[Game] Kings @ Lakers, 11/24/13

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#1
KingsFans.com Gameday 2013-2014 Edition
Game 13
Sacramento Kings v. Los Angeles Lakers

By Peter Capaldi, the Next Doctor

Well at least that was entertaining. After coming out of the gates flatter than a raccoon that strayed a little too close to the freeway, our beloved Sacramento Kings roared back and turned a laugher into a tense down-to-the-wire finish, coming up just short to the best team in LA.

If you had told me ten years ago that the Los Angeles Clippers would become the Kings most intense rivals, I probably would have laughed and called you nasty names unfit for print. And yet, that certainly seems to be what has happened, with Demarcus’s general dislike for acting and flopping blossoming into what appears to be downright contempt for the team in red and blue.

While the teams in question are certainly different (the role of Shaq seeming to be replaced by that of CPFlop and the role of young upstart Kobe taken by Sir Dunksandflops), you can certainly feel the embers of a potential rivalry brewing. As soon as the Kings are good again, things could get interesting and if, godforbid, the Kings and Clippers matchup in a playoff series, I look forward to blowing out Chris Paul’s eardrums with a chorus of cowbell in the old palace of pain.


Stat Watch 2013
23 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 38 minutes- Demarcus Cousins’s statline against the Clippers on Saturday.

Observations
  • After almost singlehandedly putting us in a twenty point hole in the first half, Patrick Patterson had his best game as a Sacramento Kings, forming a potent bench tandem with Isaiah Thomas to keep pressure on the veteran Clippers squad. If he had played like that to start the season off, he’d still be starting. As it is, he’s becoming an asset off the bench.
  • The officiating certainly seems to match that of a Lakers-Kings game of old, what with all the calls seeming to go Los Angeles’s way.
  • Luc Mbah a Moute continues to be a complete paradigm shifter on the defensive end of the court, this time around causing all sorts of problems for Chris Paul as the Kings stormed back to take the lead in the second half. While we certainly aren’t all there as a defensive squad, having an individual defender with the pedigree of a Prince Luc certainly can help to mask individual deficiency. When your best defender is capable of guarding point guards and power forwards, it opens up a variety of options on the defensive end.
  • Travis Outlaw continues to impress off the bench. Keith Smart is obviously a genius for hiding him on the bench so that a good coach would look like a genius for playing him.
Tyreke Watch
After a rough start to the season, Tyreke’s begun to come around in Monty Williams’s system as the second man off the bench in New Orleans.

Season Stats: 24.6 mpg, 10.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1 spg, .4 bpg

Today’s Game

After a tough loss, this quick turnaround is going to really test the character of the team. Is it a strong-willed band of fighters and scrappers or simply another collection of has-beens and never-weres? Were someone like Keith Smart still coaching the team, I’d wholly expect the Kings to lay a big fat egg tonight. But as we appear to have an actual coach now, I’m really not sure what to expect.

Coached by Mark D’Antoni, this year’s bunch of Lakers are a complete 180 from the talent-laden teams of years past. With Kobe sidelined by an Achilles tear and Dwight trading in the salads and rabbit food of Beverly Hills for the smoked brisket and barbeque of Houston, this is pretty much the NBA equivalent of a thrift shop, a mish-mash band of aging former stars (Steve Nash and Pau Gasol), former draft busts (Wes Johnson and Jordan Hill), one dimensional shotchuckers (Jodie Meeks, Nick Young, Xavier Henry), and an assortment of random players strung together to simply fill out a roster (Robert Sacre and company).

Since this is a Mike D’Antoni team, the Lakers game plan is simply to outscore their opponent, defense be damned. As such, they are giving up 103 points per game while scoring 99.6. If Keith Smart was a worshipper at the church of smallball, D’Antoni is an altar boy.

With Steve Nash out due to being old, Steve “Ugly Alex Smith” Blake is manning the point for the diminished team and there honestly has not really been a drop off in quality between the multi-time MVP and the guy whose main role in years past was to generally stand around the three-point line and try not to get in Kobe’s way. In other words, Steve Nash is a shadow of his former self and at this point Steve Blake is just as good as him.

In the frontcourt, the Lakers run a three man rotation of Pau (old but still crafty), Hill (younger and scrappy), and Chris Kaman (old and ugly). No longer being crowded by Dwight’s offensive limitations, Gasol has reemerged as the steadying alphadog of the Lakers team to the tune of 13.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game. Having lost a lot of lateral quickness, it will be interesting to see whether or not he winds up being forced to guard the agile and equally crafty Demarcus Cousins. After a rough start to his career, Jordan Hill seems to have finally found a home in LA as the starting power forward for the Lakers. Sporting the most impressive dreadlocks this side of Mikki Moore, Hill kind of plays like how we’d all like Jason Thompson to be.

Match-ups
Demarcus versus Pau: Old Pouty Face against one of the best big men in the league. I’ll let you sort out who is who.

Slamson versus the Lakers Mascot: No idea if they have one but if they did, I bet Slamson would give it the good old Doug Christie Special right in the kisser.

The Lakers versus mediocrity: Chris Kaman is probably the wandering harbinger of yawn-worthiness.

The refs versus the Kings: The refs win.

Predictions and Closure
After a tough loss, this quick turnaround is going to really test the character of the team. Is it a strong-willed band of fighters and scrappers or simply another collection of has-beens and never-weres? I’m going to put my faith in the Kings here and say they pull off the win against the lesser of the Los Angeles teams, 95 to 87.
 
#2
It SHOULD be a win for us, but don't underestimate this Lakers team. They play better than their talent would suggest on paper. If we play with energy and effort it is a very winnable game. If we don't ... good luck to us.
 
#5
Damn, in that end of the game clip that you posted, showing Cousins pull IT away from Paul,..I just noticed that after Salmons inbounded the ball he had an open shot, if Cousins had gone right back to him.

I know I know, with Salmons shooting struggles and all, but it could have been better than the forced shot from Cousins[/quote]
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#7
Damn, in that end of the game clip that you posted, showing Cousins pull IT away from Paul,..I just noticed that after Salmons inbounded the ball he had an open shot, if Cousins had gone right back to him.

I know I know, with Salmons shooting struggles and all, but it could have been better than the forced shot from Cousins
You just called for a game winning shot attempt for John Salmons.

Go out back and slap yourself in the face 50 times with a week old trout, then come back and apologize to the board, Kings fans in general, and especially your mom.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#8
I just want the Kings to play with the same intensity as they did against the Clipps. No letdown. The last three performances by the Kings have been very encouraging.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#9
Unleash the Boogie Monster!

It will be tough in a back to back, and Cuz does not always respond well to being tired, however:

DeMarcus Cousins, 2013-14 games with 30+min:

10/30 DEN 39min 30pts (13-26FG 4-7FT) 14reb 1ast 2stl 2blk 4TO
11/01 LAC 35min 24pts (9-19FG 6-9FT) 10reb 4ast 3stl 2blk 4TO
11/08 POR 37min 35pts (13-25FG 9-10FT) 9reb 1ast 4stl 1blk 3TO
11/09 POR 31min 33pts (13-24FG 7-11FT) 12reb 0ast 1stl 1blk 2TO
11/15 DET 36min 26pts (12-23FG 2-3FT) 13reb 2ast 0stl 3blk 4TO
11/19 PHX 35min 27pts (9-18FG 9-15FT) 12reb 3ast 4stl 2blk 4TO
11/23 LAC 38min 23pts (10-22FG 3-6FT) 19reb 7ast 1stl 0blk 3TO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35.9min 28.3pts (.503FG .639FT) 12.7reb 2.6ast 2.1stl 1.6blk 3.4TO
 
K

KingMilz

Guest
#13
I really hope we change our Defensive stratagy slightly, no point packing the paint on this team since other than Pau none of them can score in the paint, we have to defend the three point line against this team. Hill could provide us with massive trouble if we don't box him out as well and his rolls to the rim we have to keep at eye out for.

Steve Blake has been playing well and if Vasquez can't stay in front of him than I don't know what to say. Barring foul trouble Cousins and Thomas should have there way with these guys.
 
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Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#14
I really hope we change our Defensive stratagy slightly, no point packing the paint on this team since other than Pau none of them can score in the paint, we have to defend the three point line against this team. Hill could provide us with massive trouble if we don't box him out as well and his rolls to the rim we have to keep at eye out for.

Steve Blake has been playing well and if Vasquez can't stay in front of him than I don't know what to say. Barring foul trouble Cousins and Thomas should have there way with these guys.
Lakers have always had problems with IT because they haven't had any backcourt quickness since Nick Van Exel was running the show. Nash being out probably helps them in that regard. Not that Blake is any quicker, but that it at least opens up minutes for others who are.

Frontline is actually much bigger than people think of them being, with 3 6'11"+ guys, but none are formidable defenders. Results may depend on how much gas Cuz has left in the tank on the back to back.
 
#15
Lakers love giving up a bunch of points and don't play any defense. The 2 big keys are staying home on 3pt shooters and keeping Jordan Hill off the glass.
 
#16
You just called for a game winning shot attempt for John Salmons.

Go out back and slap yourself in the face 50 times with a week old trout, then come back and apologize to the board, Kings fans in general, and especially your mom.
This won't be popular and I'm sure you and/or someone else will recommend that I go beat on myself again,...but I'm going to predict that if John Salmons remains a King this season..and if he is moved primarily to the shooting gaurd position,...he will have a turnaround to his game, much like we've seen so far from Travis Outlaw
 
#18
I think we'll compete until the mid 4th here, lose by 8-9. Lakers trying to get to .500, and as well as we have been playing lately it might be a little too soon to expect results on a back to back
 
#19
This won't be popular and I'm sure you and/or someone else will recommend that I go beat on myself again,...but I'm going to predict that if John Salmons remains a King this season..and if he is moved primarily to the shooting gaurd position,...he will have a turnaround to his game, much like we've seen so far from Travis Outlaw
It wouldn't take much for a "turnaround" from him at this point.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#20


If you ever get down on McLemore rookie struggles.... Just remember he can do this.
I WON'T forget this. The kid can fly. The day will come when he calms down, the shots begin to fall, and the coach will have time to use his particular skills. I've always thought that if you just toss it up near the rim he would be able to get it and dunk it. A lot of the time the ally oop is kind of gimmicky, kind of horsing around, but sometimes it's just the right play.
 
#21
so what do you guys think happens with the rotation at the SG and SF tonight?
will Jimmer still get the backup minutes? he's been kind of terrible....
will Salmons continue to get all of the backup SF minutes instead of Outlaw?
 
#22
so what do you guys think happens with the rotation at the SG and SF tonight?
will Jimmer still get the backup minutes? he's been kind of terrible....
will Salmons continue to get all of the backup SF minutes instead of Outlaw?
My guess: same starters with Salmons backing up at SG and Outlaw at SF. No change.
 
#24
We are going to win this one by 6 98 to 92
DMC will have 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists
Ben will have 12 points
IT will have 16 points
GV will have 13 points and 9 assists
Outlaw will have 15 points
 
#25
We are going to win this one by 6 98 to 92
DMC will have 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists
Ben will have 12 points
IT will have 16 points
GV will have 13 points and 9 assists
Outlaw will have 15 points
That's a good line for Greivis.. 4 assists above his average so far
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#26
Supposedly Kaman may miss this one with his back. He's no stud defender, but he is a huge body. Having him out can only help Boogie.
 
#28
That's a good line for Greivis.. 4 assists above his average so far
Yes, but I think he will probably have more minutes today, as there will be no CP to embarrass him. Also I am hoping the team will make some shots. (He actually created 9 clear shot opportunities in only 15 minutes yesterday), and he is averaging 11+ clear shot opportunities per game
 
#30
Yes, but I think he will probably have more minutes today, as there will be no CP to embarrass him. Also I am hoping the team will make some shots. (He actually created 9 clear shot opportunities in only 15 minutes yesterday), and he is averaging 11+ clear shot opportunities per game
clear shot opportunities, I like that stat