The James Ham Show – Sacramento Kings Inconsistencies Continue To Show

The James Ham Show – Sacramento Kings Inconsistencies Continue To Show

James joins us James ham here the Insiders James it felt like the the Kings would try to make some Headway but then there’d be like a 10 run or a 120 run and that’s always what it was it was never 10 to two 10 to four it was like

10 run from the Thunder 120 run from the Thunder I don’t know how many goddamn daggers the thunder hit uh uh last yesterday but at least seven of them um but yeah just multiple runs multiple runs multiple runs and James I didn’t I never felt like the kings were in a good

Position to get that one yesterday no it didn’t feel like it at all like I it I mean it was from the opening tip you can see where this team is going pretty early and again we had a couple of check-in moments I think uh you know

Like Malik monk checked in and and we saw some really nice minutes from Keegan Murray deonis sabonis looked really good but overall you just kept waiting for the other guys to figure it out and they never did especially like let’s just be honest dearon Fox didn’t look like he

Was at all engaged in the game and I don’t know what the deal is uh with some of these games but it just didn’t look like it it was his day right I he had no steals in that game yeah which is a wow and for for for what um from what

I could gather uh he woke he didn’t do much the first three quarters and then woke up in the fourth quarter right and was kind of active everywhere on both the offensive end and on the defensive in in that fourth quarter but it was a little too little too late and you know

Maybe he is injured maybe he’s playing through something or whatever but they gotta find a way to get Fox back active you talk about Friday’s game I I think he could have and should have scored a little bit more but his activity he was a menace on that

Defensive end on Friday night and yeah if he if he gives if he’s scoring 17 I gotta have him playing defense the way he was on Friday in those games it can’t be both yeah I totally get it you know um I know Kevin o’ Conor who is everybody’s

Favorite out there in the world in Sacramento um and like I’ll give him credit for for putting this tweet out but not for uh he didn’t put the reverse tweet out which would be the sa bonus stats during the same time um but he asked what’s up with dearn Fox

He said first 26 games 30 points 53.8% from the field 39.8% from three 71.6 from the free throw line 21.9 field goal attempts per game 6.1 assists 4.6 rebounds and a 32 usage percentage and those numbers in the last 20 games are 21.8 points shout out to Kevin oconor

Who’s clearly a listener of this show we did this entire exercise long before he posted this twe yeah know would be a good idea if I looked at these numbers no no he put this up like four hours ago so EK oh yeah I’m just saying govern Conor

We we appreciate you credit us next time Jack just sorry ham I destroyed your point but go ahead but you understand the point is like in the last 21 games he just hasn’t been the same player and we can say it might be an injury we can

Whatever like I don’t know what it is uh but he seems like he’s someone who needs to take a couple of days off and and just kind of take a break and of course he gets out he gets that on on Thursday but it’s it’s very glaring and and it’s

Also the moment he steps on the court you either know that he’s got it or he doesn’t and I don’t know how uh you know like Mike Brown like how do you how do you coach up a team not knowing whether your best player is going to be the guy

Or a guy and and that’s really that’s really difficult especially I mean he’s down to 26.4 points per game like we’re talking about a guy who was at well over 30 for a good portion of the first half of the Season 1912 15 and 15 those are

His point totals since the 41-point game against Chicago the kings of course are one and three uh in those games with the one win being a 29-point win uh in Denver I think or against excuse me context you know is important dear had 10 assists in that game along with five

Steals and everybody at so like you can isolate numbers to come up with averages and do different things like that I wouldn’t quantify that as a bad game for dearon Fox but the scoring numbers are certainly a bit heads scratching uh as you laid out there James he it felt like

He was a dominant scorer through the first first 30 games of the Season uh in the last 20 games not so much um we could speculate I mean maybe we’ll get some answers If he if he is dealing with something pushing through something obviously everyone sees him favoring him

Favoring his shoulder uh at least once through a game but if if it is something about rest if it is something about fatigue he’s going to have some time to to get right over the next couple of days here yeah I expect him to be a different player coming out of the

All-Star break you know you get some time away you spend time with the family you kind of hit the reset button all that stuff but you know it it’s just weird the whole thing is strange um and it’s not just like on the court you can

Watch you can see a player I mean like look i’ I’ve watched every single game he’s ever played in as a pro without any question like every game he’s ever played and then all of a sudden you see that something’s wrong and I don’t even

Want to say like I see him favoring his shoulder or anything I it just feels like he doesn’t have like the motivation or or he doesn’t have like I don’t know like the the want to be there sometimes and it’s very strange to me because you

Know we we saw it play out with even off the court with the the media stuff where he didn’t want to talk to the media for like a couple of weeks and you know whatever that’s not a big deal I I just I’m watching him as a player I’m

Watching him off the court he seems fine when I see him in the locker room and stuff and he seemed perfectly fine talking with Malik Monk on Friday night when they did the like the comedy duo uh routine and postgame which was like perfectly fine with me but uh at the

Same time like where is that Joy on the court because that’s what might be missing it looks like there isn’t any joy in his game and I don’t know how to like how else to put it he just looks like he’s not right yeah I see the same things

Everybody else is seeing and um I guess what we’re all hoping is that first of all you can muster something up for these next two games but after that maybe the Break um will rejuvenate him maybe it’s a you know uh emotional and mental you know fatigue that’s going on

And he just needs a couple days to clear his head and he’ll come back for that you know um second half we past the halfway point me second part of the season and ready for this stretch run but um I see the same thing everybody else is saying seeing man and uh they

Need him they need him to be the guy he was earlier in the season if they’re going to try and you know get to this next level yeah and it’s always possible that he’s just taking a little bit of a backseat and saying hey look if I can’t

Do this on my own and me and domas can’t do it on our own we need these other guys to wake up and so maybe that’s part of it that he wants a Harrison Barnes to start going he wants you know Kevin herder to start figuring it out and he’s

Trying to get everybody else involved but his his buddy has like over those stretch all those the games in the teens that we just laid out uh Malik over the last 6 23 22 18 23 23 and 26 that was After five of six games being in single digit so over this last little stretch Malik has really is on the offensive end really really showed out a little bit it almost looks like Malik knows there’s something going on and he’s trying to take over F’s buddy like he’s trying to

He’s trying to be the spark plug to make sure that you know they’re in games and like look everyone keeps saying well if you look over 10 games or 15 games they really aren’t playing that bad it’s like yeah but but they’re one and three in their last four like it hasn’t been

Great and you’ve lost to of course the worst team in basketball during that stretch you beat probably the best team in basketball over that stretch and that’s where I I think that this thing kind of like it’s so confusing who are you what exactly are you going to be

This season and how do you figure out how do you fix whatever ails you at this point it’s very strange and I’m not sure they can you know I think I think what somebody asked me over the weekend what I thought of they’re not a Kings fan but

They like what’s up with your kings man how you feeling or whatever and I sat there and I had to give them an honest assessment of I think they’re fine I think they’re they’re a solid team and what I really want for them which actually hasn’t really changed since the

Beginning of the season for me or last summer make the playoffs get in the playoff series that’s that’s what would make me happy or feel like it was a successful season then get into the summer and try and figure out what it is you need to

Get to the next level because I don’t I don’t know if they have what it takes right now to get to the next level and what I mean by that is winning a playoffs like I I think they have enough talent and they could win a playoff

Series depending on who they play but as far as being like a true contender in the Western Conference I don’t know if they have that right now and I think I this shouldn’t be their goal but I’m just saying I’m looking at this team like just get to the playoffs get to a

Playoff series if they were to lose like in the playin and not make the playoffs I’m not you know breaking any news that would be disastrous in my opinion yeah well I mean right now the standings don’t look good you know they’re they’re seventh in the Western Conference

They’re half game out of fifth but uh they’re also only a half game ahead of Dallas for the eighth spot like this is not a comfortable position to be in it’s not where if you’re the Kings where you thought you would be or where you’d

Hoped you’d be and you know sure you got time here to fix it but I think last season we talked about it like you know we need to see what this team looks like after the deadline right and what they look like coming out of the All-Star

Break and lo and behold they were incredible they’re one of the best teams in basketball now we keep having this situation here where everyone’s like well they have the same record they had last year okay but does everyone forget how good they were in the SEC after the

All-Star break last year like in order for them to reach what they did last year they’re gonna have have to be really really good and I don’t know that’s not what they’re trending towards right now that’s not where they’re heading so they’re not only going to

Have to you know crank it up but like buy a lot like this is not the same team that we saw last year and they do feel like something’s off and something’s weird on some nights and I don’t know how how else to put it they they have uh

They have a little bit of time to figure it out and to you know solidify themselves as like a a five six spot but there’s no promises that that that’s where they’re going to end up this this team is a bit of a mess uh from one

Night to the next and but am I think that’s the biggest thing because I as as much as um maybe some people scoff at it you do pull back and they were seven and 10 like I don’t care how you put it seven and three in 10 games is I’ll take it

Like you could be looking like Scrubs for seven games but I I’ll take the win like you have that I think it’s the game to game nature of not knowing like I once again we could last year we weren’t sure if they were going to win or not

But you knew they were gonna come to play you knew they were GNA show up and this year you don’t know if they’re going to show up every night and I think that’s what has people uneasy and and it all but that also doesn’t mean that they

Won’t show up you know what I’m saying like I think people look at that aspect of the Kings and like man they’re no good because you don’t know what you’re getting from night tonight that also means you could get what you got on Friday against Denver you just don’t

Know and I think that has myself and others uneasy about this team no I mean and I think it’s like we’re at that place where you have to talk about it right so they went into the All-Star break last year 33 and 25 they finished

The season um is that what it was 33 or 32 32 and 25 so they finished the season 16 and nine and you can even take away like the last three games where they just like said we don’t really they mailed it in right so that that record looks more like 16-

Six do you think this team has a 16- six run coming out of the break in them I I don’t know that’s that’s a tough thing yeah they have the capability will will they I don’t know but 16 and six if we’re just if we’re just looking at I’m

Just doing numbers right 16 and six is 10 games over 500 they’re eight games over 500 right now like they it’s not Inc far off of their that they can do they can get 16 and six in this don’t have multiple three- game losing streaks just have one three- game losing streak

But to H to Ham’s point and to what I was saying if you ask me to bet D’s money on it I’m like I’m not that’s not a bet I’m taking like I’m not touching this team with the 10- foot pole as far as like grander expectations because you

Just don’t know yeah yeah no I agree we don’t know I do know Davon Mitchell’s been playing really well I do know we saw Davon and Keon together yesterday to I think a level of success like I thought they played pretty well yesterday I mean

You know results are in the uh you know the win lost column but I I I like I I I thought Keon was Super Active on the defensive end we wondered what Keon’s you know restructured contract would mean I think Davon has been extra I think Davon has been

Extraordinary since getting back into the lineup um and I it was a nice little wrinkle to see him out there with Kon I don’t know how often Mike does that I don’t know if he does it the minutes felt like they came at the expense of

Kevin herder who I’m sure Mike was all too happy to pull out of the game um but I thought I thought that was a nice little wrinkle would would what you think of that combo there James and uh more specifically how Davon has played of late because you are a notorious

Davon Mitchell yeah so I I know you you I love it yeah um you hate when I do that I apologize James is not a de on it’s fine when he starts walking into threes with confidence and hitting him like that that’s I think at this point

He has to show something right so I I’ve always said hey I just need him to look like he’s part of everything and and that’s how I think he can earn his way onto the court well at a certain point like he has to do something else right

And so the confidence that he’s showing and his ability to hit the three ball like it does add another element to his game I think he’s a really good Defender and I I like the I’ll say the same thing about Keon Ellis I think Keon Ellis is a

More well he’s longer he’s more athletic getting through screens than Davon is um but the other thing I I’ll point out is Davon Mitchell throughout his career he’s not been a good rebounder at all and there’s been multiple games during this stretch where I remember him coming

Up with a big Rebound in traffic um you know kind of mixing up with the tree so over his last 11 games you know he’s shooting 45% from three he’s averaging Five Points and 1.8 uh assists and 1.6 steals I mean 1.6 rebounds but just the way he’s playing is with more confidence

He’s not turning the ball over a bunch he’s he’s just kind of he’s out there doing the job of the backup point guard and I think that that’s all you can ask he’s starting to get a little bit more minutes here and there there they are starting to steal minutes from some of

These other players who haven’t played well and I’d even say like there’s the trickle down with this team where you see that um you know if Harrison’s not playing well then Kevin sometimes moves over and plays more three and then you see more Malik and then you start seeing

Like you’re starting to see a little bit more of this this team go smaller and go guard heavy and uh and that’s a good thing for Davon it’s a good thing for Keon that’s how you’re going to get on the court if you can be impactful and and kind of show that you

Belong yeah I I hope they can work the scenario where both of them find a way to play I mean and I think some of that is gonna um probably be there with dwarte injury how long he’s going to be out May make them a little smaller in

The situation but now you got the Sasha situation that is lingering where he can’t get right with the ankle he’ll be out for a little while so you know I think that I think it I feel like it could help them defensively on the perimeter having those two in the

Rotation I think those are two really good Defenders um against against guards like SJ now SJ was phenomenal yesterday but they’ll they’ll make them work and much like I always talk about it allows Fox to not have to guard SGA and use all his energy on the defensive end so I I

Hope maybe um Mike and Jordy and everything can find a way to get those guys in there they had shet on dearon in the first half like I was like oh did they switch like what’s going on here like three repls later I was like Hey Chad’s still guarding dear what the hell

Is going on here yeah that’s not a good thing yeah I mean well I it’s hard to argue against because dear tried to get a couple up over him and it was like tough shot it ain’t work that was just a tough day for Sacramento overall

Um I’m big into the emotional aspect of sports like we talk about this all the time we just talked about the emotional aspect of the San Francisco 49ers pushing that Boulder back up the hill next year to try to get to the Super Bowl I think there was a certain

Component to to to the Oklahoma City Thunder yesterday they had lost two in a row they were a little bit more desperate than Sacramento but they had also like you had got you’ve gotten your ass beat by Sacramento I didn’t realize it was eight times I thought they had I

Thought the Kings had won like like five of the last six or something like that I didn’t realize they had won eight In A Row D and like there’s a it’s like hey you know you hear the pep talk now way we’re a good basketball team we’re we’re

One of the top teams in this conference need to go take care of this we can’t keep losing to these guys we could see them in the playoffs let’s go get the job done and they they played with a they played with a you are not GNA beat

Us again uh mentality and you know the Kings didn’t didn’t have that counter punch they tried again I’m not I’m not it’s one of those things that you feel right we talk about this all the time James did you ever feel like the Sacramento Kings were going to lose the

Game right well last night yesterday was a case where I never really feel like Sacramento was going to win even when they made that run it’s like I don’t think they can get over the hump the Oklahoma City left the window open for him a couple of times and it just it it

They they just didn’t have enough to convert well it’s not even having enough to convert they just couldn’t stop anybody so you know that’s where it comes down to it’s like it doesn’t matter if you’re at a certain point if it it teams Up On You by 15 and and you

Want to exchange baskets with them like any team in the League’s like all right that’s fine that’s what we’re going to do we’ll sit here you get a open shot we’ll get an open shot okay that’s fine we’re the one with a 15-point lead and until they buckle down and decide to

Stop somebody and it’s not always easy I mean again Shay gets like some of the the most ridiculous foul calls of all time and you’re just sitting there like yeah it’s very strange how he just gets he gets away with whatever and it’s almost like he does it so

Nonchalantly that it’s you don’t catch [ __ ] all the time but it wasn’t just him I mean they couldn’t stop Jaylen Williams at all oh so he was tremendous he was cooking yeah he was I mean they they combined for 70 points between those two and that’s just crazy so yeah

Uh you know it’s a tri double must doing what he does man you know though like I’m watching the his triple doubles and I’m waiting for one that I’m thinking oh he’s just stretching there trying to get a number like no it’s just the game like

It’s just the way it’s just it’s just what he does it’s just the flow of the game yeah he’s out there just giving it his all every single time and I you know he a lot of games lately again you’re waiting for those other players to check

In he’s doing his thing and then one other guy usually is doing his thing and then you know again monk will come anly like all right let’s do this I’m ready and so you’re just waiting for other guys to figure it out and it’s just

Taking way too long uh in a lot of these games for you know you to get up to three or four guys who are actually like ready to go and and trying to make a difference in a game yeah I have a question uh we’re in a tough spot huh

It’s gonna piss everyone off oh boy are you gonna ask me after the break I can’t ask you now because it’ll no I all that go for it do it do do it now go to break right now if you want okay let’s go to break because one

This this question is really going to piss everyone off oh no and it’s it’s a question though let me be clear I’m asking a question the king’s trade dearon Fox coming from DLo next well for Ben Simmons we’ll come back uh we’ll talk more we’ll well it wouldn’t be the first

Time we’ll come back we’ll talk with James ham I’m going to ask a question that’s all I’m going to do I’m a broadcast journalist I’m dreading it Dow and casy return here on Sacramento sports leader ESPN 1320 no no no no no no no I’m just gonna

Ask a question is it gonna be a two-part question because I I should Keegan smile more that’s it that’s all it is there it is I just this is going to go so bad is it time to blow this thing up it’s going to go so bad me

Again we got through a Super Bowl that honestly could have gone either way and the whole time I was just thinking this is such a tremendous game like Win Lose or Draw like you’re just sitting there for all the new people who were brought into football this year with the

Swifties and all that and like everyone’s huddled around their TV like what a tremendous game and I know it didn’t go Niner’s way but my goodness like that was that was some of the best football watching just like great defensive plays and I don’t know I haven’t seen the numbers for the game

Yet are are we sure the swifties are a thing have we been able to verify that that’s real we can’t verify not the swifties obvious we can’t verify anything the NFL does well no I’m tell I told you man they doing something I’m gonna figure it

Out when I figure it out you are I’ll let everybody know you figure out why ESPN put JJ reck on the NBA Finals no no did that not at all I did not figure that out who asked for that uh see Tom Bell’s trying to start

Stuff here in the chat there you go time yeah Tom no I I can Tom I can just talk about my fantasy basketball team if you’d like what’s your fantasy basketball team uh I it’s well oh they’re called the ham sandwiches but uh yeah I’m in a 14 Man league with some Kings

Fans I believe Doug once requested a ham sandwich on the on the television Broast broadcast he called me ham sandwich all the time he he I think we he was like well we got a wge bomb can we get a ham sandwich like why didn’t you I think it

Was the Tyreek stuff if I remember correctly that reminds me we get a I talk to the to the man himself man we got a we got Mark Jones ready okay this week I always have Mark Jones ready and then I don’t get him not that he he

Flakes out but it’s like he’s so tough to pin down because of his schedule yeah tough guy to keep up with yeah he is a tough guy to keep up with but it felt like it was forever since I had heard him um and I I text

Him on Friday I was like was good hearing you man I feel like I ain’t heard you in a long time and he was like uh you know thank you and he said I got I got some time this week man let’s talk all right yeah you figure it out clear

Understanding of the rules yeah talk I mean uh he’s uh he’s going to be around a lot in the second half of the season from what I know that reminds me we didn’t talk about I meant to talk about it did did you did you guys uh

Have a lot of issue with the the fact that the 49ers players didn’t know much about the overtime rules and the Chiefs players were prepared for it Grassman for straws I think no I didn’t think they made I think they made so much out of that cuz like I was sitting there

Watching the game you it was overtime I was like oh snap I think the new overtime rules are going out because it’s the postseason and in like 15 seconds I was like oh yeah both teams are have a chance to have the ball and that was it like it wasn’t

This I’m so confused and I don’t know what I don’t know what what we’re gonna do here well there I think there was another parts of the ru that actually did conf that I I’m not sure I completely understood because again my quarterback I think it was one of his

Rough moments last night I’m like the clock’s going to expire like what happens if the clock expires to my understanding they treat it like a g you just nothing like absolutely nothing happens I thought it goes into the second overtime but normally the second overtime is a like you start over right

No it was just you move just kept going yeah that’s yeah I thought I I didn’t know that until it was happening I was like what’s going on and then I think I think a lot of people going to run out of time they were like oh they could

Have used more time they gave batrick Mahomes more time in the overtime time didn’t time the game wasn’t gonna end in a tie like like you could have essentially not had a clock in that right that’s that’s that yeah right H I wasn’t paying attention to any of

That I was just watching like thinking oh no you gave momes the ball now you’re in trouble yeah I even thought you got it to what is it fourth and three at the nine like like it’s a Super Bowl you’re going to lose if Mahomes gets the ball you’re

Going to lose that’s not necessarily true Mahomes has lost plenty of times but the defense was playing well too like I I I get it all we’re coming back James hang on more second guessing of the coaches going on during the commercial break coaches the the single coach real

Quick um because I want to hear your question we’re talking Kings and everything but it just I checked on something and I believe I’m reading this right on all the betting websites the Niners are the favorite to win the Super bowl next year I figured they’d be I figured they’d be up there

I’m not sure they’d be favored over Kansas City I thought Kansas City might be it because you never get bet against Patrick Mahomes I’m not sure if you guys have heard that don’t do that the Eagles are like what’s the bet for them not to make the

Playoffs I’ll take that one um yeah that doesn’t surprise me be honest with you it doesn’t surprise me just I like I said I feel like I’m on the team I feel like I’ve gone through that season well you did and I’m like we got to do that

Again hopefully there’s no sound bites of George KD talking about we’re gonna be back here we’re gonna do it next time I hope that doesn’t exist George hey no George is trying they gotta get Kyle gotta get him the ball too though gotta find a way to get the ball yeah gotta

Find a way I I will say that about your Playmakers will be back Playmakers will be back James I think the 49ers will be in good shape next year yeah I think they’ll be just fun so here’s the question we have fun right and we sell merchandise I’ve used the term before

But I’m going to ask you both respectively where it going now wow no I’m asking what does empty calories mean no I’m asking a question can you stop laughing I’m trying to be serious I’m asking what does empty calorie I know what it meant when I said it I used to

Say that about James Harden James Harden you could look at James Harden’s points in the playoffs and you’ll see oh Jame it’s not James’s fault you like especially now you look back at some of his he had 36 in this game yeah he scored like 20 of them when they were

Down 20 and the game was over that’s empty calories the production he was putting out on the court didn’t matter when he was doing it so I want to ask you two what is empty calories so I I’ll go my explanation might be a little shorter than

Hams I’ll say and I like this guy a lot you know what I mean I want him here but Kyle kosma his numbers are empty calories putting up 20 something a night on one of the worst teams in basketball they have no bearing whatso not saying that he has the structure around him

It’s not all his fault but his 20 at night like it’s not it don’t mean nothing to your original point though like Harden and his 20 and stuff like that at Le he’s doing that with a winning team you know what I’m saying like he’s doing it with one of the the

Top teams so his 20 night wether might come late in the fourth quarter all this other stuff but you’re right I was more speaking to James in the playoffs but no that’s fair too I’m just even even then he’s in the playoffs you know what I’m

Saying like he he could have kind of meaningless numbers and stuff like that but he’s doing it in the playoffs whereas Kyle’s doing this with the team with nine wins to Me Maybe I give a little bit more leeway with empty calories that’s empty calories to me what you think James yeah I

Mean I mean empty calories means there’s no substance to what you’re you’re doing that you’re just putting up stats to put up stats and like I I’ll just point to Christian Wood right Christian Wood puts up monster numbers for a couple of years like close to 20 and 10 18 and

Nine but every time he steps on the court his team is 335 is the official time everybody catch the screenshot too screenshot now now now 335 is the official ham freeze what’s amazing is like James is in like 4K like James froze in 4k this is a solid freeze right

Here too no this is good this is good stuff right here this is very good we can work with this now I realize the screen grabs aren’t as funny because we’re all Frozen in a screen grab it’s way funnier in a video where James is just just like what do you think James

Does when he gets Frozen like now he’s back like is he just like oh my gosh I’m frozen again like what’s happening there’s some curse words he’s just waiting to be thought out and like here he is again look at just just shaking off a little glitch and right back in

Fork uh sorry James continue you were you were giving your thoughts on empty calories yeah I mean I think like again with chrisan wood it comes down to a player who it doesn’t matter how many points he puts up when he’s on the court his team is

Worse and I think that there are a lot of guys that are like that in the league and they just put up numbers for Num sake and like every team has to have you know has to score right so somebody’s always going to score on a losing team

And all that but I don’t understand like when it comes to sabonis like the empty empty calorie thing like to me so again don’t agree at all with with uh with Bonte Hill but I only bring that up because I think we’re at 16 triple doubles right now and

It’s eight and eight I think that’s the record if I’m not mistaken after Denver and then Oklahoma City because he had a triple double in both of them I think the record is eight and eight and it goes back to a conversation another conversation I took a beating for was

Maybe he shouldn’t pass so much work more on the offensive like take like you’re you’re you’re shooting an incredibly high percentage and we don’t we don’t need to re hased this conversation I just I think part of the reason domas isn’t getting the respect we think he deserves is that those 16

Triple doubles like there’s I know I know people trashed Russell Westbrook for what he was doing that year he averaged a triple double the first time because you know he’s done it four the first time he did it they were like thre a stret they were like 42 and seven like

Like some absurd number when he had a triple double during a uh a a start of that I’m not going to use it because it fits my argument but there’s a dude who plays in San Francisco who when he got like like six years ago when he was a solid

Ball player he get triple doubles like that team couldn’t lose I just look at domas is like why why you know because we asked the question why is domas not getting appreciated for what he’s doing I think part of the reason is it’s almost like he’s doing it at a

Desperation because he’s they he’s lost half of the games that he’s gotten a triple double in yeah but I would make the argument that the Kings don’t lose basketball games because of demonis sabonis like no I don’t think they lose basketball games because of Damonte

Sabonis no don’t do that I think I still I my stance hasn’t changed I think he can do more on the offensive end well I get he can score more but I just don’t know that that’s what this team has like we we had the game um where they lose to

When Kyle was there oh it was Detroit right is that who they yeah yeah and we’re gonna Kyle from Kings games by the way no totally totally record is bad yeah it’s not a good record he’s empty calories he’s he cannot come to Kings games anymore yeah so deonis got to the

Rim a couple of times I think it was twice late in the game and then he kicked it out once to Trey Lyles for an open three and once to uh Harrison Barnes for an open three they missed both of them and and ended up hurting you and he realistically should have

Just like laid the ball up and you know it’s one of those things where we talk about you know what points per possession and like sort of these Advanced numbers that everybody talks about like if you shoot 40% from the corner the corner three because it’s worth three points that’s worth 1.2

Points per possession right well domas like if he’s wide open at the rim and it’s going to be like an 80% or higher shot you have to understand that it’s pretty much two points but it’s at least like if we’re we’re saying he doesn’t hit it every time which he

Doesn’t he’s probably hitting at 80% and so you’re looking at 1.6 points per possession like that is a really really good shot and so there’s a lot of times where now when you do that well I’m just saying I know what you mean one point two shot 1.2 points for a corner three

Or 1 point6 at The Rim because he’s shooting 80% like he needs to understand that it makes his team better when he actually just puts the ball in the basket like there there are times where you have to pass out when you’re at The Rim just because you’re down six with

You know like 30 seconds left and you have to have a three but so many other times where I think it’s just like man just put the ball in the basket and it he’s being unselfish and so I don’t think I’m going to fault him for being unselfish and especially since he’s

Averaging 20 a game and he’s leading the league and rebounding and he’s averaging like 8.3 assists per game at this point I just don’t know that there’s any way to really find fault or at least a lot of fault and what domos is doing now when it comes to like three-point shots

And not his own but like opposing team shooting like the most ridiculous numbers of all time from three yeah domas domos is on the floor when that’s happening he needs to not drop into the key and play defense when there’s no one to play defense on on he

Needs to be out supporting his teammates and and getting into people’s faces and not allowing three-point shots but like again he’s right now like as far as like an offensive weapon and a a rebounding tool like he’s one of the most impactful players in the league and all of the

Advanced statistics say that I mean the guy doesn’t make the All-Star team but you go to nba.com and he’s number seven on their MVP ladder it doesn’t make any sense like he he’s that good and I would say like I’m not going to say there’s no fault to that goes on demonis sabonis

For the Kings having this season but like how many bad games has he had I’m not looking I’m not looking for fault like yeah I I’m I’m just looking for ways for this team to get better and I was trying to find an explanation as to why the the tremendous season that

Damont sabonis was having before Allstar selections continues to be I was trying to figure out why it’s getting ignored and I I I settled on like maybe it’s because he doesn’t do 30 20 and 15 games I think he did one of those and it was

Like I don’t think that ever made it anywhere maybe it wasn’t quite 3020 and 15 but it was something along those lines nobody was checking for it I was like maybe they’re looking at wins and losses shoot I don’t even know if they look deep enough to see if the Kings win

Or lose games when he gets triple doubles doubt it um and and Ramsay said he’s at 17 I had him at 16 I shorted him when he’s at 17 this year yesterday four in the last five games and five in the last seven games yeah I don’t know man it just

Feels like he’s playing maybe it’s just guys need to raise up to his level well so one of the things that I’m thinking about when you talk about um wins and losses uh with all this is it just says to me and and I once here I get I’m just I’m talking through

This with everybody I’m not trying to start an argument or fight or discussion and everything is it further validates to me that he’s not the best player he’s not the straw that stirs a drink because I’d love to see what the record or what the stats look like in those losses when

For dearn Fox and I’m just the believer if this team is great as domas says he should be an All-Star he is one of the best centers one of the best big men in the league this takes nothing away from him but this team goes by the way of dearon

Fox and do domas can be as good as he wants to Malik can be as good as he wants to Keegan can be as good as he wants to if Fox ain’t locked in and fox isn’t out there playing at a super high level it’s G to be hard for this team to

Win most nights and that’s kind of what those numbers tell me so somehow drawn all the way back to De Fox so when I look at his stats when the when he scores 2 four more sabonis the kings are 11 and three so there is something to

Him scoring more but you know I don’t know like that’s gonna get you jumped in the chat James I’ll tell you I got beat up for two days for it when probably why that guy want yeah every time he steps off the floor the Kings feel like they get worse

In my book and and it just that’s what I look at I like I you’re looking around like when are they putting damis sabonis back on the floor and I know he’s not perfect uh but the way he shows up every single night what’s he got

40 48 double doubles and 52 games this season like wow I mean he he literally is walking in and doing he’s giving you the exact same thing almost every single night the only reason he doesn’t have like eight more triple doubles is because the Kings went through the whole

First half of the Season not being able to shoot half the games and having guys like just brick a bunch of shots where he easily would have had a couple extra triple doubles so like I don’t know how else to say it like when I watch him

Play there’s never a moment where I think empty calal I think he’s he’s fighting he’s uh he’s a very good position Defender do people shoot over the top of him yes they do but you know the fact that he doesn’t block shots okay like what else is he supposed to do

I mean you know the dude shooting almost 44% from three like what else do you want him to do like there are no perfect players in the NBA but like if you’re were gonna build a a a low post player that can like run your entire offense and and not only set

Up one guy but set up everybody like we’ve seen that too you’ve seen like where does he get his assists he gets his assist from everybody not from one player this is not you know Dak Prescott throwing to CD lamb 11 or 12 or 13 times

A game this is a guy who who gets everybody involved who shares the wealth who trusts his teammates who puts them in positions to win and when they aren’t doing well he’s the guy who’s pulling guys aside like hian Murray and counseling him through trying to talk to

Them trying to keep their spirits up like I I I just have a tough time like anything that’s going on this season I can get through like 14 other things before I get to deonis sabonis I don’t disagree he’s been phenomenal this year yeah phenomenal and

And you know it’s almost we talk about all time it’s probably taken for granted by a lot of people you know the way he’s playing this year and his consistency with this high level of play um all while just kind of playing within the flow you know what I mean like he

Doesn’t he doesn’t really go out of his way doesn’t go out of his way to get shots yeah so it’s it’s salute to domas man salute to him I I don’t I don’t have any quals with his production not saying anybody else does but I don’t have any quals

With his production this year yeah and Ramsey brings up in the chat like plus minus in basketball is the most empty calorie stat in in the sport I agree for the most part but there are nights where the plus minus matches exactly what you’re seeing like I’ll even go back to

The last game right the last last game the plus minus on dear Fox was horrible um and to be honest I I thought it would be like that’s what he looked like on the court it looked like he was going to have a game well where the stats would

Show that he wasn’t very good and he wasn’t but then at the same time I thought Harrison Mars was pretty solid I remember him going to the line and and trying to slow the game down in the second quarter to help his team he finishes with 14 points and a negative

27 so Fox and and Barnes both finish with negative 27s and Harrison’s only plays 22 minutes he didn’t look like he was that bad to me so sometimes it matches sometimes it doesn’t and I think it’s not a great stat especially on a game in and game out basis you need a

Much longer like sort of uh you know grouping of games sample size to to really make a an argument for it uh how about Alex Lynn returning to the lineup uh like an RKO out of nowhere um and Mike Brown was singing his Praises you know following the Denver

Game I say it all the time James Mike’s hilarious Mike say hey dust your shoes off big guy you’re getting in there and man he was super effective well and let’s go back to the Denver game that’s where he actually earned the minutes right he was really

Good in that game and javil McGee was not like right off the bat you’re like oh no that’s not like that’s he doesn’t have it tonight and like I think that that’s a good thing about Mike he’s willing to go oh yeah that’s I’m not doing that anymore that’s not working

And you you have to give domas a break and you don’t want to go small against jic and try Trey Lyles there so I kind of get what he he was doing there I just why why are we doing this why are you coming back to Alex Lyn now because

Alex Lynn was really effective for like a huge stretch of games and all of a sudden he falls out of the lineup again right around jav’s birthday and so I know Mike wants to keep everybody engaged and all that stuff but one player makes you a better a better team

And that doesn’t mean that he is a flashy highlight reel guy or that you know he he gets the crowd on their feet or anything else because javil McGee does do all those things he’s a more exciting player but I would like if I’m the Kings and I’m trying to fight

Through like a really really erratic season I’m not going to add more erratic play to my erratic season I want somebody who’s going to go out there and give me pretty consistent minutes every time he’s on the floor and that’s what Alex Lenn has done and so Mike said he’s

Gonna give him a longer shot here um I I warn people even when he said he’s gonna give him a longer shot like you gota you understand that you know the Kings play uh ok seed who has no big men and then they come back and they play um they

Play against Phoenix and Phoenix doesn’t have any big men so Alex Len probably won’t play hardly all again but then when you get back to Denver I I would expect Alex ly see a good amount of time much like everybody else man I like his

Minutes man I like when he plays um and it’s no shot at javelle or any the javelle thing was funny jael’s first like he played like two minutes in that game it was like and normally James you James loves javelle McGee and it was like oh God J calm down bro

And then I I appreciate ah you know what Alex Alex Alex 50’s here go Alex go show out for him um and he and he played terrific but jael’s jael’s jael’s two minutes against Denver are kind of legendary yeah yeah it’s the the the two minutes javel played against Denver is

Why James loves javelle so much look how many like didn’t he shoot a three ball with 17 seconds on the clock last week might have happened yes is the answer after he dropped the ball and it was around his ankles and he was trying to grab it for like three seconds

And then finally he got the ball and hoisted a three with 17 seconds he was open I don’t know why I have to dig into the yeah you know let Make It Rain that’s why he’s Jason Jones’s favorite player oh man yeah I just think that

Like you know again as he’s as he’s aged like the mistakes are still there but they’re just more glaring and like I don’t think there’s a way to hide what he does so but he’s a good leader he’s a big voice in locker room he’s a nice guy

I just I just know that it’s one of those things it sticks out like every time he’s on the court you have no idea what’s coming next fits right in yeah well that’s true fits right in with the 2023 24 Kings you got to get one of these two don’t you

James yeah you gotta split um and if not if not you go into the the you go into the break six games over you could be in eighth or ninth yeah you’ll be I don’t think you could be in ninth you could be in eighth depending what Dallas

Does yeah you’ll be an eight oh God Dallas is half a game back yeah you could definitely be staring at eight yeah one of these two it’s not the end of the world that’s all I said no I said no no what I’m saying is if you do yeah

You get one of these two not it’s not the end of the world I disagree get out of the get out think you lose both the world ends who knows I also oh I’d also point out that so many people this season they’re like hey I

Don’t buy it like the second of a back toback everyone’s got to do it it’s such an excuse I don’t want to hear it anyone see the Denver Nuggets play on Friday night on the second night of a back toback against the Kings like it happens

OKC was on the second back to back too there are they got ass kicked the night before they were on a second day of a back to like a a back-to-back day day thing that was weird Kings do not like Day games no no they do not like Day

Games at all um but Kenny’s wrong the world will end if the Sacramento Kings lose the next year well so it’s up to you Kings

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