[Game] Game 9: Sacramento Kings @ Memphis Grizzlies, 11/13/14

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Tetsujin

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
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Kingsfans.com Official Game Thread
Game 9
Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies​

By Stephen Tetsu, Possible Ebola Victim

Dirk'd​

Another loss, this time in spectacular fashion. I'd say that this ruins any and all chances of the Kings being good this season but the last time we suffered against a team's comeback attempt like this, Chris Webber and Vlade were still manning the paint for us and Christina Aguilera was still a thing. So really all this game tells us about our rest of the season prospects is that (a) Ramon Sessions is not as good as Darren Collison, (b) we probably won't win games where Derrick Williams plays minutes in the second quarter, and (c) we really pooed the bed after the first quarter.

A little note before we get into things today. I'm a little under the weather and these bad boys take a bit of energy to write/compile, so this thing will probably be shorter than the usual game thread post. Plus, the less said about the game against the Mavs, the better.

That first quarter went great. Demarcus and Rudy were killing the Mavs inside. Ben looked like a poor man's Ray Allen out there. Even Ramon Sessions looked to have finally corrected his downward spiral. And then, my transmission cut out so I have no clue what happened over the course of the following three quarters. I heard it went pretty bad though.

Awards Time
Tony Delk Memorial Award- Devin Harris played 32 minutes and statistically didn't do amazingly but against the less defensively inclined members of our backcourt was able to simply drive nearly at will.

Jason Hart Award- Nik continues to find ways to be invisible on offense and wholly too visible on defense. Things will probably improve in time but until then

Shareef Abdur-Rahim Award- Charlie Villanueva is still in the league. And still looks like a baby doll.

Luke Walton Vacuum Cleaner Award- The entire Kings team after halftime.

WTF Moment of the Game - Everything. The entire game.

Tonight's Game
​

On the plus side, the road trip is almost over. On the minus side, the last game is against the Grizzlies, a team that revels in devouring young, soft squads and spitting out chewed up scraps. If there ever was a game two weeks into a season that could change the course of the next six months, it could be this one.

The Grizzlies are of course led by the two guys inside, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, one of the more complete big men lines in the league, even if Z-Bo is now approaching the twilight of his NBA career. Gasol is one of the better big men defenders in the league and a skilled offensive player as well, which means Demarcus is going to have to do his best to stay on the good side of the dudes in stripes.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies wing players can all pretty much be described as hardnosed grinders who will punch you in the nose and steal your lunch money if you don't put up your dukes. This defensive philosophy has even made Courtney Lee and Beno Udrich into much better defenders than the floppy, wide-eyed know-nothings who first signed with the team.

While no one on the Grizzlies is what I would call an "explosive" player, they are a good basketball team who will make you earn each and every point, a throwback team if there ever was one in the current run-and-gun, smallball obsessed league.

Final Thoughts and Predictions
To win this, we'll need a complete 48-minute long team effort and a lot of patience and willingness to feed Demarcus, even if he's being defended. If that happens, we can win.

But otherwise, I'm seeing a Kings loss 87-79.

Go Kings!
 
P

pshn80

Starter
#2
#2
Chicken soup ten times a day until cured or sleep and lots of water. Those same treatments may help Kings defense tonight so send the players for an afternoon nap instead of practice + a couple of glasses of water. Go Kings!!!
 
jcwkings

jcwkings

All-Star
#3
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I dont see us getting blown out as the Grizzlies slowly beat you to a pulp, but its hard to see a win here, a hard fought game is all you can ask for here.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#5
#5
Yep, Memphis isn't really a team that's going to explode on you from three-point range, or run you out of the gym in a track meet... they don't even dissect you with surgically precise passes, like the Spurs do. They just sort of relentlessly dot you with jabs until your eyes are swollen shut, and then throw hooks at your ribs, until you can't breathe any more.
 
Sac.Kings

Sac.Kings

All-Star
#10
#10
I expect we are going to get taught a lesson tonight. They are going to grind us away. I'm most looking forward to our response. Are we going to lay down and take the beating with open arms like we did at Dallas? Or are we going to actually push back?
 
Padrino

Padrino

All-Star
#11
#11
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Yep, Memphis isn't really a team that's going to explode on you from three-point range, or run you out of the gym in a track meet... they don't even dissect you with surgically precise passes, like the Spurs do. They just sort of relentlessly dot you with jabs until your eyes are swollen shut, and then throw hooks at your ribs, until you can't breathe any more.
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yup. and it's why i always root for the grizzlies come playoff time. they're probably my favorite team to watch outside of the kings; they're relentlessly hungry on the defensive end, and while it often doesn't look pretty, they'll pummel you with a relentlessly physical offensive attack, as well...
 
gunks

gunks

Hall of Famer
#16
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Boogie struggles against Marc. Rudy tries to put up big numbers against his old team and kills our offense. We get blown out for the first time this season.
 
G

Gilles

Starter
#17
#17
Sac.Kings said:
I expect we are going to get taught a lesson tonight. They are going to grind us away. I'm most looking forward to our response. Are we going to lay down and take the beating with open arms like we did at Dallas? Or are we going to actually push back?
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Pushing back might result in 77 fouls for 6 bigs, that suit up in King uniform.
 
kingsboi

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#18
#18
It's good to hear that Darren is probably to play. All that put aside, I smell a double digit loss here....for three consecutive teams there has been some type of Kings stats regarding playing in the opponents arena's, so since we have NEVER won in OKC and haven't won in Dallas in 20 tries, I wonder when was the last time the Kings won in Memphis? Marc will stifle Cousins so we need Rudy and Darren to bring it.
 
SacKings384

SacKings384

Starter
#19
#19
Kings need to rebound from two very bad losses. Good matchup for us as Boogie can guard Gasol, but JT is gonna get manhandled by Randolph. I'd rather see Evans in there to battle along with Boogie. Hopefully Collison can get the ball moving again.
 
Kingster

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#20
#20
I just want a stop to the whining. Don't say a thing to a ref, to an opposing player, to the nice-looking gal on the sideline. Put it on mute. Play like men instead of like babies. Play physical, play tough, and don't beat yourself by playing stupidly. There's no doubt in my mind that the toughest opponent they face all season....IS THEMSELVES. I seriously don't care if they lose by 20 if they can play the right way.
 
kingjatt

kingjatt

Starter
#21
#21
teams are game planning against us now, our hot start got us noticed and teams are taking away the things we do well. IF we can hit our outside shots, which will be available as teams like to pack the paint on us, we can pull this one out. Oh and be ready for when memphis cranks up its defense because we havent been ready for that these past two games
 
kingjatt

kingjatt

Starter
#22
#22
SacKings384 said:
Kings need to rebound from two very bad losses. Good matchup for us as Boogie can guard Gasol, but JT is gonna get manhandled by Randolph. I'd rather see Evans in there to battle along with Boogie. Hopefully Collison can get the ball moving again.
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Evans is great to have in their for energy or rebounding but man watching him on offense is frustrating.
 
S

sdballer

Starter
#23
#23
kingjatt said:
Evans is great to have in their for energy or rebounding but man watching him on offense is frustrating.
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It would be less of an issue if we didn't insist on including him so much in the offense. It's the weirdest thing how our offense seems to run the same sets when Evans replaces Boogie as though we haven't significantly changed skill sets.
 
jcwkings

jcwkings

All-Star
#25
#25
JT has actually done a decent job on Randolph in the past if I remeber. We gave them a great game over there last season, Cuz has always struggled with Gasol though.
 
kingjatt

kingjatt

Starter
#26
#26
sdballer said:
It would be less of an issue if we didn't insist on including him so much in the offense. It's the weirdest thing how our offense seems to run the same sets when Evans replaces Boogie as though we haven't significantly changed skill sets.
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I agree and think alot of that has to do with the defense basically leaving reggie as the only one to pass too so he naturally calls for the ball when the guard is looking around to make a pass. I saw the same thing with Hollins trying to post up and create like hes Cousins. Both Hollins and Evans should be running around setting back picks to get other guys open instead of playing right into the defenses hands and calling for the ball on an iso. The only time those two should get the ball is if a defender leaves them open right under the hoop.
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#27
#27
gunks said:
Boogie struggles against Marc. Rudy tries to put up big numbers against his old team and kills our offense. We get blown out for the first time this season.
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You may be right. My question would be "does it mean anything?"

Does anyone think we can win? I don't. As a fan, I can have that attitude. As a player, hell no. There ARE things that can be worked on. Boogie could focus on his fouling. In fact, I'd like to see Malone give him minutes even when he is in foul trouble. I'd like to see more of Ray. Can Ben keep it up? I don't think this is a game for Stauskas but that's up to Malone, obviously.

The bottom line is that I will focus on things that may have nothing to do with winning and losing.
 
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