WIN OR LIN?

[ockingsfan]

The NBA season is half over and we are at a crossroad.

The season started so promising, but was upended when DMC got meningitis and the FO fired Coach Malone.

Should the Kings go in full WIN mode and try to WIN every game, to help change the "losing culture" and possibly lose our Lottery Draft Pick and still Miss the playoffs? We are currently 9.0 games out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference Playoffs.

-OR-

Should we go into full TANK mode and LIN (Losing = Win, in keeping our draft pick) our way to a top 10 Lottery Draft Pick. We currently stand alone at #9 in the Draft (Which could drop out of top 10, if some teams jump ahead of us in losses or in the ping pong balls Lotto).

-OR-

You Just Don't Care Anymore

 

[NowImLost]

the gerbil tosses and turns at night when he thinks about losing that pick.
profusely sweating might i add.
have to think 4 steps ahead man.
nba tree-point-oh.

 

[King Baller]

Call it what you will. I say develop Ben, Nik, Ray and Quincy. I also would not be against trading veteran players outside of the starting five. Namely DWill, Sessions and Landry for younger prospects. IMO that is the best use of what remains of the season and Ty Corbins time as Head Coach.

 

[Bricklayer]

There are no lins anymore.

Our pick is irrelevant. Any competent front office would trade it if we had it for veteran help. Any front office with foresight wouldn't even want it because that ****ing pick has completely pinned us for years. We can't make a major trade, because we can't trade any first round picks because of that stupid pick and the conditional encumbrance on it. We should WANT to lose it. Because the instant we lose it, then we are finally allowed to trade future picks again.

More importantly DeMarcus Cousins >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any number of irrelevant picks. He's the pick you wait 30 years for. You lose his attention while chasing your next Stauskas then you are an idiot franchise.

The only "lin" to losing would be accelerating the demise of this front office and NBA 3,0. That I could almost get behind, if Vivek were going to be as twitchy and impatient as he was with Malone and just can them tommorrow. Losing out for a full year though? Collapsing for another full half season? That makes us look like turds. It makes Boogie look bad. It spreads bad cess from here to Mumbai.

 

[Dime Dropper]

I concur. I'd rather miss the POs and lose our pick than completely suck. We have a once in a generation player, a legitimate franchise player. Quite frankly, if DeMarcus wasn't so amazingly loyal, he'd have already asked for a trade.

I want so much for Boogie to spend his entire career here. But loyalty only lasts so long when you're an elite talent who has to put up with incompetency in the FO.

Time to progress, even if it's only a little. Get a real coach next year, fire PDA, and hope Vivek has learned that his meddling leads only to disaster. That's best case scenario and realistically it's probably hoping for too much.

 

[Tetsujin]

There are no more lins, only depression, sadness, and the gutter of the bar after last call.

 

[nebs]

WOSS

 

[kingsboi]

They don't even need to lin...they are terrible as it is, the rest will take care of itself until proven otherwise. I have zero emotion anymore for this team until I see them care and more importantly...a front office that doesn't "meddle".

 

[randymoss1881]

There are no lins anymore.

Our pick is irrelevant. Any competent front office would trade it if we had it for veteran help. Any front office with foresight wouldn't even want it because that ****ing pick has completely pinned us for years. We can't make a major trade, because we can't trade any first round picks because of that stupid pick and the conditional encumbrance on it. We should WANT to lose it. Because the instant we lose it, then we are finally allowed to trade future picks again.

More importantly DeMarcus Cousins >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any number of irrelevant picks. He's the pick you wait 30 years for. You lose his attention while chasing your next Stauskas then you are an idiot franchise.

The only "lin" to losing would be accelerating the demise of this front office and NBA 3,0. That I could almost get behind, if Vivek were going to be as twitchy and impatient as he was with Malone and just can them tommorrow. Losing out for a full year though? Collapsing for another full half season? That makes us look like turds. It makes Boogie look bad. It spreads bad cess from here to Mumbai.

This 100x we finely would have given that pick up this year at the very worst. It would allow us to make trades next year. At the best we could have been a playoff team.

 

[ockingsfan]

Our pick is irrelevant. Any competent front office would trade it if we had it for veteran help. Any front office with foresight wouldn't even want it because that ****ing pick has completely pinned us for years.

The problem here is if the Kings can get a top ten pick this year, that would be our best trade asset to improve for next year.

We can't trade the pick, but we can pick a player for a trade partner and trade him after the draft. That would be our best chance to get an impact player for next year.

Any team that can dangle a top draft pick to a team this coming summer will have a greater chance of making a big trade this summer than a pick less Kings team.

Like it or not, if the Kings don't have a draft pick this draft, trading away our players (i.e. DWill, Landry, Sessions, etc) is not going to get us anything in return this summer. Having a top 10 pick may land us an impact player either in the draft or by trade.

I say LIN now, this season is TOAST.

 

[deekay2o9]

I say we Lin. Jeremy Lin!!!


EDIT:
Of course I kid. Darren Collison is Lin 2.0. The Celtics and Sixers have the right idea right now. Then again they don't have a Superstar like ours. I'd like to tank but if we did, I'm afraid Cousins may not be on board with it and may end up asking for a trade from this dysfunctional organization.

 

[mac]

Under this system and coach we couldn't win if we tried. Frankly I don't really care anymore. The last 3 seasons I was already just hoping we'd lose enough to force some major changes. Coaching change, getting rid of IT and changing our playing style etc. That finally happened this season - we finally had something going for us and had established a good core going forward then decided to screw it up for no reason and damage chemistry in the process.

 

[The Hammer]

LIN

Not for a draft pick. Not to develop youth.

To shuttle this management and this philosophy out of town as fast as possible.

But you know what, I have a funny feeling it's going to get bad, real bad. We're not going to win 30 games this year. And when, at the start of the season, the owner said "this year was about winning"... and it clearly did not happen, because of a decision the FO made, they will be out of excuses. And that's what we want.

We won 16 games in the first half of the year, starting out 9-6. Do you think we'll win 14 in the second half? 30 wins is a kind of threshold between not good, and bad. If we can just stay in that 20 win range, we'll have the evidence we need to convict this front office and mount a coup. We need something to fight for as fans, and this is it.

 

[KingsFanGER]

We still need to play to win. This team will go as far as Cousins can take it the coming seasons. In order to reach the playoffs Cousins needs to work on his weaknesses - he is still very turnover prone and doesn't close games well, cause he trys to do too much and isn't making smart decisions with the basketball in pressure situations. He can only do this, if we are actually competing hard every game.
We don't necessarily need more assets through the draft. We already have a solid core and a couple of young players to develop.
We should try to take the Blazers route and strengthen the bench via FA or trades for solid producing veterans or underachieving young guns with the right skillset.
We need more shooting, a better backup PG and most of all a coach, who can develop a good teamdefense once again while establishing an efficient offense.
No need for tanking the remainder of the season.

 

[Sac.Kings]

You ask this question as if we have a choice... We won't win because we can't win. No one is buying into anything, not even the leaders. If your leaders don't want to lead, well then you are doomed to fail. I just want this season to be over, with Cousins getting his first all star bid. Nothing really to look forward to besides his greatness. Might as well enjoy it until he realizes that with the current folks in charge, we will always be a joke!

 

[Spike]

The problem here is if the Kings can get a top ten pick this year, that would be our best trade asset to improve for next year.

We can't trade the pick, but we can pick a player for a trade partner and trade him after the draft. That would be our best chance to get an impact player for next year.

Any team that can dangle a top draft pick to a team this coming summer will have a greater chance of making a big trade this summer than a pick less Kings team.

Like it or not, if the Kings don't have a draft pick this draft, trading away our players (i.e. DWill, Landry, Sessions, etc) is not going to get us anything in return this summer. Having a top 10 pick may land us an impact player either in the draft or by trade.

I say LIN now, this season is TOAST.

Because this strategy has worked well for us in the past? I, for one, excitedly look forward to trading our lottery talent for a couple second rounders.

 

[Livinthedream]

You ask this question as if we have a choice... We won't win because we can't win. No one is buying into anything, not even the leaders. If your leaders don't want to lead, well then you are doomed to fail. I just want this season to be over, with Cousins getting his first all star bid. Nothing really to look forward to besides his greatness. Might as well enjoy it until he realizes that with the current folks in charge, we will always be a joke!

Agree that we don't have a choice. We really need to win for the sake of keeping Cousins and Gay's sanity, but we won't. That draft pick is now an encumbrance as Brick has stated and the sooner it's no longer hanging over our heads, the sooner we can move forward.

 

[dude12]

This team is going to continue to lose so we will be getting the draft pick. What I worry about though is this teams ability to draft if they insist on following a Warriors blueprint....in other words, thinking Stauskas is going to be Klay Thompson. Next pick they will take some guy they think will be Steph Curry and reach again for a player while not taking the best player available.

 

[Kingster]

I'd rather LIN like crazy. Not because of the draft pick. That's a minor consideration. The major point is that Vivek and Weasel have to see a drum-drum-drum of loss after loss after loss to fully realize the consequence of their actions. The arrogance isn't going to leave them until they get their brains beat out. As for Cousins, I'm not worried about him because of this season. I'm very concerned about next season. It is imperative that the FO, whoever that may be, make a great coaching hire during the summer and that a well thought out plan is communicated to the players and fans. Maybe if Vivek and Weasel get their brains beat out for the rest of the season they will see the error of their ways, hire the right coach, and refrain from meddling with that coach in the future.

 

[Glenn]

If the FO needs us to tank the season or do anything to show them how bad the team is, they don't have the intelligence to run a basketball team. If all of us can see the error of their ways, why can't they? The same group of incompetents that got us here will have to get us out of here and I have no faith that this can happen.

 

[pshn80]

WIN OR LIN?

FIRE TY CORBIN!

Always win! We are not a good team and the team is in a poor frame of mind. The answer is to win but our guys can't do that now so .............. The question is for Kings fan entertainment only.

Fire Corbin? To what end? Ask (demand if we could) Ranadive to do what it takes to improve on our current basketball situation. It doesn't seem like anything is being done. It doesn't seem like Ranadive recognizes a problem. Let's listen for Ranadive to say we are going to ride with our problems or for him to say he will cause necessary improvements to be made.

 

[206Fan]

DRAFT PICK!

Why cheer for this team to burn and fail in the future?

This draft will be very very good. D'angelo Russell..

 

[Kingster]

If the FO needs us to tank the season or do anything to show them how bad the team is, they don't have the intelligence to run a basketball team. If all of us can see the error of their ways, why can't they? The same group of incompetents that got us here will have to get us out of here and I have no faith that this can happen.

Hubris makes people blind to reality. That's why.

 

[Kingster]

LIN

Not for a draft pick. Not to develop youth.

To shuttle this management and this philosophy out of town as fast as possible.

But you know what, I have a funny feeling it's going to get bad, real bad. We're not going to win 30 games this year. And when, at the start of the season, the owner said "this year was about winning"... and it clearly did not happen, because of a decision the FO made, they will be out of excuses. And that's what we want.

We won 16 games in the first half of the year, starting out 9-6. Do you think we'll win 14 in the second half? 30 wins is a kind of threshold between not good, and bad. If we can just stay in that 20 win range, we'll have the evidence we need to convict this front office and mount a coup. We need something to fight for as fans, and this is it.

If Cousins misses out on the All Star game because of the dismal record of this team, then guess who is going to be leading that coup?

 

[rainmaker]

If the FO needs us to tank the season or do anything to show them how bad the team is, they don't have the intelligence to run a basketball team. If all of us can see the error of their ways, why can't they?

The arrogance to attempt to redefine how this game is played and the incompetence to believe it will work.

 

[The Hammer]

If Cousins misses out on the All Star game because of the dismal record of this team, then guess who is going to be leading that coup?

Unfortunate for Cuz if he does miss all star game (although hard to imagine with his numbers), but if it happens, all the better for the team. In the absence of great leadership above him in this organization he clearly cares about, my guess is that he himself will step up to fill that void, and find his voice. Not exactly Lebron style with his demands and machinations, but more like brutal honesty, which has a tendency to endear fans AND teammates, which will give him the power to put on management to stop these horrible shenanigans.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Unfortunate for Cuz if he does miss all star game (although hard to imagine with his numbers)...

It was hard to imagine with the numbers he put up last year, either, but it happened, anyway. IIRC, last year, Cousins became the first center ever to put up the numbers he had, through the first half of the season and not make the All-Star team. Given our record, it can't surprise anyone if it happens again.

 

[Kingster]

Unfortunate for Cuz if he does miss all star game (although hard to imagine with his numbers), but if it happens, all the better for the team. In the absence of great leadership above him in this organization he clearly cares about, my guess is that he himself will step up to fill that void, and find his voice. Not exactly Lebron style with his demands and machinations, but more like brutal honesty, which has a tendency to endear fans AND teammates, which will give him the power to put on management to stop these horrible shenanigans.

I wonder if Cousins has talked to his agent/management team about doing their own search for coaching candidates? Maybe instead of reacting to the FO, he can take the initiative?

 

[Glenn]

The arrogance to attempt to redefine how this game is played and the incompetence to believe it will work.

That's one reason. The bottom line is how can this group dig the team out of the hole it's in when they don't seem able to see what is wrong?

I know this is petty but I am even bugged that while this team is falling apart, Vivek is in Switzerland learning how to deal with his mountains of money and is on his way to India for a huge celebration. I presume he cares about the team's disintegration but I would feel much better if I saw some indication of such caring.

I have what to me seems like a simple solution. At the end of the season, hire a high powered and knowledgeable GM and turn the team over to him. Let his first act be to hire a head coach to fit our team as best he can. DO NOT SPARE MONEY ON THESE TWO HIRES.

 

[The Hammer]

It was hard to imagine with the numbers he put up last year, either, but it happened, anyway. IIRC, last year, Cousins became the first center ever to put up the numbers he had, through the first half of the season and not make the All-Star team. Given our record, it can't surprise anyone if it happens again.

True. But with the respect he earned as part of Team USA, things may have changed.

Warriors announcers were calling him the "MVP of Team USA"... pretty high praise.