Charlotte, NC
We're in Charlotte to face the Hornets. Both teams have the same number of wins but have yet to play the same number of games. The Kings are 12-14, and the Hornets are 12-17.
The Hornets have already beaten Sacramento this season. It was in late October. The dynamics are similar, they are on three wins in the last four games, and the Kings are on four wins in the previous five games.
Fox is back tonight, but since he's in recovery, he didn't get a starter, and Bagley was put in DNP.
The Kings will lose the game, but what is important is the continuity of the game. Last night, while the Kings were cracking in the previous quarter, during a 13-2 Hornets run, "Team Bagley" sent a message (since deleted) asking the Kings to trade the young, strong winger as soon as possible, implying a winning team. A particular tweet from Bagley's father will capsize the dressing room.
"@SacramentoKings, PLEASE trade Melvin Bagley III ASAP!
Love – Coach Bagley."
In this case, last night, Luke Walton decided to continue the game with Holmes instead of his son, and with the rise of Hector, seeing his son threatened to choose to take the lead.
"My message is always the same: you don't listen to any of this," says Warton. "It's about us within these walls, in the locker room. We're all in this together. Good or bad, no matter what people say, we must do everything so that nothing affects us and we continue to do what we are trying to accomplish. »
Already not helped by injuries and unfavorable comparison with his draft mates, Doncic and Young, Bagley III must once again manage the "outside noises" that disrupt his reintegration into the King's group... and his relationships within the club.
Another tweet will confirm this.
"@aaronifox
Trade him »
Do problems brew in Sactown? The actions of both players' fathers come as Sacramento has warned the rest of the league after beating playoff-level teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, despite losing the game in Charlotte.
Although he did not respond to his father's tweet, Aaron Hox also tweeted two words shortly after, saying only, "Jesus Christ."
But that's not all. How can we interpret these words? Is the root of the problem so deep and irreconcilable?
The Kings' locker room could be more cohesive; there are clans. In theory, it should be Fox, but only some in the locker room and the league are convinced. Who is the face on which to rebuild?
There are doubts about his leadership and his accurate level.
Then Bagley? He hasn't shown any progress, and there are injuries. Unlike Fox, he has several enemies in the team partly because of his father.
But what is certain for Kings fans is that Wharton is different from the man for the job. The Kings' organizational chart has many dysfunctions; look at the long series without playoffs.
From tonight from December 18 to January 23, the Kings will win only three games out of 18. Morale in the locker room is gloomy, but Wharton was assured of finishing the season on the bench despite the fans' dissatisfaction.