One of the worst seasons in Kings history has entered its final stretch, and there’s nothing worse that the Kings could do than suddenly turn it around now.

The Tank Race Just Got Crowded

Just a couple of weeks ago it seemed almost certain that the Kings would finish with the league’s worst record, but now after their latest win against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, that doesn’t seem so certain.

The Kings are just a half game ahead of the Indiana Pacers in the tank race, with the Pacers having lost nine games in a row since the All-Star Break.  The Pacers also just so happen to be the next team up for the Kings, making it one of the most important remaining games of the season for either team.  The Wizards and Nets are also right there with the Kings and Pacers with 16 wins on the season.  Sacramento still faces the Nets twice this season which will also be huge matchups.

I know it sucks to talk about losing as being more desirable than winning, but there would be nothing worse for this season than the Kings having one of the worst years in franchise history and then slipping to the 8th pick or something, which could happen if they finish 4th worst instead of just worst.  The bottom three teams all have the same odds for the top four picks, but it still does limit how far you can drop if you’re unlucky.  By finishing with the worst record, the Kings are guaranteed to pick no worse than 5th, which would still stink but not as much as anything else.

We can’t really control what the Kings do or how the games play out, but I’m just hoping that they don’t fumble this right at the end with some meaningless wins that nobody will ultimately remember.  The only saving grace of this season will be a top pick that turns into a game changing franchise player.

Westbrook vs. The Media

Perhaps the biggest thing that happened in Kings land this week was Russell Westbrook sniping at Kings media members after the team’s loss to the Pelicans.  You can watch the whole interaction here, but essentially the gist of it is that Westbrook didn’t seem to take kindly to some comments made by members of the media, namely KHTK’s Matt George.  While Westbrook didn’t definitively say what specific comments had him so riled up, George seemed to indicate in his later response to Westbrook that it likely had to do with his thoughts that Westbrook was essentially padding his career stats on a bad team, as well as his desire for the team to play the young guys over veterans like Westbrook or DeRozan.

Personally, I think Westbrook going after the media is kind of a lame look when I think the local media has historically been pretty lenient with the team, especially when the team has been so bad for so long, with this year being somehow the worst of the bunch.  Westbrook has been a professional in his time here, but he doesn’t have to stay for long and his tenure in Sacramento will eventually just be a small footnote in his otherwise great career.  Westbrook’s no stranger to getting into it with the media, but it felt a little weird to be going at them now with the season basically over, and without more context on what specifically he was upset about.  This team deserves every ounce of criticism it gets, and that criticism is tame compared to what it would be in other, bigger markets.

I also don’t envy media members like George who have to fill up hours of airtime every week talking about a team that frankly doesn’t deserve the time or energy.  It’s a struggle for even me as a fan to talk about this team once or twice a week sometimes because it’s often so much of the same. 

Ultimately the issues with this team don’t lie with the media or the players, but rather the ones in charge of making the decisions.  Anything else is really just a distraction.

The Raynau-ssance is flourishing

Maxime Raynaud continues to be the bright star for the Kings of late, and he’s just getting better as the season goes along.  In nine games since the All-Star Break, Raynaud is averaging 16.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 59.6% from the field.  He is really good at picking his spots on the court, and he has some nice chemistry as a roll man with guys like Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk.  He has more work to do on the defensive end, but I think he’s gotten better on that end as the season has gone along.

I do want to caution against proclaiming Max as a future franchise centerpiece or star though even with his big games of late.  This is a terrible team, and young guys on terrible teams with lots of opportunity can put up a lot of numbers despite ultimately being a role player.

Just take a look at this comparison of Max’s rookie year with another Kings rookie big man who was a similar age when he came into the League:

Maxime: 10.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 56.3% from the field in 24.8 minutes per game
Player B: 11.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assist, 0.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, 49.7% from the field in 28.1 minutes per game

Player B is in fact Jason Thompson, the Kings big man who some thought could be the next great big man after his solid rookie season.  Thompson never became a star but was a solid roleplayer for years who unfortunately had to play on some very bad teams.  Now, I do think Raynaud has more upside than Thompson did (he’s bigger and has more shooting touch), but I also think he’s more of a solid piece than a build around guy.  Still, getting a potential long term starting center in the second round is fantastic, and I look forward to seeing how Max can develop. If that three point shot comes around, he’ll have a real shot at being truly special instead of just simply good.

Precious Is a Keeper

Along with Raynaud, Achiuwa is another piece that I’ve been very happy with so far this season.  It’s kind of surprising that he was available when he was and that the Kings were able to grab him on a small deal, because I think he will have some suitors this offseason.  Achiuwa has had some big games for the Kings this season, including two career-high 29 point performances just over the last couple of weeks.  I think ideally Achiuwa would be a nice 20 minutes a game energy big off the bench instead of having to start like he is now.  He’s still just 26 years old, so I wouldn’t be upset if the Kings manage to bring him back on a two or three year deal this offseason.  

Is it already over for Carter?

I think I’m officially ready to say that I am out on Devin Carter, and if I had to guess, I’d say the Kings probably are too as he’s barely played in the last two games.  Carter was drafted to be one of those “NBA-ready guys” and yet he still looks so raw, especially on offense.  He’s shooting just 37.1% from the field, often looks hesitant to shoot and can’t buy a three pointer (15.5%).  He does put effort on the defensive end, but he’s not good enough on that side of the ball to make up for how bad he has been on the other end.  Carter is going to be 24 before the season is over, and he hasn’t showed enough that it even seems worth it for the Kings to keep throwing him out there.  Killian Hayes is basically the same age and has shown more in the NBA than Carter has at this point, and Hayes isn’t even good.  At this point I highly doubt the Kings are going to pick up Carter’s option for a fourth year.  Maybe he just needs greener pastures, and I hope he can turn it around somewhere but I don’t think it’s going to be in Sacramento.

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Upcoming Schedule

Tuesday, March 10th vs. Indiana Pacers
Wednesday, March 11th vs. Charlotte Hornets
Saturday, March 14th at Los Angeles Clippers
Sunday, March 15th vs. Utah Jazz