Cast: Michael Duca (mlb.com and host), Jeremy Kahn (SF Giants and Oakland Raiders reporter), Jeremy Harness (SF Giants and PGA reporter), London Marq (Sacramento Kings and SJ Earthquakes reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Sacramento Kings reporter), Charlie O (Oakland A’s and Sacramento Kings reporter), Lee Leonard (producer).
Sportstalk is proud to podcast at The Diplomat Steakhouse at 1117 11th Street in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to our hosts: owner Ramesh Prasad, Marketing Patrick Harbison, Manager Chriss Lamm, Assistant General Manager Danielle “Feisty Spice” Feist, Event Concierge Aimee Spaulding, and Kaitlin Deathriage.
Being diplomatic is our brand’s core binding. We are intuitive when in conducting your dining experience, and can achieve peaceful resolutions to any quandary while facilitating intriguing discussion with anyone on the map. We broadened the scope and magnified the habitual steakhouse fare. We resolve differences by implementing international fusion cuisine to please any and all palates. We strive to achieve a peaceful atmosphere, and our ingenuity gives us the edge to connect to any guest.
Restaurateur, Ramesh Prasad, has has dined worldwide in the vast ever occurring steakhouse traditional fine dining concepts. Complacent with their predictability, he manifested his vision into reality. Sacramento is in the prime of revitalization, and developing a signature steakhouse is pioneering the industries’ cravings.
Things got rough under the basket in the Heat vs Kings game Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee
The Heat handed the Kings their second loss in the California Classic 86-76. Sacramento tried to close the gap late in the fourth quarter, but their effort was too little too late.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 6, 2018
MB3FIVE meets with the media after the game:
This is what a man looks like. Marvin Bagley III #MB3FIVE did not have the kind of game for #SacramentoKings that he would like to remember – he came out of the locker room to speak to the media. There are a lot of vets who wouldn’t have done that. Thumbs up 👍 to MB35. #NBApic.twitter.com/J5IDZa4EBx
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 6, 2018
Up next for the Kings
The Kings will practice on Friday and then travel to Las Vegas to get ready for the Summer League Tournament. Sacramento will play its first game on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 pm PDT when they will face the Phoenix Suns. That game can be seen on ESPN.
Sacramento — The inaugural California Classic NBA basketball showcase began play on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The six-game classic is an opportunity for the four teams to prepare for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Breaking news almost overshadowed the games
DeMarcus Cousins is now a Warrior
As the Warriors and Heat were preparing for the first game of the evening’s doubleheader, news broke that former Sacramento Kings star and current free agent DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins had signed a one-year, $5.3-million contract with the Golden State Warriors.
There was a definite buzz that came over the arena as news of the signing spread among the fans. Leave it to “Boogie” to try and steal the Kings thunder.
The good news — it did not take long for the fans to forget about Cousins and start concentrating on basketball.
Kings two “Dukies” made their debut in front of the hometown crowd
Bagley III and Giles III getting ready for the California Classic Photo: @SacramentoKings
The Kings number one draft pick (number two overall) Marvin Bagley III was one of the starting forwards versus the Lakers in the second game on Monday night. He was joined on the front line by center and former Duke player Harry Giles III. Giles was “redshirted” last season while he completed bi-lateral rehabilitation.
The number two lottery selection in the NBA Draft is expected to be an immediate impact player, so the near-sellout crowd was ready to Bagley perform right from the opening tip. The word about Giles and his performance in workouts was so positive that many fans could not wait to see him in actual competition.
The two former Blue Devils did not disappoint.
Bagley III scored his first points at 6:58 in the first quarter when he hit a seven-foot fadeaway shot. Giles III got into the act 24-seconds later when he finished a fastbreak with a layup off an assist from Frank Mason. Giles started the fastbreak opportunity when blocked a 3-point shot attempt by Moritz Wagner.
Not to be outdone, Bagley III came back seconds later with a monster dunk on a fastbreak of his own. About a minute later, Bagley would sink a 26-foot 3-point shot. Yes, the big home crowd was going wild.
Frankly, my focus for the majority of the game was on Bagley III and Giles III. We had not had a chance to see the two players in action and this was a chance to really focus on their skills.
What did we learn about Harry Giles III?
First, Harry Giles III is a very tough, physical player. After being out for an entire season, there was a possibility he could have been a bit cautious getting back into action. The exact opposite happened. Giles looked like a man who was hungry to get into action and mix it up.
Giles III played physical with and without the ball. He left no doubt that he was on the floor for any Laker that had to play against him on Monday night. Giles III committed six personal fouls (players get 10 this time of year) in the game and some of them were very physical.
Giles III scored 13 points shooting 6-for-10 from the floor. He hit 1-of-2 3-point shots. Even though he played a very physical game, Giles III did not go to the free throw line once in 25-minutes of playing time. He grabbed three rebounds, had one steal and one blocked shot.
It was a nice professional debut for Mr. Giles III.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 3, 2018
Marvin Bagley III is going to be a tough guy on the court
The Kings top draft choice made his presence known early in the game. He is not shy. Bagley III is into the game and very demonstrative about it. He is very active on the floor and does not appear to have any fear about mixing it up with opposing players.
At one point in the game, Bagley III made a move to the basket leading with his right shoulder. He did not make the shot but did go to the line to shoot free throws. The defender was left clutching his chest in pain after taking “the bump” to clear him out before Bagley III made his move to the hoop.
Bagley III posted 18 points in just under 26 minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-11 overall and hit 1-of-2 from downtown. Bagley — who has not been know as a great free throw shooter — went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also hauled in six rebounds and blocked three shots.
In his first professional game, Marvin Bagley III performed as advertised, and that is a good thing.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 3, 2018
Oh by the way … the Kings won the game
The Lakers can only watch as the Kings put the ball through the twine Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee
The Kings beat the Lakers 98-93 on Monday night. It is important to remember that the rosters of these teams are made up of first-year players, rookies, G-League players and undrafted free agents. These are young players that the teams want to get experience plus players they may be considering for “two-way” contracts or for their G-League teams.
De’Aaron Fox — who will not play in the Las Vegas Tournament — was the leading scorer for Sacramento. He recorded 23 points, had eight rebounds, dished out six assists and made three steals. Fox shot 9-for-15 from the field but went just 1-for-6 from long-range. He went to the free throw line six times and converted five of those opportunities.
Frank Mason also had a very good game for SAC scoring 16 points. He hit 4-of-7 shooting and sank 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Mason also took advantage of the free throw line dropping in 6-of-7 shots from the line.
The Lakers were led by Moritz Wagner and Josh Hart who each scored 23 points in the contest. Svi Mykhalliuk added 15 points of his own.
This contest also featured two technical fouls charged to the Lakers. A Flagrant 1 Foul charged to Frank Mason and an ejection to one of the Lakers leading scorers — John Hart.
These young players have a great deal on the line, so they are willing to play with reckless abandon.
Golden State vs. Miami
The Warriors Damian Jones grabs one of his six rebounds Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee
The Heat and the Warriors played in the first game of the doubleheader on Monday night. Golden State won the game 79-68. Kendrick Nunn led the Warriors scoring attack with 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Derrick Jones, Jr. was the leading scorer for the Heat and the game. He also recorded a double-double posting 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The schedule for Tuesday night
The Lakers and Heat will faceoff at 6:00 PM. The Warriors and the Kings will meet in the nightcap will tip-off at approximately 8:00 PM.
Intense Marvin Bagley III on the court at Duke Photo: @sacramentokings
By Charlie O. Mallonee
The Sacramento Kings did not go off script on Thursday in the 2018 NBA Draft. When it was time for them to make the number two overall selection in the draft, the Kings wasted no time taking power forward Marvin Bagley III, a freshman from Duke. At 6-foot-11 and 234 pounds, Bagley is the prototype of the new big man in the NBA.
Bagley was a 2017-18 consensus First Team All-American. He was named NABC National Freshman of the Year and NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year. Bagley was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
“I’m just too excited right now,” Bagley said after being selected by the Kings. “I can’t even describe the feeling I’m feeling right now. A lot of emotions running through me, seeing my family out there, happy for me, and friends that came. This has been great.”
“I’m super excited to get started with this franchise and keep it going and keep building,” said the newest member of the Sacramento Kings.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) June 22, 2018
Bagley by the numbers in 2017-18
Played 33 games
Averaged 33.9 minutes per game
Averaged 21.0 points per game
61.4 field goal shooting percentage (hitting 270-of-440 attempts)
39.7 percent 3-point shooter (23-for-58)
62.7 free throw shooting percentage (131-of-209)
11.1 rebounds per game
1.5 assists per game, 0.8 steals per game, 0.9 blocks per game
More on Bagley III
Playing with intensity Photo: @DukeMBB
Bagley is one of three players in ACC history to lead the league in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage. The other two players were Clemson’s Horace Grant and Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan (that’s not bad company).
Second player in ACC history to be named both ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
Set the Duke record for points, scoring average, rebounds, rebounding average, double-doubles, 30-point games and 20/10 games.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Runs the floor well, which leads to easy baskets
Good finisher in a crowd and can elevate for lobs (that should make D’Aaron Fox happy)
Finishes strong around the basket and possesses a soft touch
Can play facing the basket and has a nice shooting range
Weaknesses
He is not a great defender — has a tendency to be a “ball watcher”
Bagley is lefthand dominate and almost always finishes on his left. That will have to change at the next level.
He has a flat jumper and hits only 39.7-percent from 3-point range.
Bagley is just a 62.7-percent free throw shooter (a potential “hack-a-player” candidate)
Who does Bagley compare to?
The experts say Bagley III is very comparable to Amar’e Stoudemire. He can run the floor, do damage at the basket and struggles on defense.
Stoudemire is still playing in Israel Photo: @Amareisrael
Kings Second-Round Pick: So long!
The Kings drafted Duke guard Gary Trent Jr. with the number 37 overall pick in the draft and within five minutes traded him to Portland for two future second-round draft selections.
The 2018 NBA Draft was held on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. As usual, the draft changes the lives of many college and maybe even high school basketball players each year. That’s almost certain unless if the young prospect turns out to be a draft bust, which is something that nobody wants, but is an inevitable situation in life.
Anywho, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings were on the board, so let’s see who these two Bay Area teams selected using their respective picks.
First Round Kings The Kings had the second overall pick and they used it on Marvin Bagley III, a power forward who grew up in Tempe, Az., and played college basketball at Duke for just one season from 2017-18. In 2018, he was a Consensus First-Team All-American, First-Team All-ACC, and ACC Player of the Year. He also won the Pete Newell Big Man Award. In 2017, he was named to the First-Team All-USA TODAY.
Side Note: Bagley III was selected behind his former high school teammate, Deandre Ayton (center; power forward), in the draft.
Warriors The Warriors selected Jacob Evans (shooting guard) with the 28th overall pick. He played college basketball at the University of Cincinnati from 2015 to 2018. He finished his college career with 1,233 career points. He was also named to the First-Team All-AAC.
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) June 22, 2018
Side Note: Evans declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, but didn’t hire an agent to help him out.
Second Round Kings It was a Blue Devil kind of night of the Kings, who selected Gary Trent Jr. (shooting guard) with the 37th overall pick. Like Bagley, Trent Jr. played college basketball at Duke for just one season from 2017-18. In 2017, he was selected as a McDonald’s All-American and played in the Jordan Brand Classic. In 2015, he was the FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship MVP.
Side Note: Gary Trent Jr. is the son of retired pro basketball player Gary Trent, who played in the NBA from 1995-2004, Greece’s Panellinios B.C. from 2004-05 and 2006-07, and Italy’s UniCusano Roma in 2005.
Notes Warriors’ JaVale McGee will be at Levi’s Bay Area store on Friday from 12-1 pm on behalf of his Juglife Water Foundation and ahead of the Water For Life Charity Softball Game.
The NBA Draft Lottery order was selected in Chicago on Tuesday night, and the big winners of the night were the Sacramento Kings. The Kings entered the evening slotted to pick seventh on draft night in June. The Kings finished the season tied with the Chicago Bulls but lost a coin toss so the Bulls owned the sixth selection pre-lottery draw.
@NBADraftLottery
The Kings had just an 18.3-percent chance of winding up in the Top-3 in the Draft Lottery. Those odds may have been helped a little because the team was represented by first-year point guard De’Aaron Fox who has been a positive force for Sacramento ever since his arrival in June of 2017 from the University of Kentucky.
The Kings moved into the Top-3 in the 2017 Draft Lottery back fell back to the number five pick because Philadelphia had the right to swap selections if the Sacramento pick was higher than the Sixers. With the number five selection, the Kings took De’Aaron Fox.
This good fortune becomes even more important because the Kings will not have a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 2019 first-round selection was dealt away early in the tenure of Vlade Divac’s administration of basketball operations. This makes the 2018 draft selection even more important than it would normally be because it has to count for two seasons.
Who will be the number two draft pick?
Photo: @LukaDoncic
Virtually every mock draft site has Luka Doncic going as the number two selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. He is an international player currently playing with Real Madrid of Spain originally from Slovenia. Doncic is a 6-foot-7 small forward/shooting guard who is capable of playing positionless basketball that has become so popular in the NBA today.
Doncic is just 19-years old and definitely plays older than his years. He is an outstanding assists player who also is a strong rebounder on offense and defense. Doncic is an above average scorer and shooter at the free throw line. He needs work on his three-point shooting percentage and his number of turnovers needs to be lower.
The Kings front office has two prominent members – Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic – who are Eastern Europeans and should be able to make Doncic feel comfortable in Sacramento. One of the Kings up and coming stars is former Euro star – Bogdan Bogdanovic – who certainly understands the style of basketball Doncic has been playing and could help make the transition to the NBA.
It looks like a match made in heaven right? Well, wait just one minute. The Phoenix Suns believe that Doncic can play point guard in the NBA. That’s right. They think this 6-foot-7 budding superstar can play point guard in “the association” alongside their star shooting guard Devin Booker. If the Suns believe Doncic can play that role, he could become the number one pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
If Doncic goes number one, who goes number two?
Photo:NBADraftLottery
That would leave DeAndre Ayton from Arizona available for the number two pick. Ayton is a 7-foot-1, 250-pound center who has an NBA body. He scores in multiple ways and has even been developing a three-point shot. Ayton runs the floor well and is not afraid of contact. He has great hands and good footwork.
His weakness is his defense. Ayton tends to get caught flat-footed too many times. He needs to do a better job defending against the pick and roll – a staple of the NBA. He needs to be more consistent about contesting shots.
Ayton is going to be a star in the NBA.
The Suns are going to be under immense pressure to draft the Arizona product and keep him in Phoenix. However, the Suns may opt to pass and go with Doncic who may pay off with more long-term results for them.
Either way, the Kings cannot go wrong. They are going to be able to draft a player who is going to become a star in the NBA.
Willie Cauley-Stein led the Kings to a “W” in game 82 on Wednesday night Photo: @SacramentoKings
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Vlade Divac and Dave Joerger met with the press to review the Kings 2017-18 “Year of Development” on Thursday. Despite winning fewer games this season both the GM and Coach were pretty optimistic about the Kings future.
There were times early on in the season where the look on Dave Joerger’s face said: “I’m not having a good time.” As the season progressed and his players improved, Joerger began to enjoy his time on the sideline.
What every Kings fan wants to hear is that their favorite team will be in the playoffs next year. Well, hold there partner. Divac expects the Kings to be improved but stopped short of saying they would be playoff bound.
Dave Joerger is hoping that most of his young players will spend most of the off-season in the Sacramento area working out and getting know each other even better. He really wants them to feel and think like family.
Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings season came to an end on Wednesday night as they defeated the number one seeded playoff team in the NBA Western Conference – the Houston Rockets – 96-83. Now, it is important to know that the Rockets did not allow James Harden and Chris Paul to step on the court for fear that they might sustain an injury that would cause them to miss the playoffs.
Even without the two Houston superstars on the floor, there was some very entertaining basketball played by both teams. The Rockets reserves wanted to impress their coaches that they could contribute if given playing time during the playoffs. The Kings players desperately wanted to send their fans home with a victory to remember until new season tips off next October.
The Kings started fast and finished strong
The Kings won every quarter except the fourth period which they did not need to win because they had the game well in hand by that time. Four of the five Kings starters scored in double figures and seven of the nine players used by Sacramento scored in double digits.
Willie Cauley-Stein finished with a team-high 22 points and he made it a double-double by grabbing 11 rebounds. Buddy Hield scored 14 points, pulled down five rebounds, handed out five assists and made two steals in 27-plus minutes of playing time.
Sacramento shot 47.5-percent (38-for-80) for the game and hit 7-of-26 (26.9-percent) attempts from downtown. The Kings went to the free throw line 20 times but converted only 13 of those opportunities (65.0-percent).
Houston relied on two key players for the entire game
Forward Gerald Green led the way on offense for the Rockets on Wednesday night scoring a game-high 31 points. Green shot 11-for-22 from the field and hit 7-of-17 attempts from 3-point land. RJ Hunter posted 19 points shooting 7-for-16 overall and sinking just 3-of-11 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
Tarik Black played just over 38-minutes against the Kings and recorded a double-double. Black scored 12 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.
The Rockets also played Aaron Jackson who they signed on Wednesday after he had been playing in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Beijing Ducks. Jackson will be eligible to play for Houston in the playoffs. Jackson scored eight points in 34-plus minutes of playing versus the Kings on Wednesday night.
Kings win fewer games in 2017-18
The Kings finish the season with a record of 27-55 for the year. Sacramento finished with a record of 32-50 in 2016-17.
Head Coach Dave Joerger reflects on the game and the season
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) April 12, 2018
Charlie O’s and “Chapes” Kings Player of the Year
Hield flies high versus Rockets Photo: @SacramentoKings
We did not have to take a moment to contemplate who our choice of would be our choice for this season because our selection for Player of the Year is a no-brainer in our humble opinion. Second-year guard Buddy Hield has been outstanding in his development and execution in 2017-18.
The big knock on Hield as a player was that he was purely a one-dimensional guard. Hield was a shooter who could come into a game and shoot the ball … period. Experts said he could not handle the ball, set up assists, rebound and he most definitely could not play defense.
Then, the Kings finally signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Sacramento backcourt became a very crowded place. Early on in the season, it became apparent that Bogdanovic was going to be a starter along with De’Aaron Fox. That meant Hield would be coming off the bench.
Hield adjusted to being the Kings “sixth man” very quickly and never complained about his role. He frequently provided the spark the team needed to get into a game where they started off slowly.Hield also began to play more minutes per game.
As Hield played more, the turnovers went down as his rebound, assist, and steal numbers went up. Then observers began to notice something else about his game, Buddy Hield was making a real effort to play defense.
As Hield entered game 82 on Wednesday night, he was averaging 13.5 points per game which is the second-best average for the Kings. Hield is the overall points leader for Sacramento with 1065 points.
Hield has averaged 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.05 assists in 25.3 minutes per game this season. His season-highs show 35 minutes played, 27 points scored, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and two blocked shots.
Hield shooting numbers have also been impressive. Overall, Hield has shot 44.6-percent from the field while converting a team-high 43.1-percent of his 3-Point attempts. He has also been deadly from the free throw shooting 88.8-percent from the stripe.
2017-18 has been a year of real growth and dynamic production for Buddy Hield.
The Sacramento Kings announced on Monday their intention to move their G League franchise – the Reno Bighorns – to Stockton for the 2018-19 season. This move would have their development team just 45 minutes away from Kings offices, coaches, training and medical staff. This also follows the pattern of the majority of teams in the NBA which have relocated their developmental league teams to within an hour driving distance of their organization’s main facilities.
“Our NBA G League team has been an incredible asset to help prepare players for NBA action and bringing the team closer to Sacramento will allow us to continue to build on that success and increase efficiency to this valuable development tool,” said Sacramento Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. “Kings fans in Stockton will now have an opportunity to see the next-generation of NBA players each week.”
Skal Labissiere
The Kings have taken full advantage using players from the Reno team over the past two seasons. In 2017-18, the team sent several of its rookies to play with the Bighorns to gain some experience which they put to good use at the NBA level. Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson (now with the Toronto Raptors) both benefited greatly from their time with the Bighorns.
This season has seen the addition of the “two-way” players who can be on the NBA roster of their parent team and then must spend the remainder of their time playing in the G League. JaKarr Sampson and Jack Cooley have both made substantial contributions to the Kings during the regular season. Sacramento also signed Nigel Hayes from the Westchester Knicks to a two-year contract.
Kings “two-way” player JaKarr Sampson
The Bighorns sent three players to three other NBA teams this season. David Stockton – who has also played for the Kings – was signed Utah Jazz. Reggie Hearn went to Detroit and Aaron Harrison was signed by the Mavericks.
Stockton is a very interesting choice because of its tremendous growth potential. With Bay Area housing prices soaring, people are willing to endure longer commutes in order to be able to buy a home. Stockton is projected to a desirable locale because of its freeway access and rail service to the Silicon Valley. That means potential fans for the G League team that could be cultivated into Sacramento Kings fans.
Stockton already has a very strong track record of supporting minor league sports teams. The Stockton Ports have played baseball in California League since its beginning in 1941 and are currently an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Stockton is also the home of the Heat of the American Hockey League who are affiliated with the Calgary Flames. The Heat and the G League team will share the same arena.
“It is my honor to welcome the Kings organization to Stockton and I look forward to watching NBA G League action at the Stockton Arena,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. “The Kings have been known for their tremendous impact in the community and we’re excited to have their support as we continue to reinvent Stockton.”
A four-time All-America City winner, with honors as recently as 2017, Stockton is California’s thirteenth largest city. Stockton Arena is located in the heart of the city’s downtown waterfront and entertainment center. The venue opened in 2005 and includes 24 luxury suites, seating for up to 12,000.
The Kings G League basketball operations will be headquartered at Kings former practice facility in Natomas next to the old arena. The business operations for the new team will be housed at the arena in Stockton.
Sports Radio Service 