Well, well, well, maybe being dramatic is finally starting to pay off. After I spent the first three posts of this blog venting, complaining, and imploring the world to understand the pain of being a Kings fan, these knuckleheads finally did something good - they won a basketball game. And they won in a big way, giving the Pelicans their third loss in the bubble and evening out their records to bring them down with us to the bottom of the Western Conference bubble teams standings.
The Backdrop
The Kings entered this game 1-3 in the bubble, 29-39 overall, and seeded at the 12th spot in the Western Conference.
The Nets entered this game 2-2 in the bubble, 32-36 overall, and seeded at the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference.
In a socially just, injury-free, and healthy world, this game would be terrifying. The Nets roster is decorated with big-time names like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Deandre Jordan. But due to the current social revolution, an achilles injury, and the coronavirus, respectively, these players have opted out of playing in Orlando. Instead, the Nets have been led in the bubble by names like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Caris LeVert - points for uniqueness, but not exactly household names.
Relying on their second, third, and fourth strings, no one expected much from the Nets coming into the bubble. Although they are likely to get one of the two remaining playoff spots in the East, they aren't expected to produce any miracle upsets in the post-season without their core stars.
Given the low expectations for both of these teams, this one might turn out to be a down right dandy. Both teams carry a chip on their shoulder: the Nets, for being written off by the NBA world entirely, and the Kings, for boldly claiming they "want all the smoke" and then embarrassingly proving that they in fact wanted no smoke whatsoever in their first three performances.
Can the Kings utilize the momentum from yesterday and start my weekend off right? I can't yet bring myself to hope for things again when it comes to the Kaaangz, but goddamnit I loved that rare feeling of getting a win. Skoden, boys, let's go back to back!
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: King lose, 106-119
Sacramento Kings: 106 PTS, 42.7% FG, 30.0% 3PT, 20 AST, 15 TO
Brooklyn Nets: 119 PTS, 48.8% FG, 42.5% 3PT, 30 AST, 9 TO
Bogdan Bogdanovic (SAC): 27 PTS, 11-19 FG
Jarrett Allen (BKN): 17 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST
Well, I guess it was asking too much to expect the Kings to win TWO whole games in a row. Only the Sacramento Kings would beat the healthy New Orleans Pelicans by 15 points and immediately wake up the next day to lose by 13 to the bench squad of the Brooklyn Nets. And yes I already considered the arguments of "WeLL tHeY hAd tO pLaY bAcK tO bAcK." I don't want to hear it. Guess who else has to go to work back to back days? ME and everybody else in the world.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
Bogi's Back to Back: It's a welcome sight to see Bogi continue his offensive contribution for two games in a row. In order for the Kings to ever become an above .500 team and a serious threat in the league, Bogdan will need to consistently contribute every game. The more consistent he can be, the less the Kings will have to rely on Buddy Hield to score.
Early Minutes for Daquan: I am a fan of Daquan Jeffries getting some early floor time midway through the 1st quarter. Although he is still a little raw and hasn't quite found his confidence yet, his effort and athleticism are often more valuable on the floor if Nemanja Bjelica can't find a rhythm on offense.
The Bad:
Turnovers: The King are averaging 15 turnovers per game in the bubble and today was no different. I think what made today's turnovers even more painful was the sloppy nature of them. There were a lot of rollaway balls, passes to no one, and balls bouncing off of feet.
Lack of Command/Identity: Looking at the difference between yesterday's Kings and today's Kings can really scramble your brain. My only logical interpretation is that the Kings are too easily influenced by the skill level and effort of their opponent. When faced with the challenge of the more skilled Pelicans, the Kings seemed to demonstrate a sense of urgency to match them. But when presented with the Brooklyn Nets, a game which should have been an opportunity to demonstrate that Thursday was not a fluke, the Kings stooped down to the skill level and intensity of their opponent. Under Luke Walton, the Kings have been trying to franchise themselves as a fast-paced, high-efficiency team. But this identity will never stick if they only turn it on when they think it's needed. Otherwise, they will keep getting their asses handed to them by a thinned out squad like the Brooklyn Nets.
The Ugly:
This Basketball Game: I think it's fair to assume that only the most devoted Kings and Nets fans spent their Friday afternoon watching this game. It reminded me a lot of watching my little cousin's high school JV basketball games - turnovers, boring offense, bad defense, airballs, etc. - this game had it all. This game was not only boring to watch, but very ugly.
Royal Court Jester
Because there's always someone actin' a fool.
I have given this fool ample time now to avoid getting named as the Royal Court Jester. But now that we are officially halfway through the bubble season, I cannot remain silent any longer.
Nemanja Bjelica - Go. To. The. Bubble. Barbershop. The floppy mop was endearing during the scrimmage games as a funny little quarantine quirk. But now the mop has reached quasi-mullet territory and I believe it is beginning to seriously hinder your game. It could be that all that hair is slowing you down on defense and making you incapable of closing out on a shooter (probably not, but it's worth a try).
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does at least one good thing, usually.
Even though Fox and Bogi had notable performances today, this will be the first time a member of the opposing team will be crowned as the King of Kings. Former Sacramento King, now Brooklyn Net, Garrett Temple has played for nine different NBA teams so far throughout his career and has been loved in every locker room.
Temple's most recent work, solidifying him as today's King of Kings, is called The Grey Challenge, which focuses on providing resources for those to learn and understand the history and plight of Black America. As stated on the website, Garrett's approach to the fight for racial equality lies in changing hearts.
"There will be people on both sides who refuse to budge. But the ones who choose to accept this challenge can then use what they have learned to spread to those who are not in the grey with us."
It is a beautiful notion to challenge us all to live in this grey area - where our views become broadened, enhanced, and more nuanced by opening our minds to the perspectives and realities of others. As fun as the NBA has been so far since the restart, it is important that we don't lose sight of the bigger picture and the individual work we can all do to make our world a better place. Garrett Temple, along with many other NBA players, is continuing to use his platform to make sure we don't forget.
Up Next
Sunday, August 9th vs. Houston Rockets @ 5:00 P.M. (PT)
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