“I can’t worry about the five years that I’ve been here, you’ve just got to go out there and play.” “You don’t want to be a part of that,” Fox said.
Owner Vivek Ranadive showed faith in Walton, but there is no question the coach is on the hot seat following identical 31-41 records in his first two seasons.
The Kings have a long tradition of botching drafts, overspending on underproducing free agents, and going through a litany of coaches. We can’t let three- or four-game losing streaks turn into nine or 10.” “Last year, we got too low and we had to dig ourselves out of the hole. “I wouldn’t necessarily say pressure last year, we let a few stretches get out of hand and that ultimately cost us,” Fox said. “There were too many stretches last year where we fell apart.”Īnd there are expectations this season, especially with such a potentially strong backcourt, a healthy Marvin Bagley, a reliable Harrison Barnes, and the potential leadership of Thompson. The Kings lost nine games in a row twice and finished two games out of the play-in tournament. The hope is that the Kings will have enough experience from last season’s meltdown and enough young talent to become a playoff contender. Their major offseason addition was former Celtic Tristan Thompson.
De’Aaron Fox is on the verge of becoming an All-Star, while Tyrese Haliburton impressed as a rookie last season. The Kings drafted guard Davion Mitchell ninth overall and then won the summer league championship, offering hope that they can make a legitimate playoff run. Perhaps no other organization has more pressure to make the playoffs this season than the Kings, who have the longest playoff drought in the NBA (their last postseason appearance came in 2006), and Luke Walton was fortunate to get another year to coach the team. With a young, talented backcourt led by De'Aaron Fox (left) and Tyrese Haliburton, the Kings are looking to make the leap this year. The Trail Blazers could offer CJ McCollum and draft picks, but would that be enough? Morey has to lower his demands and the Timberwolves need to respond to a situation begging for their attention. There aren’t many other teams clamoring for Simmons or willing to meet Morey’s steep price. Rivers is considered one of the most congenial coaches in the NBA, but it’s unlikely even he can talk Simmons into coming back. He has moved to Los Angeles and has not had contact with 76ers officials in weeks. Simmons, who is represented by super agent Rich Paul, is determined to continue his career with another team.
Interim GM Sachin Gupta needs to make a splash after the controversy surrounding the organization, while also appeasing former All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, who is becoming increasingly unhappy after years of losing and organizational dysfunction.Įach team needs to make a change. In addition to Russell, the Timberwolves would have to offer multiple players such as Josh Okogie and Jaden McDaniels along with multiple draft picks. But Russell, a former second overall pick whose stock has dropped considerably, likely wouldn’t be a big enough headliner for Philadelphia. The Timberwolves could offer Russell and perhaps another prospect and future picks, giving the team a jolt with a defense-first playmaker. The 76ers have second-year guard Tyrese Maxey to play the point, but GM Daryl Morey still wants an All-Star and draft picks in return for the troubled Simmons.