#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Good morning and welcome everyone to another edition of the Sacramento Kings preseason media presser! Last season was a lot of fun and heading into the offseason we knew we had to make moves, so let’s jump in with the usual topic points: last season, offseason, expectations for this season. Before I begin, I do want to congratulate the Chicago Bulls for their dominant run last year, they were the favorite from start-to-finish and dominated throughout on their way to their first championship.

Last season I decided to keep my core intact with Duren and Irving at the guard positions, promising big man Erik Haynes at center, and Donovan Mitchell as the 6th man. I brought back Michael Carter Williams in a trade with the Bulls, and added several vets highlighted by forward Patrick Patterson. The goal last season was to compete for the Pacific Division against the likes of the then defending champions Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. Kevin Love is never a pushover and the Suns have done a great job surrounding him with talent over the last few years, and the Warriors woke up and traded for Paul George, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart.

I felt I had a good team that could keep the division competitive against those other two. Fortunately, although we did not make any big signings or big trades last season, the development of Jeffrey Duren and Erik Haynes was the driving force in us winning the division. Carter Williams brought a versatile game that focuses on assists-defense-rebounds, and Patrick Patterson was a pleasant surprise as a legitimate 3-point threat.

We made it to the Western Conference Finals and ultimately fell short of the Finals by losing, in Sacramento, in Game 7. It wouldn’t be a wildcard-type of series if it was not against the Utah Jazz. After sitting Kight for games 3 & 4, after being cleared by doctors, I sat on a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, once Kight entered into the series at PF, the Kings were completely helpless with Patterson being clearly outmatched. An amazing season surpassing our expectations ended so abruptly.

Going into the offseason, I still felt really good about the team I had coming back with Duren, Irving, Haynes, Mitchell and Simmons. All of these guys are either relatively young or in their prime, and they fit the build I was attempting. With no pick in the draft due to trading it for Kyrie several seasons ago, I decided to keep my points and not buy into the draft. RFA was also quiet for us, as none of the players we could potentially bid on with the money we had were of interest to us. No trades, no draft picks, and no RFA bidding. The offseason was unusually quiet.

Finally, in UFA, I decided to target 10 guys with the hopes of getting 1 for who I felt would best fit on my team. Luckily, Jeremy Lamb accepted our 1-year bid to join our star-studded backcourt. The next move I made was a bit of a headscratcher for some in the league and I understand why. With bird rights to MCW, I decided to gamble on not bidding on him with the hopes I grab that one guy like Lamb. In round 2, I hoped he would still be available, and he was! To secure his bid, I offered a 1-year deal that I felt most teams with cap space wouldn’t think to offer, which was $20M. The bid was over-valued, but with several teams with more than half of their salary cap to spend, I didn’t want to risk the chance of one of those teams vulturing MCW in the hopes of trading him Day 60. I’m very happy to bring back MCW and I think he’s important to the team, and I think his contract speaks to how important I think he is.

This season, our expectations are to compete for the championship. We were so close last season and we did not think we would even be in that position. This season we need to grow, and our young guys keep getting better and the talent added in free agency should help push the team over the edge into contenders.

The floor is open for whoever wants to ask questions.

Can you talk a little bit of the return of TrayWithAnA as the Lakers GM? Does his presence as a veteran GM in this league cause you some additional concerns in your quest to win the division and ultimately represent the west in the Finals?

What's your concern level of the Suns if they manage to grab a point guard before the deadline?

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Which move that one of your division rivals made do you think most jeopardizes your chances of defending the Pacific Division crown?

You cited Kight as the reason for your WCF exit. With no direct acquisition to counter him, is the expectation that Haynes's development will be enough?

logpmess wrote:Can you talk a little bit of the return of TrayWithAnA as the Lakers GM? Does his presence as a veteran GM in this league cause you some additional concerns in your quest to win the division and ultimately represent the west in the Finals?

I’m more excited than concerned! I want to play against better teams, and I really want the Pacific to be dominant. It makes the regular season a lot of fun when it’s a race like last season, and I feel when the division is tougher, I get a lot more into the game. I’m a firm believer in “competition breeds excellence” and I think Tray coming back with a loaded roster of youth can really add to the Pacific division. The team has been in limbo for so long, but the team has been one active GM away from waking up into a sleeping giant.


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garbageman wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:45 am Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Which move that one of your division rivals made do you think most jeopardizes your chances of defending the Pacific Division crown?

I think the Suns trade for Harrison Barnes. Having had Barnes on my team for a few seasons, I know what he brings to a team and he really fits well with the Suns who focus on rebounds and 3 point attempts. Hey may have gotten hit by training camp, but looking at his ratings he can still do everything the Suns will need him to do. Defend, rebound and shoot 3s with good size and versatility. The trade was quiet because Barnes isn't a star, but adding talent next to Kevin Love always makes it that much more difficult to win in the Pacific.

ballsohard wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:17 am What's your concern level of the Suns if they manage to grab a point guard before the deadline?

I don't think my view of how dangerous they are would change. I think they are already strong contenders to win in the Pacific, and adding a point guard to distribute the ball would definitely be a plus for them. Unlike other seasons, the Suns don't have cap space to take on a big contract without giving up another big contract. Dependent on the player and contract, a piece like Barnes or Robinson would have to leave, or possibly their entire depth if they want to keep their starters. I'm excited to see what they do, if anything, this season with trades.

false9 wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:47 am You cited Kight as the reason for your WCF exit. With no direct acquisition to counter him, is the expectation that Haynes's development will be enough?

I can't think of many pieces today that can counter Kight at the PF position. Even against the Chicago Bulls who swept the Jazz, Kight still averaged 32.25 points on excellent shooting, and that was with Biyombo on him. A traditional PF can't and won't slow down Kight, but a versatile wing could help.

Haynes is also very important here, as he's the teams lone anchor. At 7'2 and increase in athleticism and skills, we're hoping to see a Tyson Chandler/DeAndre Jordan type of player out there on the court. Having a guy like that would make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

GWR: Both Haynes and Duren had enormous talent growth at a young age. How do they stay hungry and continue to strive for improvement?

What's the plan for Lamb? Is this a one year mercernary season or does he have a future with the team?

JNR wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:21 am GWR: Both Haynes and Duren had enormous talent growth at a young age. How do they stay hungry and continue to strive for improvement?

Although they are young, they've already faced several defeats that I believe stings to this day. A few seasons ago in Game 7 of the Finals, Duren attempts a 3 point shot to win the game in overtime against the Pistons and misses. Last season up 3-1 vs the Jazz in the Western Conference Finals, Duren and Haynes had three games to put the Jazz away and ended with an earlier vacation then planned. The team strives for excellence because they're fueled by their shortcomings. Every training camp I see them put in the work needed to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Conroy wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:38 am What's the plan for Lamb? Is this a one year mercernary season or does he have a future with the team?

I believe he's a one year mercenary, and it's just as likely he doesn't end the season on the Kings as well. I'm always looking for ways to improve my team but he has 3 sims to show he can get this team into contention for the championship. After this season and depending on the results, we may look into bringing him back another year or two. Currently, we aren't sure how he fits yet. His skills suggests he will, but sometimes players don't gel with the rest of the team.

If you had to pick one, what is the most important single attribute or skill of any lone player on your team? For instance Duren's passing, or Haynes' strength, etc................ Just one.

Who team is it Kyrie or Jeffrey Duren and which team in the your division posses the biggest threat to you division crown?

Soundwave wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:38 pm If you had to pick one, what is the most important single attribute or skill of any lone player on your team? For instance Duren's passing, or Haynes' strength, etc................ Just one.

I think you hit it on the head with Duren's passing.There are plenty of guards that can shoot and defend, but Duren's ability to pass has opened up the option to have him move to the PG spot. The ability to make your teammates better is always a huge plus, and without the passing ability, Duren would be just another really great guard.

Eazy P wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:41 pm Who team is it Kyrie or Jeffrey Duren and which team in the your division posses the biggest threat to you division crown?

Oh man it's always been Duren's since we traded Rose. We could have brought Rose back or we could have traded Rose for other veteran pieces, but the idea was to stop "building a team" and to start "building a team around Duren." Since then, even with Kyrie, this was and is Duren's team.

I think the biggest threats are the usual suspects: Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. However, the Lakers could be a surprise team. It's always tough to gauge young teams because they return the same guys who finished in the lotto standings last season, but with another great training camp they can make that leap. We may not have noticed yet, but it's possible the Lakers made that leap this training camp.

Picking up Jeremy Lamb was huge. But now you have 3 amazing shooting guards, a great point guard, and Michael Carter-Williams playing small forward. Will you experiment with playing Lamb or Mitchell at the 3 instead??

digiskunk wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:59 pm Picking up Jeremy Lamb was huge. But now you have 3 amazing shooting guards, a great point guard, and Michael Carter-Williams playing small forward. Will you experiment with playing Lamb or Mitchell at the 3 instead??

Currently all options will be looked at. I don't think we'll deviate too much from Duren at PG and Kyrie at SG, but the talent in the backcourt the challenge is to allocate enough minutes to maximize the return. Hopefully we can keep fresh bodies on the court, and after two playoffs with the injury bug hitting us I'm hopeful the depth in the backcourt can help make up for any injuries.