What say you to @Carmichael Dave?

#7
The team lacks star talent more than “the lunch pail guy.”
No star in the world can fix chemistry issues and players not giving a damn

Did you see Lebron a couple years back before they traded away more than half of the team? Yea. That team was just as lifeless. And LeBron >>>> Luka. Any day of the damn week

That ain’t the problem here
 
#8
No star in the world can fix chemistry issues and players not giving a damn

Did you see Lebron a couple years back before they traded away more than half of the team? Yea. That team was just as lifeless. And LeBron >>>> Luka. Any day of the damn week

That ain’t the problem here
LeBron took the 2018 cavs to the finals that had no business even making the playoffs. Yeah, I’m going to stick with my original comment of this team lacking high impact (Star) players.
 

rainmaker

Hall of Famer
#9
This team won't excel until Fox puts the team on his shoulders every night.

As of now Fox appears far too passive and doesn't have the mental makeup to be a legit star.

It's a different team if Fox's talent is combined with a mentality like Westbrook's, crushing the opponent every night.
 
#10
The Kings are a team of a bunch of nice guys. No one has the killer instinct. The only one with the talent to do it is Fox, but he doesnt seem to have that nasty in him.

For this team to have any chance, Fox needs to take the damn ball every night and score at least 30 a game for this team to have a chance. Without that nasty from Fox, this team will be lucky to win 20 games this year.
 
#11
All of this killer instinct talk made more sense last season when the Kings were continuously losing close games and blowing big leads to the upper echelon teams. Where a handful of moments was the difference between 39 wins and 49 wins.

It seems cart before the horse when the team
Isn’t even playing anything resembling coherent basketball at the moment. Killer instinct, lunch pails, and hard hats...who gives a damn? I want to see if this team can do the basics as constructed before I worry about the intangibles that’s going to make the next step from last season. Right now the team from last season seems like a lofty goal for this group.

I’m really beginning to think swapping the athletic fit and continuity of Willie for Dedmon was a gaffe. Especially since it looks like there was never much of a market for Willie and people were mostly worried about paying him big money. No doubt Willie was a headache with maddening effort at times and exploitable holes in his game , but Kings are missing his speed and athleticism and Dedmon is a total square peg right now..even as the Kings have slowed their offense.

Doug “somebody has to hit somebody or something”(the essence of “some nasty”) take is typical of former players turned commentators who are pretty much just venting like fans, which Grant and Doug spent the entire second half doing because they couldn’t think up good excuses for this futility after they couldn’t agree on India being the culprit and it being because it was a back to back. Mostly they just want somebody to look like they give a damn, like we all do, but it won’t change anything when this team can’t even execute an entry pass. Kings are a mess.
 
Last edited:
#13
Well, if Walton is trying run the offense through the high post, Harry Giles is the only Kings big man that can do it. Dedmon sure can’t handle that.
If there is one positive from these first three games its that when he’s back, Harry getting good minutes and usage seems like a no brainer given the crap they are shoehorning with Dedmon. They might try with a guy who can actually negotiate a pass.
 
#15
I don't think nasty is the issue. I think it's a bunch of square pegs and round holes.

Our three best facilitators are either ball dominant (Fox, Bogi) or hurt (Giles). Our top wing (SF) plays within himself, but tends to slow the ball down on the perimeter (pivots; surveys, isos) rather than cutting like Peja. Buddy, in theory, should thrive in this offense, but he often ends up trying to do too much and fumbling the ball way too often.

Dedmon has sucked. Joseph has sucked. Ariza looks like he's lost a few steps.

Bags and Giles are both hurt.

I thought it would take ten games for things to click, but it's looking like it might take until December. And I don't see Walton changing his system to make it work earlier. Hope I'm wrong.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#16
This team won't excel until Fox puts the team on his shoulders every night.

As of now Fox appears far too passive and doesn't have the mental makeup to be a legit star.

It's a different team if Fox's talent is combined with a mentality like Westbrook's, crushing the opponent every night.
Where the hell have you been hiding? Anyway, I think Fox is still trying to find his way, but I agree with you, he needs to go into attack mode and lead the team. By the way, I don't remember Westbrook winning any championships.

As to who has the toughness on the team, I agree on Holmes and Giles, but I also think Bagley has that toughness as well, at least mentally, if he could just stay on the floor. I'm still trying to figure out what Dedmon does well. It's not passing the ball.
 
#17
I don't really see Giles as that guy. He's still more of a skilled finesse type but does have that CWebb scowl I guess. Holmes is, but the refs have already sent the message that if you dare play with any level of physicality you're in for a short stint. In every game I've watched, almost any small guard that can shoot off a middle pick and roll is a threat to go for an easy 30 on super high efficiency. This game is obviously being geared towards fantasy stats which is sad and I'm telling you, should it continue on that slope results at the international level like we saw this summer will become the norm. This game is getting less and less pure at the NBA level.

And that said, you need to see more effort but effort can't make up for a lack of cohesion. The lack of cohesion is leading to doubt and doubt leads to blowout. Execution is key.
 
#19
It's not a lack of toughness it's a lack of basketball IQ, you can be tough without yelling and hard fouls (e.g Kawahi) that kind of stuff is nice at times but overrated. Who was the "tough guy" on the Raptors last year?
 
#20
Giles is the "dog" on this team but you can't be that guy when you've yet to have success and can't stay on the court. He's the only one on the roster that has the personality for it.

It's really not about putting a hard foul on the opposition. That's not going to close the gap on 35 point blowouts. It's about having a Draymond or Beverly type personality that holds his teammates accountable when they obviously aren't putting in 100% effort.
 
#23
You have to wonder how much longer before Luke inserts Holmes into the starting line up for Dedmon.
I think bjeli works with Holmes the way Dedmon was supposed to work with Bagley. Space the floor and let him do his thing down low. What Holmes did tonight is what I wanted wcs to do all last year. Lobs, put backs, and led to the baskets for point blank shots. Can he do that with Bagley? Joerger didn’t think so, Vlade didn’t think so, I’m not too sure either. But for the next 4-6 weeks I’m willing to give him a shot and see what we have with Holmes, bjeli, hb, buddy and fox if he keeps playing like this.
 
#24
I think bjeli works with Holmes the way Dedmon was supposed to work with Bagley. Space the floor and let him do his thing down low. What Holmes did tonight is what I wanted wcs to do all last year. Lobs, put backs, and led to the baskets for point blank shots. Can he do that with Bagley? Joerger didn’t think so, Vlade didn’t think so, I’m not too sure either. But for the next 4-6 weeks I’m willing to give him a shot and see what we have with Holmes, bjeli, hb, buddy and fox if he keeps playing like this.
Yes, if Holmes starts, it will probably be until Bagley gets back. Bjeli should be the starting stretch 5 regardless of who mans the Center spot.

Either way, Holmes seems like an upgrade at center over Dedmon, until either Bagley (or Giles) get healthy enough to play.