Week in review: Kings allow drama, chaos to prevail as losses stack up

Less than 20 games into 2021-22 season, Kings already on brink of disaster

Author

James Ham
November 20, 2021

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Kings record: 6-10

Kings record on the week: 1-2

Reports of coach Luke Walton being on the hot seat hit the wire on Monday morning, just in time for the Kings to run over the Detroit Pistons. Everything has gone downhill since that moment.

The Pistons are young, inexperienced and a team in transition. A win is a win, but a loss would have caused complete chaos, or at least caused complete chaos a few days earlier.

After leaving Detroit, the Kings traveled to Minnesota where another struggling team was waiting. Sacramento held their own through two quarters, but Karl-Anthony Towns got it going in the third quarter and Anthony Edwards finished the Kings off in the fourth.

Following the 107-97 loss to the Timberwolves, veteran Tristan Thompson held court in post game, giving one of the most honest assessments of the Kings and the NBA that we've seen from a player. It was a good moment, but the team clearly didn't take the message to heart.

The Kings returned to Sacramento to face the Toronto Raptors on Friday and once again, failed to show up. In front of a meager crowd, Walton's squad played well for about eight minutes. For the next 40 minutes they couldn't hit a shot and the defense was embarrassing. It felt like the team gave up, which is never a good sign.

Fans in the building started booing the Kings in the third quarter. There were probably a few at home doing the same thing. By the fourth, "Fire Luke Walton" chants could be heard in the building as the team fell by a final of 108-89.

A 1-2 week isn't horrible on paper, but the Kings have now dropped six of their last seven  and the wheels appear to have come off the bus. Saturday's back-to-back matchup against the Utah Jazz won't help matters unless the players come out and play with a completely different sense of urgency.

Player of the Week

Chimezie Metu went from out of the rotation to starting power forward in a matter of a few days. Maybe this is an indictment on where the Kings are as a team, but the 24-year-old big posted 11.4 points and 7.6 rebounds over the last five games and deserves a longer look. He plays hard, can shoot the 3-ball and he brings an energy that the Kings need. Whether that translates to a long term spot in the rotation is unknown, but the NBA is all about taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. Metu did that this week, even if it wasn't perfect.

Previous winner: De'Aaron Fox

Stats of the Week

  • 13,159: That is the attendance number for Friday's game against the Raptors and it's probably a generous number. The upper deck looked barren and the lower bowl was sparse. Covid protocols are keeping some fans away. Other folks are trying to avoid large crowds of people during a pandemic. The luster of Golden 1 Center is losing its shine in year six. A bad product on the floor isn't helping.

  • 1-15: Over his last two games, Buddy Hield is a combined 1-for-15 in the first half and 1-of-12 from 3-point range. He's finding his range late in games, but usually when the damage is already done. Whatever ails Buddy, the Kings need him to come into the game ready in the first half. Waiting for him to shoot himself into games isn't working.

  • 66: The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint. At 6-10, the Kings are off to a disappointing start, but with 66 games left we haven't even reached the quarter mark of the season. That's either a good thing or a bad a thing. There is still plenty of time to dig out of the current hole, but the team is trending down in a serious way. 

Quotes of the Week

"I know each and every guy, their heart is in the right place and they want to win. Every guy in there wants to win. You see it in their eyes. I've been on teams -- you see quitters, you see losers, straight out losers. But this team has guys that want to win." -Tristan Thompson

"No one should ever need a coach to inspire them. If you don't get inspired in a game, then you shouldn't be on the court. Losing teams, losing players, they need to get inspired by their coach." -Thompson

"I think everybody has to be better. Fans booed tonight and honestly rightfully so, the way we played tonight. I don't think they're in the wrong for booing us and demanding that we play better. We have to be better." -Tyrese Haliburton

Videos of the Week

Real talk from Thompson part I: [Language warning]

Real talk from Tristan Thompson part II: [Language warning]

Tyrese Haliburton on the players having to be better:

Something fun in an otherwise dreary week:

Weekly Reading

Weekly Podcasts

What's next?

Kings vs. Utah Jazz, Golden 1 Center, Saturday 7PM

Kings vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Golden 1 Center, Monday 7PM

Kings vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Golden 1 Center, Wednesday 7PM

Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Staples Center, Friday 7:30PM

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