[Game] Game 20: Sacramento Kings vs. Orlando Magic. 12/06/14, 7 PST, 10 EST

[IfAt1st]

This game's loss is not on the players, or the coach. (It might be on bad luck, and a Magic team playing WAY over their heads)

This game's loss is solely on PDA.
This team may have one of the worst bench's in the NBA, and that's saying something. Every single game, there are multiple players on the other team that would fit the bill for what this team needs BADLY. Are we supposed to believe that PDA couldn't get ANY of them over the past year and a half?

Coach Malone has had it, obviously. Did anyone see his conference after the game? He is beside himself and getting more frustrated at the lack of punch PDA has given him with this roster. He "is constantly in Searching Mode, hoping to find someone... ANYONE to provide a spark to make something happen out there."
If you watch that conference, he was talking and referring directly to the roster's shortcomings, and how he can't get blood from a turnip, basically.
From the way Coach is acting and responding, I doubt that PDA is taking responsibility during team meetings for putting this roster together, and doesn't agree with its shortcomings.

 

[Prince_XY]

Seriously. We sorely need a 3pt threat out there, anybody, and we leave our best on the season glued to the bench in favor of Sessions.

And this one is on the players too.

Not on Malone.

 

[Hoovtrain]

Once again this teams inability to secure defensive rebounds and knock down 3s has cost them another game...along with Malones baffling rotations

 

[Tetsujin]

View attachment 5050

Surprisingly, DWill wasn't the issue. Hard to win when this is what you get from the bench.

Getting severely outproduced by the dude we passed up to draft him isn't a good look for Nik.

 

[Gilles]

He's our most naturally talented bench player (why he was a #2pick) but he's just to damn unpredictable, I don't understand why for 15-20 mins every game he can't go all out on both ends and just use his athletic ability like he did 2night, there was 2 occasions where he completely altered shots on the defensive end just by leaping and swatting. He just needs to play kamikaze basketball at both ends and he will be a very productive player as long as his athletic ability is there.

Williams is most gifted athlete among bench players, and even those athletic gifts are not ideal to the game of basketball as he's not really quick or agile for SF (but is fast and jumps high - volleyball type of athleticism) and isn't long or has strong enough base for PF (can't box out or rebound, lack of quickness and agility prevents out the area rebounds). Derrick is not explosive off one feet, so he has trouble finishing strong on his drives or can't be a good rolling man in P&R, but Williams is powerful when he has time to gather and jump off of both feet for relatively open alley-oops. Lack of length, explosiveness off one feet and timing makes him irrelevant as a primary help defender.

This game's loss is not on the players, or the coach. (It might be on bad luck, and a Magic team playing WAY over their heads)

This game's loss is solely on PDA.
This team may have one of the worst bench's in the NBA, and that's saying something. Every single game, there are multiple players on the other team that would fit the bill for what this team needs BADLY. Are we supposed to believe that PDA couldn't get ANY of them over the past year and a half?

Coach Malone has had it, obviously. Did anyone see his conference after the game? He is beside himself and getting more frustrated at the lack of punch PDA has given him with this roster. He "is constantly in Searching Mode, hoping to find someone... ANYONE to provide a spark to make something happen out there."
If you watch that conference, he was talking and referring directly to the roster's shortcomings, and how he can't get blood from a turnip, basically.
From the way Coach is acting and responding, I doubt that PDA is taking responsibility during team meetings for putting this roster together, and doesn't agree with its shortcomings.

After acquiring Rudy and signing Darren Kings were on the brink of LT. It took a couple of months to untangle all the ties and move away from that line, and by that time Sessions was basically the only guy available. Anyway Kings used MLE on Darren and bi-annual exception on Sessions. That was all the money available. After that only mincontracts remained. And PDA used two of them on Casspi and Moreland. Trades? To get something useful you have to give up something useful, and Kings have no players, other teams might want, that Kings don't want for themselves.
P.S. With Boogie, Rudy and Darren locked in, clear team identity, weaknesses, a few expiring contracts and some money above MLE in the summer, if Kings let those contracts to expire, means from December, 22nd to the deadline and over the summer we will see, what PDA is capable of/his vision of a team is.

 

[NowImLost]

The fear of losing game upon game upon game and the possibility that the Kings may start to suck again...
IT HAUNTS ME.

 

[randymoss1881]

Magic were a bad call and a curry clutch 3 from beating GS couple night ago so they have been playing good ball.

 

[Chubbs]

He made a couple entry passes for assists. You don't keep your best shooting guard out for most of the 4th. It's only a matter of time before Sessions hurts the team, which he did, again.

Don't agree at all

Ben, for whatever reason, was absolutely invisible all game. Even when he was in people didn't notice and were still posting saying he needs to be out there. That says something.

 

[The_Jamal]

Magic were a bad call and a curry clutch 3 from beating GS couple night ago so they have been playing good ball.

Yea this. Magic are the East version of us this season. Not exactly a good team yet, but they're playing MUCH better ball this season on both ends of the floor and are starting to establish an idedity with key guys like Vuc, Harris, Oladipo, etc.

And for people saying our roster sans Cousins owns theres sans Vuc... uh what?

Gay is slightly ahead of Harris this season

Oladipo is slightly ahead of Collison.

After that, it's Fournier, Frye, O'Quinn, Ridnour and Payton, Dedmon Vs our supporting cast of JT, Ben, Casspi, Landry, D-Will, Sessions, Stauskas. They've just been a more productive group than we have.

So while yes, absolutely a disappointing loss, let's keep it in perspective that this isn't the Magic of the past few years in the same way we aren't the same Kings in the past few years.

 

[VF21]

Yea this. Magic are the East version of us this season. Not exactly a good team yet, but they're playing MUCH better ball this season on both ends of the floor and are starting to establish an idedity with key guys like Vuc, Harris, Oladipo, etc.

And for people saying our roster sans Cousins owns theres sans Vuc... uh what?

Gay is slightly ahead of Harris this season

Oladipo is slightly ahead of Collison.

After that, it's Fournier, Frye, O'Quinn, Ridnour and Payton, Dedmon Vs our supporting cast of JT, Ben, Casspi, Landry, D-Will, Sessions, Stauskas. They've just been a more productive group than we have.

So while yes, absolutely a disappointing loss, let's keep it in perspective that this isn't the Magic of the past few years in the same way we aren't the same Kings in the past few years.

O/T - I really wanted us to go after Oladipo.

 

[Chubbs]

Yea this. Magic are the East version of us this season. Not exactly a good team yet, but they're playing MUCH better ball this season on both ends of the floor and are starting to establish an idedity with key guys like Vuc, Harris, Oladipo, etc.

And for people saying our roster sans Cousins owns theres sans Vuc... uh what?

Gay is slightly ahead of Harris this season

Oladipo is slightly ahead of Collison.

After that, it's Fournier, Frye, O'Quinn, Ridnour and Payton, Dedmon Vs our supporting cast of JT, Ben, Casspi, Landry, D-Will, Sessions, Stauskas. They've just been a more productive group than we have.

So while yes, absolutely a disappointing loss, let's keep it in perspective that this isn't the Magic of the past few years in the same way we aren't the same Kings in the past few years.

It's a very young team. But outside of cousins, the Kings don't really have a significant talent edge anywhere else.

 

[The_Jamal]

It's a very young team. But outside of cousins, the Kings don't really have a significant talent edge anywhere else.

Yea, that was my point, addressing to people who were outraged we lost to "THIS MAGIC SQUAD!!!>?!?!?" like they were the scrub team they've been for the past couple seasons.

 

[Kingster]

Derrick Williams is inconsistent on offense, but very consistent on defense - consistently poor. Malone has to be desperate to put him in the game because he knows he's going to have no impact on D. I haven't seen him guard anyone since he arrived in Sacto.

 

[Tetsujin]

Yea, that was my point, addressing to people who were outraged we lost to "THIS MAGIC SQUAD!!!>?!?!?" like they were the scrub team they've been for the past couple seasons.

Personally I'd rate them above the Bucks right now. They just had the misfortune of their stud guard being injured to start the year (Oladipo), their high draft pick defensive athletic utility man out indefinitely (Aaron Gordon), their stud big man being injured now (Vuc), and an absurdly road-heavy start to the beginning of the season (7 home games, 16 road games). They're already only one game out of the East playoff race and Miami and Brooklyn are both floundering to say the least.

So really, this Magic squad is probably a playoff team.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Personally I'd rate them above the Bucks right now.

Damn. Backhand full of knuckles on that compliment.