The Kings Beat with James Ham
Posts
Week in review: Kings take step backwards with four-game losing streak

Week in review: Kings take step backwards with four-game losing streak

Kings go winless during soft spot in schedule

James Ham
November 13, 2021

Welcome to The Kings Beat. A friendly reminder that this is a free preview of soon-to-be premium content. If you want to support original columns just like this, make sure to get a premium subscription to The Kings Beat. The first 50 subscribers will get an invite to a Zoom happy hour with me (coming soon).

Kings record: 5-8

Kings record on the week: 0-4

The Kings ended last week with a bang when they ran over the Charlotte Hornets for a blowout win. It's all down hill since that moment.

After hitting 55.2 percent from the field and setting a new franchise record with 22 made 3-pointers against Charlotte, the Kings couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat against the Indiana Pacers two days later.

Sacramento allowed the Pacers to muck up the pace and control the tempo of the game. The Kings battled through shooting woes, but still made it a contest. They had a shot to take a late lead, but they came up short in the 94-91 loss.

On the second night of a home-and-home back-to-back, the Kings went toe-to-toe against the Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns. In the first half, the two teams were in a heated battle, but a horrific third quarter undid the Kings in front of their hometown fans. They made it a game with a rag-tag group in the fourth, but playing without Tyrese Haliburton (lower back) and Terence Davis (left ankle soreness) was too much to overcome.

Sacramento opened a four-game road trip Wednesday in San Antonio and seemingly forgot to get off the plane. Gregg Popovich's squad embarrassed the Kings with a 136-117 stomping. The lone bright spot was the resurgence of De'Aaron Fox, who scored a season-high 37 points in the loss.

Haliburton and Davis returned to action Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder and through three quarters, it looked like the Kings were ready to snap their three-game skid. The team's fourth quarter struggles returned and they dropped another game, this time by a final of 105-103. On the plus side, both Haliburton and Davis returned to action and should be cleared to play moving forward.

In addition to losing all four contests this week, Marvin Bagley refused to enter the game in the third quarter against the Suns, bringing drama to a harmonious locker room. The fourth-year big man has been out of the rotation all season, playing a total of 10 minutes during the team's loss to the Utah Jazz on October 22.

Player of the Week

Fox made plenty of mistakes during the week, including late game gaffes against both the Suns and Thunder. But that doesn't change the fact that his offensive game started to come around. On the week, Fox averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range. This team needs Fox to return to form if they have any chance of snapping out of their downturn. This was a positive step, even if it came with some big time mistakes.

Previous winner: Tyrese Haliburton

Stats of the Week

0-4: After two nine-game losing streaks last season, fans have every right to lose their minds after an abysmal week of Kings basketball. This team has an opportunity to finish out their current road trip with a .500 record, but this is already a disappointing turn of events.
15-23: This was a soft spot in the schedule for Sacramento after a brutal first nine games of the season. The four teams the Kings fell to had a combined record of 15-23 (.395). If the Kings want to be a successful team, they need to win games against sub-.500 teams. They did not accomplish that goal this week.
14: In his first start of the season Chimezie Metu managed to post 14 points and five rebounds in the Kings' loss to the Thunder. Metu might get an opportunity to show he belongs over the next week or so. He's athletic, versatile and he isn't shy about hoisting up 3-point shots. If he can hit a few triples, it might open up some spacing for the starting unit.

Quotes of the Week

"I think we're all frustrated. If you're not, you shouldn't be here. Guys are mad. Nobody is happy losing. Nobody. I'm not going to come up here and say everything is fine. It's not. We're angry." -Haliburton

"That's kind of our identity, we never quit." -Davion Mitchell following the team's unsuccessful rally against the Suns

Videos of the Week

The Bagley situation playing out in real time from our friend Sean Cunningham:

Multiple sources told me that Marvin Bagley III refused to check into Sunday's game when Luke Walton called upon him in the second half vs. the Suns.
I didn't report it, wanting to first talk to the Kings coach.
Walton said he & Marvin are in communication and has to be ready
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham)
12:07 AM • Nov 11, 2021

Walton sidesteps Bagley questions:

Luke Walton’s response to whether Marvin Bagley refused to go into a recent game:
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA)
1:33 AM • Nov 11, 2021

Something positive in an otherwise dreary week:

I always knew my mom was strong. After battling cancer, she only got stronger. Thank you @PlayersTribune@AmericanCancer@AmgenOncology for sharing her story and why early detection is so important. #AmgenSponsored#HealthEquity
— De'Aaron Fox (@swipathefox)
4:57 PM • Nov 10, 2021