Some encouraging stuff from the Kings this week, including a couple of breakout games for the rookies and Zach LaVine’s best game in a Kings uniform. Also, the Kings are officially undefeated in the Maxime Raynaud starting center era; 65-17 is still on the table!
The kids are alright
If there’s one positive development from this otherwise atrocious season so far, it’s that the Kings seem to have done well for themselves in the draft. Both Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud have seen their roles expand and have started getting a bit more comfortable in the league. Maxime Raynaud especially has taken advantage of the increase in opportunity with Domantas Sabonis absent. Against Houston this week Max dropped a career-high 25 points on very efficient 10-15 from the field, including making both of his three pointers. He was rewarded with his first career start the next game against Miami, and delivered with his first career double-double, scoring 12 points to go with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Nique Clifford is a player whose stats haven’t really matched the eye test so far, as he’s struggled offensively despite looking like a solid player at times. He finally broke out offensively in Sacramento’s win against the Heat, scoring a career-high 15 points on 7-8 shooting in just 18 minutes off the bench to go with 6 rebounds.
Now, I don’t think either of these players have star potential, but they both look like they belong in this league, and especially given where they were drafted, getting a couple of rotation players is very solid work. I’m excited to see both of these guys play a bit more going forward and see how they develop. Max especially has a nice feel for where to be, and he has a very soft touch around the basket, with the best push shot the Kings have had since Richaun Holmes. He’s definitely got to put on some weight and work on playing defense without fouling, but there’s real talent there. I’d be real interested to see a lineup featuring him, Sabonis and Keegan Murray to give the Kings a look with some actual size. Nique on the other hand has shown some nice instincts as both a defender and playmaker, but he needs to let the game slow down for him a bit on offense, which I think will hopefully come in time as he gets more comfortable. He ran the point a lot in Summer League and at college in Colorado last year, so hopefully as the season progresses we get to see him handle more playmaking responsibility, although it will probably take some time and some personnel changes before we get to see him with the ball in his hands more often.
Still, this is a nice start for the Kings rookie class.
Devin Carter to the G-League
Speaking of the kids though, one guy that hasn’t really gotten any playing time this season is Devin Carter, who has played in just 8 games. There’s really no room for him to play on this current roster, so it’s good to see the Kings assign him to Stockton where he can at least get some run. I haven’t completely given up on Carter as a player just yet, as I do think he has some incredible defensive instincts and great physical tools, but he does need opportunity to hone his craft and playing in Stockton will give him that. The last time he was in Stockton, he absolutely dominated, so hopefully he can keep working on his game there and then maybe get some more time with the main squad once the roster isn’t so full of guards.
The dichotomy of Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine averaged 22 points a game this week, which is right in line with his season average. The problem is that he scored 2 points against Houston and then followed it up with 42 against Miami. LaVine played just under 19 minutes in that Rockets game, a season low, but he was also not very aggressive. He seemed to want to make up for that against Miami and came out firing immediately, and he couldn’t miss. He scored 29 of his points in the first half alone. He’s such a frustrating player because you can see there is an absurd amount of talent there, but it’s rarely consistent, and it’s almost always only on one side of the floor. In the games where he’s passive, he’s not offering much of anything else. He’s not a plus defender or a plus playmaker. He is a scorer through and through, and for him to be the best possible version of himself, he has to have that same aggressive mindset each and every night. Plus, the better he plays, the more likely the Kings are going to find a willing partner to trade for him and he can move on to greener pastures.
December 15th is right around the corner
Why is December 15th such a big deal? Well it’s the date where players signed in the offseason (some of them, others have to wait until January 15th like a certain player on the Warriors) can start to be traded. That opens up a lot more room for NBA teams to operate which is why most deals don’t start happening until December 15th. If I had to guess, I bet the Kings aren’t able to make a deal right around that time, especially with the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation currently unresolved. The entire NBA might be at a standstill until that situation is over with, which is understandable given Giannis’ pedigree. And maybe the Kings can get involved themselves, likely not for Antetokounmpo directly, but as a third team. Regardless, it’s an important date, and I do expect this team will look much different over the next couple of months. If I had to guess, I would say that DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis will both be moved by the trade deadline in February. I don’t think the Kings are going to be able to trade Zach LaVine this year, as that will probably have to wait until summer or next year’s deadline when the money doesn’t look as bad for other teams. I also think there’s a good chance Malik Monk gets traded, with a slim possibility that Dennis Schröder is on his way out as well. Don’t be expecting too much in terms of name value as part of these returns though. This is probably going to be more about getting off of salary and maybe acquiring some draft capital in the process. I could be wrong but I don’t see the Kings going after big names like Ja Morant or Zion Williamson unless their cost ends up being so low that they think it’s worth the risk. I would continue to monitor the Jonathan Kuminga situation in Golden State, as it seems very clear that the Warriors don’t actually like him as a player and he’s already back to receiving DNP-CDs. Maybe Sacramento’s offer can be a bit more appealing now, especially with the Warriors near the bottom of the Western playoff race right now.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are terrifying
Sam Presti might have broken the NBA. While the Thunder were never able to win a championship with the core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka, Presti has done a masterful job of turning those players into the superteam you see before you now. The Thunder are 23-1 and it hasn’t been close. They have the best net rating of all time, and it likely would be even better if they didn’t just get to take every 4th quarter off. They’ve also done all of this with their second best player out for a big chunk of the early season. Now that he’s back, the Thunder look unstoppable, and worst of all for everybody else in the NBA, they also have the Clippers unprotected first round pick (currently 5th in the draft odds) and two other first rounders just to top it off. There’s a semi-realistic chance that this Thunder team not only repeats as champions, but also beats the Warriors seemingly unbreakable 73-9 record, and also gets the #1 pick in the draft. Sam Presti should have a statue in front of that arena already. They have the capability to put together the best draft package for Giannis, and also the ability to not really care or need to do it because they know they have the best team in the NBA already. It’s just a masterclass of team building, especially in one of the smallest markets in the entire NBA. Sure, some luck is involved, but sometimes people are just really good at their job and Sam Presti has proved time and time again that he’s levels above his peers. Must be nice.
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Upcoming Schedule:
Monday, December 8th at Indiana Pacers
Thursday, December 11th vs. Denver Nuggets
Sunday, December 14th at Minnesota Timberwolves