Author: Charlie O. Mallonee

I have been a sports reporter/broadcaster since 1976 which means ... I'm old and I love sports. I have done play-by-play for minor league baseball - including the infamous "Bad News Bees" - San Jose State football and football and high school sports in the Bay Area and on the Monterey Peninsula. I had the great privilege to host a weekly sports talk show on KNRY Radio Monterey/Salinas with my producer the late,great Gary Araki. I also hosted and produced "the Sports Fanatics" talk show on KSAC Radio in Sacramento. For the last 10 years, I have been a beat reporter covering the Oakland Athletics for Sports Radio Service. Three years ago, I became the senior reporter for our Sacramento Kings coverage. My goal is to bring you the news, views, fun and excitement of every event I am assigned to report on for Sports Radio Service.

Kings Press Row Podcast: Trade Deadline Edition

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press row podcast

Hosts Charlie O and Jordan “Chape” Chapin

  • February 8th was the NBA trade deadline and it was a very active day for the Sacramento Kings

  • Point Guard George Hill did become a Cleveland Cavalier as it had been rumored for weeks but it happened in a three team team deal that surprised many observers

  • Hill goes to Cleveland while Iman Shumpert, Joe Johnson, a 2020 second-round draft pick and cash come to Sacramento

  • In a big surprise move – Georgios Papagiannis is wavied while Malachi Richardson is sent to Toronto for Bruno Caboclo

  • Look for Johnson to be bought out while there could still be additional roster moves to come

  • Charlie O and Chape also take a look at the Kings schedule up to the All-Star break

  • This is a fun 30-minute listen for Kings fans that will bring you up to date on all the latest happenings with your favorite team

Kings run out of gas in the fourth quarter on Saturday night and lose to Dallas 106-99

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2-3-18 feature photo
Buddy Hield puts in the final three points for the Kings on Saturday night

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings played a pretty solid game versus the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night for 36-minutes. Unfortunately for the Kings, a regulation NBA game takes 48-minutes to be official.

The Kings began the fourth period with an 85-81 lead and looked like they were ready to battle the Mavericks down the stretch to post a win on their home court. The Mavericks had a different plan.

After shooting above 50-percent for the entire game, the Kings went ice cold in final quarter with the proverbial lid being put on the basket. In the meantime, the Mavericks found a burst of energy and went on a 16-0 run to establish a 10 point lead. Sacramento did not score their first points in the quarter until the 6:08 mark when De’Aaron Fox hit a 14-foot jump shot.

The home team cut the Mavericks lead down to six points with 2:45 to play but by then, the Kings were “gassed”. Fatigue – both mental and physical – had taken over and the chance to win the second game of a home back-to-back set was ended.

Dallas – who came into the game losers of five consecutive games – won the game 106-99. This was just the seventh road win of the year for the Mavericks.

The Kings have now lost two games in a row at home since going 3-3 on their 13-day, six-game road trip. Sacramento has two games remaining in this four-game home stand.

Top performers

Mavericks

2-3-18 Dirk
Dirk shoots the 3-ball in the fourth quarter versus the Kings
  • Mavs starting five: all of the Dallas starters scored in double-figures on Saturday night. Harrison Barnes scored a game-high 18 points while Dwight Powell posted 17, Dirk 15, Dennis Smith Jr. 12 and Wesley Matthews 11. Yogi Ferrell also added 11 points coming off the bench.
  • Smith Jr. scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. He shot very poorly overall but he just kept working even when things were not going his way. Smith Jr. shot 4-for-15 overall and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. He converted 4-of-7 free throw opportunities. The rookie also added five rebounds, five assists and two steals to his stat line for the contest.
  • Barnes hit 7 of 14 field goal attempts going 4-for-8 from 3-point land. He scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half and was responsible for keeping the Mavs in the game when the Kings were playing with energy.
  • Mr. Nowitzki’s stats must also be mentioned out of pure respect for his 19 years in “the Association”. Dirk shot 5-for-9 overall and hit 3 of 7 from behind the 3-point line. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

Kings

2-3-18 Fox to hoop
@swipathefox takes it to the bucket in the fourth period for SAC
  • De’Aaron Fox had two completely different halves in this game. He finished with 15 points to match Garrett Temple for the team-high scorer. Fox scored just four points shooting 2-for-2 in the first half. He seemed to bothered by Smith Jr. and maybe he was battling his fatigue early. In the second half, Fox posted 11 points shooting 5-for-11 from the field (0-for-3 for 3’s) while hitting 1 of 2 from the charity stripe. Fox also dished out three assists and made three steals in second half.
  • Garrett Temple played a strong 31-minutes off the bench scoring 15 points hitting 6 of 10 shots from the floor. He also went 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Temple added two assists and two steals.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein played 31-minutes which was a little surprising after seeing almost 35-minutes of time on the floor against the Warriors on Friday night and just coming back from injury. He scored 14 points shooting 7-for-12 from the floor. WCS also grabbed eight rebounds, had two steals and blocked one shot.

Key Stats

Dallas (17-36)

  • The Mavericks went after the Kings reputation for not being able to defend against the 3-point shot. They attempted 41 shots from long-range and made 13 of them (31.7-percent). The Mavs 3-point shooting helped them win the game.
  • Dallas out-rebounded the Kings 37-31. They grabbed 10 offensive boards to SAC’s seven.
  • The Mavs outscored the Kings in second-chance points 19-11 for the game. Offensive rebounds do make a difference.
  • Dallas also went to the free throw line 14 times compared to just six times for Sacramento. They converted 11 of those 14 opportunities.
  • The Mavericks also outscored the Kings in the paint 48-44.

Sacramento (16-36)

  • The Kings shot 43-for-82 (52.4-percent) for the game. Their biggest problem was they shot just 22.7-percent (5-for-22) in the fourth quarter which allowed Dallas to go on their 16-0 run.
  • The Kings only went to the free throw line six times. They were successful on five of their six opportunities but six free throw attempts is not going to get it done in the NBA. Sacramento needs to be going to the line at least 20 times per game.
  • The Kings did make 12 steals in the game to the Mavericks eight. SAC also blocked three shots to zero blocked shots for the Mavs.

Up next

Sacramento

The Kings are off until Monday when they will host the Chicago Bulls. Head coach Dave Joerger said the team will have Super Bowl Sunday off and will go back to work on Monday.

Dallas

The Mavs will also play on Monday night when they will face the “Blake Griffin-less” Clippers in LA.

 

Sacramento Kings Friday game wrap: Warriors come to Sacramento hand Kings a 119-104 loss

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gswsacscore

by Jordan Chapin

Sacramento – Friday night at the Golden 1 center, the Sacramento Kings returned home from their longest road trip of the year and were welcomed back by the the World Champion Golden State Warriors. Even with the return of Willie Cauley-Stein, Golden State handed the Kings their 35th loss of the year in a 119-104 Warriors victory. After winning three of their last four games, Sacramento came into the contest with a little momentum, but it was raining three balls in the Golden 1 Center, and not in favor of the Kings.

Sacramento came out of the gate hot, and started the game on a 20-7 run  led by Justin Jackson’s eight points in the first quarter. It didn’t take long for Golden State to close that gap with the help of Kevin Durant’s 17 point first half. The Warriors led 58-52 going into the locker room at halftime.

During the third quarter, Sacramento trailed as much as 14 points, but they continued to keep their heads above water as the Splash Brothers combined for 17 points in the period. Trailing 87-79 with 9:47 left to go, Sacramento’s Buddy Hield rattled off seven straight points, including back-to-back steals and cut the lead to just one, but that’s as close as the Kings would get to retaking the lead. KD put the team on his back scoring 13 points in the last 10 minutes of play, finishing his night with 33 points while shooting 12-for-17 from the field.

Even though the Kings forced 25 turnovers, it was not enough to overcome a stellar shooting night from the Warriors. The season series is now tied at one game a piece, and the Kings will not see the Warriors again until March 16th at Oracle Arena. The Kings have an opportunity to bounce back quickly as they will face the Dallas Mavericks Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back.

Sacramento Kings

Star of the Night: Justin Jackson

Jackson finished his night shooting 7-for-13 from the field for 17 points. He totalled 33 minutes for the game, but in those minutes he looked very aggressive, knocking down a couple three balls, and hitting his floaters from inside the paint. De’Aaron Fox on what he has seen from Justin Jackson, “Lately, he’s been great, his confidence has been up, he’s playing a lot, he’s making shots, something we know he can do.” Jackson was two points away from tying his career high.

Key Stats:

  • Forced 25 turnovers(19 points)
  • Shot 44.2% from the field and 40% from 3-point range
  • Led the game by as much as 13 points, but trailed as much as 17
  • Had six players in double figures, including all five of their starters
  • Six lead changes

Golden State Warriors

gswsacdurant

Star of the Night: Kevin Durant

Durant continued his all-star campaign with 33 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. KD hit shots when they mattered, scoring 17 in the first half, and 13 in the fourth quarter to seal the game for the Warriors. Durant killed the Kings from behind the arc shooting 6-for-7 from downtown and finished hitting 12-for-17 from the field overall.

Key Stats:

  • Shot 17-for-33 from 3-point land
  • Had nine turnovers in the second quarter, which is a season high in TO’s for a quarter
  • Zaza Pachulia grabbed a game high 13 rebounds
  • Splash Brothers combined for 43 points
  • Out rebounded the Kings 51-33

Kings defeat the Pelicans 114-103 in NOLA to finish road trip with a 3-3 record

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings beat the Pelicans in New Orleans for the second time this season by downing the Pels 114-103 on Tuesday night. The victory allowed the Kings to finish their six-game, 13-day road trip with a surprising 3-3 record.

For the naysayers out there, yes the Pelicans were without DeMarcus Cousins who is out for the rest of the season after rupturing his left achilles last Friday versus the Rockets. The Kings were without the services of Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere, Frank Manson, Malachi Richardson and their head coach Dave Joerger.

Why did the Kings win the game?

Two sets of stats really explain why Sacramento came away with the “W” Tuesday night. The Kings out-rebounded the Pelicans 49-36 but even more important than the over all numbers is the offensive rebound count.

SAC pulled down 14 balls off the offensive glass while NOLA grabbed just two offensive rebounds. The Kings scored 26 second chance points converting 10-of-11 opportunities. The Pelicans scored zero second chance points and literally had no second opportunities in the contest. It is virtually impossible to win a game playing one shot and done basketball in “the Association”.

Rebounding made the difference in the game for Sacramento in New Orleans.

Top Performers

Kings

  • Star of the Game honors go to Zach Randolph who scored a game-high 26 points and made it a double-double game posting 12 rebounds. Z-Bo shot 11-for-23 from the floor and hit 3-of-6 three-point attempts. The veteran big man also played very physical versus New Orleans star Anthony Davis.
  • Kosta Koufos earns Special Co-Star of the Game status by starting the game and playing 37-plus minutes to post a double-double of his own. Koufos put up 17 points and recorded 17 rebounds (seven offensive rebounds). Koufos hit 7-of-12 shots from the field.
  • Co-Star of the Game credit goes to De’Aaron Fox for scoring 15 points, hauling in six rebounds and dishing out four assists in 27-minutes of playing time. Fox had a +9 rating for his time on the court.

Pelicans

  • New Orleans Star of the Game honors go to reserve shooting guard Ian Clark who played over 29-minutes scoring 20-points while hitting 9-of-10 field goal attempts. Only one of his field goals was a 3-point conversion. Clark also recorded six rebounds.
  • Anthony Davis receives Co-Star credit for the game. With Boogie Cousins gone for the season, the weight of success falls squarely on the shoulders of Davis. He scored a team-high 23 points and made it a double-double by recording 13 rebounds. Davis went 9-for-10 from the free throw line.
  • Jrue Holiday gets a Best Supporting Player nod for contributing 20 points but he went just 9-for-20 shooting from the floor to score those points. Holiday did not post a single rebound.

Key Stats

Sacramento (16-34)

  • The Kings hit 46-of-97 shots (47.4-percent) from the field for the game. They took 20 more attempts than the Pelicans and made seven more field goals than New Orleans.
  • Sacramento converted 10-of-26 three-point attempts (38.5-percent) which was one more made 3-point field goal than the Pels hit in the game.
  • The Kings outscored the Pelicans in the paint 52-42.

New Orleans (27-23)

  • The Pelicans shot 50.6-percent from the field (39-for-77) for the game but it was 20 less attempts and seven less conversions than the Kings put in the books.
  • New Orleans won the battle of Fast Break points outscoring the Kings 23-22 for the game.
  • The Pels dished out more assists (26-22) than the Kings but they were not enough to turn the tide of the game.

Up Next

Kings

The Kings flew home after the game and were able to sleep in their own beds for the first time in 13 days. They will be off until Friday night when they have the unenviable task of hosting the world champion Golden State Warriors at the Golden 1 Center.

Pelicans

New Orleans will hit the road and will play the Thunder in OKC on Friday night.

Kings play short-handed – including no head coach – lose to Spurs 113-98

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SASscoreby Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went into the game in San Antonio with only nine players dressed for the game. Willie Cauley-Stein (right knee bone contusion), Skal Labissiere (shoulder strain), Frank Mason (partial tear plantar fascia), Malachi Richardson (ankle sprain), Garrett Temple (ankle sprain) and Georgios Papagiannis (unavailable due to coach’s decision) made for a very short bench. JaKarr Sampson was brought up from the Reno Bighorns for roster help.

If having only nine players did not make things tough enough, the Kings lost their coach two minutes into the game. Dave Joerger jumped up to protest the lack of a call from the officials and his knees buckled. Assistant coach Elston Turner reached out to help Joerger and to keep him from falling to the floor. At the encouragement of the Kings’ medical staff, Joerger walked under his own power to the visitor’s locker room.

The decision was made to for Joerger to sit the rest of the game out and let assistant coach Elston Turner coach the team. Reports later in the game confirmed that there was nothing seriously wrong with Joerger.

And now on to the game

The Kings fall behind by nine points early in the first quarter and it looked it might be a very long night for Sacramento fans. The Kings were down by seven as the second period began.

The Spurs increased their lead to 10 points early in the second quarter but then the Kings began chipping away at San Antonio’s advantage. By the time the second 12 minute period was over the Kings held a one point edge, 50-49.

The third quarter would prove to the Kings downfall as it has so many times this season. The Spurs outscored Sacramento 30-19 in the third period and they ended the quarter on an 8-0 run that would carry over into the final period.

San Antonio continued their run until it became a 12-0 run on the Kings which made it look like the game was over but someone forgot to tell De’Aaron Fox and George Hill. The two Kings guards continued to make incredible shots that kept the game reasonably close but in the end it was not enough.

The Spurs won the game 113-98 but the Kings could hold their heads high because they played hard under adverse circumstances.

Top Performers

Spurs

GeoManu

  • Second-year shooting guard Bryn Forbes was the Star of the Game for the Spurs on Sunday night. He came off the bench to lead San Antonio in scoring with 23 points shooting 9-for-15 overall from the field and hitting 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Forbes had a +16 rating during his 27-plus minutes of playing time.
  • Manu Ginobili came off the bench in first game back after being off for injury to post 15 points in 25-plus minutes on the floor. He put in 6-of-13 field goal attempts. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists.
  • Best supporting player award goes to Patty Mills who just kills this reporter every time. Late in the game as the Kings were trying to mount a comeback, Mills sank back-to-back 3-point buckets that killed that potential comeback. Mills finished with 11 points hitting 4-of-6 field goals with three of those baskets being 3-point field goals.

Kings

foxonfire

  • Star of the Game goes to De’Aaron Fox who recorded a game-high and career-high 26 points in the contest. “Swipa” hit a perfect 6-for-6 from 3-point land. He was as Dan Patrick would say – “en fuego!”. For a player who would never be able to shoot the 3-ball in the NBA according to scouting experts, Fox sure seems to have figured out how to hit from long-range.
  • George Hill may be on his way out of Sacramento but do not accuse him of laying down on his team. He came off the bench to score 19 points shooting 6-for-11 overall and hitting 3-of-6 from downtown. He also dished out four assists. Talk about making yourself more valuable in a trade situation. Hill gets a Co-Star of the Game credit.
  •  Special Guest Star credit goes to Vince Carter. The future Hall of Famer recorded 21 points coming off the bench converting 5-of-7 3-point opportunities. Carter also grabbed six rebounds in his almost 27-minutes on the floor. The 41-year old had +5 rating for his playing-time on the versus the Spurs.

Key Stats

San Antonio (33-19)

  • The Spurs shot 50-percent from the floor hitting 45-of-90 field goal attempts in the game.
  • San Antonio out-rebounded the Kings 52-34. The Spurs had 13 offensive rebounds to SAC’s six offensive rebounds. The Spurs outscored the Kings 16-9 in second-chance points.
  • The Spurs had an incredible 33 to 7 assists to turnover ratio. The seven San Antonio turnovers became 13 Kings points.

Sacramento (15-34)

  • The Kings shot an unbelievable 52.9-percent from 3-point land hitting 18-of-34 attempts. Fox hit 6-of-6 while Carter went 5-for-7 from behind the line.
  • Sacramento turned the ball over just nine times which became just nine Spurs points in the game.
  • The Kings shot 90.9-percent from the free throw line. They only went to the line 11 times but they converted 10 shots.

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings wrap up this long six-game road trip on Tuesday night in New Orleans. Of course, the drama is gone because of the devastating season ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins.

San Antonio

The Spurs will stay at home and host Denver on Tuesday night.

Kings Press Row Podcast for January 27, 2018: the losing streak is over & trade rumors run wild!

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press row podcast

hosts Charlie O & Jordan “Chape” Chapin

  • The Kings love playing in Florida as they win two in a row in the Sunshine State

  • Every NBA rumor site in the world has George Hill going to the Cleveland Cavaliers

  • If Hill goes to the Cavs, the Kings could wind up with Iman Shumpert through the 2019 season. Is that worth the trade?

  • It looks like the Hill trade could mean that Skal Labissiere or Malachi Richardson could be on their way out of Sacramento. Is that worth the dollar savings of off-loading Hill?

  • Can the Kings off-load Shumpert during off-season before the start of the 2018-19 campaign?

  • Is it too soon to give up on Labissiere?

Charlie O and Jordan “Chape” Chapin talk all things Kings in this week’s edition of the King’s Press Row Podcast.

skalactionphoto

 

 

Kings love Florida sunshine: SAC beats MIA 89-88 for second consecutive win

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Kings-HEAT

by Charlie O. Mallonee

With 4.3-seconds left to play on Thursday night and the Kings in possession of the ball, Sacramento trailed the Heat 88-87 on the road in Miami. This is the kind of situation that Kings have faced and failed in as they try to find success as a team in the rebuilding process. It was a different ending last night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic took a 20-foot step back jump shot that missed and bounced above the rim. De’Aaron Fox ran in from the left angle and slammed the rebound home to give the Kings an 89-88 lead. The clock stopped with 3.3-seconds remaining to allow Olynyk to enter the game for Miami and Temple to come on the floor the Kings.

Miami’s Josh Richardson missed a 21-foot jump shot with less than a second left on the clock and the Kings won their second consecutive game 89-88. Both of the wins have come in the “Sunshine State” of Florida.

The key to the win for the Kings was their ability to keep the game close. They did allow the Heat to open up a 12-point lead at one time but for the most part, it was a seesaw battle. There were 19 lead changes and the game was tied seven times in what turned out to be an exciting 48-minutes if you are a Kings fan.

Sacramento also broke a destructive pattern that has plagued them this season of falling behind in the third quarter and then having to make a major effort just catch up in the final period. On Thursday, Kings trailed by just one point heading into the fourth quarter.

The Kings dressed 10 players versus the Heat and head coach Dave Joerger used all 10 players in the game. Sacramento held out Vince Carter (who started in Orlando), George Hill and Georgios Papgiannis. Rumors are circulating that Hill may have a toe problem and is not being held out because of a possible trade.

Top Performances

Kings

FoxtoHoop

  • De’Aaron Fox gets the Star of the Game billing for the Kings. Not only did he score the game-winning basket but he added 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in his 29-plus minutes on the floor.
  • Buddy Hield really battled Fox for top billing on Thursday night. Hield receives Co-Star designation for scoring a game-high 24 points. He hit 10-of-15 field goal attempts and went 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Hield scored 13 of his points in the second quarter.
  • Veteran Zach Randolph is also going to receive a best supporting player award for recording a double-double against the Heat. Z-Bo scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 28-minutes of playing time.

Heat

Miami in the Vice jersies

  • Goran Dragic was the Star of the Game for Miami. He was the top scorer for the Heat with 23 points shooting 8-for-14 overall for the game. Dragic hit 3-of-5 from long-range and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
  • Co-Star status goes to guard Wayne Ellington who put up 20 points against the Kings. He converted 7-of-16 field goal attempts and six of those conversions were 3-point baskets.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (15-33)

  • The Kings shot 46.9-percent (38-for-81) from the floor versus the Heat. They only attempted 12 three-point shots but they hit five of them.
  • SAC was out-rebounded 46-38 but managed to outscore Miami on second-chance scoring opportunities 8-7.
  • The Kings dished out 21 assists and turned the ball over 13 times which is below the desired 2-to-1 ratio. They gave up 13 points to the Heat off those 13 TOV’s.
  • Sacramento recorded six blocked shots in the game. Five Kings players posted a block and Cauley-Stein had two blocks.

Miami (27-21)

  • The Heat shot just 37.8-percent (31-for-82) for the game. If a team shoots under 40-percent in the NBA, there is not much of chance that they will come away with a win.
  • Miami decided to attack the Kings by taking as many shots from beyond the 3-point line as possible. They attempted 34 long-range field goals but hit just 12 for a 35.3 shooting percentage.
  • The posted 19 assists and made 17 turnovers for a very unacceptable 1-to-1 ratio. The Kings scored 20 points off those 17 miscues.

Up Next

SAC

Unless the Kings request to have the game on Sunday moved to any city in Florida, they will face the Spurs in San Antonio on Sunday at 4:00 pm PST.  The team is hoping to take advantage of the good “mojo” they have enjoyed in Florida by staying in Miami on Friday and waiting to travel to Texas until Saturday.

MIA

The Heat will host the Hornets on Saturday night in Miami.

 

George Hill to the Cavaliers … not so fast says reports out of Cleveland

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geohillwithLeBron

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Reports have been flying all week long that George Hill was on his way to Cleveland with the Cavaliers sending Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye to Sacramento in deal to be done before the February 8th trade deadline. Some reports have stated the Cavs were willing to sweeten the deal with a second-round draft pick.

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com now says those reports may be premature. In a report posted today, Vardon wrote:

The Cavaliers and Kings are further apart on a trade for George Hill than it first appeared, sources told cleveland.com, with significant hurdles toward a potential deal remaining.

One source told cleveland.com that the two sides were speaking “conceptually” about Hill and were never close; another said the Cavs sought to change the parameters of a potential trade.

Conceptually, at least, the Cavs would get Hill from the Kings and send Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert to Sacramento. Derrick Rose could also have been involved and perhaps a future second-round draft pick.

Iman

Frye and Rose would probably be candidates to be bought out of their expiring contracts. Shumpert has a player option worth $11-million for the 2018-19 season. Shumpert has seen limited action this season after having arthroscopic surgery for a left knee effusion which increases the chances he would exercise that option.

Sacramento would like to off-load Hill’s contract

The Kings signed Hill thinking they would need his experience at point guard until De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason III were ready to take over the job of running the offense. Fox and Mason surprised everyone by playing at a high level much faster than anyone anticipated they would be able to achieve in their rookie seasons.

Then came the surprise package named Bogdan Bogdanovic. When Sacramento obtained the rights to Euro player, they knew he was a potential scoring machine. When Bogdanovic arrived in Sacramento, the Kings discovered he was a playmaker who can shoot the ball in a very dynamic manor.

The accelerated development of Hill and Mason plus the surprise talents of Bogdanovic made George Hill a very expensive piece of insurance that they no longer needed. Off-loading his potential $59-million contract has become a priority for Sacramento who can use the cap space.

Fallout of moving Hill

skalactionphoto

Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson could become collateral damage as the Kings try to move Hill and his salary off their books. Sacramento already has the NBA 15 maximum guaranteed contracts committed to players on their roster. That means someone has to be moved if a player has to kept on the roster as result of a trade involving Hill.

Reports are circulating that the Kings have made second-year players Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson available for possible trades in order to make room on the roster for players like Iman Shumpert.

The availability of Richardson is not that surprising because he fell behind due to injury in his rookie year and the Kings now have a glut of guards that he has not been able to break through in order stand out this season. The availability of Labissiere is a different story.

Many observers felt that Labissiere was the steal of the 2016 draft at number 28 in the first-round. He is having a bit of a sophomore slump but he would still seem to have a real potential upside as a developing playing at just 21-years old. Moving Labissiere feels like one of those moves that a team would regret for years to come in the future.

Kings want to move Hill but they need a return

Sacramento definitely wants to unload George Hill and his large contract. If the team does not need his experience, that big salary is an unneeded expense, but they cannot let a talent like Hill go without getting some value in return.

The Kings must get some basketball talent or draft picks that they can put to use in a deal for Hill or the transaction becomes very one-sided. Yes, Sacramento needs the cap space but that cannot be the only goal in a trade for Hill.

Yes, it is a complicated situation. Welcome to making trades in the NBA.

Kings end their eight-game losing streak with a 105-99 win in Orlando

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fox to hoop

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Garrett Temple scored a career-high 34 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 105-99 road win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The victory snapped the Kings eight-game losing streak and came in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road.

The Kings trailed the Magic by one point – 53 to 52 – at the half. Orlando managed to established a five point lead by the end of the third quarter, and it appeared that Sacramento might be headed to their third consecutive loss on the six-game road and their eighth loss in a row.

The Kings rallied in the fourth quarter behind an incredible 19 point scoring barrage put on by Garrett Temple. Temple shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor including hitting 3-of-3 three-point shots. He was a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Temple by himself outscored the entire Orlando Magic squad in the final period.

“Garrett has been a fantastic leader for us and I couldn’t be happier,” Sacramento coach Dave Joerger told the AP. “He’s the ultimate professional. For him to have this kind of night, I’m just tickled. He deserves it.”

Stars of the Game

Kings

  • Garrett Temple is the “no-brainer” winner of the star of the game designation for Tuesday night. Temple’s previous career-high point game was 23 points. He hit 14-of-17 shots versus Orlando and managed to grab five rebounds as well in just over 40 minutes of playing time.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein gets a co-star credit for putting up 21 points against the Magic. He shot 50-percent from the floor (9-for-18) and converted 4-of-5 free throws. Cauley-Stein also pulled down nine rebounds.

Magic

  • Guard Evan Fournier was the star of the game for the Magic as he scored 22 points and handed out four assists. Fournier did not shoot particularly well hitting 7-of-17 attempts overall and converting just 2-of-10 from 3-point range. The Magic backcourt man did go a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
  • Orlando’s other starting guard – Elfrid Payton – earns the co-star honors for scoring 21 points against the Kings while dishing out seven assists and pulling down seven rebounds. Payton hit 9-of-14 field goals.

Key stats

Sacramento

  • The Kings shot an impressive 49.4-percent (43-for-87) from the field for the game. They shot just 30.8-percent from behind the 3-point line but the eight 3-point field goals the Kings hit were a big key to their win.
  • Sacramento did something on Tuesday night that they have not done for a while and that is out-rebound their opponent. The Kings hauled in 44 rebounds to the Magic’s 40.
  • The Kings also did a better job of taking care of the ball as they turned it over just 14 times (good for 16 Orlando points) while posting 24 assists. That is close the desired 2-to-1 ratio a coach wants to see from his team.
  • Sacramento also had a remarkable 11 blocked shots in the game. Willie Cauley-Stein led the team with five blocked shots of his own.

Orlando

  • The Magic tried to manipulate the Kings weakness in stopping the 3-point shot. They attempted 31 three-point field goals and made 11 of them.
  • Orlando turned the ball over 17 times (22 Kings points) while posting 23 assists.
  • The Magic tried outrun the Kings by using the fast break. Orlando outscored SAC 20-7 on the break in the game.
  • Both teams have a record of 14-33 after the contest on Tuesday.

Notes

skal trade

  • The Kings sat George Hill and Kosta Koufos against the Magic. Since the Kings have committed to the youth movement, they have rested two veterans each game.
  • There are many rumors flying around about trade for George Hill to the Cleveland Cavaliers that would possibly bring Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye and possibly a 2nd-round draft pick to the Kings.
  • New rumors started to circulate on Tuesday that Sacramento is looking to trade Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere to open to spots on the roster.

Up next

Kings

Sacramento will return to action on Thursday night in Miami. The Kings have not won in Miami in 16 years.

Magic

Orlando is off until Saturday when they will travel to Indiana to face the Pacers.

Kings lose seventh consecutive game as Grizzlies win 106-88 on Friday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off their longest road trip of the season on Friday night in Memphis versus the Grizzlies. It was big night for head coach Dave Joerger, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter as they were returning to the city where they enjoyed great success as members of the Grizzlies basketball organization.

Unfortunately for the Kings, they were not able to make it a great night for Joerger, Z-Bo and Vince by handing the Grizzlies a loss and making the local fans realize what they are missing by not having those three men still involved with their team.

Memphis handed Sacramento their seventh consecutive loss as they beat the Kings 106-88. For the Grizzlies, it was their third win in a row.

The Kings continued their commitment to young player development on Friday night. Sacramento started Justin Jackson, Willie Cauley-Stein, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Aaron Fox and because it was his first time back in Memphis–veteran Zach Randolph was in the starting five.

The Kings started slow and trailed the Grizz 30-17 after the first 12 minutes. The men from SAC pulled things together in the second period and outscored the hometown team 23-10 to make it a 40-40 game at the half.

As it has been so many times this season, the third quarter was the Kings undoing in this contest. Memphis took control of the game and won the quarter putting up 27 points to Sacramento’s 19.

The Grizzlies seized upon the lead they established in the third quarter and went on to dominate the final period by outscoring the Kings 39-29. Not only was this Sacramento’s seventh consecutive loss but it starts them out 0-1 on this long, tough road trip.

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Stars of the Game

Memphis

  • Star of the game for the Grizzlies has to go to former Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore. McLemore came off the bench to play almost 27 minutes and score 21 points against his old mates. He shot six for 13 from the field–including three 3-point baskets. Ben “Mac” went a perfect six for six from the free throw line. McLemore played like a man who had something to prove to other side.
  • Dillion Brooks gets a co-star billing for being the high scorer in the game with 22 points. Brooks shot eight for 13 from the floor and three for six from behind the 3-point line. He also was a good thief as he grabbed three steals in his 27-plus minutes of playing time.

Sacramento

  • The Kings star of the game is starting point guard De’Aaron Fox who scored a team-high 16 points. Fox hit five of 12 shots from the floor and went a perfect five for five from the free throw line. The rookie point guard also dished out six assists in the contest.
  • The co-star tag goes to veteran Vince Carter. Carter played just over 23 minutes and posted 15 points. The Kings “O.G” went five for nine from the floor and all five of his baskets were 3-point conversions. Tomorrow morning he may not be able to walk, but Friday night he was 21 years old again.

Key Stats

Grizzlies (16-28)

  • Memphis took good care of the basketball. They committed 13 turnovers (16 Kings points) while they posted 24 assists. That put them right at the target of the 2-to-1 ratio that every coach wants to see.
  • The Grizzlies out-rebounded the Kings 49-44
  • Memphis outscored Sacramento on the fast break 19-12

Kings (13-32)

  • Sacramento turned the ball over 21 times (26 Memphis points) and recorded just 18 assists. That is a negative assist to turnover ratio. That will not help you record a win.
  • The Kings shot just 40 percent (32 for 80) for the game. The Grizzlies shot 44.3 percent (39 for 88) from the field. Memphis did not shoot great but it was just enough better than Sacramento to post the win.
  • The Kings gave the opposition an advantage in the third quarter again on Friday night. Sacramento cannot have those third quarter let downs and expect to win games.

Up Next

Kings

Sacramento is off until Monday night when they will play the Hornets in Charlotte. Maybe a couple of good practices will help them be ready to face the Hornets and break the losing streak.

Grizzlies

Memphis has to get right back to business on Saturday as they have to face the Pelicans in New Orleans. The NBA schedule can be a harsh mistress.