Sacramento Kings 2018-19 Season Watch Thread

[Moranis]

Moranis called it. This is as bad as following the Lakers for the first half of last year, or worse.

Thanks.  I just saw a young talented team that plays hard and is well coached.  That plus their incredible home court advantage and it appeared to me that they were going to be bad but not horrible.  Thus, my 30 win projection.  They look like they may end up better than that and more like an average then bad team.

[Moranis]

win at Utah up to 10-8.  I might have underestimated them.  They really do like a decent team.  I clearly underestimated the Mavs as well, as they have been decent as well. 

[RodyTur10]

win at Utah up to 10-8.  I might have underestimated them.  They really do like a decent team.  I clearly underestimated the Mavs as well, as they have been decent as well.

Maybe the whole west conference is underestimated. I believe aside from the Suns that any team in the West would easily make the playoffs if they played in the East. Look at the Timberwolves. They almost surely are going to miss the playoffs, but in the East a player like Towns alone would pretty much guarantee you a spot in the post season.

[Moranis]

currently the 8th seed and only 2 games from the 1 seed and 2.5 games from the 2nd worst team in the conference.  West is super deep this year.

[Phantom255x]

This will not be a Top-3 pick (though that's sort of a good thing I guess since it minimizes the risk that it lands #1 for PHI). I think in some order, ATL/CLE/PHO will lock up the Top-3 of the Draft.

I think there's still a chance this lands around 5-6. It depends on if you think teams like MIN, UTAH, HOU, SAS, etc. will remain below the Kings for the rest of the year (honestly doubt it), and then really it's probably that mix of SAC/CHI/NYK/DAL/WAS that's just a notch above the three I mentioned before (ATL/CLE/PHO), but could still be in the mix of getting a Top-6 pick in the draft.

The West is definitely interesting though because like @moranis mentioned, the 10th seed is just 2.5 back of the 1st seed LOL. I expect by January-February this starts to even out again but for now it certainly makes things look funny. I mean, the Clippers and Grizzlies tied for #1 in the West at 12-6? Did anyone see that coming a good month into the season?!?

[JBcat]

At the quarter mark of the season for as well as the Kings are playing all but 5 teams are at least within 3 wins of them.  2 of those 5 teams Knicks with 6 wins (Porzingas), and Bulls 5 wins (Markenson, Dunn, and Portis) will be getting reinforcements at some point in a weaker conference.  If this is still at least the case going into the last quarter of the season anything can happen.

Much of their good start is led by Fox who I like as a player, but is only 20 years old.  I wonder if he can keep up this great start for the rest of the season. 

I’m still hoping for at least the 6 to 10 range in draft, and with our multiple good assets maybe a chance to move up or still a very valuable asset to use in a trade for a star.

[CelticsElite]

Glad the kings have started to come back to reality and lose

[Moranis]

Glad the kings have started to come back to reality and lose

Next 6 games for them will be very interesting.  Home games against the Clippers and Pacers and then 4 straight road games, but those games are at Phoenix, Cleveland, Indiana, and Chicago.  So that should provide a pretty decent look at what the Kings are as they could go like 5-1 or 0-6 or anywhere in between. 

[gift]

I'm still quite optimistic about both the Sacramento pick and the Memphis pick.

I guess the Clippers pick is looking pretty decent right now, but that's obviously got a lower ceiling on its value to begin with. But that one is certainly trending away from "worse case scenario".

[nickagneta]

I think the thing I find encouraging about the Sactown pick is that the Kings are a real bad defensive team giving up the third most points per game in the league.  That is eventually going to catch up to them, especially once they come to earth with their three point shooting. Bjelica, Hield, Shumpert, Williams and McClemore are just not going to continue to put down threes at the percentage they are now. The Kings will crash eventually.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I think the thing I find encouraging about the Sactown pick is that the Kings are a real bad defensive team giving up the third most points per game in the league.  That is eventually going to catch up to them, especially once they come to earth with their three point shooting. Bjelica, Hield, Shumpert, Williams and McClemore are just not going to continue to put down threes at the percentage they are now. The Kings will crash eventually.

Hield might, but Bjelica, Shumpert, and McClemore are bound to come down to earth, even with the open looks they are getting.

[Moranis]

I think the thing I find encouraging about the Sactown pick is that the Kings are a real bad defensive team giving up the third most points per game in the league.  That is eventually going to catch up to them, especially once they come to earth with their three point shooting. Bjelica, Hield, Shumpert, Williams and McClemore are just not going to continue to put down threes at the percentage they are now. The Kings will crash eventually.

Hield might, but Bjelica, Shumpert, and McClemore are bound to come down to earth, even with the open looks they are getting.

McLemore barely plays and while some of those guys will go back down, they also have a number of players shooting below their normal (or expected) outside shooting percentages like Bogdanovic, Ferrell, Mason, etc.  It probably evens out in the end. 

[GreenShooter]

I think the thing I find encouraging about the Sactown pick is that the Kings are a real bad defensive team giving up the third most points per game in the league.  That is eventually going to catch up to them, especially once they come to earth with their three point shooting. Bjelica, Hield, Shumpert, Williams and McClemore are just not going to continue to put down threes at the percentage they are now. The Kings will crash eventually.

Clearly evidenced by last night's 133-121 loss to the LAC. The one player they had that could continue his 3-pt % went 0-7.
They're going to drop like a stone the second half of the season but man, there are so many bad teams in the East that at least 3-4 of them will have a worse record than Sacto. Only Phoenix looks like they'll finish higher in the lotto in the West. Trades and buy-out can and will have effect on the final records. I'm feeling optimistic, even before they start their tour of winnable games.

[tazzmaniac]

I think the thing I find encouraging about the Sactown pick is that the Kings are a real bad defensive team giving up the third most points per game in the league.  That is eventually going to catch up to them, especially once they come to earth with their three point shooting. Bjelica, Hield, Shumpert, Williams and McClemore are just not going to continue to put down threes at the percentage they are now. The Kings will crash eventually.

Looks like they are around 23rd in defense but they are the 2nd fastest pace team which is going to hurt your defense a bit. It also looks like they have played one of the tougher schedules so far.  I think they are going to be able to rack up wins against low-end teams, especially when they start to tank, of which there are plenty.

The Kings are potentially a very good trading partner for teams looking to dump salary (e.g. Wizards).  Zbo, Koufas, Shumpert and McClemore are all on very tradeable 1 year deals.

Edit:  Of course, they are the Kings so there is a good chance they screw things up (e.g.  firing their good coach if he loses a few in a row).   

[wiley]

I think the thing I find encouraging about the Sactown pick is that the Kings are a real bad defensive team giving up the third most points per game in the league.  That is eventually going to catch up to them, especially once they come to earth with their three point shooting. Bjelica, Hield, Shumpert, Williams and McClemore are just not going to continue to put down threes at the percentage they are now. The Kings will crash eventually.

Looks like they are around 23rd in defense but they are the 2nd fastest pace team which is going to hurt your defense a bit. It also looks like they have played one of the tougher schedules so far.  I think they are going to be able to rack up wins against low-end teams, especially when they start to tank, of which there are plenty.

The Kings are potentially a very good trading partner for teams looking to dump salary (e.g. Wizards).  Zbo, Koufas, Shumpert and McClemore are all on very tradeable 1 year deals.

Edit:  Of course, they are the Kings so there is a good chance they screw things up (e.g.  firing their good coach if he loses a few in a row).   

I'm at peace with the pick being 6-10.  I wouldn't want to suffer through draft lottery night in which the Kings had the most pingpong balls, or anywhere close to the most.  This became my approach after seeing Zion play and picturing him in Philly.   

of course if it ends up at 2 that's the miracle.  I'm leaning Reddish for our Celtics team...better fit than Barrett, but if Barrett is clearly better Danny could take him or do a Philly style trade at top of the draft.  I think Reddish looks like one of those all time shooters...