July 21, 2025 • 32 mins
Ryan is flying solo on this one to share some thoughts on the NBA offseason and the Kings Summer League.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Sacktown Sports.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I am Ryan Balbi, normally joined by Chris Johnson, but
he is gone today and we haven't been able to
recording a bit, so I have too many thoughts swirling
through my head. Figured i'd come and drop a little
podcast for you. If you like it, then you can cheer,
and if not, you can give it one of these.
(00:33):
All right, enough for the sound effects machine probably, but
I have some jokes for you, all right, too much
fun anyway, Chris is not here, and yeah, I'm gonna
drop some some summer league thoughts and maybe a few
NBA things, just kind of wrapping some stuff up in
my head that's been happening in the King's off season, Sacramento,
Sacramento NBA off season as well as Sacramento. By the way,
big breaking news today, the Kings re signed Doug McDermott.
(01:01):
Actually that might have been a more appropriate crickets one. Okay,
I promise I'm not gonna do the sound effects machine
the whole time. The Kings signed Dom McDermott. Not a
big deal. It's also not a bad signing either. I
saw one person on Twitter it it was kind of
acting like, oh wow, how boring and terrible that the
Kings resigned Doug McDermott. I don't think that's the right
(01:23):
stance to have. He's a six to seven guy. I
think wing who shot like forty four percent from three
point in like very limited mans.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I mean he averaged like three points a game.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I think when you told it out played forty something games,
you know, had a couple like big fourth quarter spurts
also had some times where he came in and you
expect him to do something he didn't, So I I
just to me, it's like you got to fill the
roster somehow. And if he's a good locker room presence,
a good practice guy, great, Like he's not going to play,
He's not going to move the needle one way or another.
(01:53):
He's just a guy that you fill your roster space
out with. I guess if you want, like only to
give the roster to young guys, then may you could
make that case that like just goes super young and
don't worry about the talent. But again, you also want
guys who can challenge people in practice, and Doug McDermott
knows how to play in the NBA. I think it's
a twelfth season or something like that, and you know
he's gonna be helpful, useful in practice in the locker room.
(02:16):
It's fine, it's whatever. And he may not even be
he may even be on the final roster, like they
have to fill roster spots now. They can make cuts
down the road, so who knows what it's gonna come.
But the Kings don't have a lot of depth, especially
at the small four position. Just something today that was
doing a depth chart kind of breakdown of the Kings,
and it basically is Keegan or no, it wasn't even Keen,
(02:37):
because Keigan's list is the four. It was Derozeen lists
the three be with Clifford behind him, both who are
not necessarily true threes, although I think Clifford could be one.
And now you're on Doug McDermott into kind of that
third spot, so I mean, he's like a fifteenth guy.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It's not a big deal one way or another. But again,
you're looking for good.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Locker room press and it's a good guy in the
practice court and a guy that occasionally, you know, can
can maybe be a little bit of a spark when
you're desperate and needs something. That's kind of what you're
looking for With Doug McDermott, I think you can bring that.
I'm not mad again, and I don't think you took
any real risks with this and need to tie yourself
down for the future long term, So it's fine, it's whatever.
I don't know how much we've actually talked about the
(03:19):
Kings offseason. Do we talk about Denis Shruder even coming
the Kings.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I have no idea.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I don't remember where we left off with our last podcast,
but den Sruder is a King. You're looking at a
starting lineup probably if Dennis Shruder, zach Lavine, Demarta Rosen,
Keegan Murray and then Demontes Sabonis and behind them, you
got some interesting prospects and you could shuffle that. Like
if if you're bold and you're not worried about the
money that you've given to Levin and de Rosen, then
you can actually do a few things surrounding that, But
(03:48):
if not, then that's fine. Like, that's a pretty decent
starting lineup. I think they'll win more games than people
expect them to. Actually, I need to find the over
under for the Kings, because I heard I think it's
set of like thirty six and a half this year,
and I think that is undervaluing this team, although the
(04:09):
West is incredibly difficult. Like the King's roster is pretty good,
but the King's rap No, that's not it. Sorry, I'm
just doing a check all by myself. I normally turn
this over to Chris and let him talk while I
tried to find this thing. But but the the King's
roster is pretty good, but the West is so stacked.
(04:31):
I mean, it is just going to be hard to
win in the Western Conference. King's NBA title is they're
plus fifty thousand to win the NBA title. So yeah,
it doesn't look great on that. I can't find the
over under here quickly enough, so I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Gonna move on from that.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
But I think I've said at like thirty six thirty
seven and a half, and I think they're probably a
forty win team maybe, I mean maybe a little bit higher.
And just again in the Western Conference, I don't know
where wins are gonna come from. Like Phoenix is probably rebuilding,
Utah is not going to be good yet. San Antonio
is still young, but I actually think they're going to
take that step real quick here.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Maybe the Warriors are too old. You get some wins there.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I don't know, like Denver stacked, the Clippers are stacked,
the Rockets are stacked. Of course, the thunder bringing everybody
back on billions of dollars of contracts. It's millions, but
it feels like a lot. So there's just a lot
going on in the Western Conference, and I don't really
know how to how to deal with that. By the way,
a few of the things and may talk about some
of this again with Chris that I know we haven't covered.
The Knicks hired Mike Brown, so he got his job,
(05:30):
and the Knicks we're trying to hire every other head
coach before they.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Landed on Mike Brown.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I you know Mike Brown, like he knows how to win,
and he has a very good roster now with this
Knicks team, But there's also been weird things with him
at every stop, Like he's gotten fired after succeeding in
every place he's been in.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
So there's more to the store.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Even if you're like, h the King's just fired Mike
Brown and he's the coach of the year and all
this stuff, Like, there's more to Mike Brown than what
the record shows. He's clearly a very good coach, and
yet he continues to be left off of of team
like this. You know, the Kings were supposed to be
his last stop, like they were supposed to be the
(06:08):
sort of his final piece and final stop, final chance,
And he did well enough there that the Knicks gave
him a shot. Plus the Nicks couln't get anybody else
from all these other teams.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
So good for Mike Brown.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I hope he does well, not too well, because that'll
be annoying hearing about all the success he's having all
year long.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
But you know, he's a good guy. I'm rioinformed.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Well, he's seemingly a good guy. I don't know him personally.
I know it's crazy, but never met the guy. Seems
like a good guy though some roo informed well anyway.
In the NBA news, other nbaa's Devin Booker gets a
two year extension for one hundred and forty five million.
Sons are rebuilding around him. They released Bradley BeO, they
traded Kevin Durant. It is Devin Booker's team once again,
and it's all gonna be up to Devin Booker to
(06:50):
lead the charge. So there are are giving him the
money to keep him around. The Devin Booker thing is
weird because the guy is making I mean, that is
an insane amount of money, right, that's seventy I think
is seventy mil a year basically is what he's making.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
That feels like too much for Devin Booker. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Devin Booker is a very very good basketball player. I
would love I would love to have him. He's a
great scorer of the basketball. He's played ten seasons in
the NBA. He's made four NBA All Star teams. He's
made one All NBA First Team. I was in twenty
twenty two. Last year he was an All NBA third
team player and he made the All Rookie First Team.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
He won a three point contest.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
He I think has been to the NBA Finals once
if I remember correctly, And that's it, Like that's his accomplishments,
and he is worth seventy million dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
The problem. The problem with the NBA.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Like in the NFL, you have guys and you guys
being way overpaid. But basically like every new contract, you're like, Okay,
you are a guy who's worth more, but then like
the next guy is going to get more than the
previous guy. Devin Booker is making more than I think
just about everybody right now. And you know, the most
someone can make is basically what Devin Booker is making.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Like, no one can make more than Devin Booker.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Are you telling me that he is worth the same
amount of money as Yiannis, as Jokic, as shay As.
I mean, how many guys would you take over Devin Booker,
Because I mean the list is not super long, but
there's at least, it's for sure, at.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Least ten guys.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I mean I would take again Jokic, Shay Jannis for sure,
taking Lebron right now over him. I'm probably taking Steph
over him, KD. I don't know, Katie's kind of injury prone,
so maybe not KD. But like there's a number of
I mean, Anthony Edwards. I'm thinking I'm forgetting the young
guys Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony Towns maybe over over Devin Booker.
(08:53):
I'm probably like neglecting some some massive names here.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But I'm just like quickly going through a list.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I just to me, I look at that, and I
just I don't know, it's too much, it's too much.
I think the NBA has a real problem with the
salaries and the way they give out salaries. I mean,
a guy again, gal like Sa Bonus should not be
making a max contract. The Bonus is great, he's the
best rebounder in the league. He's a very good basketball player.
He shouldn't be making what is I think essentially a
max contract. Daron Fox should not be making a max contract.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I mean he's not.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Going to be I don't think with the Spurs, but
like that's what the Kings would have given him because
they have to keep him. Anyway, It's just a weird system,
and I don't know how you adjust it, Like if
it's based on merit, how many you know, how far
you go in the playoffs, how far?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Like how many all NBA All Star teams?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
All Star teams is a flawed one because we know
the All Star team, like Daron Fox should have made
more All Star teams than he has. But regardless, like
it's you know, it's just a flawed reality. So anyway, So,
but there's gotta be some sort of system that helps
balance these rosters out because like the thunder, so Devin
Booger gets max contract, He's two years, one hundred and
(09:56):
whatever million dollars.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I'm trying to find my my pull up my notes here.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
But the Thunder just paid all three of their their
big guys, and so Chet gets five years two hundred
fifty million, Shay gets four years for two eighty five,
and Jalen Williams gets five years at two eighty seven.
All of them get essentially the max that they can
possibly achieve.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Are they worth that? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I mean, if you're Oklahoma City, you certainly want to
keep the band together, right, And I don't understand the cap.
Supposedly they're fine, and people think with the salary cap
that's going to continue to increase, and TV market deals
are gonna continue to boom and they're gonna get more
and more money and so they have a ton of
draft picks and then be able to do if things fine.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I don't. I don't know, but like literally, the salary
cap is at.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
One hundred and fifty five million dollars, luxury taxes at
one eighty eight, and the three of them combined, Oh,
I don't even like our one seventy seven if you
just average it out per year. I don't get the
salary cap, but they're not like Electric or they're not
a eight first apron team whatever. Nobody cares anyway, They're
(11:04):
keeping the band together. Gave him all big paydays. Bradley
bial mentioned him earlier, got officially bought out by the Suns.
They're paying a lot of money to not have Bradley
Beal on their roster. He goes to the Clippers on
a smaller deal, and again the Clippers are stacked with talent.
They also just are signing Chris Paul or just signed
Chris Paul, so they're they're going for it. They're adding
(11:24):
you know, every piece they can. And good for them.
I guess they've They've got a ton of talent and
they'll be a competitor in the West, especially if Kawhi stays.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Healthy with that team, they're going to be be competing.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Big story, or to me, one of the coolest stories
is Damian Loward returns to the Blazers. It's not gonna
move the needle this year, but I think this is
cool because he he loves Portland. He's now basically gonna
you know, play out his final years of his contract
and in Portland, and they.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Get him pretty cheap.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Uh. Portland did some good business sending Dame off to Milwaukee,
getting a good haul back, and now they actually get
Dame back. They still got Drew Holliday sitting there. They
got some draft picks from that Dame deal. Like, they
ended up working the system pretty well. And again this
is where like the West is so incredibly difficult. Portland
might be a contender next year. Not like, I don't
(12:17):
think they're an NBA Finals contender, but a contender for
a playoff spot.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Sure, like they could certainly be in that mix.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
The Kings again have a good have I think a
better roster than people are giving them credit for. It's
still a weird roster. It doesn't fit super well, but
I don't know how you win in the West. Every
team is good or completely tanking. And the Jazz are
completely tanking. The Suns are they're not completely tanking, but
they've stripped it all down. But they're, you know, a
(12:47):
couple years away from potentially being good. Although their owner,
you want to talk about ownership being like involved, their
owner is very, very involved. So you know you think
Viveck is involved. It's it's true of a lot of owners. Actually,
that's a conversation I have with Chris, because I heard
that there's like two owners who do not get involved
with their franchise, and everyone else is like more hands
(13:07):
on than we think.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
They're maybe not as much as Vivic. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
They just make the right decisions. That's really, That's really
all it is. No one actually cares if you're involved
or not. Just make the right decisions, like if Vivic.
You know, if a championship happens, no one's gonna be like, oh,
Vivek's meddling. No nobody cares. It's just get wins. And
the Kings have lost for so long that you know,
we can only blame so many people. So Marcus Smart
went to the Lakers. There's that for you, all right,
(13:33):
But enough of that. Let's talk some King Summer League
and what we learned, what we didn't learn. Here's here's
the big thing for me, Devin Carter. Let's start with him,
because that's kind of the negative. Devin Carter is not
an NBA point guard, not yet for sure. Whether or
not he can be, I don't know. I think he's
(13:54):
way too quick to pull up and shoot. His first
game in Summer League was atrocious. I got the numbers
somewhere in front of me here. Let me see if
I can pull that up. Force that game against the
magic he was he was real bad. He Nope, that's
the magic one. Let's see. Devin Carter was two of fourteen,
oh four from three, He only had two assists, only
(14:19):
had one turnover. There was still plus one because the
game just dominated that game, but he was real bad.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
The next game he puts up thirty points. He was insane.
But it wasn't like he was a good point guard.
It wasn't like he's a good part of the team.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Like he just scored the ball efficiently. So then everyone's like,
oh yeah, Devin Card's great, like he's wonderful. And then
I felt like he had a couple of average games
and in the two playoff games we had, the semi final,
in the final, he was not good. If I never
have to see a Devin Carter three point attempt again,
I will be okay with that. Devin Carter to me,
(14:51):
I think he's an NBA defender. I don't think he
has an NBA offensive game right now. Doesn't mean he
can't develop it, and maybe maybe just in summer league,
Like he wasn't given the ability to do what he
can do, but I'm not impressed, Like he hasn't shot
the ball well, he doesn't have the vision to run
(15:12):
the floor well. I think there's some people, some media members,
some Kings fans who like want to see Devin Carter
as being good.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I just I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I've never been a big Devin Carter guy. And it's fine,
Like I if he's on our team, I'm gonna root
for him, I'm gonna pull for him, and I'm gonna
believe that we can get the best from him. But
right now, I've not seen anything to me that's impressive.
Like defensively he's good, but he's still six too. I
know he's got a big wingspan so he can rebound
(15:41):
as a guard. That's an exciting thing. I just is
he better than Keon Ellis? My kingspent Would you play
him over Keon Ellis? Because you can't play the two
of them together. I just don't think that works. I
don't think he's defensively he's better than Keon Ellis, And offensively.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I don't think. I don't think he's better than Keon.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
But also like, would you play him over Milik Monk
because those are kind of the guys he's competing with
for spots. You're not like, he's not better than Zach Lavine.
He's a better defender than Zach Levine. Certainly he's better
defender than Milik Monk, but he's not more valuable to
you than than Zach Lavine is. So Levine's gonna get
his minutes. DeRozan's gonna get his minutes. Like he's gonna
play there. He's not brether Nick Clifford. I not again
(16:25):
right now. I just like, I'm not saying he can't
develop and he doesn't have potential.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I don't see it.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
And there's some uh, some some Friars fans out there
trying to remember what what what college that actually is
that just believe he is.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
He is great.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And I saw someone say you don't know ball because
not to me, to someone else who said that Devin
Carter wasn't good, but he was not good in the
Summer League, like he just overall You're looking at Devin
Carter and you're like, he was okay for a few games,
but too many mistakes, too many failures, at least three
out of the when they play six games. He was
probably a negative asset rather than a positive one. That's
(17:03):
a problem. I don't think Devin Carter has a future
with the Sacramento Kings. Hopefully the Warriors believe that they
can get something out of him and we can still
make the Community deal happen. But I don't think the
Community deal is happening, by the way. Uh, just many
too many issues. Again, they're gonna have to read you
the CBA like they have to figure something out.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Because John Than.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Kamina should have an offer sheet on the table already
from a team, and if there was cap space, he
would if he wasn't a restricted free agent, he would
already be on a team. And the Warriors are holding
him hostage because they don't want to give him up
for nothing, and they have the right to do that
as a restricted free agent. But no one can make
an offer to take him away from the Warriors or
force the Warriors to sign him and then make a
(17:43):
deal like nobody has. There's no ability for anything to happen,
and the Warriors don't want him. They just they just
don't want him, and so he is stuck on a
team that doesn't want him, that doesn't want to pay him,
and can't go to a team that doesn't want him
because nobody has the finances to make to happen, and
the Warriors aren't willing to accept less assets to move him.
(18:06):
I don't know where that ends up, but anyway, they're
gonna have to change that. So, yeah, Devin Carter is
the negative here. But let's talk the rookies. Maxim ray
No and Devin Carter. They took off in game one,
had a great start to the Summer League, and Nick
Clifford he was He was good the entire way through
a couple of rough games. We'll get to the championship
semi final in just a moment here, But started out,
(18:28):
you know, a little bit slow offensively, and then kind
of took over in the second half of the first game.
He ended up going five of twelve, one of three
from three. He had four rebounds, three assists, two steals,
one block, and ends up with I think of sixteen
seventeen points. Maxim Reno shows some bag in the first game.
(18:49):
I mean he was driving to the hoop. Sixteen points
in the first game, six rebounds for him, and so
you know, those are are good numbers for the two
of them. I could go through the box score. But
you look at Rena sat out I think the third game.
But otherwise they both really had a good series through
up through the first four games, they both looked good.
(19:11):
Here's here's here's what stands up to me. Nick Clifford,
by the way, was rated as through the first four
where everyone got to go. He was rated as the
best player in Summer League, or at least the best
rookie in Summer League. That was Yeah, for sure, the
best rookie. Did not get it done in the championship game.
kN Knupple wins the Summer League MVP. But again we'll
come to that. I thought Nick showed great vision for
(19:34):
the floor. I thought his passing was really good. I
thought defensively, he looked like, you know, he was strong,
he got into good spaces, covered well, he shot the
ball well from three point field goal percentage like he
you know, got in there, got some rebounds, got some assists,
like he did a little bit of everything in the game.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
And that was fun to watch. Yeah, let's just pause
on those first four games.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
He looked like an NBA player through those first four
and and and that's a really exciting thing because we
need him to you got an older rookie twenty three
years old. You want him to be a contributor day one.
That should be expected. Now, I don't know if he's
gonna win Rookie of the Year, partly because I don't think
there's enough minutes for him. I think best case scenarios
playing about twenty minutes a game. I would like to
(20:19):
see him play more. I would like to see them
some give them kind of some keys to him. But
he's he's got seventy million dollars sitting in front of him.
At positions he could play. I think with Nick Clifford,
maybe he could be Maybe he's an MBA point guard.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I don't know, Like maybe he could get some backup
minutes at the one and you can kind of develop
That doesn't look like they're trying to There was some
talks over his college coach that he could, but but
I don't think that's what they're pushing because they didn't
push that in summer league, and maybe they just wanted
to get him to get comfortable.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
But two three, those are the other two spots I
think Nick Clifford will be playing. He's got Zach Lavine
at fifty something mill and DeMar deroz It twenty five
thirty mili or something like that ahead of him. I
just don't know that you're sitting those guys. You should
probably or maybe go the first like fifteen to twenty
(21:13):
games and see if this team can win.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
And then go to the young guys.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
If we're not, like you know, solidly in a playoff position.
But I don't know that's what we're gonna do. I
have no idea what to expect with this season, really
no idea, but I would like to see Nick Clifford
play some minutes. I'd like to see maxim right No
play some minutes and he shoot some bag. The positive
is he can step out shoot the three. He's seven
(21:41):
to one, so he's you know, able to score inside.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
He's he's got good vision as well.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
He's a communicator, like he's a great team guy. You
see me even on the bench, like he's just communicating.
I think defensively he's got some issues, but he as
a team player, I think can play defense on the
on that side, and maybe he can get better at
shifting his feet and kind of getting in front of
the ball. I think the big thing for Ray no
is he just needs to get stronger and maybe he
(22:07):
has the muscle for it, and so maybe it's just
a mental toughness, but he got bodied too much. And
also for his height, he did not rebound the wall
that well. There were too many times where he was
getting rebounds knocked out of his hands. That's got to
be better at the NBA level. That's the one thing
he needs to improve on. The Doug Christy and his
staff are gonna have to work with him on just
being a little bit of like a solid, strong down
(22:31):
low presence. And by the way, there's no one better
to teach him than the Monte Sabonis.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Like Sabonis is not that big of a guy, but.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
That dude is strong and he knows how to use
his body, and he knows how to get rebounds, and
he knows how to fight down low. I think that
was a great guy to learn from on the rebounding,
the toughness and kind of playing bigger than even you are.
So if Rena can learn that, like he's an NBA player,
he's got some bag.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
He can score the.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Ball in multiple ways. I think he can learn to
be a decent defender. And if he can learn how
to kind of throw his body around a bit. Yeah,
you got something there. Great passer, by the way, like
very good passer.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Two.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I'm excited to see him play. We'll see like Drew
Eubanks is on the team. I don't know, Drew eu
Banks gonna play over right now?
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Who knows? You know who might play over right?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
No?
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Those Isaac Jones.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Isaac Jones stepped up, especially in the semifinals and finals.
He was fantastic. Thirty six points in the semifinal and
then in the final. What was his stat line? Ten
of seventeen one and one from three huge three pointer,
eleven rebounds, two assists, one block, twenty four points in
(23:43):
that championship game.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
He was great. Would love to see Isaac Jones getting
a little bit more run at the NBA level.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
We saw a couple flashes of it in Sacramento last year.
I think, you know, is he gonna be an NBA star?
I don't know, But like Kean Ellis was on the
two way and he's turned into a done, I'd like
to see Isaac Jones get some minutes I see him play.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
I mean, what else do you like again?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
You talk about depth chart, you're looking at at the
five spot, Sabonis, Ray Know, if he's playing the five
and U Banks, it's kind of your five spot there
at the four, you got Keegan and Dario Sarich.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Those are basically your.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Options unless you're, you know, having Doug McDermott play four,
but maybe re know is a stretch four next to
Sabonis or Isaac Jones. Get in there, bang down low
a little bit, see what he's got. By the way,
I also like Dylan Cardwell. Dylan Carter was a fun prospect,
like he's he's got He's gonna have to develop his game,
but he's he's pretty good defensively, He'll he'll get down
(24:44):
there and rebound the ball. You know, doesn't have a
ton of offensive game right now, but limited mints in
summer League. I liked Mysel a little bit from him.
He's a hustler, he's he's the kind of guy that
you throw in late in a game and Kings fans
are just going to adore him. I just think he's
gonna he's gonna work hard, he's going to do the
right things. Isaiah Stevens is the other one who, you know,
(25:06):
Kings finn should pay attention to h took over for
Mason Jones in the starting lineup and kind of became
that that point guard for the team. I, you know,
nothing negative to say about him, nothing like overly positive.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I thought he was he was pretty good.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
He was fine, Like, didn't really do a whole lot
of anything amazing, but I didn't think it was bad.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
So I don't know. He's He's our two way guy.
That's why we got to pay attention to him.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
The championship game. Listen, let me start with this. There's
a lot of people who are like, ah, summer League.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
It's it's it's summer league. Who cares?
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Why are getting worked up about Summer League. I was
thinking about this, and again, this is the conversation I'm
gonna have with Chris. Chris, if you're hearing this, we're
gonna talk about this when you get back. Every single
ring you win only matters because we have made up
some standard to say that it matters. Like if the
entire world decided that Summer League was the most important
(26:04):
part of the NBA season, then the Summer League ring
would be the most important. Like it's all just based
on perception. The NBA Cup is a thing now, right,
do we care about the NBA Cup. We don't know
if we care about the NBA Cup. But if you
care about the NBA Cup, then it matters, right, Like,
That's what it comes down to. If you care about it,
(26:24):
then it matters, And so does Is an NBA Championship
more important than a gold medal in the Olympics? Yeah? Probably,
but why because players care more about it than they
do about an Olympic gold medal. But if they decide
the international basketball the most important thing, like, then soccer,
the World Cup is probably the most important thing to win.
(26:45):
If you can win a World Cup, Champions League would
be kind of the second thing. If you can win
a World Cup, it's probably matters more.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Too than Champions League.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
But there are teams where like even Champions League means
like I'm a Liverpool fan, I know this means nothing
to you, guys. Liverpool plays in England and for them
for a long time, like the Premier League, winning the
Premier League in twenty twenty was more significant than winning
Champions League because the Premier League had been the thing
that had been eluding them for years. They'd won the
(27:12):
Champions League, they just hadn't won Premier League, and so
it's all based on perception anyway. All that to say,
if you like Summer League and you want to root
for the team and you want to like do it
this whole like, oh, just Summer League, you shouldn't care.
You're dumb for caring. No, Like you're having fun watching
Summer League and listen, I was having fun rooting for
our team in Summer League, rooting for our guys, and
they clearly wanted it, like they were coming out and
(27:35):
I think Mason Jones was coming out and he's like,
we want to be the first team that you know,
won a G League championship and then wins Summer League
and in the same year, Like that's cool, go get
it anyway. Semifinals, I gotta go back. Semi finals, played
the Raptors and did get the win. But that game,
that game was so frustrating to watch. The Raptors went
(27:56):
full Corpretz for you know, three fourth the game or
more than that, for sure, three courts they were full
court pressing, and I don't know, it's a little bit
weird because like, Raptors, are you ever going to do
this in an NBA game? Like is that your strategy,
by the way, if it is great, like I mean,
I think there should be teams that do it, like
(28:16):
get more depth and put pressure on these teams, like
be the most fit team and be a nightmare to
play against, like make them miserable. And they made the
Kings miserable. Kings had a hard time getting the ball
up the court, and they were super physical. It took
from the Thunder mentality. And I don't know if other
teams are going to do this, but in my opinion,
the Thunder they found a hack, and the hack is
(28:39):
that they can hack people. They play super physical. There's
a lot of fouls that are committed. But when you're
constantly just hitting guys and banging against guys, I think
the rest at some point are like, we don't want
to call all these like every time you're playing defense
there's a foul, you're not gonna do it. The old
Seahawks strategy of the see how it's legion a boom
(29:01):
where there's like where you can do past my reference
on ever play and just call it good anyway. So
the Raptors that was their strategy. They banged against these
Kings team, and I think Nick Clifford struggled with that maximary.
No struggled a little bit. Are all of our guards struggled,
and it just didn't look pretty. And I think we
can win in the second game, just banged up, beat up.
The Hornets had cruise in their semi final game, and
(29:23):
you just saw it coming out, like we just did
not have the same energy the Hornets had made it
close in the end.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
I thought we were fouled there on the end.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
I thought dayk one plowed and got fouled coming over
the back basically on that rebound attempt, and everyone's like, oh,
you fell on the ground. You're laying down, and then
Isaiah Isaiah Isaac Isaac Jones was not diving to the
ground and you're like, all right, kick the ball like
it's a fluke play. It's crazy, and everyone's like, oh,
(29:50):
these Kings suck and they're back to Kings. It's like,
I don't know, they played hard, they were fun to watch.
I'm proud of them, and yeah, it was like an
ugly last game and an ugly last play, but like,
I don't know, it's the Summer League team. You expect
some of that stuff to happen, and it did, and
It's unfortunate and it sucks, and I'm actually disappointed. I
genuinely been disappointed. I wanted to see this team win.
(30:12):
I think they wanted to win, which makes me want
it for them, and we didn't get the job done.
But I thought the refereeing in the last two games
was atrocious. That's just my take. And I know like
where Kings fans were always, you know, gonna feel like
we were screwed. But I thought the refereing was was terrible,
especially in the Raptors game, where I thought there was
a foul outterfoul foul that wasn't being called. But I
(30:35):
think in the in the Hornets game, I think there
were some tough calls that were missed that we didn't get,
and I think you make those calls. It's a different game,
it's a different story. So anyway, Kings come up just
a little bit short. They're basically, you know, their offseason
is pretty much done. There may be a move here
or there, but they're just now going to be getting
ready for training camp in preseason and getting set, which
(30:58):
means it.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Is time to turn our attention to football.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
And I'm not going to give you a whole bnch
football tal because I've aread talked way longer than I
meant to on this podcast here just in general, NBA Kings,
all that kind of stuff. Niners have some receiver problems,
they got some drama. Hopefully next week I'll talk about that.
I don't think I'm with Chris Mayb. We'll find a
different day. I don't know if we can.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
We'll try and find it a day where we can
jump on a podcast together.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
If not, we're a few weeks away, but we will
be basically in Niners preseason by the time we Chris
and I are supposed to be scheduled to be back
together again here in a few weeks, which is crazy.
It is almost NFL season, which is exciting.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Right, Yes, I knew you were excited. Anyway, How do
we all feel about having a podcast with just me
and not Chris? Oh? That was not wrong one again? Man,
I'm terrible at this thing, which one time? Want to
do this one all right?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I will learn these sound effects at some point. Anyway,
Thank you for listening. Don't forget to like and subscribe.
I promise this will not be me every week because
it's just not as much without Chris Johnson here, but
I appreciate all of you. Thanks for listening to podcasts,
being fans, and tuning in each and every week.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
We love you. Peace out beat La
Welcome to Sacktown Sports.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I am Ryan Balbi, normally joined by Chris Johnson, but
he is gone today and we haven't been able to
recording a bit, so I have too many thoughts swirling
through my head. Figured i'd come and drop a little
podcast for you. If you like it, then you can cheer,
and if not, you can give it one of these.
(00:33):
All right, enough for the sound effects machine probably, but
I have some jokes for you, all right, too much
fun anyway, Chris is not here, and yeah, I'm gonna
drop some some summer league thoughts and maybe a few
NBA things, just kind of wrapping some stuff up in
my head that's been happening in the King's off season, Sacramento,
Sacramento NBA off season as well as Sacramento. By the way,
big breaking news today, the Kings re signed Doug McDermott.
(01:01):
Actually that might have been a more appropriate crickets one. Okay,
I promise I'm not gonna do the sound effects machine
the whole time. The Kings signed Dom McDermott. Not a
big deal. It's also not a bad signing either. I
saw one person on Twitter it it was kind of
acting like, oh wow, how boring and terrible that the
Kings resigned Doug McDermott. I don't think that's the right
(01:23):
stance to have. He's a six to seven guy. I
think wing who shot like forty four percent from three
point in like very limited mans.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I mean he averaged like three points a game.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I think when you told it out played forty something games,
you know, had a couple like big fourth quarter spurts
also had some times where he came in and you
expect him to do something he didn't, So I I
just to me, it's like you got to fill the
roster somehow. And if he's a good locker room presence,
a good practice guy, great, Like he's not going to play,
He's not going to move the needle one way or another.
(01:53):
He's just a guy that you fill your roster space
out with. I guess if you want, like only to
give the roster to young guys, then may you could
make that case that like just goes super young and
don't worry about the talent. But again, you also want
guys who can challenge people in practice, and Doug McDermott
knows how to play in the NBA. I think it's
a twelfth season or something like that, and you know
he's gonna be helpful, useful in practice in the locker room.
(02:16):
It's fine, it's whatever. And he may not even be
he may even be on the final roster, like they
have to fill roster spots now. They can make cuts
down the road, so who knows what it's gonna come.
But the Kings don't have a lot of depth, especially
at the small four position. Just something today that was
doing a depth chart kind of breakdown of the Kings,
and it basically is Keegan or no, it wasn't even Keen,
(02:37):
because Keigan's list is the four. It was Derozeen lists
the three be with Clifford behind him, both who are
not necessarily true threes, although I think Clifford could be one.
And now you're on Doug McDermott into kind of that
third spot, so I mean, he's like a fifteenth guy.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It's not a big deal one way or another. But again,
you're looking for good.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Locker room press and it's a good guy in the
practice court and a guy that occasionally, you know, can
can maybe be a little bit of a spark when
you're desperate and needs something. That's kind of what you're
looking for With Doug McDermott, I think you can bring that.
I'm not mad again, and I don't think you took
any real risks with this and need to tie yourself
down for the future long term, So it's fine, it's whatever.
I don't know how much we've actually talked about the
(03:19):
Kings offseason. Do we talk about Denis Shruder even coming
the Kings.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I have no idea.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I don't remember where we left off with our last podcast,
but den Sruder is a King. You're looking at a
starting lineup probably if Dennis Shruder, zach Lavine, Demarta Rosen,
Keegan Murray and then Demontes Sabonis and behind them, you
got some interesting prospects and you could shuffle that. Like
if if you're bold and you're not worried about the
money that you've given to Levin and de Rosen, then
you can actually do a few things surrounding that, But
(03:48):
if not, then that's fine. Like, that's a pretty decent
starting lineup. I think they'll win more games than people
expect them to. Actually, I need to find the over
under for the Kings, because I heard I think it's
set of like thirty six and a half this year,
and I think that is undervaluing this team, although the
(04:09):
West is incredibly difficult. Like the King's roster is pretty good,
but the King's rap No, that's not it. Sorry, I'm
just doing a check all by myself. I normally turn
this over to Chris and let him talk while I
tried to find this thing. But but the the King's
roster is pretty good, but the West is so stacked.
(04:31):
I mean, it is just going to be hard to
win in the Western Conference. King's NBA title is they're
plus fifty thousand to win the NBA title. So yeah,
it doesn't look great on that. I can't find the
over under here quickly enough, so I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Gonna move on from that.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
But I think I've said at like thirty six thirty
seven and a half, and I think they're probably a
forty win team maybe, I mean maybe a little bit higher.
And just again in the Western Conference, I don't know
where wins are gonna come from. Like Phoenix is probably rebuilding,
Utah is not going to be good yet. San Antonio
is still young, but I actually think they're going to
take that step real quick here.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Maybe the Warriors are too old. You get some wins there.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I don't know, like Denver stacked, the Clippers are stacked,
the Rockets are stacked. Of course, the thunder bringing everybody
back on billions of dollars of contracts. It's millions, but
it feels like a lot. So there's just a lot
going on in the Western Conference, and I don't really
know how to how to deal with that. By the way,
a few of the things and may talk about some
of this again with Chris that I know we haven't covered.
The Knicks hired Mike Brown, so he got his job,
(05:30):
and the Knicks we're trying to hire every other head
coach before they.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Landed on Mike Brown.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I you know Mike Brown, like he knows how to win,
and he has a very good roster now with this
Knicks team, But there's also been weird things with him
at every stop, Like he's gotten fired after succeeding in
every place he's been in.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
So there's more to the store.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Even if you're like, h the King's just fired Mike
Brown and he's the coach of the year and all
this stuff, Like, there's more to Mike Brown than what
the record shows. He's clearly a very good coach, and
yet he continues to be left off of of team
like this. You know, the Kings were supposed to be
his last stop, like they were supposed to be the
(06:08):
sort of his final piece and final stop, final chance,
And he did well enough there that the Knicks gave
him a shot. Plus the Nicks couln't get anybody else
from all these other teams.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
So good for Mike Brown.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I hope he does well, not too well, because that'll
be annoying hearing about all the success he's having all
year long.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
But you know, he's a good guy. I'm rioinformed.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Well, he's seemingly a good guy. I don't know him personally.
I know it's crazy, but never met the guy. Seems
like a good guy though some roo informed well anyway.
In the NBA news, other nbaa's Devin Booker gets a
two year extension for one hundred and forty five million.
Sons are rebuilding around him. They released Bradley BeO, they
traded Kevin Durant. It is Devin Booker's team once again,
and it's all gonna be up to Devin Booker to
(06:50):
lead the charge. So there are are giving him the
money to keep him around. The Devin Booker thing is
weird because the guy is making I mean, that is
an insane amount of money, right, that's seventy I think
is seventy mil a year basically is what he's making.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
That feels like too much for Devin Booker. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Devin Booker is a very very good basketball player. I
would love I would love to have him. He's a
great scorer of the basketball. He's played ten seasons in
the NBA. He's made four NBA All Star teams. He's
made one All NBA First Team. I was in twenty
twenty two. Last year he was an All NBA third
team player and he made the All Rookie First Team.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
He won a three point contest.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
He I think has been to the NBA Finals once
if I remember correctly, And that's it, Like that's his accomplishments,
and he is worth seventy million dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
The problem. The problem with the NBA.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Like in the NFL, you have guys and you guys
being way overpaid. But basically like every new contract, you're like, Okay,
you are a guy who's worth more, but then like
the next guy is going to get more than the
previous guy. Devin Booker is making more than I think
just about everybody right now. And you know, the most
someone can make is basically what Devin Booker is making.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Like, no one can make more than Devin Booker.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Are you telling me that he is worth the same
amount of money as Yiannis, as Jokic, as shay As.
I mean, how many guys would you take over Devin Booker,
Because I mean the list is not super long, but
there's at least, it's for sure, at.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Least ten guys.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I mean I would take again Jokic, Shay Jannis for sure,
taking Lebron right now over him. I'm probably taking Steph
over him, KD. I don't know, Katie's kind of injury prone,
so maybe not KD. But like there's a number of
I mean, Anthony Edwards. I'm thinking I'm forgetting the young
guys Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony Towns maybe over over Devin Booker.
(08:53):
I'm probably like neglecting some some massive names here.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But I'm just like quickly going through a list.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I just to me, I look at that, and I
just I don't know, it's too much, it's too much.
I think the NBA has a real problem with the
salaries and the way they give out salaries. I mean,
a guy again, gal like Sa Bonus should not be
making a max contract. The Bonus is great, he's the
best rebounder in the league. He's a very good basketball player.
He shouldn't be making what is I think essentially a
max contract. Daron Fox should not be making a max contract.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I mean he's not.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Going to be I don't think with the Spurs, but
like that's what the Kings would have given him because
they have to keep him. Anyway, It's just a weird system,
and I don't know how you adjust it, Like if
it's based on merit, how many you know, how far
you go in the playoffs, how far?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Like how many all NBA All Star teams?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
All Star teams is a flawed one because we know
the All Star team, like Daron Fox should have made
more All Star teams than he has. But regardless, like
it's you know, it's just a flawed reality. So anyway, So,
but there's gotta be some sort of system that helps
balance these rosters out because like the thunder, so Devin
Booger gets max contract, He's two years, one hundred and
(09:56):
whatever million dollars.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I'm trying to find my my pull up my notes here.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
But the Thunder just paid all three of their their
big guys, and so Chet gets five years two hundred
fifty million, Shay gets four years for two eighty five,
and Jalen Williams gets five years at two eighty seven.
All of them get essentially the max that they can
possibly achieve.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Are they worth that? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I mean, if you're Oklahoma City, you certainly want to
keep the band together, right, And I don't understand the cap.
Supposedly they're fine, and people think with the salary cap
that's going to continue to increase, and TV market deals
are gonna continue to boom and they're gonna get more
and more money and so they have a ton of
draft picks and then be able to do if things fine.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I don't. I don't know, but like literally, the salary
cap is at.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
One hundred and fifty five million dollars, luxury taxes at
one eighty eight, and the three of them combined, Oh,
I don't even like our one seventy seven if you
just average it out per year. I don't get the
salary cap, but they're not like Electric or they're not
a eight first apron team whatever. Nobody cares anyway, They're
(11:04):
keeping the band together. Gave him all big paydays. Bradley
bial mentioned him earlier, got officially bought out by the Suns.
They're paying a lot of money to not have Bradley
Beal on their roster. He goes to the Clippers on
a smaller deal, and again the Clippers are stacked with talent.
They also just are signing Chris Paul or just signed
Chris Paul, so they're they're going for it. They're adding
(11:24):
you know, every piece they can. And good for them.
I guess they've They've got a ton of talent and
they'll be a competitor in the West, especially if Kawhi stays.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Healthy with that team, they're going to be be competing.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Big story, or to me, one of the coolest stories
is Damian Loward returns to the Blazers. It's not gonna
move the needle this year, but I think this is
cool because he he loves Portland. He's now basically gonna
you know, play out his final years of his contract
and in Portland, and they.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Get him pretty cheap.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Uh. Portland did some good business sending Dame off to Milwaukee,
getting a good haul back, and now they actually get
Dame back. They still got Drew Holliday sitting there. They
got some draft picks from that Dame deal. Like, they
ended up working the system pretty well. And again this
is where like the West is so incredibly difficult. Portland
might be a contender next year. Not like, I don't
(12:17):
think they're an NBA Finals contender, but a contender for
a playoff spot.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Sure, like they could certainly be in that mix.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
The Kings again have a good have I think a
better roster than people are giving them credit for. It's
still a weird roster. It doesn't fit super well, but
I don't know how you win in the West. Every
team is good or completely tanking. And the Jazz are
completely tanking. The Suns are they're not completely tanking, but
they've stripped it all down. But they're, you know, a
(12:47):
couple years away from potentially being good. Although their owner,
you want to talk about ownership being like involved, their
owner is very, very involved. So you know you think
Viveck is involved. It's it's true of a lot of owners. Actually,
that's a conversation I have with Chris, because I heard
that there's like two owners who do not get involved
with their franchise, and everyone else is like more hands
(13:07):
on than we think.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
They're maybe not as much as Vivic. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
They just make the right decisions. That's really, That's really
all it is. No one actually cares if you're involved
or not. Just make the right decisions, like if Vivic.
You know, if a championship happens, no one's gonna be like, oh,
Vivek's meddling. No nobody cares. It's just get wins. And
the Kings have lost for so long that you know,
we can only blame so many people. So Marcus Smart
went to the Lakers. There's that for you, all right,
(13:33):
But enough of that. Let's talk some King Summer League
and what we learned, what we didn't learn. Here's here's
the big thing for me, Devin Carter. Let's start with him,
because that's kind of the negative. Devin Carter is not
an NBA point guard, not yet for sure. Whether or
not he can be, I don't know. I think he's
(13:54):
way too quick to pull up and shoot. His first
game in Summer League was atrocious. I got the numbers
somewhere in front of me here. Let me see if
I can pull that up. Force that game against the
magic he was he was real bad. He Nope, that's
the magic one. Let's see. Devin Carter was two of fourteen,
oh four from three, He only had two assists, only
(14:19):
had one turnover. There was still plus one because the
game just dominated that game, but he was real bad.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
The next game he puts up thirty points. He was insane.
But it wasn't like he was a good point guard.
It wasn't like he's a good part of the team.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Like he just scored the ball efficiently. So then everyone's like,
oh yeah, Devin Card's great, like he's wonderful. And then
I felt like he had a couple of average games
and in the two playoff games we had, the semi final,
in the final, he was not good. If I never
have to see a Devin Carter three point attempt again,
I will be okay with that. Devin Carter to me,
(14:51):
I think he's an NBA defender. I don't think he
has an NBA offensive game right now. Doesn't mean he
can't develop it, and maybe maybe just in summer league,
Like he wasn't given the ability to do what he
can do, but I'm not impressed, Like he hasn't shot
the ball well, he doesn't have the vision to run
(15:12):
the floor well. I think there's some people, some media members,
some Kings fans who like want to see Devin Carter
as being good.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I just I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I've never been a big Devin Carter guy. And it's fine,
Like I if he's on our team, I'm gonna root
for him, I'm gonna pull for him, and I'm gonna
believe that we can get the best from him. But
right now, I've not seen anything to me that's impressive.
Like defensively he's good, but he's still six too. I
know he's got a big wingspan so he can rebound
(15:41):
as a guard. That's an exciting thing. I just is
he better than Keon Ellis? My kingspent Would you play
him over Keon Ellis? Because you can't play the two
of them together. I just don't think that works. I
don't think he's defensively he's better than Keon Ellis, And offensively.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I don't think. I don't think he's better than Keon.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
But also like, would you play him over Milik Monk
because those are kind of the guys he's competing with
for spots. You're not like, he's not better than Zach Lavine.
He's a better defender than Zach Levine. Certainly he's better
defender than Milik Monk, but he's not more valuable to
you than than Zach Lavine is. So Levine's gonna get
his minutes. DeRozan's gonna get his minutes. Like he's gonna
play there. He's not brether Nick Clifford. I not again
(16:25):
right now. I just like, I'm not saying he can't
develop and he doesn't have potential.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I don't see it.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
And there's some uh, some some Friars fans out there
trying to remember what what what college that actually is
that just believe he is.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
He is great.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And I saw someone say you don't know ball because
not to me, to someone else who said that Devin
Carter wasn't good, but he was not good in the
Summer League, like he just overall You're looking at Devin
Carter and you're like, he was okay for a few games,
but too many mistakes, too many failures, at least three
out of the when they play six games. He was
probably a negative asset rather than a positive one. That's
(17:03):
a problem. I don't think Devin Carter has a future
with the Sacramento Kings. Hopefully the Warriors believe that they
can get something out of him and we can still
make the Community deal happen. But I don't think the
Community deal is happening, by the way. Uh, just many
too many issues. Again, they're gonna have to read you
the CBA like they have to figure something out.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Because John Than.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Kamina should have an offer sheet on the table already
from a team, and if there was cap space, he
would if he wasn't a restricted free agent, he would
already be on a team. And the Warriors are holding
him hostage because they don't want to give him up
for nothing, and they have the right to do that
as a restricted free agent. But no one can make
an offer to take him away from the Warriors or
force the Warriors to sign him and then make a
(17:43):
deal like nobody has. There's no ability for anything to happen,
and the Warriors don't want him. They just they just
don't want him, and so he is stuck on a
team that doesn't want him, that doesn't want to pay him,
and can't go to a team that doesn't want him
because nobody has the finances to make to happen, and
the Warriors aren't willing to accept less assets to move him.
(18:06):
I don't know where that ends up, but anyway, they're
gonna have to change that. So, yeah, Devin Carter is
the negative here. But let's talk the rookies. Maxim ray
No and Devin Carter. They took off in game one,
had a great start to the Summer League, and Nick
Clifford he was He was good the entire way through
a couple of rough games. We'll get to the championship
semi final in just a moment here, But started out,
(18:28):
you know, a little bit slow offensively, and then kind
of took over in the second half of the first game.
He ended up going five of twelve, one of three
from three. He had four rebounds, three assists, two steals,
one block, and ends up with I think of sixteen
seventeen points. Maxim Reno shows some bag in the first game.
(18:49):
I mean he was driving to the hoop. Sixteen points
in the first game, six rebounds for him, and so
you know, those are are good numbers for the two
of them. I could go through the box score. But
you look at Rena sat out I think the third game.
But otherwise they both really had a good series through
up through the first four games, they both looked good.
(19:11):
Here's here's here's what stands up to me. Nick Clifford,
by the way, was rated as through the first four
where everyone got to go. He was rated as the
best player in Summer League, or at least the best
rookie in Summer League. That was Yeah, for sure, the
best rookie. Did not get it done in the championship game.
kN Knupple wins the Summer League MVP. But again we'll
come to that. I thought Nick showed great vision for
(19:34):
the floor. I thought his passing was really good. I
thought defensively, he looked like, you know, he was strong,
he got into good spaces, covered well, he shot the
ball well from three point field goal percentage like he
you know, got in there, got some rebounds, got some assists,
like he did a little bit of everything in the game.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
And that was fun to watch. Yeah, let's just pause
on those first four games.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
He looked like an NBA player through those first four
and and and that's a really exciting thing because we
need him to you got an older rookie twenty three
years old. You want him to be a contributor day one.
That should be expected. Now, I don't know if he's
gonna win Rookie of the Year, partly because I don't think
there's enough minutes for him. I think best case scenarios
playing about twenty minutes a game. I would like to
(20:19):
see him play more. I would like to see them
some give them kind of some keys to him. But
he's he's got seventy million dollars sitting in front of him.
At positions he could play. I think with Nick Clifford,
maybe he could be Maybe he's an MBA point guard.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I don't know, Like maybe he could get some backup
minutes at the one and you can kind of develop
That doesn't look like they're trying to There was some
talks over his college coach that he could, but but
I don't think that's what they're pushing because they didn't
push that in summer league, and maybe they just wanted
to get him to get comfortable.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
But two three, those are the other two spots I
think Nick Clifford will be playing. He's got Zach Lavine
at fifty something mill and DeMar deroz It twenty five
thirty mili or something like that ahead of him. I
just don't know that you're sitting those guys. You should
probably or maybe go the first like fifteen to twenty
(21:13):
games and see if this team can win.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
And then go to the young guys.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
If we're not, like you know, solidly in a playoff position.
But I don't know that's what we're gonna do. I
have no idea what to expect with this season, really
no idea, but I would like to see Nick Clifford
play some minutes. I'd like to see maxim right No
play some minutes and he shoot some bag. The positive
is he can step out shoot the three. He's seven
(21:41):
to one, so he's you know, able to score inside.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
He's he's got good vision as well.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
He's a communicator, like he's a great team guy. You
see me even on the bench, like he's just communicating.
I think defensively he's got some issues, but he as
a team player, I think can play defense on the
on that side, and maybe he can get better at
shifting his feet and kind of getting in front of
the ball. I think the big thing for Ray no
is he just needs to get stronger and maybe he
(22:07):
has the muscle for it, and so maybe it's just
a mental toughness, but he got bodied too much. And
also for his height, he did not rebound the wall
that well. There were too many times where he was
getting rebounds knocked out of his hands. That's got to
be better at the NBA level. That's the one thing
he needs to improve on. The Doug Christy and his
staff are gonna have to work with him on just
being a little bit of like a solid, strong down
(22:31):
low presence. And by the way, there's no one better
to teach him than the Monte Sabonis.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Like Sabonis is not that big of a guy, but.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
That dude is strong and he knows how to use
his body, and he knows how to get rebounds, and
he knows how to fight down low. I think that
was a great guy to learn from on the rebounding,
the toughness and kind of playing bigger than even you are.
So if Rena can learn that, like he's an NBA player,
he's got some bag.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
He can score the.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Ball in multiple ways. I think he can learn to
be a decent defender. And if he can learn how
to kind of throw his body around a bit. Yeah,
you got something there. Great passer, by the way, like
very good passer.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Two.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I'm excited to see him play. We'll see like Drew
Eubanks is on the team. I don't know, Drew eu
Banks gonna play over right now?
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Who knows? You know who might play over right?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
No?
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Those Isaac Jones.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Isaac Jones stepped up, especially in the semifinals and finals.
He was fantastic. Thirty six points in the semifinal and
then in the final. What was his stat line? Ten
of seventeen one and one from three huge three pointer,
eleven rebounds, two assists, one block, twenty four points in
(23:43):
that championship game.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
He was great. Would love to see Isaac Jones getting
a little bit more run at the NBA level.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
We saw a couple flashes of it in Sacramento last year.
I think, you know, is he gonna be an NBA star?
I don't know, But like Kean Ellis was on the
two way and he's turned into a done, I'd like
to see Isaac Jones get some minutes I see him play.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
I mean, what else do you like again?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
You talk about depth chart, you're looking at at the
five spot, Sabonis, Ray Know, if he's playing the five
and U Banks, it's kind of your five spot there
at the four, you got Keegan and Dario Sarich.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Those are basically your.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Options unless you're, you know, having Doug McDermott play four,
but maybe re know is a stretch four next to
Sabonis or Isaac Jones. Get in there, bang down low
a little bit, see what he's got. By the way,
I also like Dylan Cardwell. Dylan Carter was a fun prospect,
like he's he's got He's gonna have to develop his game,
but he's he's pretty good defensively, He'll he'll get down
(24:44):
there and rebound the ball. You know, doesn't have a
ton of offensive game right now, but limited mints in
summer League. I liked Mysel a little bit from him.
He's a hustler, he's he's the kind of guy that
you throw in late in a game and Kings fans
are just going to adore him. I just think he's
gonna he's gonna work hard, he's going to do the
right things. Isaiah Stevens is the other one who, you know,
(25:06):
Kings finn should pay attention to h took over for
Mason Jones in the starting lineup and kind of became
that that point guard for the team. I, you know,
nothing negative to say about him, nothing like overly positive.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I thought he was he was pretty good.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
He was fine, Like, didn't really do a whole lot
of anything amazing, but I didn't think it was bad.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
So I don't know. He's He's our two way guy.
That's why we got to pay attention to him.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
The championship game. Listen, let me start with this. There's
a lot of people who are like, ah, summer League.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
It's it's it's summer league. Who cares?
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Why are getting worked up about Summer League. I was
thinking about this, and again, this is the conversation I'm
gonna have with Chris. Chris, if you're hearing this, we're
gonna talk about this when you get back. Every single
ring you win only matters because we have made up
some standard to say that it matters. Like if the
entire world decided that Summer League was the most important
(26:04):
part of the NBA season, then the Summer League ring
would be the most important. Like it's all just based
on perception. The NBA Cup is a thing now, right,
do we care about the NBA Cup. We don't know
if we care about the NBA Cup. But if you
care about the NBA Cup, then it matters, right, Like,
That's what it comes down to. If you care about it,
(26:24):
then it matters, And so does Is an NBA Championship
more important than a gold medal in the Olympics? Yeah? Probably,
but why because players care more about it than they
do about an Olympic gold medal. But if they decide
the international basketball the most important thing, like, then soccer,
the World Cup is probably the most important thing to win.
(26:45):
If you can win a World Cup, Champions League would
be kind of the second thing. If you can win
a World Cup, it's probably matters more.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Too than Champions League.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
But there are teams where like even Champions League means
like I'm a Liverpool fan, I know this means nothing
to you, guys. Liverpool plays in England and for them
for a long time, like the Premier League, winning the
Premier League in twenty twenty was more significant than winning
Champions League because the Premier League had been the thing
that had been eluding them for years. They'd won the
(27:12):
Champions League, they just hadn't won Premier League, and so
it's all based on perception anyway. All that to say,
if you like Summer League and you want to root
for the team and you want to like do it
this whole like, oh, just Summer League, you shouldn't care.
You're dumb for caring. No, Like you're having fun watching
Summer League and listen, I was having fun rooting for
our team in Summer League, rooting for our guys, and
they clearly wanted it, like they were coming out and
(27:35):
I think Mason Jones was coming out and he's like,
we want to be the first team that you know,
won a G League championship and then wins Summer League
and in the same year, Like that's cool, go get
it anyway. Semifinals, I gotta go back. Semi finals, played
the Raptors and did get the win. But that game,
that game was so frustrating to watch. The Raptors went
(27:56):
full Corpretz for you know, three fourth the game or
more than that, for sure, three courts they were full
court pressing, and I don't know, it's a little bit
weird because like, Raptors, are you ever going to do
this in an NBA game? Like is that your strategy,
by the way, if it is great, like I mean,
I think there should be teams that do it, like
(28:16):
get more depth and put pressure on these teams, like
be the most fit team and be a nightmare to
play against, like make them miserable. And they made the
Kings miserable. Kings had a hard time getting the ball
up the court, and they were super physical. It took
from the Thunder mentality. And I don't know if other
teams are going to do this, but in my opinion,
the Thunder they found a hack, and the hack is
(28:39):
that they can hack people. They play super physical. There's
a lot of fouls that are committed. But when you're
constantly just hitting guys and banging against guys, I think
the rest at some point are like, we don't want
to call all these like every time you're playing defense
there's a foul, you're not gonna do it. The old
Seahawks strategy of the see how it's legion a boom
(29:01):
where there's like where you can do past my reference
on ever play and just call it good anyway. So
the Raptors that was their strategy. They banged against these
Kings team, and I think Nick Clifford struggled with that maximary.
No struggled a little bit. Are all of our guards struggled,
and it just didn't look pretty. And I think we
can win in the second game, just banged up, beat up.
The Hornets had cruise in their semi final game, and
(29:23):
you just saw it coming out, like we just did
not have the same energy the Hornets had made it
close in the end.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
I thought we were fouled there on the end.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
I thought dayk one plowed and got fouled coming over
the back basically on that rebound attempt, and everyone's like, oh,
you fell on the ground. You're laying down, and then
Isaiah Isaiah Isaac Isaac Jones was not diving to the
ground and you're like, all right, kick the ball like
it's a fluke play. It's crazy, and everyone's like, oh,
(29:50):
these Kings suck and they're back to Kings. It's like,
I don't know, they played hard, they were fun to watch.
I'm proud of them, and yeah, it was like an
ugly last game and an ugly last play, but like,
I don't know, it's the Summer League team. You expect
some of that stuff to happen, and it did, and
It's unfortunate and it sucks, and I'm actually disappointed. I
genuinely been disappointed. I wanted to see this team win.
(30:12):
I think they wanted to win, which makes me want
it for them, and we didn't get the job done.
But I thought the refereeing in the last two games
was atrocious. That's just my take. And I know like
where Kings fans were always, you know, gonna feel like
we were screwed. But I thought the refereing was was terrible,
especially in the Raptors game, where I thought there was
a foul outterfoul foul that wasn't being called. But I
(30:35):
think in the in the Hornets game, I think there
were some tough calls that were missed that we didn't get,
and I think you make those calls. It's a different game,
it's a different story. So anyway, Kings come up just
a little bit short. They're basically, you know, their offseason
is pretty much done. There may be a move here
or there, but they're just now going to be getting
ready for training camp in preseason and getting set, which
(30:58):
means it.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Is time to turn our attention to football.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
And I'm not going to give you a whole bnch
football tal because I've aread talked way longer than I
meant to on this podcast here just in general, NBA Kings,
all that kind of stuff. Niners have some receiver problems,
they got some drama. Hopefully next week I'll talk about that.
I don't think I'm with Chris Mayb. We'll find a
different day. I don't know if we can.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
We'll try and find it a day where we can
jump on a podcast together.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
If not, we're a few weeks away, but we will
be basically in Niners preseason by the time we Chris
and I are supposed to be scheduled to be back
together again here in a few weeks, which is crazy.
It is almost NFL season, which is exciting.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Right, Yes, I knew you were excited. Anyway, How do
we all feel about having a podcast with just me
and not Chris? Oh? That was not wrong one again? Man,
I'm terrible at this thing, which one time? Want to
do this one all right?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I will learn these sound effects at some point. Anyway,
Thank you for listening. Don't forget to like and subscribe.
I promise this will not be me every week because
it's just not as much without Chris Johnson here, but
I appreciate all of you. Thanks for listening to podcasts,
being fans, and tuning in each and every week.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
We love you. Peace out beat La
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