The James Ham Show – The Sacramento Kings Can Still Turn It Around

The James Ham Show – The Sacramento Kings Can Still Turn It Around

James ham so Zack used hi James hey James how you doing hi James Z hi friends by that happening like that if it went down like that it may not haveen there’s an opening in the door or right there’s an opening in the and I I

Read the quote from that where Zack low thinks that the Warriors are going to continue to pursue LeBron James this off season I read that um whatever like okay so if it did go down like that if that was actual does that say anything to you

Um makes Jeanie look weak to me um see it just it makes me look like she’s she’s willing to move on for the right for the right no if she was willing to move on she yeah what you want to do it’s not Rich’s decision true but that it it’s not like

If you’re ready to move on regardless of him being the greatest player of all time see but but that’s the thing if you’re open to you can’t you can’t be you can’t be open to move on from LeBron James you just you don’t you can’t be the owner

That traded LeBron James that’s just and you certainly can’t be the owner that traded LeBron James to the Golden State Warriors I understand I for Chris Paul’s contract if it if it went down that way that’s odd if it did go down I get

You I I I I just I think it’s I think it’s verbage I honest to God think that’s all it is is it’s verbage I I don’t care either way but well those are two of your favorite teams it’s your favorite team in the Warriors and some team that I I just in

The same league as the I want to get James thoughts on this real quick okay that’s you two there’s three of us on the screen right now James do you have a Golden State Warriors championship ring at your house uh no but I was I was in

The locker room for a couple of I wasn’t I wasn’t okay I don’t have one no I don’t even have one either I don’t have one you don’t have a Golden State Warriors championship ring it’s not gave it away it’s not mine you gave it to

Your son it’s in your house you have one okay so I just want to make sure we got this work for I can’t control who I work look at Warriors employee Kenny caroway trying to get LeBron LeBron James to the Warriors can champ ring like an Elf on

The Shelf there always around you to see it also also I think he just wears every day just like I I I I I don’t I don’t have anything to do with that thing but when I work for the war very very good organization I have bad to say about

That so it was a good experience but the other aspect of that James and you can talk about this too James is what do you what do you think about the the thought that LeBron’s friend we make jokes about him all the time but he’s got a relationship he

Talks to the guy Raymond Green quote unquote spearheaded it and told Joe like call call well like like it could be two things it could be sorry James it could be saying like hey just call what’s the worst that could happen or it could be

Hey see what’s up well okay so first of all uh germond green is the great instigator of our lifetime so it’s very possible that he just said hey I sugest like he like started it but the other thing I I I kind of hope that this happens because I think the ultimate the

Ultimate thing would be when Draymond gets traded to the Lakers and doesn’t get to be part of the party that would be like the best for me so like hey yeah we we’ll go ahead and discuss this but sorry we got to clear out this $25 million a year cap space and we’re

Goingon to needing the trade and he gets traded well yeah of course he’s gonna get traded what are you talking about Chris Paul’s finally a Laker yeah yeah that’s the headline uh that’s the thing I don’t think I don’t think it have to be like look I think

It’s it’s possible have to be traded the what you have Draymond wouldn’t have to be traded yeah CU Paul’s contct contract Clay’s contract could potentially be off to or it be a you don’t have to no because it doesn’t matter it’s not it’s it’s not happening it’s it’s it’s it’s

Gone it’s over with it’s not happening they’re still over the luxury even if they lose with Chris Paul and Draymond and uh uh Klay Thompson gone so yeah it would have to be someone else on top of that unless he signs a minimum deal as a free agent which I don’t know maybe

Maybe he does I I don’t know but I also like the way that those things can work out in most situations you’re not going to have an owner say go ahead and call the agent but this is Rich Paul and this is LeBron J James and so I’m not going

To say that there’s no way that that’s the way it went down because everyone knows it that LeBron is calling the shots and Rich Paul is calling the shots and it doesn’t matter what anyone else wants to do whether wherever he goes next year it’s going to be where he

Wants to go where he wants to play basketball and whether that’s the Lakers or it’s the Knicks or it’s going back to Miami or making a third time he’s played in Cleveland whatever LeBron James wants to do he’s going do and Rich Paul is going to broker it and that and that’s

Sort of the end of the day so if there are some murmurs out there that that LeBron would you know consider go moving on from the Lakers I I wouldn’t doubt that draymond’s like hey let’s figure this thing out let’s see if we can get him but again draymond’s playing with fire

Right there straight Up’s with fire can’t win a title anymore so we need to get him here and you know what the funny thing of the the now the third team that we’ve mentioned in this potential the Warriors would be the one that has the least chance of

Winning Nicks Cavs Warriors I’d put the Warriors last I’d actually do that would be the order Nicks Cavs Warriors Cav I think it like the one interesting aspect I have no problem with the no it’s not disrespecting I don’t know LeBron going back there well look if

LeBron does end up going to the Warriors I think it does have like the potential to be the complete death of the super team and and I think that that would be a good thing it’d be a good thing for the league it’d be like hey

Look you know like this is like the Expendables right where they just get all the old bad superheroes together or or the action the action guys together and then they they get all the old bad like villains together and then they make like a blow it up movie that it

Kind of has that feeling like okay go ahead and do this and and then from here on out maybe we shouldn’t build stupid super teams that that make basketball look weird and unfair where you know three team well two teams make it to the

Finals what four years in a row and so I don’t know I like I’m okay whatever happens because I I think the the Warriors Dynasty is over and if they’re going to do something like that that’s just clean onto something so desperately and it would it would kind of be

Interesting to watch uh Jes I do want to talk about the Sacramento Kings here as you are our Sacramento Kings Insider but there is a report from the athletic that says Sacramento is the front runner to host the A’s from 2025 to 2027 before they moved to Las Vegas

Curious your very very early thoughts on this report from the athletic yeah I mean I I would think that they are the front runner because it’s pretty simple there’s a relationship with NBC Sports Bay Area California whatever you want it’s the same people but I work for them

Like there is no difference just you’re on different channels there’s the A’s were paid I believe the figures $64 Million last year by NBC Sports Bay Area to uh to put the A’s on on their their television station right so NBC paid the a64 4 million bucks if they leave Northern

California or if they leave the Bay Area that money goes away completely um and so you’re not going to go to Salt Lake City and get a television deal for three years that pays somebody1 180 or $192 million to be on local television in in Utah there’s there’s that’s just not

Happening but I would say that if they move to Sacramento although that’s out outside of their realm outside of their their Bay Area window there is a possibility that they could renegotiate with NBC Sports pay area and get the television rights in Sacramento the same way they had them in Oakland now they’re

Not going to get paid the same and it’s probably going to be a 20 or30 million reduction in that price but the A’s are are doing this thing on a shoestring budget and they don’t put out any money at all and they’re they’re banking on on Major League Baseball welfare system and

Uh they’re banking on you know like some real uh rudimentary items to help pay for what they’re going to do here for the next couple of years before they get to Las Vegas and Like I wouldn’t be surprised if Sacramento is a way that they could somehow salvage some of their

Local television uh money and and somehow at least not you know lose a 100 Grand hundred million doar a year year for three years um while they they try to move the team to Las Vegas the other thing that I’m thinking about um with all this is going through

My head now people can feel how they feel about any of the people who make decision you know here Mayors whatever I don’t think any of them are stupid and I don’t think any of them are like yeah let’s go through all this for two years of Major League Baseball

Like yeah that would be great no there’s there’s much bigger play involved whether they can nail that down and get the necessary um promises and the paperwork to guarantee them that I don’t know if they can do that but the play isn’t let’s get the A’s for two years mission

Complete no mayor Steinberg has talked for years about trying to get another professional team here yeah okay so and I want to clarify you said 25 through 27 that’s three years it’s a 25 26 27 it’s not like the NBA where they’re half years so it’s not the 24 25

Season so we’re talking about all of 25 all of 26 all of 27 and we were wondering the whole time where were they going to play that other year because it was kind of magically dropping off oh they’re going to go play in Sacramento for two years well what about the third

Year because the stadium at a minimum the stadium in Las Vegas is going to be built in 2028 that’s the at the in a perfect world that’s when it would open but look they don’t even have like the plans drawn up for this thing and there

Isn’t even a an exact tear down date for the Tropicana yet so like there is so much that has to happen there I think with the A’s what the what city of Sacramento is doing is exactly what the city of Oakland’s doing right now city of Oakland uh they were like probably

Ready to announce that a minor league baseball team was going to move into uh the Coliseum starting after this season in the roots and that triggered the A’s coming back to the table and when the A’s came back to the table there are some very specific things that they’re

Discussing and not just with the Oakland A because the uh city of Oakland and I’ll say the same exact thing for V ronad and the City of Sacramento they should trust the cles as far as they can throw them they are the most dishonest disloyal trash ownership trash management horrific president used car

Salesman pieces of blank that you’ve ever seen you should never trust these guys at all at all at all and so Las Vegas shouldn’t trust him Sacramento shouldn’t trust them and Oakland shouldn’t either so what Oakland is trying to do is trying to leverage Major League Baseball and

Sayl we’ll let them stay until it expires until until they move to Vegas but when they move to Vegas we want a handful of things number one we want the Oakland A’s brand and color and history to stay here in Oakland number two we want expansion and number three we want

A real owner not some trash uh Gap owning dude that doesn’t know how to run a team and is the worst owner professional sports has ever seen the problem is they’re dealing with Rob Manfred who is the worst uh of of my lifetime the worst Commissioner of any

Sport he’s an absolute joke of a commissioner and they just gave him a fiveyear extension and he’s allowed this to happen where he’s just embarrassed the league he’s embarrassed the city of Oakland he’s embarrassed everybody involved so um yeah I mean this is uh I

I not saying I would stay away from it though if I’m the city of Oakland yeah get them back to the table and see if you can get Major League Baseball in the room and guarantee you get it in writing no no promises get it in writing that

You will get an expansion team as soon as uh as soon as Fisher’s gone and the funny thing would be I could see the city of Oakland turning around while the A’s are still there for three years getting a brand new Stadium built where they want it with a brand new owner and

Have that thing ready to roll the day that the A’s leave and move out of town and just say good riddens to them and and have a brand new expansion team with Oakland A all over the front of their chest move right into a brand new stadium that someone who actually has

The money to be a Major League Baseball owner could afford but to to your original point though that’s exactly what Sacramento’s doing that’s exactly what V is doing oh EXA May Steinberg is doing we’ll take on your track hope that’s we hope we hope that’s what they’re do absolutely that’s

My assumption they’re you hope that’s what they’re doing we’ll take on your track and your trash uh ownership and and this a this Ace thing is whatever go do what you you want to be in Vegas go do that we’ll help you out but in writing we’re the first in line to get

Expansion well if you’re city of Sacramento you have it written in two ways you say if if they can’t get the deal done in Vegas we get the team and if everything goes right here in Sacramento and they do move to Vegas we get the we get an expansion team but I

Want an exact date for an expansion team because I don’t trust I don’t trust Manford at all just like I don’t trust A’s ownership they’re they’re all just you know and you can say like well the the commissioner works for the owners me not in this situation if you got 30 31

Other owners that are willing to turn a blind eye to what what’s happening here that’s an embarrassment this is absolute trash and like just from top to bottom it’s just a bad look you know this is one of your true Urban teams that are left and you’re just going to turn your

Back on them and and treat a city this way uh especially a city in California that has ponied up a whole bunch of money has a whole bunch of money ready to go put into the infrastructure of of a giant complex that they’re going to build and you’re going to give that all

Up so you can build a a stadium an undersized less than 30,000 ft uh 30,000 seat uh facility on a night Anor parcel with no development in Las Vegas on the back side of the strip okay what’s in it for Major League Baseball and if they can answer that question they’re lying

There’s nothing in it for Major League Baseball is there a relocation fee no they’re waving the relocation fee I thought they were waving it they’re waving it but they put a writer in that said they’re waving it but if he tries to sell the team within the first 10

Years they get a massive amount of that money so that’s a relocation fee so they’re already they’re already uh like understanding that this is where this is heading that he’s just going as a big cash grab and the other owners are like why are we waving the relocation he

Can’t afford the relocation fee right right he can’t afford to build the arena I mean the the stadium in Oakland that he wanted that was what 12 billion doll they just kept building this bigger and bigger and bigger area and he doesn’t have the money to do it his stock prices

Crashed and Gap they’ve come back up a little bit but they were at like 32 bucks and dropped to eight bucks and he lost you know three quarters of his wealth so like this has been it’s a yoyo game yeah and and and the and the whole

Thing and once again I want to be perfectly clear this is just my thoughts my feelings about the situation and reading the situation myself I ain’t talk I ain’t talking nobody y’ y’all can be clear about that but if I was Sacramento I’m looking at this situation

Where I I got this guy Manford who has basically put his entire tenure on get getting this team to Vegas with a guy that might not be able to get it done he’s desperate this is when you get him on like all right all right we see you

Desperate put it in writing that we’re getting a expansion team and we’ll do this we’ll do this and then you got it like you said twofold there’s a situation Vegas might not even happen like we’re talking 2728 they might be if if they agre to

That deal they might be here for who who knows how long five six seven years something like that and with the whole Oakland thing who I hate it for Oakland I do but at the same time it’ll be even more of a black eye if fiser and Major

League Baseball had to tuck their tails between their legs and go back to Oakland for an extended period of time they don’t want to do that they don’t they don’t want to do that I don’t know if it’s personal with Oakland or what but they do not want to say personal

They do not want to go back to Oakland for any amount of time if they don’t have to and that’s where Sacramento presents a different option yeah the only question is whether they can renegotiate the television deal that really is what it comes down to can you renegotiate a television deal where you

Still get some of your money for being in Sacramento for the three-year period and even then if I’m again if I’m Sacramento I want assurances is that I don’t just get the next if you ever do expand I get I get an expansion team in 2028 or whatever like has to be involved

In this somehow Fish Friends well yeah I mean he sat Courtside with VC last year joh John Fischer did at the end of the season well those games didn’t count we’ve established that keep them Squares about your circle Uncle yeah yeah do better uncle we we don’t need them

Around here well come back um obviously this is a a breaking news story over the course of the last hour or so as it looks like uh Sacramento may be hosting Major League Baseball even be it for a short period of time but what does this

Mean for the city uh long term I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to Hash any of that stuff out here on a Friday but uh we can talk Sac we will yeah we’re gonna figure it all out oh I’m down for it we I mean we we fix

Everything else we might as well fix this too uh regardless of talking about yeah I’ve got the cure for cancer hiding right behind me in one of these books see there it is it’s right behind the Fedora World Peace I’ve got it I’ve got it right here right there it’s right

Behind the it’s right behind the uh Dwight Clark book back there that’s right um we’ll come back we’ll talk more with our Insider James am of the Insiders when D the Casey return here on Sacramento sports leader ESPN 1320 I got a I gotta show to Brody this

Man I got to show to Brody this this is you you got to see this I got to get your commentary on this I didn’t know you had a uh championship ring anyway go ahead yeah I wor I worked for the uh the basketball camps they

Gave everybody now I don’t have the same ring as Steph but he does they gave everybody he was the only one who got the Steph ring that is false I gotta get I gotta get your commentary on this DLo this is Joe Buon oh my God playing B go where is this being

Played I don’t know Joe’s the one with his shirt off and the gray sweats for anybody that doesn’t know I think this is when he sets the screen the screen crazy bro oh not to say this oh no he’s gonna back him down he’s gonna go pull Charles

Barkley on him cook Joe cook Joe come on Joe do it Joe oh Joe oh oh my God look at he is feeling it too you can see oh my God here go the screen here go the screen the screen crazy bro the screen all right got

Him that rebound big rebound plug in the oh the elbow shoulder shoulder shoulder oh man make your jokes he can play for the Warriors any day with that w that’s crazy that screen was wild bro that screen was wild shoulder shoulder shoulder there was some deliveries I’ve seen on

Twitter of the empty calories yeah Jill Jill Jill Jill got a little little DLo and KY care package little two stations logo hoodie to go along with it I love this fan base so much we sold like 60 or 70 of those things that’s what’s up all because of a

Dumbass line from from a throwaway line from Bon Hill on the morning roast that was Butch gotta get Butch’s credit that was Butch’s oh but no I think I think no Butch did the shoulder shoulder shoulder I thought that you was talking about no

We sold one of those Miss P Miss p is the only one who bought the shoulder shoulder shoulder hoodie I got to put that Jeff that F Jeff Fisher hoodie on sale that’s what we need to do put put that one on sale Sal’s asking why did I

Make Deuce mad I don’t know you piss piss him off for I I I mean I I know he’s I don’t know if he’s real pissed or if he’s Deuce pissed or I don’t know what does deuce piss mean in fact don’t answer that that’s just sounds terrible that sounds terrible hey that’s

A flag on James that’s a flag on James it’s flag on me flag on James I just threw it we haven’t discussed who who’s the flag on I don’t think there was a flag there there was no pause there see look at that look at Kenny over here

There is no foul for intentional grounding on the play yeah look dece is right here he says ha haa Fu James ham that’s exactly how I read it yeah pretty much yeah say hi F he’s not mad no I mean oh oh oh it’s the second guy that

Always gets in trouble it’s the second guy come on man a personal foul call right now unbelievable no I don’t think he’s mad no I’m all for Good Vibes I’m all four knowledge Deuce has been listening for like four or five hours man he has appreciate you Deuce deu is a twitch

Guy bringing that up in the chat dece used to play video oh he is a TW I didn’t even didn’t even realize that he is on Twitch well shout out D he’s like one of one of the 15 he’s one of 14 right now over there

On Twitch shout out to the two on Twitter you know the good thing is we have as many people on Twitch as the Oakland A’s will have in their entire Stadium for the season got them that’s that’s why you have to get out of Oak that’s why that’s why any deal that you

Talking about we Oakland hey we’ll come back we’ll Noe hey if I’m Manford I’m not taking a deal in Oakland I’ll be honest like I I think it it’s run his course as well like but I don’t think you need to uproot them and move them to Vegas and

You don’t need him as one of your owners in the league moving for like permanently no you shouldn’t leave Oakland but with them going to Vegas like that deal being you know quote unquote done you can’t have them sit in Oakland for three years if I’m Manford I

Cannot have them in Oakland for three years I will send them to Sacramento I’ll sign off on that deal but that’s why I’m talking about Oakland coming back to the table talking about oh yeah we’ll we’ll keep the lease going if you do this and that to me if I’m Manford

That’s not even an option because I can’t have seven people in the stands or a bunch of um you know the buyout games and stuff like that like I can’t have that for three years how how much of this can Manford push through because by the time like this is wrapping up like

He’s gonna be on his way out soon this is his legacy in his eyes he’s got to get the A’s to Vegas I don’t think he cares Vegas or whatever but Tom like like if they were to do like a deal like with Sacramento getting a team to

Sacramento like by the time you start working on that like manford’s gonna be on his way out no yeah he’ll be he’ll be gone but you that’s why you just that’s gonna be something that the next commissioner is gonna have to deal with because he signed a deal

2029 is when he said he’s retiring so can’t happen fast enough no oh come on Rody come on bro oh R it’s a gold star right there for Ry come on man come on I mean he’s not wrong though yo he’s accurate you’re not wrong but you have

To say it all right I just I okay I’ll say it on the radio then you can head over to shop deal with casc right now I just put the fjf forever hoodie uh on sale for 30% off go get that man that one hoodie is on sale

Go get that I think I think they’re doing one of the more popular ones I think they’re doing a uh I forgot the term I apologize but when you know one of those those those buyback type games opening opening day I thought I read where you’re scheduled to have you know

The the Oakland fans M or are having one of those uh games for the first home game so I say that to say go get the hoodie wear it to that game yeah no doubt fill the whole entire uh stadium with them yep oh that would be

Tremendous that would be could that that might change the fortunes of DLo and casc if we were able to do that hey we do really well on hoodies we’re really appreciative of it but if we’re selling 177,000 all at once or 30,000 a hoodie company yeah now now now now it’s now

It’s a little bit different a little bit that’s right um James I I iose is there is there anything I I don’t want to feel like we left anything is is there more anyone wants to talk about with this Oakland Sacramento or should say this A’s Sacramento thing yeah I think we

Need to we need to read all of the stories that are being written today and tomorrow and and yesterday and keep an eye out uh first of all if you guys aren’t out there if you’re if you’re a fans or if you’re Baseball fans and you’re tracking this story follow Casey

Pratt he’s been absolutely spectacular on this entire story um you know I think someone even called him a uh like they called him out and said that he’s just a mouthpiece for the city of Oakland that’s not the case um but he’s done really good work on it uh Susan slusser

Wrote a piece which I have not got to read yet but uh sort of the the the basis of it is that the Oakland was willing is willing to uh like work with them on a lease extension but it does come with you know uh the

The A’s brand and uh and expansion a promise of expansion um whether that happens or not I have no idea uh but I also think like look the city of Oakland has has since the early well since their Inception of being uh a Major League Baseball City they’ve struggled they

Struggled to find a way to make uh to make it all make sense right to have a stadium that is uh worthy of a Major League baseball team what’s happened there like that the Coliseum is not a major league baseball stadium and they allowed uh Al Davis to come in and roin

That Stadium but even before that I mean they still have troughs in the bathroom to go pee in uh they they still have like sewage leaks and the in the visiting Clubhouse like there’s all kind they have not put any money into that Stadium nor can you really build it up

And make it better and I don’t know how Oakland can actually do this but that’s where I kind of bring Sacramento in if there’s way for if there’s somewhere for the a to move I would hope it would be Sacramento because there is a thriving baseball Community here and there always

Has been you have spots right down on the River where you can make a beautiful Stadium uh not only that but you have the Amtrak station right down the street from where that would be built and people from Oakland could come to Sacramento to watch games a f fans from

All over the Bay Area could come to Sacramento and then Sacramento would be very supportive of Major League Baseball team whether they could come up with the the money that that you need to attract like the the big name sponsorship deals and stuff I don’t know because the Kings

Have always struggle with that as well but like this is a baseball town and it it was a baseball town a long time before it was a basketball town and I think you could really really find success here and I don’t think you’re GNA find success in Vegas real quick

James and we we can move on to basketball would you would you do this if you were Sacramento would you partake in this situation I want promises and I want it in writing you know that’s that’s that’s it like I want to know that if it falls through with Vegas

That they stay in Sacramento um and that not only do they stay in Sacramento but the fiser sells a huge portion of the team um and in all honesty I wish Fischer would just sell to Joe uh Joe Lake up and just and this whole thing

Right now just walk away and let Joe Leica build the the arena downtown uh in well in the uh what is it called terminal yeah the terminal um Howard terminal there we go yeah uh just go ahead and build it and and keep them in

Oakland but if not like there’s a lot of positives it could happen here for the city of Sacramento where you can become a Major League Baseball City and I I don’t want it to be the expense of the Oakland A’s but same time like this is an inevitable thing it looks like

Especially when you have an owner that’s hellbent uh a city and a ownership group that doesn’t really feel like they could ever come to a positive conclusion on this and then Major League Baseball who is completely let down uh one of their you know one of their markets um so yeah

I mean you allowed this guy to run this team into the ground for for like 17 years or whatever it is I mean he this is literally the entire plot of Major League the movie it’s just an embarrassment to the league and they they should have dumped this guy so long

Ago but now maybe it is Sacramento can you know sort of take advantage of the situation and become a soft landing spot and help them uh and then get something big in return that’s it long as we get something out of it that’s it not if you’re not

Getting any of that then kick rocks yeah we’re not just being friends yeah you can’t do it for free friends don’t do business we doing business here um and the Kings um they’re they’re they’re doing business though it’s been a bit confusing to figure out exactly what kind of business they are doing

Standing on business or falling on business James what’s been the biggest story the first part of the king season inconsistency I don’t know yeah I think that that’s it inconsistency I mean this is kind of what a 500 ball Club looks like and the fact that they’re eight

Games over 500 it says that they’re a little bit better than that but really they can beat anyone on any given night and they can lose to anybody on any given night and those are the traits of like a your standard 500 basketball team um I’d even look you know can for all

The good things that you can point out the fact that you know they’re now three and0 against the nuggets and and 2-0 against the Lakers and uh what two- one against OKC you have all of these two and0 against the Mavs you have all these season series they’re still like the

Really ugly ones like the Pelicans and the Clippers and I think that there are some holes in this team that have not been fixed and uh you just kind of you got to play it out because that’s who you are this point but um yeah kind of a

A weird vibe weird vibe going in the second half yeah it should be it should if they if they let’s just do the argument sake they won those three games that everybody goes crazy about right like the Charlotte Detroit and Portland they won those three games they’re 11 games over say they’re like

Six the story should be the the Ascension of fox and sabonis that’s what you would and I mean it’s really I had sabonis is like that I had sabonis as as my in in my notes like th those two guys I I know they haven’t necessarily achieved that this year the way we

Wanted it to but the thought there’s num numerous different times this year Watching this team where I’m like damn the Kings they got they’re they’ve got a a foundation this is going to be a good team for for years to come you know maybe they fluctuate between a contender

And an a seed or something like that but gone or the days where they just shouldn’t make the playoffs because they’re no good you got Fox and sabonis these guys are verified they’re in their mid to late 20s and and the that part of the the drought or the suffering is over

You got two guys and that that’s kind of the story that I’ve thought about numerous different times this year yeah I mean you do have two stars and I don’t want to take that away from what the Kings have built at this point and you said if you move those three

Games over if you move those three games over to the win column you’re literally the five seed and you’re like a game behind uh the Nuggets you’re like right in the mix so but that’s not the way it works and this team is uh whatever whatever margin of error they had

They’ve squandered and so now they have to go into the second half of the season and or or the stretch run of the Season whatever you want to call the final 28 games and you’ve almost got to be perfect and and I don’t mean be perfect

To like become the three the three seed I mean perfect to avoid the play in and and that’s not a good place to be in and you know like I know somebody earlier I just brought this up on the on the Kings speed podcast with Shan and Brendan too

Um someone brought up earlier well this is just year two it’s like they don’t make the playoffs it’s year two of what like what do you mean it’s year two it’s year two of what like you you don’t have anything for to be year two of it’s

Year one of a of a playoff trout that’s what it is so no you have to actually you can’t just make it one year and then the next year you take a huge step back I mean this is what Minnesota did a couple years ago and it

Took them like four years to get back like there is no guarantees and that’s why the again I keep bringing this up but the maintain and improve that’s fine maintain it you haven’t maintained it the league got better the West got better you haven’t we haven’t got to the

Improve part like how do you get there and that’s it’s a tough place to be in and so I think that this team has every every possibility of like shaking out of this and being a really good second half team a really good 28 final 28 game team

And and making some a little bit of noise but I certainly don’t have any any delusions of grandeur that this is a contender and that this team you know second third round of the playoffs they might make it to the second round it’ll depend on the matchup but they also

Could not make the playoffs and they also could give up have to have to keep their 2024 first round pick and then have their 25 26 and 27 tied up that’s where this could head and that’s a dark place to go and they’re on the precipice they’ve they’ve got 28 games to prove

That last year wasn’t just a one-off that this is who they’re gonna be and they’re gon to be a team that makes a playoff six or eight times in a row but like as of today you haven’t taken a step forward at all and that’s a tough

One especially since I can honestly say sabonis is having the best season of his career he’s absolutely incredible dearon Fox is having the best season of his career Malik monk is having the best season of his career and you’re not a better team than you were last year and that’s a tough

One why are you confident uh that they can have a run in this second half second part that they can that they can make it how why am I confident yeah I mean I I’m confident that they like because I’ve seen them be good like I I think even what we saw uh

From from the game the other night like the Denver game that’s to me that was their best one of the year I don’t even think it’s close uh they were gritty one in Sacramento or the last game of this no the last game no I honestly think that’s

Their best game of the season like look you had no legs you couldn’t shoot the ball at all and you found a way to stay in it you showed heart you showed passion you were connected um you know I thought the activity the energy of the team was

Great they just didn’t have any legs they couldn’t shoot the ball and that didn’t stop him from staying in it staying in it staying in it and then being advantageous and and coming up with a win when the chips were down and so for me I was it’s one of those like

Proud dad moments like where you’re looking at the team and it’s like look man you didn’t have it but you left it all out there like bravo bravo dearn Fox like totally appreciate uh the game that he played and the fact that he scores the final 10 points 15 points in the

Fourth quarter I I got a question where he was the 20 games before that not the game before but the 20 games before that where he averaged like 21 a game but in that game and in that moment in the fact that it’s back toback the fact that they

Had to travel to to play in Denver at elevation the fact that it’s Denver Nuggets who won the NBA championship last year and still have like what should be a three-time reigning MVP in joic you you play you played your heart out and you came up with a win and like

To me it was a major major hat tip moment you know for for all of them like try ly can’t hit a shot he’s clearly still sick but goes out and grabs five rebounds and plays really solid Chris warte we talked about it before and you

Guys didn’t want to hear I said it’s possible Chris dwte could play tonight and you’re like oh hey Chris dwte came in there won the defensive player of the game he hit a big three he played defense Mike hates Kevin hder that’s why that’s no so I’m sorry I’m just gonna

Add javel M so we got javel we got javel McGee uh Duce Mason Damen barley and and and Joel embiid to the list of players that James ham hates he just took his MVP trophy away hey guy went out he had a come on man he

Had a phenomenal season last year oh no MB did have phenomenal season I’m not going to take that like pH yeah let’s not act like uh joic didn’t have a a great season as well and then went on to win and let’s not act like like Janis DMO hasn’t had three

Great seasons in the world is just started to ignore him yic ain’t winning it this year joic isn’t no yeah I’m I’m on board with uh worldwide W it’s going to be SJ how can you put Y at SJ really I don’t know what world like how does

That work if things stay the way they are like like like OKC’s a two seed sga’s averaging 32 SGA don’t have to pay no dudes that I mean okay maybe that’s the way you just give it to Y well no I’m I’m not I’m not I’m not trying to ration

I’m I’m trying to speak and voter speak I know I hear what you’re saying I’m just saying like there’s there’s not there’s not a way where jic shouldn’t win it over SGA this year if things stay the same well I mean if they stay exactly the same that

They are right now then okay you’re probably right SGA especially you know he leads the league in steals um you know he leads the the league in scoring but there’s still a lot of things that you can look at like and even right now I’d say you know Shay is leading in Wind

Shares so he is even some of the the other stats um but the voters don’t care about that and I know that because uh the voters I mean deont sabon is is fourth in league in Wind shares and he’s not in the All-Star game so you know maybe they don’t believe in advanced

Statistics or they don’t believe in players who who post triple doubles almost every single night you know but well well they only care about triple doubles until they don’t James till they don’t yeah they love Lucas’s triple doubles I hope they they don’t love it

When you average it for four out of five years but then yit started getting them and they loved them now domas gets him and they’re like eh whatever I kind of feel like Russ needs to call domos and give him a pep talk you know look man

They turn on us they thr on US triple double guys fact just because we’re going out just because you’re going out there and leading the league and rebounding doesn’t mean anything that’s right you’re one of the most consistent players a league has ever seen and you

Have what is it 50 double doubles and 54 games H all right I wish I would have remembered that stat they put up on the TNT broadcast the other day of like the most triple doubles and double doubles in a season when you’re at something

Like that and it was like kg yic and sabonis and sabonis had them had them all like I think it was kg’s MVP season where who had them all he was higher than sabonis was uh had more total triple doubles and double doubles in a single season I think that’s what he was

Okay then joic and kg in that mvp season I mean he’s the year he’s having is I’m trying to like what like didn’t Kevin Love used to just do it on a regular like big Kevin Love yeah double pre pre- Banana Republic model Kevin Love yeah he

Was crazy with the double double but he I don’t think he went to the triple double yeah right right yeah yeah right although he’s a great passer too Kevin lovees yeah I would just like what exactly what more do you want from him is the question from sabonis and like

You just look across the board he’s he’s averaging 62.2% from the field highest field goal percentage in his career you say okay well we need you to three shoot the three ball okay he’s shooting 42.6% from three you can say hey you’re not a good free throw shooter you don’t not

Let somebody in the All-Star game because they’re not a good free throw shooter I mean he’s leading the league in rebounds he’s averaging 8.3 assists and 20 points a game it’s just like the most egregious snub that I think I’ve ever seen so yeah what are you going to

Do uh he’s going to enjoy his time off hopefully and have some wine he is he doesn’t have to be in Indianapolis either have you seen the I’ve seen more uh video from out there damn near a snowstorm I told I went to New York City for the All-Star for All-Star Weekend

One time it was negative 19 outside this whole thing that people there aren’t enough five star hotels in Sacramento it’s okay I get that but you know what I would much rather have my basketball fans be able to walk outside then like worry about whether there’s enough festar hotels it’s just an

Embarrassment you could also just I’m just pissed at everybody today put the media in Nomas yeah what are you so worked up about j i Nomas popping off right now put the put the media in Nomas ien read that article oh seeing what’s going on oh it’s just all the hotels

They putting out there yeah yeah they putting hell put him in the clown tunnel if you have to is it still there it’s it’s yeah it’s not just no that’s not still there it’s not just hotels it’s fstar hotels four and festar hotels you can’t keep popping up the Holiday Express by the

Airports well that’s shout out to Holiday Express rather stay there in California than in somewhere in Indianapolis I’d rather just not stay in Indiana wait till Sky River gets the rest of their oh it’s over yeah ril Sky River just gets the rest we have our own

Allar weekend five star hotel just build it oh it’s gonna be five star everything that Sky River does is five star and we ain’t gonna let everybody into Prime either no when Draymond comes walking around because he’s doing this stupid podcast sir you can’t get in here sorry

Buddy you’re go to the go to the um Bull Wings down the street yeah in fact you can’t eat in this in fact he can’t even stay there he can stay at red hawk or something you can’t stay here at Sky send him out the Hard Rock yeah yeah sir

You’re going to go stay in the middle of nowhere hard it is so deep out there I’ve had to go out there for soccer games and you’re just driving and driving and driving and driving and then all of a sudden out of nowhere it’s like it’s like when you’re

Driving to Vegas and you there’s all sudden that one Casino out in the middle of nowhere you’re like what is this place doing here that’s what that’s what it feels like yeah that’s where Dre might oh no Dre we got you in a good one not far that’s good yeah it’s exclusive

Too you’re the only one there get there there’s no other NBA personnel no it’s exclusive like your time with the Lakers you’re the only one there we even got you uh we even got you a nice little a nice little banquet room to do your stupid podcast that’s right

Nice nice little padded wall right behind you enjoy that Sacramento’s finest SL Wheatland that’s fine we got you Draymond

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