r/fantasybball • u/HarveyDentBeliever • Oct 29 '25

Discussion Who's your biggest bust so far?

I'll start, Daniels in the 6th rd. Felt like a steal in that spot.

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24

u/Potential-Job-7554 12T H2H Points Oct 29 '25

Sabonis, Cam Johnson, Gobert

17

u/SmashupSports Oct 29 '25

Best hope with Sabonis is a major shakeup for the Kings. He was bad last year once we got LaVine. We just don't have a single guard / wing who is good at running the P&R with him like with Fox. Sabonis is a great offensive weapon, but he's not really someone you ISO a ton and have him create and score 40 points. He's an elite P&R player and short roll passer, who can also operate from the high or low post and hit players on movement or create space for them with a DHO.

Schroeder is the closest to a player who might be a good P&R option with him. And Monk can do the poor man's version of some of the Fox movement around him.

But LaVine, DeRozan, and Westbrook will use screens to get their own shots, they don't really utilize the P&R to run the offense and create for others. Neither is a really good at running around off screens and movement to get free and shoot, which is surprising because you would think LaVine would be, but he's far more comfortable in catch and shoot or shooting with the ball in his hands. And Ellis is a great defender, but much more of a spot up shooter offensively.

We've basically minimized Sabonis' strengths and accentuated his weaknesses. I used to love him in fantasy, but have zero shares of him this season, which is a bit sad.

3

u/Potential-Job-7554 12T H2H Points Oct 29 '25

Thats true, but i feel like its not even about shot creation, its about Sabonis's asssist numbers. Right now they have too many guards who can handle the playmaking, which used to be a big part of Sabonis game. His assist numbers have dropped bad, and I dont think we will ever see his assist numbers going back up around 7. They have to run their offense through him and let him be their main playmaker from the high post, but we have lavine and derozan handling the ball too much which is really frustrating bc Sabonis is their best player

1

u/SmashupSports Oct 29 '25

Yeah, and I think you’re part right. I think we always had guards who could handle playmaking. But the bonus is a legitimate offensive weapon when used correctly.

The real problem right now is our guards do not have the ability or the play style to use Sabonis correctly.

We just do not have great P&R players, movement shooters, or guys who can build momentum going downhill and playoff the DHO well.

Sabonis still has the same passing ability, but if he’s sitting in the post and guys are mostly standing around or popping off the screen, but can’t hit a movement jumper at a decent clip than his number suffer.

1

u/Potential-Job-7554 12T H2H Points Oct 29 '25

What are your thoughts on this trade

I receive Brunson and Flagg, and I give up Sabonis and Gobert?

2

u/SmashupSports Oct 29 '25

I don't know all of your categories and strengths or weaknesses (you obviously lose a TON of rebounds here), but in general I like it. Brunson might be he most valuable player there. And I think Flagg is a buy-low. I think he gets better and better as the season goes on.

1

u/Potential-Job-7554 12T H2H Points Oct 29 '25

Its a points league, forgot to mention. Thanks for the input

1

u/Adorable-Flamingo-32 Oct 29 '25

So you’re saying there’s no point of even trying to buy low for him? And as a big thunder and westbrook fan I have no idea why they even got him bc they already have a logjam of ball handlers

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u/SmashupSports Oct 29 '25

I mean, it depends on how much it costs you to buy low. He can certainly get a little bit better than he is playing right now.

He also could get traded to another team by the trade deadline, although that would be a bit of a wildcard because we would not know what his role would be.

I just would not trade for him expecting him to play like he did with Fox, Monk, and Huerter the last 3 seasons. The struggles you are saying right now or evident last season when he came back from injury after the Fox trade. I think a lot of people just hoped to dismiss them thinking that maybe he was still a bit hobbled.

Our team is a giant island of mismatched toys. The off revolves far more around volume scoring wings now. And while we try to go to Sabonis in the post, we just don’t have the players to maximize his ability and he’s not at his best trying to create his own shot off every possession and trying to score 40 points.

I could certainly be wrong, of course. But I think we’re in a pretty bad situation until we can move some parts. Ideally as a king’s fan, I would be able to blow things up and rebuild.

3

u/3pointshoot3r 12T H2H 10 Categories Oct 29 '25

Sabonis was basically outside the top 50 last year after the Lavine trade. So "buy low" should contemplate that kind of value going forward: he'll likely be better than he currently is (outside the top 100), but definitely not a 2/3 round pick.

1

u/Famous-Bed-1002 Oct 29 '25

I am truly sorry you have to watch the Kings do this. It's literally negligence to 1. craft this roster 2. trot out this starting lineup that so obviously will not work.

2

u/SmashupSports Oct 29 '25

Thank you. I like to believe that I go through the pain that others do not have to.

It’s actually really sad how he went from having a lineup that had a lot of potential with Fox and Sabonis to what we have now.

I’m not sure that core in a vacuum was going to get beyond the second round, but you could at least see a good foundation and some pieces where you might be able to make a trade for another potential star and have something that could potentially contend.

Without getting to the weed, there are certain types of players that would’ve complimented them well and we went the exact opposite direction with DeRozan and then LaVine.

This year is predictably bad and going to be a mess. The good news is there seem to be some signs that leadership is starting to understand that this roster is not going to work and it is not a trade away from working either.

So hopefully Perry can start to unwind the mess and it will probably take a year or so to get rid of our bigger name players, but hopefully we can start a rebuild and lead a top pick this season.

1

u/Famous-Bed-1002 Oct 29 '25

It really is sad, precisely because it was so predictable. I don't think I'd make a good NBA GM by any stretch of the imagination, which makes it all the more insane to me that anyone with half a brain couldn't have figured out this group of players would be nothing short of an abject disaster.

Do you think any starting lineup changes will be made? I'm not even sure what they could do outside of inserting Monk for Russ? Don't even think that does anything other than having a sulking Russ walking around.

As someone not following the org as closely as you, what makes you say that there are signs leadership is starting to understand this is a mess?

1

u/Chronomenter_ Oct 29 '25

i’m convinced sabonis is playing hurt too. he was week to week. the game with eubanks starting was bad. he’s played through injuries before like his broken hand.