PG scoring record so I think he wants to play.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

I assume we got fools in here back this crap like everything else

I’ll be watching Jokic and denver this season and

 

[KainLear]

Imagine a lineup of Westbrook, Monk, Lavine, DDR and Sabonis.

NBA 3.0 babyyyyy

In that case, you might as well also employ Vivek's "winning" strategy too and keep Sabonis permanently on the offensive end of the floor.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

**** scott Perry too dudes terrible I don’t care if he had a decent draft

 

[KainLear]

Looks like we've got our new PF

If nothing else, he'll be our best candidate to demand the kids the hustle and power-ing this team forward...

 

[Joshyjosh31]

I’ll say maybe. It will no doubt eat into the minutes of guys I want to see get a lot of minutes. The fact that Carter was surely going to be in the doghouse anyway lessens the blow there, but still likely to eat into Clifford and Keon minutes.

But overall, I don’t mind having Westbrook.

I’ve grown into an admirer of his motor these last few years. Nobody works harder and plays with more competitive energy/passion than Russ even at his advanced age. Plus he immediately becomes the best backcourt playmaker on the Kings. He hits the glass. So there are a lot of positives here. He can change a game(for good and bad). All the things I mentioned were things that were missing when the Kings went to the bench.

Haha why develop your lottery pick when you can play a 35 year old scrub because he plays hard

 

[ockingsfan]

Well, it's a one year deal at vet minimum, so we are not locked in long term.

Seeing that DC was not ready for the primary backup PG duty, Westbrook isn't a bad stop gap. After last season in Denver, Westbrook still has some gas left in the tank.

Worst case is this sets up a trade of DC for pennies on the dollar. Best case scenario is that DC learns from Westbrook and DC is able to take over some PG duties next season.

One thing about Westbrook is that he brings it every night. So he may help makes this team be more competitive (like #7,8,9 playoff spot competitive) this year.

 

[gunks]

Alright, now that we're going full train wreck I'm back in!

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Well, it's a one year deal at vet minimum, so we are not locked in long term.

Seeing that DC was not ready for the primary backup PG duty, Westbrook isn't a bad stop gap. After last season in Denver, Westbrook still has some gas left in the tank.

Worst case is this sets up a trade of DC for pennies on the dollar. Best case scenario is that DC learns from Westbrook and DC is able to take over some PG duties next season.

One thing about Westbrook is that he brings it every night. So he may help makes this team be more competitive (like #7,8,9 playoff spot competitive) this year.

Carter is in his second year as a lottery pick why are y’all buying this bull crap that he’s not ready to backup. ****ing Reed Sheppard is about to be giving a chance to start on a championship team but not a Sacramento can’t have a second year player be a backup on a lottery team

 

[Padrino]

I don't even know what to think at this point.
Well, I do, but this is a family-friendly board.

If we're stealth tanking, we're spray painting the tank in highly-visible #ccff00. If MGMT believes that they are truly building a winning team...oy.
The reality of the situation is that we're probably looking to put butts in the seats AND gloriously lose. The fallout from this process, however, may be too much, and we could lose some players that we need for the next iteration. Oddly enough, I believe that somewhere within all of this rubble is actually a competitive team - but we seem to make moves in spite of that fact. This is one such move.

I'm not inclined to be charitable during moments like these, and the impression I've formed of Scott Perry thus far suggests that he does, indeed, believe he's building a hard-nosed and competitive team with a #winningculture. I don't think he's got a modern view of the game, I think he values reputational "toughness" over statistical outcomes, and while I don't have a theoretical problem with his "gap year" approach to evaluating this roster, I also don't have the foggiest idea what he expects to learn from watching guys like Dennis Schroder (32), DeMar DeRozan (36) and Russell Westbrook (~37) eat up 85-90 mpg, while Devin Carter (23), Nique Clifford (23), and Keon Ellis (25) are starved for minutes, and Keegan Murray (25) is starved for a larger role in the offense. "Gap year" does not have to mean "wasted year", unless you do precisely what Scott Perry is doing.

 

[ockingsfan]

Haha why develop your lottery pick when you can play a 35 year old scrub because he plays hard

I think people forget that DC wasn't Perry's draft pick, so he has no allegiance to him.

Perry must not think DC is ready for prime time and maybe he doesn't see a future for him as a PG? It seems pretty clear that Perry is going to move one or more of Monk, DC, LaVine, DDR, Keon (hopefully not) at some point this season or next off season to balance the roster. Until the trade deadline, I'm willing to give him some time to sort this out.

 

[gunks]

**** Vivek too dudes terrible I don’t care if he had a decent draft

Fixed it for you!

 

[Kingster]

I tend to think of you as a one-of-a-kind here at KF.com. You've got a particular brand of coping mechanism for this team's ineptitude that I've never shared. That said, before too long, I may just end up joining you in trolling for the most ridiculous outcomes for this franchise. If they're going to lean into this level of incompetence, without an ounce of self-awareness, it's really going to test the limits of my sincerity as a fan. I'll have to resort to @SLAB-like ironic hate-watching.

SLAB has been ahead of his time!

 

[Padrino]

I think people forget that DC wasn't Perry's draft pick, so he has no allegiance to him.

Perry must not think DC is ready for prime time and maybe he doesn't see a future for him as a PG? It seems pretty clear that Perry is going to move one or more of Monk, DC, LaVine, DDR, Keon (hopefully not) at some point this season or next off season to balance the roster. Until the trade deadline, I'm willing to give him some time to sort this out.

Yeah, so what? Carter red-shirted most of his rookie season. What does Perry know about him as an NBA player at the start of his first full year in the league? Why sell low on a lottery pick that will bring back very little in a trade, unless he's packaged as part of a larger deal? They just picked up their team option on his third year, so if Carter is in their long-term plans, why bury him behind the washed-up likes of Russell Westbrook? What the hell kind of developmental program are the Kings running that a second-year player with incredible defensive upside is given no opportunity to thrive, especially if your company line is that you intend to hang your hat on defense as a franchise? I don't care if DC wasn't Perry's pick; this is as much an indictment of him as a GM as anything else, if you ask me.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

I think people forget that DC wasn't Perry's draft pick, so he has no allegiance to him.

Perry must not think DC is ready for prime time and maybe he doesn't see a future for him as a PG? It seems pretty clear that Perry is going to move one or more of Monk, DC, LaVine, DDR, Keon (hopefully not) at some point this season or next off season to balance the roster. Until the trade deadline, I'm willing to give him some time to sort this out.

Jesus who cares if he’s not your guy what is this nonsense so you burry him and when it’s time to trade him he has zero value

Monk won sixth man as a backup pg why the **** do you need Westbrick

 

[Joshyjosh31]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978515489631486208

Third oldest and won’t crack 36 wins haha

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Yeah, so what? Carter red-shirted most of his rookie season. What does Perry know about him as an NBA player at the start of his first full year in the league? Why sell low on a lottery pick that will bring back very little in a trade, unless he's packaged as part of a larger deal? They just picked up their team option on his third year, so if Carter is in their long-term plans, why bury him behind the washed-up likes of Russell Westbrook? What the hell kind of developmental program are the Kings running that a second-year player with incredible defensive upside is given no opportunity to thrive, especially if your company line is that you intend to hang your hat on defense as a franchise? I don't care if DC wasn't Perry's pick; this is as much an indictment of him as a GM as anything else, if you ask me.

He wasn’t my lottery pick trade him for a second rounder

 

[Kingster]

To Carter: See ya! It's been nice knowing ya!
To Monk: Thoughts?
To Clifford: Make sure to purchase a fluffy seat cushion and get some good referrals for Stockton eateries.
To Maxime: Don't feel bad if Westbrook takes your minutes: "It's a small world after all."
To Kings' statisticians this season: No, there isn't something wrong with your computer or analysis. This teams' 3 point percentage really is that low.

 

[Kingster]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978515489631486208

Third oldest and won’t crack 36 wins haha

They should be officially christened, "The Over the Hill Gang."

 

[SacTownKid]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978497092881412143

The Sacramento BullThunder

The more time that goes on, the more crony the league becomes. To the point of literal absurdity. Agents forming teams, etc.

 

[SacTownKid]

To Carter: See ya! It's been nice knowing ya!
To Monk: Thoughts?
To Clifford: Make sure to purchase a fluffy seat cushion and get some good referrals for Stockton eateries.
To Maxime: Don't feel bad if Westbrook takes your minutes: "It's a small world after all."
To Kings' statisticians this season: No, there isn't something wrong with your computer or analysis. This teams' 3 point percentage really is that low.

Give it time. 2 months and who is in the back might just get pushed to the front.

 

[SacTownKid]

Carter is in his second year as a lottery pick why are y’all buying this bull crap that he’s not ready to backup. ****ing Reed Sheppard is about to be giving a chance to start on a championship team but not a Sacramento can’t have a second year player be a backup on a lottery team

And last checked the Kings are pushing a 94 feet of pressure defense with the only real guy capable of doing it being Carter. Time will sort this out.

 

[SacTownKid]

I think people forget that DC wasn't Perry's draft pick, so he has no allegiance to him.

Perry must not think DC is ready for prime time and maybe he doesn't see a future for him as a PG? It seems pretty clear that Perry is going to move one or more of Monk, DC, LaVine, DDR, Keon (hopefully not) at some point this season or next off season to balance the roster. Until the trade deadline, I'm willing to give him some time to sort this out.

If Perry is that possessive about "his" toys, then this is going to get ugly. Dude's record in terms of talent identification is far from glowing.

 

[ockingsfan]

Yeah, so what? Carter red-shirted most of his rookie season. What does Perry know about him as an NBA player at the start of his first full year in the league? Why sell low on a lottery pick that will bring back very little in a trade, unless he's packaged as part of a larger deal? They just picked up their team option on his third year, so if Carter is in their long-term plans, why bury him behind the washed-up likes of Russell Westbrook? What the hell kind of developmental program are the Kings running that a second-year player with incredible defensive upside is given no opportunity to thrive, especially if your company line is that you intend to hang your hat on defense as a franchise? I don't care if DC wasn't Perry's pick; this is as much an indictment of him as a GM as anything else, if you ask me.

Jesus who cares if he’s not your guy what is this nonsense so you burry him and when it’s time to trade him he has zero value

Monk won sixth man as a backup pg why the **** do you need Westbrick

You guys assume that Perry sees DC as a PG. DC's natural position is SG. We pray that DC can develop into a PG, but he may be better suited to be a defensive SG.

Perry just exercised DC's option, so he does see value in DC. Signing Westbrook to a one year vet minimum contract doesn't necessarily mean we are punting on DC. Perry needs to clear out the glut of guards at some point and hopefully he's able to move the vets Monk, DDR or LaVine to get a good front court player and balance out the roster. I'm willing to give him some time (trade deadline to next summer) to clean up this roster

 

[Padrino]

You guys assume that Perry sees DC as a PG. DC's natural position is SG. We pray that DC can develop into a PG, but he may be better suited to be a defensive SG.

Perry just exercised DC's option, so he does see value in DC. Signing Westbrook to a one year vet minimum contract doesn't necessarily mean we are punting on DC. Perry needs to clear out the glut of guards at some point and hopefully he's able to move the vets Monk, DDR or LaVine to get a good front court player and balance out the roster. I'm willing to give him some time (trade deadline to next summer) to clean up this roster

I don't assume anything. PG or SG, it doesn't really matter. You should know something about what you have in Carter before you get to his third year, and you're not going to know anything about him by tossing him out there for 10 mpg or less. Once again, I don't care that Perry didn't draft him. Carter is the 2024 lottery pick that Perry inherited, and it's just bad asset management to let Carter's value as a former lottery pick depreciate in favor of a 37-year-old who's going to demand playing time.

 

[SLAB]

Carter is always injured and when he isn’t injured he’s awful. Westbrook taking his minutes is the least of my concerns. Just a wasted pick there.

 

[Kingster]

Give it time. 2 months and who is in the back might just get pushed to the front.

Indeed. By February there probably will be a massive overhaul of this team, imo.

 

[SacTownKid]

You guys assume that Perry sees DC as a PG. DC's natural position is SG. We pray that DC can develop into a PG, but he may be better suited to be a defensive SG.

Perry just exercised DC's option, so he does see value in DC. Signing Westbrook to a one year vet minimum contract doesn't necessarily mean we are punting on DC. Perry needs to clear out the glut of guards at some point and hopefully he's able to move the vets Monk, DDR or LaVine to get a good front court player and balance out the roster. I'm willing to give him some time (trade deadline to next summer) to clean up this roster

True. And also, we might not be seeing that Perry just signed two vets that specifically Carter can look to as influences. Both Schroder and Westbrook have similarities physically and skill wise so it could be a learning thing that could help in the end. The problem is it's hard for Kings fans to see questionable moves and see a vision of long term clarity. That clarity hasn't come in almost any facet on a consistent basis pretty much since Petrie was sitting in that chair. The test is success. If this now 3rd oldest team post trading your younger franchise player (which again, so against the grain of almost ANY other teams rebuild so why wouldn't it work right? lol.) doesn't come out of the gate hot, it's time to transition. That's the key. What happens if... This isn't a bad move on it's own, Monte probably would have signed him to a 4 year deal TBH. lol. The idea however will tell us exactly what's to come based on it's initial returns. 4 years, 8 years, 10 years. How long does the team spin in the vacuum of space this time if there isn't a clear plan?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

No idea what we're doing or why we're doing it. At least he's cheap enough we can just cut him if he isn't a) leading us to the playoffs or b) leading us to the #1 pick.