[Game] Lakers @ Kings - 10/30/15 - 7 pm PDT/10 pm EDT
- Thread starter VF21
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I don't know if we will be able to totally blow them up with a big margin win but I believe that the Kings will be able to take the W in this game.
The Kings had strengthened in this off-season but so does the Lakers, they picked a really decent point guard in the draft, they brought Roy Hibbert, they have Julius Randle back after he was able to recover from his injury and they also added to the mix Lou Williams which is a very decent player, and obviously Kobe Bryant is always a player to fear when the Kings match-up against the Lakers.
But I believe we are more talented and more likely to win the game, if Cousins will be more wise with the ball in his hands and will be able to predict the plays before conducting them we might see him going full force against the Lakers, his turnovers really killed us against the Clippers.
I also expect the same output from Collison which was tremendous against the Clippers, I hope Rudy will be a little bit more effective against the Lakers, I sincerely look forward to watch Rondo conducting the game into perfection, because he can do it, I still believe he has what to offer, especially against a rookie point guard opponent.
As for the bench I hope we will see a decent contribution from Casspi, Bellineli and our rookie WCS, I think he might have a bigger opportunity to prove himself against the Lakers.
The Lakers are not to be underestimated, they can still grab the win, the Kings have to play hard in order to open this season well.
The Kings had strengthened in this off-season but so does the Lakers, they picked a really decent point guard in the draft, they brought Roy Hibbert, they have Julius Randle back after he was able to recover from his injury and they also added to the mix Lou Williams which is a very decent player, and obviously Kobe Bryant is always a player to fear when the Kings match-up against the Lakers.
But I believe we are more talented and more likely to win the game, if Cousins will be more wise with the ball in his hands and will be able to predict the plays before conducting them we might see him going full force against the Lakers, his turnovers really killed us against the Clippers.
I also expect the same output from Collison which was tremendous against the Clippers, I hope Rudy will be a little bit more effective against the Lakers, I sincerely look forward to watch Rondo conducting the game into perfection, because he can do it, I still believe he has what to offer, especially against a rookie point guard opponent.
As for the bench I hope we will see a decent contribution from Casspi, Bellineli and our rookie WCS, I think he might have a bigger opportunity to prove himself against the Lakers.
The Lakers are not to be underestimated, they can still grab the win, the Kings have to play hard in order to open this season well.
I don't know if I can put this into the right words, but there is something special happening with this team reminiscent of something that went by all too quickly the first time. I guess I just want Kings fans to savor every single moment and not miss any of the ride this time around.
When you see the team in person and are able to absorb the whole experience, I think you'll know what I mean. We can worry about the playoffs down the road. Right now, just grab a seat. hold on and enjoy every moment of the journey.
When you see the team in person and are able to absorb the whole experience, I think you'll know what I mean. We can worry about the playoffs down the road. Right now, just grab a seat. hold on and enjoy every moment of the journey.
We do need to win this one.
And people have the wrong idea about this early season run here. Yes, we are facing a lot of good teams (like last year). But look where we are facing them this time -- everything is at home. Only 2 of our first 11 games are on the road. We HAVE to get our act together quickly and defend the homecourt, because after this run, we're going to be on the road forever to make up for our start.
And people have the wrong idea about this early season run here. Yes, we are facing a lot of good teams (like last year). But look where we are facing them this time -- everything is at home. Only 2 of our first 11 games are on the road. We HAVE to get our act together quickly and defend the homecourt, because after this run, we're going to be on the road forever to make up for our start.
If the teams needs any additional motivation to win tomorrow night (and I do not think they do), this might be of some help (extremely premature, don't you think ):
"Sacramento is facing the possibility of its worst start since going 0-3 in 2012-13. The Kings fell 111-104 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in the opener of their final season at Sleep Train Arena."
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lakers-kings-preview-014235513--nba.html
):"Sacramento is facing the possibility of its worst start since going 0-3 in 2012-13. The Kings fell 111-104 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in the opener of their final season at Sleep Train Arena."
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lakers-kings-preview-014235513--nba.html
It's not exactly Russian Roulette, but I do think, with the depth that this team has (omg, it still feels good to say that) that Karl will tinker with line-ups depending on match-ups. I said that early on and was shot down. That's not the way things are DONE......... and it's not, typically. I don't think this team is typical. I think we are watching something very special and we may have to check our "but it's always been done THIS way" baggage at the door.
I would like to see a return of WCS to the starting line-up. I feel that lineup is the most comfortable with each other as starters following pre-season and sets a tone defensively.
The defense of the starters in the first game was bad. I do not understand Kosta guarding Blake at all. I understand not wanting to expose WCS, but Demarcus or Gay are better suited to defending Griffin than Kosta.
The defense of the starters in the first game was bad. I do not understand Kosta guarding Blake at all. I understand not wanting to expose WCS, but Demarcus or Gay are better suited to defending Griffin than Kosta.
If I'm Karl, this is how I set my rotation...
Starters:
PG - Rondo
SG - McLemore
SF - Gay
PF - Cauley-Stein
C - Cousins
Why?
PG - Rondo
SG - Collison
SF - Belinelli/Casspi
PF - Gay
C - Cousins
Or
PG - Collison
SG - Belinelli
SF - Gay
PF - Cauley-Stein/Koufos
C - Cousins
Why?
Starters:
PG - Rondo
SG - McLemore
SF - Gay
PF - Cauley-Stein
C - Cousins
Why?
- Cauley-Stein is the type of big that can match-up with numerous players. His athleticism and length should prove effective against some of the better bigs in the league. Also, I don't like the idea of him being the lead rebounder in the second unit. We need to limit second chance points as much as possible. Splitting Cousins and Koufos gives us the best chance at that. Our franchise player is a C and we just paid a backup C $8 mil/year. If one of them ins't on the floor at all times, you're a fool. We have the best C combination in the league. Don't let them off the hook!
- Cauley-Stein's versatility should allow us to stick him on the better big man thus freeing Cousins up. This way Cousins probability of getting into foul trouble is diminished, and he doesn't have to burn as much energy on the defensive side of the ball. Let the rookie burn fouls to start. Then we have a solid backup big in Koufos who can come in to absorb some more fouls. We desperately need Cousins to have a high energy level and for him to have 2-3 fouls to spare going into the 4th quarter so he can lock it down defensively down the stretch.
- McLemore makes more sense in the starting lineup right now. He's a better (theoretical) compliment with Rondo considering he's much more ball dominant. McLemore should be mainly an off-ball specialist while Belinelli should be not only playing off the ball but also handling at times. Belinelli's talents would be wasted a bit in the starting unit. McLemore also has the ability to be a much better defender. We need him to step up and start off the game by slowing down the opposing team's SG.
PG - Rondo
SG - Collison
SF - Belinelli/Casspi
PF - Gay
C - Cousins
Or
PG - Collison
SG - Belinelli
SF - Gay
PF - Cauley-Stein/Koufos
C - Cousins
Why?
- This lineup gives us the most veteran play with our best ball handlers/decision makers. I would think we would be able to limit turnovers and be much less prone to shooting ourselves in the foot with this lineup. I'm tired of seeing us beat ourselves at the end of games. I think this lineup would make wise decisions with the ball.
- It's a stronger scoring and shooting lineup. Defenses usually clamp down at the end of games. I think ending the game with 4 guys who can not only shoot from range, but who can also put the ball on the floor and score will help us beat defenses when things get tougher. Not to mention that the passing would be above average at each position. Hopefully, the ball movement would be solid enough to where we could get some easy looks.
- If all goes according to plan, (and Cauley-Stein/Koufos are taking the bulk of the more difficult defensive matchups throughout the game) Cousins should have more energy and less fouls to finish it out. Down the stretch, he should be able to zone in more and really anchor the defense without having to worry about fatigue or fouls. We need to make sure Cousins can be aggressive at the end of games.
- I'd recommend playing Gay at SF for the majority of the game until those final 5-7 minutes. That means he would play 28-30 minutes at SF (to keep him at 35 mpg) which means Casspi is likely getting 12-20 minutes a game at SF. The reason I'd like to see Gay avoid playing PF until the end because I would prefer him not having to bang with PFs all game long and tire him out. He is a SF at heart. I want him to be fresh on the offensive side. However, asking him to closeout the last 5-7 minutes at PF and give good defensive effort is not too much to ask. Gay played Griffin very tough at the end when he was playing PF. I'm okay with Gay giving decent defensive effort on the perimeter through the majority of the game so he can focus more offensively and have the energy to turn it on defensively at the end. Gay has never had the best motor on defense, and that's just who he is. You're not going to change that at this point in his career. However, I think you could convince him to buy-in and really exert himself on that side of the ball for the last 5-7 minutes.
- Having a 2 PG lineup to finish makes me worry about going up against teams that have good SGs (e.g. Harden) but Rondo, Collison, Belinelli/Casspi, & Gay would all be adequate matchups if it came down to switching off a screen. We wouldn't be completely helpless in that scenario. Not to mention the two PGs that would be out there are both good defenders so hopefully they can at least keep their man in front of them and force them to shoot over the top.
- I have Belinelli & Casspi as a split right now. I think a lot of that will depend on the matchup and how both players are playing during the game. For instance, if LeBron or Durant is finishing the game out at SF, you're probably not going to want Belinelli going against him. You'll most likely want to have Gay guard him down the stretch with Casspi sliding over to take the PF. I think there will be matchups when we might have to end with Koufos or Cauley-Stein next to Cousins (e.g., Randolph or Love at PF) and that's totally fine. However, in these specific matchups, I think Rondo has to be on the bench to end the game. Having a Rondo, Cauley-Stein/Koufos, & Cousins combo to end the game is going to make it very tough for us to find easy buckets (not enough spacing). Either way, we will have 3 good defenders on the floor (Rondo, Collison, Cousins vs. Collison, WCS/Koufos, Cousins) with a possibility of a 4th (if Gay engages). I think our defense could be tough enough to get some much needed stops.
K
Only one game to late that's a lot quicker adjustment than any other Sac coach has made not named Malone.
I'm rooting for WCS the dude literally did everything right in preseason and the small amount of time he played in the opening game. Kosta had his best games for us when Cuz was not on the floor with him and I like the idea of having the size and intimidation of either Cuz or 2k on the floor at all times.
I'm rooting for WCS the dude literally did everything right in preseason and the small amount of time he played in the opening game. Kosta had his best games for us when Cuz was not on the floor with him and I like the idea of having the size and intimidation of either Cuz or 2k on the floor at all times.