LaVine claims Kings' vibes ‘not good' after third straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO – Sixty-four days after Keon Ellis described the vibes around the Kings as “immaculate,” the atmosphere in Sacramento has hit a full 180.
“The vibe is not good,” Kings guard Zach LaVine said Monday night after Sacramento’s 113-95 loss to the Boston Celtics put the team back under .500 for the first time since Feb. 7.
“It shouldn’t be. We’re not happy with the way we’ve been performing. Individually and as a group. The games aren’t going to stop. It’s nut-crunching time. You figure out how to get a win. We’re playing good in spurts, but that doesn’t win you a game.”
LaVine, visibly frustrated while speaking to reporters postgame, likely was projecting some of his annoyance from his recent performances.
It took a few games for LaVine to get his feet wet in Sacramento’s system since being shipped to the Kings at last month’s NBA trade deadline, but he was playing some of his best basketball over an 11-game stretch before missing last week’s contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to personal reasons.
He returned the following game, but his hot streak didn’t. Over the last three games, LaVine is averaging just 12.7 points on 15-of-42 shooting (35.7 percent) from the field and 3 of 15 (20 percent) from 3-point range.
There was a slight glimmer of hope for LaVine in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game, though, when he scored eight consecutive points for the Kings after finishing the first half with four. While it wasn’t enough to get the Kings past the defending champs, it’s certainly a promising sign that LaVine can overcome whatever it is he might be going through.
The competitor in him always will keep it real, but he also doesn’t want the team to get too ahead of itself after falling in a tight Western Conference playoff race.
“We understand the standings, but we just got to take it one game at a time and figure out how to get one,” LaVine said. “We can’t look too far ahead in that because if you do that, you start snowballing.”
While there’s still time to stay afloat, Monday’s slate of games didn’t help Sacramento’s chances with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns right on their tail. Just last week, the Kings were 35-33 and two games above .500 while Dallas (33-37) and Phoenix (33-37) were four games below .500.
Six days later, the Mavericks, who beat the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, and the Suns, who defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, sit a half-game back of the Kings for the No. 9 seed.
“We’re aware,” Kings center Domantas Sabonis said postgame of the tight race in the West. “It’s a very tough position and every game matters. We just got to play our best basketball and win the most games we can.”
Things won’t get any easier for the Kings as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who sit way atop the West standings with a 59-12 record, Tuesday night on the second night of a back-to-back.
They then wrap up their seven-game homestead against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday before embarking on a six-game road trip with visits to the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
While it undoubtedly has been a rough few days for the Kings during a crucial stretch of the season, Ellis countered LaVine’s comments about the vibes in the locker room.
“I think the vibes in the locker room are great, actually,” Ellis said, “but I just think on the court, we have to figure out how to come together a little bit more. But I think at times where you’re seeing those quarters where we’re not really scoring a lot, I think you just have to look at that as we’re not really as connected as we would like to be in a sense of playing a certain way consistently, and just trying to execute what we’re really trying to do.
“So I think that’s where those moments of the vibe not being there together can kind of show. But we definitely all pull for each other, and we’re all wanting the best for each other. So I think off the court, without a doubt, the vibe is great. I think on the court is what we’re just trying to get better at.”
Some of the connectivity issues might stem from instability the team has endured in recent weeks and, really, over the past couple of months. From a head-coaching change to trading their franchise player while incorporating a bunch of new pieces, it has been a challenge for the Kings to find a consistent groove with so many missing parts.
And when it seemed like they came close to some sort of stability, injuries and absences wiped that all away.
Ellis believes that could be a contributing factor to the team’s connectivity conundrum.
“For sure,” he said. “When your main guys go out, it’s kind of tough when you’re already adding in new pieces. So it definitely adds a little bit of a curveball to try to figure those things out as you’re moving forward.
“But it’s just something that we have to do. Other teams aren’t really going to feel bad for us, so just have to figure out a way.”
As far as LaVine’s comments, Ellis isn’t too worried about it. Instead, he hopes the team collectively can do a better job of making his new teammate, and everyone else, feel in-tune.
“I don’t really put too much thought into it,” Ellis said of LaVine’s observation. “I mean, when we’re out there, we just have to try to pick each other up and try to eliminate that feeling. But I personally don’t worry about it too much.
“I think we can do a better job at making sure that everyone feels like that we’re on the same page.”
With 11 regular-season games remaining, the Kings have one final shot to bring back the “immaculate” vibes. Things change fast in the West, so they’ll need to find a way to get back into the win column before it’s too late.
