Toke and Geoff return "live from the Big Tomato" to talk about life in 20 years of Kings basketball hell, the brief fake hope of wins over Denver and Minnesota, and the reality of getting stomped by Memphis again. They spotlight rookie big man Maxime Raynaud as one of the only bright spots, debate what Doug Christie should be doing with rotations, and argue about whether Russell Westbrook and the kids should be prioritized over vets like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

From there, they zoom out and put Scott Perry's early tenure under the microscope—grading everything from the Doug hire, Jonas trade, Schroder/U-Banks signings, to the Keon Ellis contract decision and the Precious pickup. Then they go league-wide: what happens to the trade market if Giannis forces his way out of Milwaukee, where should he go, and why Toke wants De'Aaron Fox exiled to Wisconsin instead of thriving in San Antonio with Wemby. They close with the spicy Chris Paul vs. Ty Lue drama with the Clippers and what that says about sending vets home, Zach/DeRozan's future, and the Kings' next painful chapter. Merry Christmas, go Kings.

The KingsPod2020 crew — Toke and Geoff — return "Live from the Big Tomato" to break down the latest chapter in the Sacramento Kings collapse. This episode examines how Doug Christie's bizarre press conference, an eight-game implosion, failed roster construction, and ownership meddling have all collided into one of the bleakest stretches of the Vivek era.

We walk through the Kings' current freefall: the stages-of-grief pressers, the nostalgia-driven marketing strategy that's poisoning fan memories, the front office dysfunction, Keegan Murray's developmental stall, and the growing disconnect between roster reality and franchise messaging.

We also dive into luxury-tax avoidance, the Bill Simmons trade proposal, the James Ham/Kyle Madson clip, the hostage-versus-volunteer roster dynamic, and why Sacramento might be at the start of another deep rebuild — one that only accelerates if Vivek refuses to change course.

A brutally honest, chronological breakdown of how the Kings got here… and why the tunnel has never felt darker.

The Kings are off to a 3–7 start — and confusion reigns from top to bottom. In this episode of KingsPod2020, we go deep on the franchise's current direction (or lack thereof) with a breakdown that follows the real-life chaos chronologically:

1. Early Takeaways from the 3–7 Start
   We open with a state-of-the-union rant: the Kings are playing small, soft, and scattered. The LaVine rumors loom — and nothing on the court makes sense.

2. Keon Ellis Deserves More Minutes
   One of the best defenders on the team is getting ghosted. We talk about how Keon could fix some of what's wrong — if the staff would just play him.

3. Doug Christie Is the Head Coach — Period
   It's not an interim situation. Doug Christie is the coach now. We analyze his strengths, his shortcomings, and whether he was even the right pick.

4. Scott Perry's Front Office Shakeups
   Perry's recent moves — including dumping Jonas, adding big-name guards, and clearing cap — get a full breakdown. We question the long-term vision.

5. Vivek Is Still in the Way
   From tunnel vision on celebrity names to his track record of derailments, we outline why ownership remains the Kings' biggest liability.

6. The Week Ahead + Ja Morant Rumors
   We preview the upcoming games and toss around the Ja Morant trade talk — including what it says about how desperate Sacramento might be.

If you've been asking, "What exactly are we building?" — this is the pod you need. Longtime fans, frustrated realists, and strategy nerds: this one's for you.