[Grades] Grades v. Grizzlies 11/13/2014
- Thread starter Bricklayer
- Start date
24 hours later and all I can say is that was the dumbest last play of a game I've ever seen. Just unforgivable. I don't know if it's the players or the coach, but there's no way that should have happened.
That game was just so simple to win, despite blowing another monster lead. And they let literally the only thing that could beat them happen.
That game was just so simple to win, despite blowing another monster lead. And they let literally the only thing that could beat them happen.
Short version:
They don't know how to deal with him.
In the Era of the overpowering center, Boogie fits right in. In today's finesse world, quality #1 centers hardly exist. Go ahead. Name a beast at the 5 that's a true #1 option. It isn't easy. He's a brute. He's our brute. You can't make him a finesse player - that's not what he is. The refs need to realize that and call accordingly. Someone with size should not be expected to play, or be called, like a weakside helper or a wing. I've been in the game long enough to know that.
Unfortunately, he's still getting "reputation calls", note the terrible technical from last night's game. I think that will slowly change, but it needs to move faster. We have, arguably, the biggest skilled player in the league.
They don't know how to deal with him.
In the Era of the overpowering center, Boogie fits right in. In today's finesse world, quality #1 centers hardly exist. Go ahead. Name a beast at the 5 that's a true #1 option. It isn't easy. He's a brute. He's our brute. You can't make him a finesse player - that's not what he is. The refs need to realize that and call accordingly. Someone with size should not be expected to play, or be called, like a weakside helper or a wing. I've been in the game long enough to know that.
Unfortunately, he's still getting "reputation calls", note the terrible technical from last night's game. I think that will slowly change, but it needs to move faster. We have, arguably, the biggest skilled player in the league.
They might be. At least some of them. I can easily construct scenarios. I again am reminded of Donaghy's claims, not the self serving ones, but the cultural claims of things like little side bets amongst the refs about who could bait Sheed in a particular game, or a decision to punish A.I. for criticizing a fellow ref. Cuz would be an ideal target if that sort of petty stuff were at all true. Oh you want to **** with US do you. I'll show you who's in charge!
On a simpler level, we suck. We've been just about the worst franchise in the NBA. No success, until just recently no clout to complain about anything., Young coach, young GM. New owner maybe, but he's an outsider. Shaq is semi-attached, but he's only parttime attached and a bit of a doof. The media made it a cool meme to hate on Cuz. He was virtually without effective defenders. Now the worm is starting to turn, but old grudges die hard and the longstanding claim about NBA refs is that they play favorites and that you have to "earn their respect" before they give you the benefit of the doubt.
And on the simplest level of all, I threw out the numbers for all to ponder. I have three decades of NBA watching behind me. I have a great deal of longterm perspective because of it. And anybody who tells me that this DeMarcus Cousins is by far and away the biggest hack in the history of the NBA is just flat ignorant. He's not even the biggest hack amongst the DeMarcus Cousinses we've seen over the past 5 years and yet now he's being called for far more fouls. Would these refs really have been throwing out Ewing or Mourning by halftime of each game? I doubt they'd have the balls, and if they did it would only be for one game because Riley would have castrated them.
The part that pisses me off is that he has come SO far. He is flat smart defender now. He looks like Joakim Noah out there cutting off angles, stepping into lanes, recovering. When he's in foul trouble he noticeable and obviously throws his hands up to keep from getting cheap calls. And yet there have been half a dozen calls against him this year that were just flat bad. Terrible. Several of them that could, or in fact did, turn games against us. There have been at least that many that looked questionable at the very least, but I did not have the camera angle to be sure. That's more bad or shaky fouls called against one player than Anthony Davis has been called on total for the whole year.
Cuz is a physical player, he's got quick hands, he takes charges, he plays in the post, he will always accumulate fouls. And if he was averaging 3.5 a game, or even 4 a game in 36 minutes a game or some such, you go, well, he's got to cut back. There would have been a few games where he was in foul trouble. Would have sucked. But not this. This has basically been EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. This for a player who has been talked about as MVP caliber. And EVERY SINGLE NIGHT the refs are taking him out of the game. And early too. They won't even let him play for a quarter at a time. That's unheard of. The story of this season for Cuz, and for us, is the referees. Nothing else. So yes, you are darned tootin' I'm going to shine a light on it.
On a simpler level, we suck. We've been just about the worst franchise in the NBA. No success, until just recently no clout to complain about anything., Young coach, young GM. New owner maybe, but he's an outsider. Shaq is semi-attached, but he's only parttime attached and a bit of a doof. The media made it a cool meme to hate on Cuz. He was virtually without effective defenders. Now the worm is starting to turn, but old grudges die hard and the longstanding claim about NBA refs is that they play favorites and that you have to "earn their respect" before they give you the benefit of the doubt.
And on the simplest level of all, I threw out the numbers for all to ponder. I have three decades of NBA watching behind me. I have a great deal of longterm perspective because of it. And anybody who tells me that this DeMarcus Cousins is by far and away the biggest hack in the history of the NBA is just flat ignorant. He's not even the biggest hack amongst the DeMarcus Cousinses we've seen over the past 5 years and yet now he's being called for far more fouls. Would these refs really have been throwing out Ewing or Mourning by halftime of each game? I doubt they'd have the balls, and if they did it would only be for one game because Riley would have castrated them.
The part that pisses me off is that he has come SO far. He is flat smart defender now. He looks like Joakim Noah out there cutting off angles, stepping into lanes, recovering. When he's in foul trouble he noticeable and obviously throws his hands up to keep from getting cheap calls. And yet there have been half a dozen calls against him this year that were just flat bad. Terrible. Several of them that could, or in fact did, turn games against us. There have been at least that many that looked questionable at the very least, but I did not have the camera angle to be sure. That's more bad or shaky fouls called against one player than Anthony Davis has been called on total for the whole year.
Cuz is a physical player, he's got quick hands, he takes charges, he plays in the post, he will always accumulate fouls. And if he was averaging 3.5 a game, or even 4 a game in 36 minutes a game or some such, you go, well, he's got to cut back. There would have been a few games where he was in foul trouble. Would have sucked. But not this. This has basically been EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. This for a player who has been talked about as MVP caliber. And EVERY SINGLE NIGHT the refs are taking him out of the game. And early too. They won't even let him play for a quarter at a time. That's unheard of. The story of this season for Cuz, and for us, is the referees. Nothing else. So yes, you are darned tootin' I'm going to shine a light on it.
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All the talk of deserving to lose, when you let 20+ leads evaporate...
Cousins shows great +/- splits, which means take him away and this is a lottery team, very likely a deep lottery team.
What is your expectation of a lottery team (is it 100% for away team) in away game vs elite team, that needs to cut 10 points deficit in half of the quarter?
Kings still had the lead, when Cousins returned? What is your expectations (is it 100% for away team), when two elite teams meet, away one has a 7-point lead in the middle of 4th, but was in a funk lately, not playing to full potential and losing a couple of easy game, so they are not booming with confidence late in the game, while hosts are 7-1 over the last 8, pulling some close ones as well.
Kings gain these leads in big part, because opponents miss easy shots early on, fall in a deep hole, get a sense of great urgency, and then start making the same shots, while also taking a nudge from refs, who feel they have to even out the game, and home fans, so by the end of the game confidence level is very different for a home team and away Kings.
Tough loss, that should've been a win, but season goes on, just wait for December run.
Cousins shows great +/- splits, which means take him away and this is a lottery team, very likely a deep lottery team.
What is your expectation of a lottery team (is it 100% for away team) in away game vs elite team, that needs to cut 10 points deficit in half of the quarter?
Kings still had the lead, when Cousins returned? What is your expectations (is it 100% for away team), when two elite teams meet, away one has a 7-point lead in the middle of 4th, but was in a funk lately, not playing to full potential and losing a couple of easy game, so they are not booming with confidence late in the game, while hosts are 7-1 over the last 8, pulling some close ones as well.
Kings gain these leads in big part, because opponents miss easy shots early on, fall in a deep hole, get a sense of great urgency, and then start making the same shots, while also taking a nudge from refs, who feel they have to even out the game, and home fans, so by the end of the game confidence level is very different for a home team and away Kings.
Tough loss, that should've been a win, but season goes on, just wait for December run.
I don't know how to say this. I just felt like JT is important to this team only for physical-defense against other teams' bigs. Through these years that is the only thing that JT is decent which is quite a very good specialty. Yes, he was needed most of the time, but not on this last 0.3 seconds of the game.
To me, it was Malone's fault letting JT play in that squad to prevent that split-second shot. We didn't need the physical-defense of JT. And Malone should have known that JT has a very low basketball IQ he has the tendency to mess-up such an easy defensive play.
To me, it was Malone's fault letting JT play in that squad to prevent that split-second shot. We didn't need the physical-defense of JT. And Malone should have known that JT has a very low basketball IQ he has the tendency to mess-up such an easy defensive play.
Except, if the inbounds goes to Gasol instead of Lee, there's ****-all Landry could have done to stop him from getting a tip-in, or even a layup.
That seems like it's getting undersold. Landry may have "a gazillion times higher basketball IQ" than Thompson, but Gasol has a gazillion times higher basketball IQ than Landry. You're telling me Gasol wouldn't have exploited being guarded by a player seven inches shorter, in a one-point game by going hard to the rim instead? Yeah, right.
That seems like it's getting undersold. Landry may have "a gazillion times higher basketball IQ" than Thompson, but Gasol has a gazillion times higher basketball IQ than Landry. You're telling me Gasol wouldn't have exploited being guarded by a player seven inches shorter, in a one-point game by going hard to the rim instead? Yeah, right.
Maybe if there's like more than enough time for Gasol to exploit Landry. But at 0.3 second? I don't think so.
I forgot Landry fouled out. But if he did not, he can't possibly be annihilated with 0.3 seconds left. That is just 0.3 seconds and I am pretty sure Landry can jump high enough and smart enough to time and alter any possible tip-in shot by a ground-bound Gasol.
And if Landry is out, I'll probably gamble on Regie Evans, rather than JT. Switch Cousins and Evans - Cousins guards Gasol and Evans guards Randolph.
and is like half a foot shorter. No, Landry got annihilated out there because of his size. So annihilated actually that he fouled out about 8 minutes before that final play. 
And if Landry is out, I'll probably gamble on Regie Evans, rather than JT. Switch Cousins and Evans - Cousins guards Gasol and Evans guards Randolph.
Malone probably instructed the players, but he forgot JT won't be able to follow the instructions, or in this case modify what he was instructed to do when necessary. Simple switching confuses JT and he cannot read simple plays. And if he read the play almost always it will be too late for him to react.
He was probably told to stay on Gasol and prevent any tip-in shot, and so HE DID. Good boy!
Sadly, JT is just a very low basketball IQ player.
He was probably told to stay on Gasol and prevent any tip-in shot, and so HE DID. Good boy!
Sadly, JT is just a very low basketball IQ player.
Thanks for the reply. I think the biggest difference between today's game and years ago when guys like Ewing, Mourning, and Shaq played is that the league has mandated that the referees call the game differently. The game used to be a big boy's game back then. Very physical. The referees had more of an "advantage-disadvatage" philosophy and now they are taught to see plays in black and white. The referees today are also graded on literally every decision that they make (calls and no-calls) and it goes into a database which will ultimately determine where the referees fall within the pecking order.
So I guess my point is be mad at the league if you want to be mad. I actually think the officiating in the NBA, as far as calling it the same for the best teams and the worst teams, is WAY better than it was 10-15 years ago. I believe that is due to the accountability that the officials are now held to which is backed by technology to easily track this stuff. Basketball officiating, in my opinion, used to be an art form. The great officials like Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnel, etc. were respected because they could take command of a game and they had the personalities to match it. Nowadays, officiating is more like a science and the officials are extremely robotic.
So I guess my point is be mad at the league if you want to be mad. I actually think the officiating in the NBA, as far as calling it the same for the best teams and the worst teams, is WAY better than it was 10-15 years ago. I believe that is due to the accountability that the officials are now held to which is backed by technology to easily track this stuff. Basketball officiating, in my opinion, used to be an art form. The great officials like Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnel, etc. were respected because they could take command of a game and they had the personalities to match it. Nowadays, officiating is more like a science and the officials are extremely robotic.
Thanks for the tidbits about Donaghy's claims from his book - that's really informative.
You mentioning his taking charges reminds me - he seems to be getting called on a lot of blocks this year. But I looked, and he's tied for the league lead in charges taken (at 5).
And yes, at this point, it's not OK to sit back and wait patiently for the league and media to "get it" re: DMC and fouls.
They will have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the realization that it is in the league's best interests to let the big man Boogie do his thing on the court.
The NBA needs a dominant big man, badly, for marketing purposes.
Loudly pointing out Boogie's foul disparity is the least we can do to start a grass-roots PR campaign to "Free the Beast!"
You mentioning his taking charges reminds me - he seems to be getting called on a lot of blocks this year. But I looked, and he's tied for the league lead in charges taken (at 5).
And yes, at this point, it's not OK to sit back and wait patiently for the league and media to "get it" re: DMC and fouls.
They will have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the realization that it is in the league's best interests to let the big man Boogie do his thing on the court.
The NBA needs a dominant big man, badly, for marketing purposes.
Loudly pointing out Boogie's foul disparity is the least we can do to start a grass-roots PR campaign to "Free the Beast!"