Sacramento Kings 2018-19 Season Watch Thread

[droopdog7]

Never understood why people were expecting a top 3 pick when the kings were 7th last year and had young players that could mature.  I expected 7-9 from the outset.  Of course, the chances of top 3 we about as good as 12-14 (which is basically where we are now).  So partly rotten luck but we would have needed great luck to get what people were expecting.

[JBcat]

Never understood why people were expecting a top 3 pick when the kings were 7th last year and had young players that could mature.  I expected 7-9 from the outset.  Of course, the chances of top 3 we about as good as 12-14 (which is basically where we are now).  So partly rotten luck but we would have needed great luck to get what people were expecting.

I think a lot of people ( including me) were looking their point differential and expected record being worse than their actual record along with the fact they were extremely lucky with injuries last year (and so far this year), and as a result predicted a bottom 5 team.   Fox, Hield, and Cauly Stein have made bigger jumps in their play than many predicted. 

[rondofan1255]

They seem to consistently execute well in crunch time. Tilts most of those tight games in their favor

[celticsclay]

Well the additions of Burks and Barnes certainly greatly increases the Kings playoff chances.

It is most likely a two team race to make it now Jazz and Spurs have been playing good for about two months and no reason to think it won't continue. Clippers and Mavericks punted the season with their trades. Minny is fading and beat up. So it most likely just between Lakers and Kings. Who would you have making it out of those 2? Would be crazy if Lebron missed the playoffs (and would probably sour free agent interest for there)

[fairweatherfan]

It's too bad we have their pick because they're a lot of fun to watch. I find myself rooting for them a lot regardless.

[bknova]

I gotta say, when Vlade traded Boogie to the Pels, I was like this guy has no clue what he's doing. Gotta hand it to Vlade. Dude knows what he's doing.

[rondofan1255]

Yeah could go down to Lakers and SAC for #8.

[Moranis]

Well the additions of Burks and Barnes certainly greatly increases the Kings playoff chances.

It is most likely a two team race to make it now Jazz and Spurs have been playing good for about two months and no reason to think it won't continue. Clippers and Mavericks punted the season with their trades. Minny is fading and beat up. So it most likely just between Lakers and Kings. Who would you have making it out of those 2? Would be crazy if Lebron missed the playoffs (and would probably sour free agent interest for there)

That was another one of my over the summer thoughts that was widely panned on this board i.e. the Lakers weren't a shoe in for the playoffs (granted I often said it in the same breath that I thought Cleveland had a chance to make the playoffs while the Lakers didn't and Love's injury ended that other part very quickly).

The West has a lot of really good teams.  That was known and when you have a lot of really good teams anything can happen.  At this point the Lakers might be better just shutting James down (it will never happen, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't).  He clearly isn't back to 100% and if you remove him from the team the rest of the team might actually perform like James isn't around and increase their trade value or inversely just suck and get the Lakers a much better pick to throw at the Pelicans or some other team this summer. 

[celticsclay]

Well the additions of Burks and Barnes certainly greatly increases the Kings playoff chances.

It is most likely a two team race to make it now Jazz and Spurs have been playing good for about two months and no reason to think it won't continue. Clippers and Mavericks punted the season with their trades. Minny is fading and beat up. So it most likely just between Lakers and Kings. Who would you have making it out of those 2? Would be crazy if Lebron missed the playoffs (and would probably sour free agent interest for there)

That was another one of my over the summer thoughts that was widely panned on this board i.e. the Lakers weren't a shoe in for the playoffs (granted I often said it in the same breath that I thought Cleveland had a chance to make the playoffs while the Lakers didn't and Love's injury ended that other part very quickly).

The West has a lot of really good teams.  That was known and when you have a lot of really good teams anything can happen.  At this point the Lakers might be better just shutting James down (it will never happen, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't).  He clearly isn't back to 100% and if you remove him from the team the rest of the team might actually perform like James isn't around and increase their trade value or inversely just suck and get the Lakers a much better pick to throw at the Pelicans or some other team this summer.

I can't really imagine that your prediction was based on Lebron getting injured though for the first time in his career. I think anyone on here would have guessed they had the chance to miss the playoffs if Lebron missed significant time. So kind of a weird flex.

[rondofan1255]

To be fair, LeBron has missed a chunk of time this season in a tight race. Without him they were a lottery team last year.

[Moranis]

Well the additions of Burks and Barnes certainly greatly increases the Kings playoff chances.

It is most likely a two team race to make it now Jazz and Spurs have been playing good for about two months and no reason to think it won't continue. Clippers and Mavericks punted the season with their trades. Minny is fading and beat up. So it most likely just between Lakers and Kings. Who would you have making it out of those 2? Would be crazy if Lebron missed the playoffs (and would probably sour free agent interest for there)

That was another one of my over the summer thoughts that was widely panned on this board i.e. the Lakers weren't a shoe in for the playoffs (granted I often said it in the same breath that I thought Cleveland had a chance to make the playoffs while the Lakers didn't and Love's injury ended that other part very quickly).

The West has a lot of really good teams.  That was known and when you have a lot of really good teams anything can happen.  At this point the Lakers might be better just shutting James down (it will never happen, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't).  He clearly isn't back to 100% and if you remove him from the team the rest of the team might actually perform like James isn't around and increase their trade value or inversely just suck and get the Lakers a much better pick to throw at the Pelicans or some other team this summer.

I can't really imagine that your prediction was based on Lebron getting injured though for the first time in his career. I think anyone on here would have guessed they had the chance to miss the playoffs if Lebron missed significant time. So kind of a weird flex.

Even with Lebron they were on a 47.8 win pace.  Even that had a decent chance of not making the playoffs in the west this year and there was no way that James was actually going to play all 82 games again this year (I would have guessed 70-75, which he obviously can't hit now).  The Lakers looked like a 45ish win team to me over the summer and I suspect that is about where they end up.  Given LA, MIN, and MEM have all been sellers this year, I'd be a bit surprised if the Lakers don't make the playoffs (assuming that James plays ~95% of the remaining games) and just edge out the Kings, but I can't see them winning all that many more than 45 games at this point without a major trade (I don't think a few buy-out adds will do all that much for them).

[Moranis]

Bagley looking really good the last few weeks (game before tonight notwithstanding) and poured in his career best 32 tonight. 

[tazzmaniac]

Kings now 8th in the West.  Pick would be 18th. 

[Androslav]

Even though I like our picks to always be higher, for whatever the reason I can't root against this young squad.
Now when it is pretty certain that it will be a 13-18th pick even more so.
In fact, I'd rather have lakers miss the playoffs.