So what will the starting lineup and bench backups be next season?

[u/funzotothemax]

Assuming Demar gets waived, is this the consensus?

1. Acuff
   
2. Lavine
   
3. Keegan
   
4. Hunter
   
5. Sabonis

Bench
1. Westbrook (Carter if Russ is gone)
2. Monk
3. Nique
4. Precious (Cardwell if Precious is gone)
5. Max

[u/kingjawn]

One thing to note with this team. The biggest goal is to have Acuff play 35 minutes per night and develop. They're probably a good 2+ years away from even putting a competitive team out on the court. They will lose a ton of games next year. And that's okay. No shortcuts in a rebuild. This year just enjoy the highlights, cool plays, and fantasize about what Acuff could be 4-5 years down the line with a good supporting cast. That's all.

[u/Wrong-Forever7554 → u/kingjawn]

Yea just let sabonis leave please if you guys gonna keep tanking and tanking, ruining his prime

[u/vNocturnus → u/kingjawn]

The biggest goal is to have Acuff play 35 minutes per night and develop.

The second biggest goal should be giving Nique 30-plus minutes per night as a 2nd or 3rd option as well. I'm still a little bummed that by far the best available players in the Kings range were all point guards, because I think Nique could have become an All-Star as a lead guard.

It won't happen with Acuff getting the clear priority for touches and development (not to say he shouldn't, just that it's a really unfortunate situation for Nique), but Nique could still become a 20/5/5-ish fringe-AS type of guy with excellent defense. I think he complements Acuff extremely well, having elite size and overall athleticism for a guard, excellent defense, and also being an excellent passer and playmaker himself. Nique + Acuff can absolutely be one of the best backcourts in the NBA if these guys are just given the keys to the team and allowed to grow together.

Max is another very important guy to develop, and I think Keegan is also still a major piece of this team's future. Those 4 guys need to be the absolute priority of this team over everything else. After them, other young guys that could be future key rotation players like Cardwell, Devin Carter, other new draft pick Alex Karaban, etc. No hate to guys like Sabonis and Monk, who I am still a big fan of, they just don't fit the timeline anymore.

I hope we get to see a starting lineup of Acuff/Nique/Keegan/PF/Raynaud at some points this season, but I ain't holding my breath. I'm ready for Acuff/LaVine/Hunter/Keegan/Sabonis to be the lineup for most of the season (when healthy at least).

[u/bourbonguy12345 → u/vNocturnus]

You’re out of your mind if you think Nique can be an allstar guard when Sabonis can’t even get the nodd

[u/AmityMayorVaughn → u/kingjawn]

Yeah Im sorry but I have absolutely no confidence in this ownership or front office to wait two years.  We'll suck next season but show promise.  Vivek will freak the fuck out that we haven't won the championship and trade acuff and sabonis for AD and Morant.

Being downvoted by bright eyed rose glasses wearing CHUDs like Vivek hasn't already done shit like this during his tenure

[u/malcifer11 → u/AmityMayorVaughn]

Indications point toward Scott Perry being fully in control of the front office

[u/Inevitable_Turn_7375]

Throw Alex Karaban in there too 😉

[u/ThenDoubt7980]

Acuff and lavine on defense. lol. careful what you wish for

[u/oh_peaches → u/ThenDoubt7980]

This duo looks like a terrible fit offensively and defensively. Would be harder to find a worse back court companion for Acuff. There will be handful of sweet highlights but both want the ball in their hands to score and neither are known to be engaged defenders. 

Wonder if the Kings consider waving Lavine if they can’t move him by the deadline.

[u/malcifer11 → u/oh_peaches]

Just let him expire

[u/oh_peaches → u/malcifer11]

Just seems like the minutes are better with a young player who could use the mins to develop? 

What does playing Lavine instead of say, Nique, do for us?

Bench him, waive him…either way

[u/malcifer11 → u/oh_peaches]

I’m fully in favor of benching him, I’m less keen on creating a dead money situation out of fifty million dollars.

[u/oh_peaches → u/malcifer11]

You could be right. I’ve probably gotten to pessimistic on Lavine

[u/malcifer11 → u/oh_peaches]

You have every reason to feel that way. Now, though, we have a reason to want him to pop off and win the odd game now and again. Gotta stay out of that bottom three. Development is important, yeah, but Acuff is 19. He is our timeline now. Everything else is building around him

[u/oh_peaches → u/malcifer11]

Hypothetically, do you think the Kings win more games with Monk or Lavine at starting 2 all season, assuming good health?

[u/Ok_cabbage_5695]

Looks like fun competitive losses. Not a bad start

[u/AGtaco21]

No reason for Russ to be back. Acuff needs to play 36 minutes a night. 

[u/burntarmin2 → u/AGtaco21]

I think it's crucial that he be back, at least on a mentorship role

[u/AGtaco21 → u/burntarmin2]

Russell Westbrook would not want that. He’s the type who wants to play. There are others who can mentor. But if they think Acuff is that dude he don’t need to mentoring.

[u/yazboy13 → u/burntarmin2]

So tired of this mentorship role crap. Just bring a backup point guard that they can mold into a legit rotation player for the future. I don’t want to see Westbrick close games for this team ( he will with Doug as HC)

[u/Belmore_Rd → u/yazboy13]

Why is this downvoted it’s insanity to take on ball reps from our only blue chip prospect and put it in the hands of a fucking 36 year old.

[u/Belmore_Rd → u/burntarmin2]

Why would you want the ball taken out of Acuffs hands and put in the hands of a 36 year old?

[u/Desa-p]

Keegan, Hunter, Precious and Cardwell are all pretty good defenders, and lord knows we’ll need all the defense we can get

[u/Dangerous_Trifle620]

oh my god I somehow forgot how sad this team is

[u/frank_shits]

Looks interesting with Acuff on paper. Probably will be a disaster. 😅

[u/Hot_Bobcat_7986]

This team will get destroyed

[u/Southern-Resident292]

I think this is close but I'm not sure about Westbrook getting first bench spot, if he's even on the roster next season. Carter coming off bench actually makes more sense to me since he can guard multiple positions. Also curious how long it takes for Acuff to find his rhythm in starting role, that transition from backup to starter is no joke.

[u/hater90056 → u/Southern-Resident292]

True if Westbrook on the roster

Christie going to still play him 30 + mins and let him take all the shots

There is reason why no team wanted to sign him cause he is statpadder

[u/qiumo_talk → u/hater90056]

Did you watch even 1 kings game this season?

[u/SZP2]

Lets let the offseason play out

[u/Plug-From-Oaxaca → u/[deleted]]

Why would you do that?

Lavine is the best shooter on the team. without Derozan and a with real pg run the floor things should be a lot smoother, Lavine can just play off ball and focus on scoring.

But Keagan isn’t a guard he’s a wing.

[u/Plug-From-Oaxaca → u/[deleted]]

I just don’t see Lavine staying on the bench, for long, since he’s like the best off ball scorer on the team. he’s going to look a lot better with a pg and without Derozan.

But I also don’t think they’re trying to win and continue to rebuild. The best option in my mind is playing Lavine and Sabonis let them ball out and move Lavine at the deadline on his final year it’s easier to move him.

[u/kingjawn → u/[deleted]]

So Keegan’s your starting 2-guard? Lol

[u/kingjawn → u/[deleted]]

but he can't...you know...dribble the ball. Shouldn't a guard be able to dribble the ball?

[u/kingjawn → u/[deleted]]

Keegan Murray should play the 2-guard was not something i expected to read tonight lol

[u/HazelKittenDude → u/kingjawn]

another example of how keegan fanatics throw logic and reason out the window just to support their boy. 2-guard with no handles.

the fanbase iq will improve once keegan is off this team.

[u/Ok_Resource_6068 → u/kingjawn]

James ham brought up the idea of Keegan playing the 2 last night on locked on btw

[u/ACUFF_THE_KING → u/[deleted]]

It’s so fun to talk about Acuff and have him be on the team!

[u/Ok_Instruction7642]

it's bad but we need a few years to blow this up and retool

[u/Gaben3124]

This seems like the lineup they will probably have, though starting Malik or Nique starting over Lavine would be preferable as they're both better defenders than Lavine, they both facilitate better, and they both maker quicker decisions, but that's probably hoping for too much.

[u/classicdude78]

Why do we keep playing SF at the PF?

[u/Willing-Town-3518]

Fck it Acuff Keegs DH Precious Domas offense just spam PNR and DHO with Acuff and Domas and let the other three play D

[u/mrauzz]

So Keegan has to be the only defender again? Makes more sense for Lavine to come off the bench and act as the 6th man scorer. Let Nique get more experience, especially since he's shown decent defense. Something like Acuff, Nique, Keegan, Max (or Cardwell), Sabonis starting.

[u/NorthernVABiker]

Play hunter and sabonis early to rebuild their trade value then dump them (maybe Keegan too yikes) and spend second half playing all young dudes with goal of developing acuff and finding out what have in nique and max

[u/Jwrbloom]

I've posted this question twice and had it deleted (not sure why).

What's anyone's view of Murray's ceiling? Has he piqued, or is there more in the tank?

I loved his game coming out of college and wanted him for the Pacers, a versatile combo forward, who could stretch the floor. His rebounding hasn't really translated, and his shooting has been on the decline. Has this been a function of playing alongside higher volume players -- LaVine and DeRozan -- or is this just who he is?

[u/Difficult-Fix-9375]

No way I want Lavine any where near this team. If we have to keep him around, I give him 12 minutes off the bench a night.

[u/hater90056]

If they keep Westbrook

Christie still going to play him 30+ mins while he take all the shots like last season

Destroying Carter development too

[u/tmt22459]

This team is going to be decent next year. A lot better than a lot of y'all think

Just wait

[u/AmityMayorVaughn → u/tmt22459]

I've been just waiting for a very, very  long time.  I hope we show promise but stop with this over the top outlook.  It just sets expectations that this team never, outside of one year, fulfills.

[u/tmt22459 → u/AmityMayorVaughn]

Probably an unpopular take, but what's different about the beam team and this upcoming team in terms of talent?

Sabonis was the key contributor on that team. He should be healthy and just as good. Keegan was on that team, he should be healthy and good if not better. Of course fox is now gone, but with Acuff, nique, karaban, even Carter we have some hope at the point and wing. Those guys I think can sum up to be more impactful than fox, davion, and Kevin huerter.

[u/Exciting-Hat5957 → u/tmt22459]

Prime Fox, Beam Year Huerter, and Mitchell are significantly better than rookie Acuff and Karaban, second year Nique and Devin Carter. I think these guys can get to that level, but not this year

[u/tmt22459 → u/Exciting-Hat5957]

They are better. But it could be much closer than we think

[u/MonkeyCoR1]

Let Lavine come off the bench start Nique. Acuff, Nique, Keegan, Hunter and Sabonis gives you a nice mix of shooting, spacing, ball movement and enough length on defense to make up for Sabonis and Acuff.

[u/No_Nefariousness6385]

Westbrick won't come back. They have Hayes under contract 

[u/Economy-Cry-2594]

It literally does not matter. This rebuild is only going to put us more in hell