Interim head coach Alvin Gentry indicated that changes are coming after the Kings wrapped up a winless road trip Tuesday night in Toronto, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
Gentry briefly brought stability to Sacramento after taking over when Luke Walton was fired last month, leading the team to a 5-3 record in his first eight games. But the Kings have dropped three in a row since then and Gentry called Tuesday’s effort, in which his team trailed by as many as 31 points, “embarrassing.”
“I’m not real sure what the answer is right now,” Gentry told reporters after the game. “I’ve got a long flight that I can really think about it and look at it and try to figure out what we can do, because obviously what’s going on right now is not the answer, so we’ve got to find a way to right the ship.”
With center Richaun Holmes sidelined by an eye injury, Gentry tried three different starting lineups during the three-game trip, Anderson notes. Gentry said his priority will be “to get a group of guys who are going to compete.”
The Kings held a players-only meeting following the game to discuss issues that have been building up during the losing streak. Players declined to reveal any specifics of the meeting, but Harrison Barnes hinted that it involved unity.
“Right now, we’re not playing together,” he said. “That’s really what it boils down to and, as a group, we’ve discussed it, and that’s really all I’m going to say on that at this point.”
Sacramento is still in decent position in the race for a play-in spot, trailing ninth-place Minnesota by one game and 10th-place Portland by a half-game. However, Anderson points out that the team’s defense has fallen apart, surrendering 10 30-point quarters in the last four games.
De’Aaron Fox, who is one of the franchise cornerstones and is in the first season of a five-year, $163MM max extension, said the Kings need better communication on the court. Critics have started questioning Fox’s ability as a team leader, Anderson adds, but Fox emphasized Tuesday that he’s committed to turning Sacramento into a playoff team.
“I haven’t lost until I got here, so for the first 18 years of life, 19 years of life, every step that I played basketball, I was winning something,” Fox said. “So, I don’t know how you do that, make it to the NBA and now you just don’t care about winning. Everybody talks about, ‘If you get paid, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ Nobody likes to lose regardless of what level you’re on. Whether you’re getting paid or you’re playing for free, nobody likes to lose. … Everybody wants to win.”
I like De’Aron Fox, but he’s not the answer for them. You can’t have your star player shooting below 30% from three and the amount of crucial free throws he’s missed is outrageous.
Unfortunately, might to be time to reshuffle the team
Hope the Kings get better! Would love to see them back in the playoffs
Fox has regressed. His shot selection is bad and his overall shooting has worsened. His FT% sucks too. Dude needs to improve the from inside and work his way outside. Think Andre Miller, Rod Strickland, Avery Johnson. Then improve semi midrange and at least be. 33% on 3s. His a:t ratio also sucks. I like him a ton, but his head needs to in right place especially for what he’s making. Dude is playing like Raymond Felton / Reggie Jackson but paid close to Luka. Play smart bball and that’ll help win more games. Sloppy shooting and bad shot attempts is the recipe for Westbrook’s failures
@Omar spot on assessment – it seems like he doesn’t get to his spots or know where they are. Forces too many shots and threes. It’s not like we’re hating on him either, he’s got the skills but maybe King’s lack some serious developmental coaching. For the past twenty years or so the kings always have some decent talent, just can’t seem to shape it into winning
I believe part of what you are saying is because, Fox is Not playing the Point. Haliburton is, and Fox has shifted into the SG Mode, thus the decrease in Assist. My opinion, anyways.
Such a strange franchise. They have a nice core of young players and veterans, but appear guided by a lack of vision and leadership. Buddy Hield and his inflated contract obviously need to go, but I’m not sure that’s going to fix the Kings’ problems.
It’s one of those teams where the talent exists, just doesn’t have chemistry. They need to leverage players like Fox, Hield, Holmes, and Barnes in deals to rebuild through the draft. Halliburton and Mitchell is a nice start to the backcourt. New kids won’t have the bad taste in their mouth and hopefully a reboot of the chemistry will work.
The Kings have been rebuilding through the draft for just about 20 years now. This is a star league and Fox isn’t one. In order to be relevant, you need one. That’s it.
Thus my comment.
Yes. Talent exists at every roster spot in the NBA, this is the cream of the crop. Like Fox, they ALL have been the best at every level they have played. Execution is what wins games, and that starts soon defense. Great shooting still doesn’t overcome bad defense. 30 point leads result from a lack of stops, not bad shooting. In fact, bad shooting usually is the RESULT of poor defense, as people start forcing up shots in an effort to catch up when they are down.
Coaching is Not the problem. When you go through 5 – 7 different coaches in 8 years and yet nothing changes, no improvement, then it’s obviously the Players that are the problem, not the coaching staff. Malone, Joeger were decent coaches, but because one player disagreed with them, they fired the coaches instead of trading the disgruntled player, ie Cousins !! This group of players flat refuse to work together, play defense and Only worry about their own Stats. Big men Not rebounding or Blocking Shots; PGs not dishing off the Ball; SG that think the Only shot in the game is a 3 pointer; no back up SF; and the Coaching Staff Not starting the same group of guys on a nightly basis, so they can gel into an elite group. Experimentling was supposed to happen during the Pre-Season, NOT during the Regular Season. 15+ TO Night after Night is also killing them. Can’t anyone on this team pass a ball w/o turning it over ??? And I have never seen a team so bad at making Free Throws. Seriously !! So now they are going to Trade away a bunch of players and tell us it’s time to rebuild, like we haven’t been doing that for the last 16 years and counting. Another 4 or 5 years before we sniff the Playoffs AGAIN !!
Also true. These guys leave and have success elsewhere, so are they bad coaches who miraculously improved with a new team? Unlikely.
Ultimately, it’s the incompetent owner that has produced this ongoing mess. There’s no hope here until he’s gone.
Bingo
I’ve never seen a team play worse defense than this Kings team. Ever. It’s dreadful.
The talent on this team is far better than their record. Just a weird roster that doesn’t do well together. Some combination of picks, buddy, Marvin, a center, and one of the guards should be able to get them a decent wing with some size. I hope it’s not Deaaron but nothing is off the table at this point.
I actually think Fox is playing pretty well, not at last years level, but ain’t that bad… Haliburton is much more the problem, he is the one I would trade, Fox at least is committed to the franchise, not to say he is a far better player, Haliburton as soon as he can will bolt, that is if anyone wants him!
Completely unsubstantiated bad take.
While Fox has been playing better, his style just doesn’t fit the team. He’s a point guard who’s actually more of a shooting guard and despite being one of the fastest guys in the league, cannot defend (and we typically have him on their best guard — not that Hali is much better at D).
It just looks like Fox has no heart out there. I don’t see the fire that I want to see with my best player. Hali seems to embrace Sac, has a cool personality, and can at least facilitate / run the pick and role with Holmes. Hali is too unselfish and passes up too many shots IMO for as great of a 3 point shooter as he is. Not to mention Fox’s contract vs. Hali’s rookie contract make Hali the more valuable player.
I’m all open for trading Fox, trading Barnes (we didn’t play terrible in his absence) and getting new players and picks. Let’s roll with Hali and Davion – Davion’s D is tenacious and his offense is getting better. Sorry Fox, Kings fans are kind of over you. Your game isn’t producing winning basketball.