Eric Moreland on the Kings/Bighorns merry-go-round

[spok22s]

http://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings-recall-moeland-from-reno

Would love to see him get some playing time in an actual NBA game even if it's just one or two minutes.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Put Sessions on the inactive list, so Moreland can get a look!

 

[TheBadGuy]

Put Sessions on the inactive list, so Moreland can get a look!

Williams or Hollins should be put on the inactive list.

 

[kingsnation]

Williams or Hollins should be put on the inactive list.

Williams. We need Hollins' size in certain situations.

 

[Bricklayer]

Might be if they really are going to have Rudy inactive tomorrow. Which would kinda suck. But Moreland might be seen as a possible athletic body to throw at Davis.

 

[kingsboi]

Maybe this means he will be playing a bit in these upcoming games...would be a good test to see if he is ready yet.

 

[Bricklayer]

Now the story is we might not have Rudy OR JT, which could be disaster against Davis. Right there would explain Moreland being called back. They must have seen him hold Hassan Whiteside to only 30-22-8 in the duck and chuck, and thought, there's our Brow kryptonite!

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Probably just got recalled so he can practice with the team this week since they don't have a road game till the weekend

 

[HndsmCelt]

Well if we can get a 25 point lead... [ducks and runs from thread]

 

[biltalent]

Probably just got recalled so he can practice with the team this week since they don't have a road game till the weekend

I think so too. Thats how they did it last year with Ray McCallum.
FWIW, here's Cowbell Kingdoms take on Eric Moreland practicing with the team:
http://cowbellkingdom.com/eric-moreland-helping-the-kings-behind-the-scenes/

 

[Iced Espresso]

I think so too. Thats how they did it last year with Ray McCallum.
FWIW, here's Cowbell Kingdoms take on Eric Moreland practicing with the team:
http://cowbellkingdom.com/eric-moreland-helping-the-kings-behind-the-scenes/

“My role has been nothing different, just to be a defensive guy, get these guys ready for the game, and continue to be a good teammate,” Moreland told Cowbell Kingdom on Tuesday. “I got a lot of vets in front of me right now, so my time will come, and the team is doing really good right now, so I’m just being real supportive right now. For the team, be a defensive guy, and for the team, develop every day in practice, and just keep learning. Keep learning every day.”

Now wouldn't of it been nice to hear that from Whiteside or any other projects we have had?

 

[VF21]

And Moreland has been sent back to Reno while the Kings are on their road trip. I actually like this, as it gives the kid the opportunity to build on his skills.

 

[funkykingston]

And Moreland has been sent back to Reno while the Kings are on their road trip. I actually like this, as it gives the kid the opportunity to build on his skills.

Yeah, I think Moreland needs the minutes to develop but I have my concerns about whether Reno is developing guys properly. This quote in particular bothered me:

“Reno’s more up and down, full court pressure, shoot a lot of 3’s and 2’s, no midranges, and Sacramento likes to get up and down as well but it’s a little more structural in Sacramento, and a lot more plays,” Moreland noted. “We don’t really have any plays in Reno, so it’s a lot different, they’re not the same at all."

The NBA will likely never have a true minor league system like baseball but if it is going to help teams develop talent then I think the D-League coaches have to be able to instill similar schemes to the NBA team that they are affiliated with. To an extent basketball is basketball but why not have Moreland working on the same things he'd be practicing in Sacramento?

 

[randymoss1881]

Yeah, I think Moreland needs the minutes to develop but I have my concerns about whether Reno is developing guys properly. This quote in particular bothered me:



The NBA will likely never have a true minor league system like baseball but if it is going to help teams develop talent then I think the D-League coaches have to be able to instill similar schemes to the NBA team that they are affiliated with. To an extent basketball is basketball but why not have Moreland working on the same things he'd be practicing in Sacramento?

That's the problem what's happening in Reno isn't basketball

 

[lawlman91]

I like the direction this team is going. It has a good combination of win-now and development. Eric Moreland can be seen as the PF of the future, RayMac as our future PG, BMac and Nik as our Sharpshooters, and DMC will stay with us since he's still somewhat young. Keep this unit together, Kings management; we are building a dynasty here!

 

[VF21]

That's the problem what's happening in Reno isn't basketball

It's not just the Reno Bighorns. A lot of the league seems focused solely on seeing how many points their players can rack up on any given night. If you look at their webpage, there are a lot of games where the combined score is in excess of 220 or so.

 

[Bricklayer]

It's not just the Reno Bighorns. A lot of the league seems focused solely on seeing how many points their players can rack up on any given night. If you look at their webpage, there are a lot of games where the combined score is in excess of 220 or so.

Oh there's a difference. The league in general may be defensively casual, but they are still running plays and actually setting up on defense. What is happening is Reno has nothing to do with any of that. Its a lab experiment. No plays, no defense, no normal rotations, no halfcourt offense. Its just junk. Makes the old And1 tour look like good fundamentally sound basketball.

 

[CruzDude]

Quick check of Bighorn stats shows Moreland shooting FT at a brisk 33% clip!! That, for a big, won't get you the GAME! He needs more time in Reno and hopefully they will start to play the Kings way and play defense to see how Moreland can contribute in real game situations.

 

[bajaden]

Yeah, I think Moreland needs the minutes to develop but I have my concerns about whether Reno is developing guys properly. This quote in particular bothered me:



The NBA will likely never have a true minor league system like baseball but if it is going to help teams develop talent then I think the D-League coaches have to be able to instill similar schemes to the NBA team that they are affiliated with. To an extent basketball is basketball but why not have Moreland working on the same things he'd be practicing in Sacramento?

Boy, I couldn't agree more. I just don't get this. Even in highschool, you run plays. Almost all offensive schemes are based on fundamental plays, and variations of those fundamental plays. I can't imagine why a team would just fly by the seat of their pants on offense. Even in sandlot basketball, they run plays. This makes no sense to me at all. Hell, I could coach their team if that's all they expect.

 

[bajaden]

Quick check of Bighorn stats shows Moreland shooting FT at a brisk 33% clip!! That, for a big, won't get you the GAME! He needs more time in Reno and hopefully they will start to play the Kings way and play defense to see how Moreland can contribute in real game situations.

So is it the chicken or the egg thing. Is Moreland really that bad of an offensive player, or does the system they're using, or lack thereof, play to his weaknesses, and thereby result in his poor shooting percentage. He certainly shot for a better percentage at Oregon St. In his four years at Oregon St. he averaged 53.5% overall from the floor. My point is, that if your on a team that doesn't run any set plays, and your number is never called, then your forced to be an isolation player and create your own shot. That's not Moreland's strength. He's not a good iso player. Now if I'm looking for a ray of sunshine in this, maybe he'll start to develop some iso skills, and in the long term, it'll make him a better player. Of course the reverse could be true as well. But right now, I suspect that he's taking shots he wouldn't normally take, and the result is his poor shooting percentage.

 

[miltonap]

Yea. It's called the D-league for a reason. If Vivek wants to do these stupid experiments, he should do it in some rec league. It's kind of unfair to the players who are trying to learn the game more and find a spot in the league. It's absolute garbage what's going on in Reno. I don't see how any of you can defend this.

 

[bajaden]

There's a dramatic difference. The league in general may be defensively casual, but they are still running plays and actually setting up on defense. What is happening is Reno has nothing to do with any of that. Its a lab experiment. No plays, no defense, no normal rotations, no halfcourt offense. Its just junk. Makes the old And1 tour look like good fundamentally sound basketball.

Having not actually watched one of their games, which I plan on doing, I can't definitively say how their playing. But more than one source has validated this, no set plays approach to the game. Which if true, and it appears to be true, is pure BS. It's one thing to forget how to play defense, but even in high scoring all star games, they still run plays. I don't understand what they hope to accomplish with this approach, other than develop bad habits. If your goal on the parent team is to promote more ball movement through passing, wouldn't it be a good idea to have your D-League team promote the same idea. Otherwise, what's the point of the D-League team?

 

[CruzDude]

Yep. Something is seriously wrong with the Reno-Sacramento connection.
Surely the Kings brass are aware of what is going on in Reno yet it continues.
Is there some underlying method to their madness?
Are they trying to find out who are the shooters and scorers first then instill a game plan and start to act like their parent team?
Or maybe the team is so bad and incapable of playing defense that they are going for entertainment value like a rec league?
Plan on attending the Dec 20 game at LA Defenders to see for myself what is going on. But if just a shooting gallery then no way I waste my time for the whole game.

 

[Albatros]

If they didn't plan to play this system they wouldn't have hired Arsenault, but I don't know who actually pulls the strings there, the Bighorns have an owner and it's not Vivek, what the arrangement actually is though I have no idea. They drafted for the system too by stocking up on shooters at all positions, and traded for David Stockton.

 

[bajaden]

If they didn't plan to play this system they wouldn't have hired Arsenault, but I don't know who actually pulls the strings there, the Bighorns have an owner and it's not Vivek, what the arrangement actually is though I have no idea. They drafted for the system too by stocking up on shooters at all positions, and traded for David Stockton.

The Kings control the team. They paid for the right to run the team. I beleive it was a two year agreement. They originally tried to buy the team, but the current owner refused to sell. Anyway, whatever is happening there is the sole responsibility of the Kings organization. And I'll admit that I don't understand it. The only reason I can see for trading to acquire Stockton is the name. Unfortunately that's about where it ends with Stockton. He's not only undersized, he's only an average athlete. He's a pretty good shooter, and not a bad assist guy, but he's nothing special. At least so far. Maybe the Kings have forgotten what the D stands for in D-League.

 

[Chubbs]

If you can stomach it here's a full game.

 

[randymoss1881]

Subs every 2 min is comical but then again the whole system is comical

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

That's cringe-worthy.

 

[kingsfan1984]

lol WOW! Does Vivek think there is any chance this would work in an NBA game? In the NBA, teams would have no problem getting past half court and then its 2 on 1. Majority of NBA players would be able to attack the rim, even with a center waiting for them, and score or get fouled. Casspi would destroy this like he has done to anthony davis.

Heslip can shoot! How similiar to Jimmer is he?

 

[arusinov]

Oh there's a difference. The league in general may be defensively casual, but they are still running plays and actually setting up on defense. What is happening is Reno has nothing to do with any of that. Its a lab experiment. No plays, no defense, no normal rotations, no halfcourt offense. Its just junk. Makes the old And1 tour look like good fundamentally sound basketball.

So they're running "Grinell system" ?
I'm not sure... It's certainly not the right basketball as we (or almost anyone else) knows it. Still somehow it works for this team in NCA Division III. It's not high level at all, but initially "everyone" said it will not work there too. Who knows? May be it can work in Division II or maybe Division I or some european professional league. Such experiment can be even hm... entertaining.
Still I tends to agree that in "development" league such it is completely not in place.

p.s.
Oh... I've only now understood that Bighorns' headcoach is the son of "Grinell system" inventor. So you expect him to run it, and actually he correctly noticed "They certainly didn't hire me to run the Princeton offense". I also do understand that Vivek himself run something similar in his daughter's school basketball team but still for "development" league... it's not logical