Hallelujah, praise be to the basketball gods, the NBA is back!
I missed NBA basketball so much that, as you can see, I started a whole goddamn blog about the one team that has been responsible for more pain and heartache in the past 20 years of my life than anything I've ever known. That's right, the Sacramento Kings, aka Kaaaaangz, aka Cardiac Kings, aka the most toxic relationship of my life. And like any good old fashioned toxic love saga, I find myself swearing to leave but always coming back only to be ignored for four months and begging for our reunion with the eternal hope for the one true "happily ever after" - Getting. That. Ring.
So, here we are, after four months of sadness and longing, I am ready to pay homage to the basketball gods by attempting my idea of self-therapy - writing with the utmost dramatics about the Sacramento Kings. And what better time to start than during a global pandemic?
The Backdrop
If someone from the future came back to talk to me on March 11, 2020, here's what our conversation would have looked like:
Future Person (FP): So the NBA is going to be postponed, starting tonight. But don't worry! It will be back by the end of July.
Me: Wow, this is unprecedented and almost unbelievable!
FP: In July they will move the entire league to Disney World to quarantine and finish the season.
Me: Disney World? Now you're starting to sound crazy...
FP: And the Sacramento Kings will be one of the 22 teams invited and will therefore have a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Me: Okay now I know you're shitting me, get the fuck out of my face *throat punch*
So I would have been wrong for the first time in my life because here we are with the top 22 teams all crammed into Disney World. Each team will play eight regular season games to determine the playoff seedings, along with a possible play-in series for the 8th seeds of each conference.
The Sacramento Kings enter Disney World with a 28-36 record (0.438) and seeded at the 11th spot in the Western Conference. With only eight games to surpass league favorites like the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trailblazers, paired with the fact that Marvin Bagley III's feet are apparently made of glass, the Kings' chances at the playoffs feel grim and familiar. BUT, if 2020 has taught us all one thing, it's that literally anything can happen...
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: Kings lose, 120-129
Sacramento Kings: 120 PTS, 47.9% FG, 31.6% 3PT, 22 AST, 15 TO
San Antonio Spurs: 129 PTS, 53.5% FG, 44.0% 3PT, 32 AST, 15 TO
De'Aaron Fox (SAC): 39 PTS, 6 AST
Bogdan Bogdanovic (SAC): 24 PTS, 6-11 3 PT
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
De'Aaron Fox: I wish it were possible for this man to be on the floor for all 48 minutes. Now without his signature hair, he is even harder to spot on the floor since he is mostly just a blur racing down the court. His career high of 39 points tonight looked comfortable, confident, and easy. As the fastest player on the floor, he set the quick pace the Kings strive for and remained aggressive in attacking the basket. I'm afraid to say it, but he lights a tiny flame of hope in my heart that the Kings can one day be good again.
Defensive Effort: The all around effort on the defensive end is a welcome sight, as the Kings have been known in the past to be lazy on that end of the floor.
Clean-cut Bogi: Bogdan Bogdanovic was rocking the quarantine bowl cut during the scrimmage games, but shed the locks for the official return of the season. With a fresh new cut, he looked a lot like pre-slump Bogi tonight with 24 points and some big shots.
The Bad:
Defensive Rotations: Although I love to see the effort, the shape and rotation of the defense is still sloppy. As a run and gun team, you have to live with some mental mistakes on the defensive end, just from exhaustion, but some sequences just looked like everyone was lost. When they find themselves in a defensive scramble, they give up open shots and offensive boards, both of which the Spurs took advantage of tonight.
Stagnant Offensive Sets: When Fox isn't on the floor, there is a significant difference in offensive production, especially in the half court setting. Without his ability to attack gaps and open up the floor, the Kings' offense looks stagnant and slow. My least favorite play is Buddy Hield dribbling for 10 seconds and then jacking up an off-balance 3-pt attempt.
Finishing: The Kings have long been plagued as a team who is unable to close out and finish a game. All too often we've seen the Kings fight like hell to make it within winning distance in the 4th quarter, only to fall short in the last few minutes.
The Ugly:
First Quarter: The Kings gave up 43 points and a 19-0 run all in the first 12 minutes of the game. Although they closed the gap and regained the lead by the end of the first half, they set themselves up to fail when they have to dig themselves out of that early hole.
Royal Court Jester
Because there's always someone actin' a fool.
Today's pick for Royal Court Jester goes to Richaun Holmes. Although he finished his 10-day mandated quarantine in time for this game, we still have to clown on him about it. After just a mere three days in Orlando, Richaun "briefly and accidentally crossed the NBA campus line" and was therefore forced to isolate in his hotel room and miss 10 days of practice. But why, Richaun? What could possibly have been so important to force you to flirt with the borders of your new resort life?
The answer: CHICKEN WINGS. While I don't like the fact that he missed 10 days of practice, I have to respect the risky determination to satiate a desperate need for chicken wings. We've all been there, I get it. But Richaun still has to wear the jester cap for that one.
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does at least one good thing, usually.
There is only one man who can be crowned with the inaugural honor for the King of Kings: Adam Silver. You know him, you love him. Adam of House Silver, the First of His Name, the Unhaired, King of the NBA, Protector of the League, Crowned Regeant of Hoops, Leader of Leagues and Father of Revolution. While the MLB and NFL have fallen short in their own separate ways of reacting to a simultaneous global pandemic and social revolution, Adam Silver has yet again elevated the NBA further above the rest as the best sports organization in the world.
Not only has Silver curated what so far seems to be safe environment for the game to continue, he has also created a space for meaningful social justice expression. And how did he do it? By listening. He listened to health experts and officials when building the safety plan for the bubble. He listened to players' concerns, reservations, and desires for addressing the social revolution taking place. He listened to me when I telepathically yelled at him, "YOU GOT THIS, ADAM" during his most intense contemplations on how to bring basketball back for all of us.
In the bubble, you see "Black Lives Matter" displayed on the court, warm up shirts, and across the back of player jerseys. Other messages chosen by players include "Equality", "Antiracist", "Say Her Name", and many others. It's impossible to watch NBA basketball without being reminded of the social justice needed to be done in our country. It's beautiful, heartbreaking, and powerful.
Silver has been a breath of fresh air when it comes to leadership - he has listened and collaborated with players on how to best use the NBA platform to support and affect the fight against racial inequality. While this country has been on fire with a president spreading gasoline over it with every tweet, I had almost forgotten what a real leader looks like. Thanks for reminding me, Mr. Silver.
Up Next
Sunday, August 2nd vs. Orlando Magic @ 3:00 P.M. (PT)
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