The Kings & Mavericks BATTLING for playoff seeding in the West | The Hoop Collective

The Kings & Mavericks BATTLING for playoff seeding in the West | The Hoop Collective

Foris and I did a game a couple weeks ago there and got a chance to sit down with domas for a while and the thing that impressed me guys it one thing in the meeting and then one thing watching him court side which obviously I’ve done

Other Kings games as well but it really struck me that night in a win against the Lakers where they swept the season series then was everything in him when he’s talking about things it always veers back to winning and being competitive and not not in a lip service

Way in a that the way he was raised to play basketball way you know and the way he could talk about the nuances of how his dribble handoff is different with Malik monk versus the way it is with dearon fox versus the way it is with

Keegan Murray and how he was able to break down those nuances just shows you his study habits his passion for those nuances and getting every single ounce out of his game that he can and then watching him that night and seeing his physicality I mean and I know I I know

There are times where he’s still maybe a little too small depending on the matchup on the interior but he is physical man and you you you you feel him sitting Courtside there and I do Wonder because of that skill set and the way he facilitates and I think since Jan

First he’s leading the league and total rebounds and total assists which is very yic like you know I I do wonder if we aren’t having enough curiosity because of the way he struggled in the playoffs last year in that matchup in the first round if we’re not having enough

Curiosity about what he can be for the Kings this year in the playoffs well I think he’s underestimated and I say that as somebody who’s been guilty of that uh yeah and the lesson I learned there is if you’re agreeing with Bond temps really reconsider it because you know

Listen we were as critical as anybody uh of the Kings making that deal you yeah no I mean for once in your life you were actually right FR my life I didn’t Jinx somebody yeah there you go but obviously the Pacers are ecstatic about that trade they got Halbert in the face their

Franchise but the Kings becoming the relevant NBA franchise again is in large part because of the impact that Damonte sabonis is and and uh he is one of the most versatile Joker is the only other only other guy in the conversation in terms of the ability to score rebound

Assist during this streak this 50 plus game uh double double streak he had an eight rebound game he just had 13 assist that night and obviously he’s had he’s had a ton of uh triple doubles during that span and you know you you mentioned the the physicality and obviously you’re

Not going to lead the league in rebounds if you’re soft you know you got to be you got to be tough but dude watch how he scores don’t don’t be full like just because he’s not just dunking on guys he creates Space by being a fullback I mean

He is getting his shoulder in there and that’s how he’s getting off those little hooks he I mean he puts his shoulder and guys sternums and creates space and bumps big guys back like a couple of feet on a regular basis yeah so it’s obviously a Hu what

That’s probably one of the reasons why just in general the Kings even though that was a skin tight series to the Warriors last year the Kings have fought for I think some credibility ever since they got the three seed and then went out in the first round yeah definitely

Um but I will so this is a this is a big week so the two times they’ve actually they are two and0 against the Mavericks this year um I didn’t go back and look I have to assume at least one of those was when Kyrie was out McMahon didn’t go

Back probably I I can tell you the first game uh live has obviously been great and should be an all rookie uh selection he’s been great for the Mavericks but the first game uh that they played the Kings sabonis really you know took Lively to the Woodshed and and sabonis

Is tough because we just talked about how physical he is but he’s also a guy who he grabs rebounds and and you know brings it up the floor pushes it in transition you know has has uh perimeter skills especially as a ball hander that’s something you’re not seeing that

As a seven foot guy who’s a teenager you’re not seeing that on the AA circuit or in the ACC so it it was a little bit different experience um and then I actually looked obviously Gafford starting for the Mavericks now him and him and live are a tag team and I was

Like I wonder how Gafford fared against uh against sabonis you know I wondered had they seen each other this season and they did uh and sabon has had a 28. 13 rebound 12 assist performance in a in a Kings win so you know we’ll see how that goes but obviously if you’re the

Mavericks and you’re going to win Sacramento containing some bonuses pretty high on the priority list yes so I have the box score here from the first meeting and In fairness this is in November yeah so Derek Lively is still figuring out which direction the court is when he comes out of the visiting

Locker rooms although this game was at home so had 32 133 and six and he was 13 of 15 from the field he took two threes and missed that means he was 13 to 133 on twos yeah um Lively had six points nine rebounds Kyrie did play in that

Game but didn’t play in the uh second meeting both games were in Dallas so as we speak here which is Sunday night the Kings actually are in seventh the the uh Suns had a big win on Saturday Saturday and uh with all their guys playing well

So they’ve edged a half game ahead um but this this you know the kings are uh the Suns as we’ve talked about have a brutal schedule coming down the stretch yeah it’s awful toughest in the league in terms of opponent’s winning percentage by the way though the Kings

Have the third toughest by opponent’s winning percentage that’s a good point and so um although they have played much better against better teams like as long as don’t yeah as long as they have to the Wizards again yeah right well I hard you’re right ruko it’s hard to project

The Kings they’ve been all over the place yeah they have they they’re one of four teams to lose to the Wizards pistons and hornets this season and yet they are also seven and three that’s hard to do when you only play them twice in the western conf don’t get four bites

At the Apple yeah and and yet they are seven and3 against the nuggets t-wolves and thunder the top three teams in the west yeah now that’s a good stat sir hats off would never come something like that that’s Matt Williams That’s Matt Williams hooking me up that’s stats

Hooking me up but but you know what’s interesting guys is Ju Just to button up that point talking to them I do think that has been sort of at the foundation of their confidence of why they can have success in these playoffs you know feeling like some of their struggles

Against lesser opponent opponents during the regular season has been them learning how to handle posterity right after last season and then being encouraged by how they’ve been able to measure up to the best teams in the league yeah and and you know going into this little two game set with the

Mavericks uh the Mavericks have been playing it’s weird they had that stretch of five losses in six games outside of that they’ve they’ve been tearing it up yeah um and I think because of the the schedule they are they do have the tiebreaker against uh the Suns they’ll

Have to sweep the series and then have it come down to conference record if they were gonna get the tiebreaker against the king sweep the the two game set um but I think if the matter yeah more than the tiebreaker I think just the opportunity to pick up two games in

In a real tight race I mean I’m just saying just pure tiebreakers but I think if they split if the Mavericks split in Sacramento I think they’d leave there feeling pretty good about their chances to climb out and claim uh the the six seed especially since this first game is on

The second night of a back toback where the kings are gonna have two days off yeah yeah for sure for sure and I you know um I tell you we you talk about the Kings you start with sabonis and obviously dearon Fox they’re they’re two guys they weren’t Allstars this year but

They’re absolutely Allstar caliber players and then you know we’ll get you can talk about Keegan Murray Malik monk Sixth Man of the Year you know who has become an absolute huge key for the Sacramento Kings Keon Ellis yes yes and a lot of people are listening right now going

Who a guy who was on a two-way deal played himself into a a standard contract Kevin herder’s out now as when he mentioned with his shoulder uh he’s he’s in the starting line and you know what if people know who Keon Ellis is outside of Sacramento they probably are

Oh that’s the guy who got fooled by Bruns and pointed at his screen that wasn’t coming and got made to look silly unfortunately but his biggest play highlight this year but dude this guy he has been playing and he doesn’t put up huge numbers he had a great game against

Uh Orlando I think he had 19 a career high 19 but he’s been in the starting they’re eight- one this year with him in the starting lineup that’s kind of a wonky stat because it’s over a couple different little spans but uh I think that he’s going to

Have to continue to play really really well not NE score a lot but like I assume he’s probably going to I assume Keegan Murray is probably going to be the primary defender on Luca and Keon Ellis will get Kyrie so I you know that’s a guy who if the kings are going

To uh come out of this mix at top the six to eight pile I think he’s going to be a big big part of it despite being a relative no name speaking of awards um I was noticing in some stats uh because the dearen Fox who by the way had the

Two games that they they played against the Mavs this year he had big games both nights I think he scored over 30 both nights um obviously he was the inaugural um clutch player Jerry West award last year and there’s kind of been a thought well he’s can’t repeat um but he had 12

Points in the fourth quarter that win over the magic which was a two-point win and he has the most 10 plus point over 10 or more Point fourth quarters in the NBA this season with 22 um you’re the coone factor analyst there McMahon uh I don’t know where you

Handicap you know he may not be having as good of a year as he was last year but this is still a guy who in the end of a close game can get it done for you yeah I think that if it’s going to be a Californian we’re g to go and San

Francisco’s west of Sacramento right I suck at you South and West yeah there you go I think I think it did that really quickly yeah I think it be Steph Curry yeah he he knows he’s that trip um if you ask me who you got to go south on

I5 I mean that that’s you know that’s key there you go if you ask me who the front runner is right now it’s gonna be DeMar rosen it is interesting though because isn’t I I think I think Fox is still leading the league in points per game in

The fourth quarter right points per fourth quarter yeah fourth quarter yeah clutch points I have to look it up real quick to be 100% sure but Curry had the league lead last time I look just clutch not four qu and they’ve been in so many clutch games the the and then and same

With same with the bulls they get blown out or it’s down to the wire yeah and then uh Demar D rozan was right there and then D like the the tighter you get like one possession game within three minutes within one minute last 30 seconds the rozen blows it away in

All yeah yeah well I think look Daren Fox is obviously one of the best closers in the league um I tell you what though ruko could tell you Kyrie Kyrie and Luke aren’t bad in those situations either so oh no they not that’s the thing with last year

Right last year when they first got there they kept screwing up they couldn’t win a close game right and now 100% it’s the opposite yeah and it was never it was never like a uh it it wasn’t like they were having a wrestling match for the ball yeah they were they

Were guilty of not want step on each other’s toes and deferring too much like the most memorable Kyrie Luca moment from last season’s you know failure that landed them in the lottery was when they’re passing the ball back and forth back and forth back and forth game on

The line against the Wolves until they cough it up and it’s and it’s a turnover where this year they theyve both had a they both had great clutch numbers they’re playing off of each other the the chemistry and the chemistry from a personal standpoint had was never an

Issue just kind of learning how to play off each other you know that’s taken off this year and they’ve been surrounded by better fits um you know they they don’t have Christian Wood closing games with them I so it’s always a special moment when Chris Wood gets mentioned by McMahon on this

Podcast I’m glad I was here to witness it I you know it’s they’re they’re good you know we talk lot about scary teams and and and the west and and of course so much of that Focus has been on the Lakers and Warriors and if they emerge

Of all those teams Dallas is the one that if I was one of those top teams in the west I would be very concerned with and you know the main reason obviously is because Luca is a bad man and and and then Kyrie as we all know when he’s able

To slot in really being your shooting guard that is when he is at his best and we saw it in the 2021 season with Harden Kyrie had an unbelievable year 50 4090 if Giannis doesn’t slide under his ankle in the Conference Finals he and KD are

Probably getting the Nets to I mean in the Eastern Conference semis they’re probably getting the Nets to the Conference Finals even with Harden hurt uh that’s how good he had been throughout That season but when you slot him off off the ball like that he’s just

He’s just so so good and dynamic and efficient and we’ve seen that throughout plus we know he has no fear taking any kind of big shot and then you know you look at a couple things with Dallas one the way they’ve been getting easy baskets first of all one thing that I

Marvel at any time I I watch Luca is just how easily he scores because everybody’s always kind of in between is he going to pass is he not going to pass oh wait he’s just going to lay it in and he just gets easy buckets the numbers

Though since Fe 10th since they made those trades it’s crazy they went from I think 26 or 28th in layups and dunks per game to 7th and they’re they’re shooting those shots at more efficient than anybody and then you look at some of their lineup combos they’re starting

Lineup you know they’re starting five since Jones moved in uh with with Washington Gafford Kyrie and Luca they’re absolutely bludgeoning teams over 80 minutes I think they’re like a net 28 what [Applause] I on is

The Kings & Mavericks BATTLING for playoff seeding in the West | The Hoop Collective

Brian Windhorst is joined by Tim MacMahon and Ryan Ruocco to talk about a key upcoming series between the Kings & Mavericks, Domantas Sabonis’ impressive double-double streak and more.

0:00 Impact of Domantas Sabonis
6:35 The Kings’ confidence
10:24 Kings-Mavs battle

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