Did the Sacramento Kings lose their magic?

Did the Sacramento Kings lose their magic?

All right joined Now by Brandon Nunes of sack toown 1140 and the Kings pulse podcast he’s our Sacramento Kings analyst for the alleyoop really appreciate him stopping by uh Brendon this has been a very interesting King season and we got of the most interesting moment that I could remember

In the Mike Brown postgame presser just uh W walk me through that moment for Kings fans and how they felt in that yeah I you know I really wish that I was on the road at Milwaukee for that one that uh seemed definitely like an all

Time moment and just the way he even got ejected mid game uh was seemingly very out of nowhere but he did same thing in Toronto last year I think it’s clearly from uh what he explained postgame a buildup of different feelings and a different way of approaching it for sure

To really uh pull the receipts I guess and I do appreciate him walking through the logic though he’s very transparent and I think everything he said is understandable there was just uh variance in what he’s getting told about rules and that sounds pretty frustrating to me but it’s a great me absolutely no

It’s it’s a great sound bite Great Clip I I certainly used that Meme to promote the alleyoop on my Twitter yes I absolutely did that uh but no he’s uh he’s an incredible coach Manan you guys have an absolute Legend over there we’re Big Mike Brown fans on this show uh we

Got to I guess talk about where Sacramento’s at right now 23 and 16 record 18th in net rating 13th in offense 19th in defense the last time I checked for cleaning the glass Uh Kevin herder started again in the last game I I was curious as to your thoughts on

That you guys have kind of been going through the through the ringer in terms of who’s starting a shooting guard over the course of these past few weeks yeah they went to Chris aarte for a little while it reminds me a bit of like the beginning of last year kyak Paulo was

Starting and then they went with Mo harkless for a little while um obviously Mike Brown came into the Kings known as a pretty defensive coach and their trademark last year was all on the offensive end number one in offense last year I think they ended 25th in

Defense and they were really hoping to improve on that end this year and I think that’s just kind of where they were going Chris dwarte it doesn’t help that Kevin herder had not been hitting shots for most of this season really him and Keegan Murray have been down as

Shooters and Keegan managed to uh bounce back a good bit but Kevin just started to get his RI them he did okay at the end of their horrible blowout loss to the Pelicans but that seemed like it got him a little bit of a rhythm and he’s

Carried that over last game um against Milwaukee obviously kind of heartbreaking way to lose that in Dame time there but I think that herder had some big shots and kind of bounced back a little bit but he’s been struggling doesn’t provide exactly what I think they would hope on the defensive end and

If the shot isn’t going down it just kind of is a tough spot for them to be in but I I I really think going towards dwarte is less of Kevin not cutting it and more so just trying to switch things up to see how can we fix this defense

That is not really sure by the Numbers it’s gotten a bit better and they have moments but it’s just extremely inconsistent yeah and it seems like okay you’re you’re going to go with an all defense guy in darte because I was just looking at the numbers for him is not

Good shooting numbers for Chris dwarte so far through the season so you had to be pretty desperate I think in order to kind of get into that place and I I know what Kevin herder can provide in a playoff setting he’s done it before for the Hawks and then for not necessarily a

Good series for the Kings last year but still can be somebody that that helps out with that but um really it’s going to be about fox and sabonis as it always has been those guys are still clearly All Stars they’re playing at a high level uh I I was noticing this shooting

Discrepancy for Fox I wanted to get your your take on this he is such an elite three-point shooter and such a horrible foul shooter this year what’s been going on with that dude I would wish I could tell you the free throws have been a hectic thing throughout the course of

This whole season it’s never exactly been a strength of his but it is weird as you point out like last year the mid-range became great he still can get to that shot and will often late in games or late shot clock scenarios but he kind of converted almost all of them

Into pull-up threes and he’s hitting those at a really good rate finishes great around the rim he just doesn’t he’s not great from the free throw line and uh you know a lot of Kings fans are like gosh they just need to practice more free throws like I promise you they

Shoot free throws at the end of every practice and there’s no real fix it’s one of those frustrating ones last time I check they were 30th as a team in free throw percentage and obviously a lot of that primarily has to do with with Fox

And sabonis and yeah I mean I feel like there’s no real answer to free throws it’s just it’s it it is mental like I have no clue really uh for for transparency sake Denver’s also been going through much of that throughout the season they’ve been at 30th or 29th

Or 28th for much of the year and they just won the title so like it’s it’s kind of odd to see a team like that struggle from the free throw line but lo and behold it it can happen to everybody so hopefully this is just a lull and not

Something that’s actually a big deal come playoff time um the numbers for Fox and sabonis are interesting uh plus 1.5 net rating in just over 800 minutes uh it’s actually about the same as last year pretty much in line with with everything that that duo had done previously

Curiously though last year the sabonis on Fox off minutes were really good this year they have not been good that seems like if there’s anything that’s kind of different for the team this year it might be those numbers I’m curious to get your thoughts on just some of those

Lineup combinations and and how they’ve built around sabonis yeah I mean I think that obviously those guys function really well together and and Malik Monk and deonis sabonis have a very good chemistry between them but to me a lot of it is just kind of the bench lineup

You know domas sabon B does so much of setting up his teammates while dear a lot of the times is kind of going and getting his own not that he isn’t also a playmaker um that puts other guys in good positions but I think he is more comfortable doing that when sabonis

Clearly would prefer to get his teammates involved and when those other guys are struggling I I think that kind of puts them in a little bit of a tough spot and in my mind that’s what I see when uh you look at some of those numbers like the Kings kind of have

Seven guys and even then Kevin murder and Harrison Barnes have been questionable and Coach Brown has been pretty transparent that he hasn’t specifically said the seven but I feel like it’s pretty easy to point out which seven after the starting five the typical starting five with Kevin herder

Harrison Barnes and uh Keegan Murray alongside those two Allstars you have Malik Monk and Trey Lyles that I feel like you can really count on and um even like I mentioned some of those starters have been a little bit questionable so I think it that’s in my mind what puts

Sabonis in a little bit of a weird spot is that he prefers to set up the other guys and they haven’t really been great yeah seemed playing around with Keon Ellis a little bit uh not really obviously javil McGee and Alex Len are the the other couple backup centers that

Wouldn’t play when sabonis is out there but yeah it’s just interesting Davon Mitchell is probably the one guy that you can really point to and say yeah that’s that’s the the big key factor there for somebody that you would expect to step up in minutes without dear and

Fox but that just hasn’t seemed to happen I I will say Malik mck average 7.5 assists per 36 minutes is a pretty impressive number that’s a big leap for him from a point guarding perspective but if that has to happen when Davon Mitchell is out there and Mitchell’s

Just not really like contributing much playmaking at all then there’s just not a lot that he can really do out there yeah they’ve really leaned into trusting uh monk as a playmaker this season he definitely I think really started to show that uh during his time with the

Lakers two seasons ago Charlotte fans will tell you there were always little flashes but I don’t think it was maybe utilized all too much but they fully leaned into it actually recently they’ve well to to step back a little bit kind of to your point they’ve been flip-flopping between Keon Ellis and

Davon Mitchell who’s going to be that backup point guard even a couple games ago they rolled out rookie Kobe Jones to see if they could get something from him there and last couple games they’ve really committed to just Malik monk as the backup point guard and I I

Personally think that’s the best way to go that playmaking jump that you mentioned has been very obvious and I I think that that should definitely keep up throughout the course of this season he’s a he’s a great decision maker he can be a little chaotic at times but

It’s like a Controlled Chaos I would like to say for himself so um yeah the backup point guard spot has been weird and I think you could say the same thing about the backup center they were going with javil McGee Alex Lenn had an ankle

Injury that kept him out a little over a dozen games I believe it was and since then they’ve kind of fully leaned back into him being that backup big there’s Chris dwarte there’s wano Anderson who’s currently on a 10-day contract getting minutes excuse me and Kesler Edwards like they’re trying so many different

Things in these different spots and I think again that just really points to he doesn’t feel great about any of his options yeah that’s tough that’s a tough place for a coach to be because you’re You’re Expecting certain things you’re expecting things to go uh one way or the

Other for you and and obviously you want to count on the elite starting group that you can possibly get and I’m not sure that this group has been Elite and then you start to really start like you have that stair stepping effect where okay now you need the bench to be better

And they’re just not as good as you probably were expecting so something feels different it feels less magical than the Run was last year maybe it’s because the rest of the West is just very competitive this year when when last year just felt like everybody had a

Down year at the same time what’s missing if if you had to if you had to pick let’s say what spot to address in the rotation had heading into the trade deadline season what would it be yeah it’s probably the the two or the four I guess you could call it the three

The other Wing spots really I think that Keegan Murray deont sabonis and and dearen fox obviously are kind of the locks and then after that I often draw the Denver parallel you know you go back three seasons and it’s like will bar Will Barton or Gary Harris at that two

Spot Aaron Gordon or I’m sorry Paul Milsap starting at the four and those guys kind of sound like in my mind modern Kevin herder and and Harrison Barnes so to me I think that you really need to make upgrades there maybe that even can be a higher caliber upgrade if you want

To roll with that Aaron Gordon comparison more like he obviously provides a lot to that team and like borderline All-Star production so it’s difficult to just go out and get those guys but to me I look at those complimentary pieces not really giving you what you need this season and that’s

Where I think the upgrade should come from Keegan Murray seems don’t love the word Untouchable but I I guess that’s what’s getting thrown out a lot nobody’s Untouchable it just depends who we’re talking about right but sure I think uh I guess about as close as it

Gets but really those three I’d roll with and and try to get better compliments around them really that’s a decent comparison to Michael Porto Jr though where or at least in that in that realm where yeah you have the other two guys that you’re building around but

You’ve got this awesome Wing this floor spacing Wing that you don’t want to give up because the best version of the Kings is going to feature Keegan Murray so I can understand that for sure um we’ve heard a lot about Pascal cakam as as a potential option obviously that that’s

Gone through the rumor mill it seems like the Kings have sort of separated themselves from the the Pascal cakam race I’m I’m curious as to your thoughts is that still somebody that you would Target that you would go after or is the price just too high I mean I think I’d

Look at it I I would think that I’m curious if the price will be that high like obviously he’s in going into unrestricted free AG agency and everybody made a big deal about him saying uh that he wouldn’t resign with Sacramento and that was just through reportings I don’t know about you I

Haven’t seen him say anywhere he would resign so I don’t really know how to take that we just don’t know like go on now this could be a negotiation tactic and and Kings fans like to point back to it a while ago but Chris Weber did not

Want to get on the plane to come to Sacramento after he got traded there and eventually kind of got bought in so I don’t know what the reasoning would be on siakam’s side if it’s on court production then I think that he I would understand taking the risk and

Showing him that no we can be pretty good with you here and same thing if it’s City revolved around um but it might just be his role like I I think that that could be a reason that Indiana is kind of leading this race is that

He’d really get to be the two and I think in Sacramento he might sort of be the third option kind of the second and it’s not obviously that black and white is you’re the one you’re the two you’re the three but um I I still think they’re

Going to be in involved in those conversations I think that most of what you hear right now would be negotiation tactics I don’t think the Kings want to include Keegan Murray or Malik monk in any sort of deal and we’re really talking about something revolving around like Harrison Barnes Kevin herder Davon

Mitchell sort of and and maybe a pick in there and if that’s enough to get it done I I think that they should and probably would be in conversations but um it’s definitely questionable in a weird situation I I also uh get the impression and there’s been reportings

That they would prefer to get a trade done sooner in the year rather than waiting for the deadline and have some time to really build up your team like obviously the Clippers did that as as early as possible and that really helped them I like to think they you saw the

Growing pains that happened there and they’ve definitely worked through it but I still think a lot of what uh we’re hearing right now is negotiation tactics and the Kings will definitely be aggressive I mean this this front office is there was a reporting the other day

Um and I’m drawing a blank on exactly who said that they were involved in like clink capella conversations and I’m like why in the world to be honest but they’re involved in a lot of conversations is a very aggressive but patient front office so um I certainly

Think those talks are still going to go on with seak yeah it’s a fascinating conversation it’s a fascinating debate to have especially when you’re when you’re looking to push chips all in because there’s been a lot of talk also about hey is Sacramento okay just being

Good is is this happy for the fan base is this what people are like not necessarily hoping for but are they are they content in in a situation like this where the team just had a magical run still in the the middle of the playoff race it’s not like not like anything

Crazy here but uh it is it’s probably not a contention year unless A Change Is made so I I’m just curious as you’re we’ll wrap up with that just is the fan base content with just being good or is this something where you you want to keep being trying to be great

Yeah I definitely wouldn’t uh from what I’ve seen say that they’re necessarily content but obviously uh Twitter and socials can kind of be a vocal minority and not exactly a great representation of the fan base but I mean I there’s definitely a desire for them to to put

More chips on the table and and take more progress and I think that because it’s been so long it’s easy to forget that progress isn’t linear you know I often point to Denver and I know that’s a very stereotypical thing to do with the team that just won the championship

But I do think there’s a good amount of parallels when it comes to roster construction and they were so patient you know it took time it’s one year you’re going out and getting Aaron Gordon at a at a deadline and then I believe it’s the next season Jamal

Murray’s out for a while and kind of a Down year the whole season um if I’m remembering that correctly and then the next off season you go get kcp and it’s like it’s a slow Pro uh process to really build this up and the Kings have

All their guys locked up for at least three seasons outside of Malik monk really if you’re talking about the core of uh deonis sabonis who just signed an extension uh this last offseason dearon Fox and Keegan Murray all these guys are locked up and you even Harrison Barnes

And Kevin herder are locked up long term uh Trey Lyles I believe signed a two-year deal in the offseason Sasha V zenov if you want to go a little bit deeper just signed a three-year deal so literally everybody but Malik monk is locked up and I think that they don’t

Have any reason to be desperate right now in my mind and and I understand the counter of windows closed fast but I honestly don’t think it’s exactly open right now and it’s going to take the right move for that to happen so uh longwind way of saying I don’t think the

Fan base is content but I think there’s a chance that they might have to just write out this season even though they’re going to be aggressive if they don’t see the right thing I don’t think there’s any pressure that you have to do something this year it’s all about

Capitalizing on the right moments you you can never like you don’t want to jump at the wrong opportunity and too often I think in the past Sacramento’s jumped at the wrong opport unities to try to get better and this time you’ve still got the formula that’s really really solid that’s really really good

And for for Denver like you said it didn’t happen immediately it happened over a slow build and you could see the build you could see the progress being made so maybe that’s the most important thing for the Kings now it’s just seeing those steps being taken and and seeing

The progress whether it’s internally or externally just just you just got to take it one step at a time and hope that it eventually breaks your way because how often has Denver ever won a championship before this last season it’s never happen so it’s a it’s a rare

It’s a rare thing I think the most important thing that’s happened this season is dearn fox’s jump to a point where I firmly believe he can be be the best player on a championship team he’s playing really engaged on defense he’s had that swiper nickname for a long time

And I think it’s finally Justified now he gets about one of these little sneak backs steals a game that leads to a easy transition layup old headband Fox and he jokes about this uh was crazy and would throw down the windmill or something in transition now it’s just a light little

Layup you know he’s kind of boring in that way I guess um but I think his development as a three-point shooter and as a Defender again to being at a point where I think he can be the best player on a championship team that is so important in this formula and I think

Having that figured out if they do agree with that which I think they do um is super important and the development from Keegan Murray this year he’s been easily their best defender you know it wouldn’t surprise me if tonight against the Suns they throw him out on Devon Booker

They’ve been doing that there’s been lineups that run him at the two because I I think that it’s you are what you can guard positionally and he’s definitely guarding twos he’s guarding Dame Lillard before he goes out in that Bucks game and doing a pretty good job um so I

Think that the development that they’ve seen from him as a Defender as a rebounder there’s still flashes of that amazing shooting even if the the numbers are down overall throughout the course of this year he had a 47-point game where I believe he made 11 in a row

Which was one of the craziest things I’ve I’ve seen um so I think that that internal development from dearin and from from Keegan Murray is the most important thing that’s happened this year love it and look it it’s never going to happen fast but for for or

Maybe it does for these these coastal cities where you get to just add in the best free agents and everybody’s like yeah we’re gonna we’re just gonna uh just just sign that guy just trade for that guy just like you know we’re gonna get this guy’s friend and that’s how it

Usually works but for teams like the Kings and for teams like the Nuggets it’s I can I could sympathize with that for sure so it is a process but this is a good process to be on and you still get to support some wins along the way

He is Brendan Nunes of sack toown 1140 in the Kings pulse podcast really appreciate you taking the time man let’s chat again in about six weeks all right sounds good appreciate you Ryan

Brenden Nunes of Sactown 1140 and the Kings Pulse podcast joins Ryan Blackburn for the second Sacramento Kings check-in of the 2023-24 NBA Season. They discuss Mike Brown’s epic postgame presser, the good things happening with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and why the Kings are struggling to recapture last season’s feeling. Could Pascal Siakam be on the radar? What else do the Kings need to be great?

TOPICS
0:20 – Mike Brown’s epic postgame rant
1:40 – Kevin Huerter vs Chris Duarte at starting SG
3:50 – De’Aaron Fox and Kings Free Throw Shooting
5:30 – Sabonis + Bench Lineups are bad
9:15 – The feeling just isn’t the same
10:10 – A Denver Nuggets comparison
11:30 – Pascal Siakam trade rumor
14:20 – Kings fans okay with being merely good?
17:30 – De’Aaron Fox has taken the next step

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