It has officially been 14 years since the Sacramento Kings have been in the playoffs. During this drought, the Kings have survived two relocation scares, cycled through 10 different head coaches, and been led by three different GMs - talk about trauma. For 14 years, Kings fans have been torn between #SacramentoProud and #BurnItAllDown. We are proud of our small market and underdog identity, turning insults into headache-inducing cowbells and fighting tirelessly to keep our team in our home, but we are also tired of being an embarrassment.
It took only six games in the bubble for this franchise to expose itself as still being a chaotic clusterfuck, demonstrated by the lack of effort from players, lack of leadership from the coaching staff, and lack of structural culture from the front office. It all trickles down from the top. This front office has had ample time to build an honest, accountable, and motivating system - they certainly have the fan base to back it - and have failed miserably year after year. An incompetent front office leads to an inexperienced head coach hire which leads to an unmotivated and misguided basketball team.
Sidenote: I mean "incompetent" in the nicest way possible. Obviously, Vlade & Vivek are not intentionally trying to sabotage this franchise. I just think they are very bad at their jobs, even with the best intentions. They are two very nice people who are doing very bad work.
So, here we are, once again, Kings fans, at the end of another failed season and being forced to endure more meaningless Kings basketball. You know as well as I do that we will keep coming back, no matter what. And it's because of this that we deserve so much better.
The Backdrop
*In my best Lauryn Hill voice* Nothin' even matters at alllll...
Truly. In every realm, dimension, and scenario, this basketball game is meaningless. Both the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention after that bad man Damian Lillard torched the 76ers with a 51-point masterpiece on Sunday.
Alvin Gentry's Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson, Jrue Holiday, and Brandon Ingram. Luke Walton will be without De'Aaron Fox, Richaun Holmes, and Kent Bazemore. I wish this game could also be without me as a spectator, but you know how that goes.
In a kinder and more merciful world, this game would be exciting and important, since both of these teams had the potential to fight their way into the post-season. But with both teams wasting this unprecedented chance, this essentially becomes an opportunity for each team's bench and young talent to get some runs in. How thrilling...
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: Kings win (???) 112-106
Sacramento Kings: 112 PTS, 48.9% FG, 42.3% 3PT, 27 AST, 20 TO
New Orleans Pelicans: 106 PTS, 51.2% FG, 29.2% 3PT, 25 AST, 19 TO
Harrison Barnes (SAC): 25 PTS, 7 REB
Harry Giles III (SAC): 12 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST
Jahlil Okafor (NO): 20 PTS, 9-11 FG
The Sacramento Kings get their second win in the bubble when it couldn't possibly matter any less. If someone would have told me prior to the restart that the Kings would win their two games against the Pelicans, I would have been elated and assumed that the playoff drought was finally behind us. Lucky for me, time travel isn't real yet, so I avoid looking like a dumbass once again for believing in the Kings.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
Assists: The Kings had a total of 27 assists tonight. This isn't too far off from their overall average in the bubble, but it was nice to see the ball move around more. Without Fox to take defenders one-on-one to the basket, the Kings had to rely on each other to create open looks.
The Effort: It was nice to see the Kings play hard and put the effort out to pull out a win. Although it was meaningless in the grand scheme of things, it was a kind gesture to the suffering fans who've stuck by them all this time. The only thing that would have made this situation worse would be to see them visibly and intentionally give up while on the floor. So thanks for sparing us in that sense, I guess.
The Bad:
Kings Basketball Without De'Aaron Fox: As much as I love Cory Joseph and the select roles he brings to this team, he's just no De'Aaron Fox in leading this team in transition. I missed De'Aaron beating everyone else down the floor with the ball, his quick change of speed, and exciting finishes between multiple defenders. Without Fox's swagger and explosiveness, this game was just significantly less fun to watch.
The Ugly:
Wasted Opportunity: Where are the youngins, Luke?! Someone, anyone, please fill me in on what it is I am missing. Here we have a completely meaningless, and I mean meaningless, game - the outcome does not affect ANYTHING, at all. And Luke Walton played Harrison Barnes, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Cory Joseph for 36 minutes a piece while simultaneously giving Kyle Guy and Justin James big fat goose eggs when it came to time on the floor. I'm not trying to take a win for granted, because God knows those don't come around often, but I just want to know... WHY? Not only was this game a perfect opportunity to give our young draft picks significant minutes and exposure for their development, this coaching to win tactic by Luke was made even more embarrassing by the fact that Alvin Gentry did the exact opposite. Gentry didn't even allow J.J. Redick or Derrick Favors to step on the floor and instead gave their minutes to E'Twaun Moore and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. I can only imagine that Gentry was silently laughing behind his mask as Luke proudly shook his hand after the game, as if he had finally out coached someone. In his TNT Audio Assist locker room speech, with most Kings' players avoiding eye contact and Justin James eating a snack, Luke Walton ironically ended by saying, "Let's not waste this opportunity." Well, Luke, what the fuck?
Royal Court Jester
Because someone is always actin' a fool.
Oh, Buddy. I am happy for him that his scoring is becoming more efficient, going 4-5 from the field and 3-4 on 3-pt attempts. He racked in 11 points and even added on 3 assists. I do still have hope in my heart for Buddy because I think a significant part of his recent shortcoming can be attributed to his coach but that is for another time...
Although he's slowly getting back on track, I am sorry to say that Buddy is today's Royal Court Jester once again. His excessive dribbling is something I've complained about in the past, and he had a few sequences that further exacerbated this bad habit. One instance that stood out in particular took place in the 1st quarter as he dribbled between his legs 3-4 times into a double team, only to get picked and have to sprint back on the heels of Frank Jackson.
The most frustrating thing about Buddy putting the ball on the floor is the fact that he virtually goes nowhere. Watching him dribble tonight immediately evoked a deep-cut memory formed circa 2013 during the glorious days of Vine, where a very serious man dribbles aggressively through his legs during a pickup game. For those who are not as haunted by viral videos of the past, here's a reminder:
Although it pains me and gives me a stomach ache to watch Buddy dribble sometimes, this comparison gave me a good ol' chuckle, just as a jester should.
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does as least one good thing, usually.
Just as Buddy got his second cap for Royal Court Jester, Harry Giles gets his second crown for tonight's King of Kings. Harry put up a double-double, which included one monster left-handed SLAM, but also did much more than what showed up on his stat line. I love the effort and energy he brings to every game, no matter how lost the cause is. Without hype leaders like Richaun Holmes and Kent Bazemore on the floor, Harry stepped in as the spark to keep the Kings motivated throughout the game. His inability to give up and tenacity in taking advantage of every opportunity given to him is infectious and admirable.
With Giles up as an unrestricted free agent after this season, my fear is that this might be one of the last few games we benefit from the Harry Hype. We can only hope the we, the fans, aka the best thing about Kings basketball, made an impression on him and he considers staying in Sacramento.
Up Next
Thursday, August 13th vs. Los Angeles Lakers @ 10:30 A.M. (PT)
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