[Grades] Grades v. Knicks 12/4/2016

[Bricklayer]

Link to Boxscore

Starters
35min 22pts (7-18 2-6 6-6) 9reb 4ast 3stl 0blk 3To
Gay ( C+ ) -- up, down, and all around. Started off the game with excellent hustle energy, but quickly established he could not hit a shot and the Knicks length bothered him. Came out in the 3rd firing and a major reason why we got back into it, but decionmaking was sloppy all night, and nearly random play down the stretch did not help.

43min 36pts (9-30 4-10 14-16) 12reb 4ast 1stl 3blk 2To
Cousins ( B- ) -- I mean, what to do with this stat line? Team really let him down here. Came out of the gate playing GREAT inspired ball, scoring and smothering Porzingis on D. but as the rest of the team did nothing, Cuz got ganged up on, got desperate and reckless, had brilliant moments but played the entire second half and could not figure a way to get the big shot to go down.

Featured Grade
Koufos ( C ) -- Being overcome by emotions watching the exciting KK play takes me a minute to gather my thoughts. Started the game with a missed 1-ft tip in, an indication of things to come. Then lead a fast break and from a great dish by Collison made a layup, his only made shot in the game. Mainly guarding Noah in the first half did good job of holding him down. Once switched to Carmelo and standing straight and tall as he does blocked his 3 ft shot. Came out at the 5:00 min mark of the first and got back in mid second and held his own as he usually does on defense getting all of his 11 rebounds in the first half and doesn't make any bonehead plays. Missed 3 straight under the basket tip ins then gets replaced by Willy at the 3:11 mark of the 2nd. Starts the 3rd and does well on defense guarding Porzingas, missing shots but ending up with 11 rebounds. Is replaced by Willy at the 8:15 mark of the 3rd and is done for the night. His close in shots just were not working going 1 for 7. --Cruz

17min 3pts (1-4 1-1 0-0) 2reb 0ast 1stl 0blk 0To
Afflalo ( D- ) -- made one good play all night, when he hit the kickout three the way he is supposed to. Otherwise invisibility may finally have cost him his spot. Think not blocking out or moving for a rebound the Knicks got finished his night.

39min 13pts (4-10 1-3 4-4) 3reb 6ast 2stl 0blk 2To
Collison ( C+ ) -- was really and sincerely pissed at his murderous passivity in the first half as he provided no offensive help at all, and let Derrick Rose go all Deliverance on him right in the middle of MSG on defense. But after half he settled in and steadied and joined Cuz in playing the entire way as we tried to pull it out.


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Bench

17min 2pts (1-11 0-4 0-0) 3reb 1ast 1stl 0blk 1TO
Barnes ( F ) -- could not hit a bleeping shot on a disastrous night. Shot 1-11 from the floor, with the one being a layup, and a -21 in 17 minutes of play.

20min 6pts (2-4 0-1 2-2) 3reb 1ast 2stl 0blk 0TO
Casspi ( C ) -- followed up a crappy first half stint which actually saw him get barked at by Cuz when he just stood there dazzled by the MSG lights as the Knicks ran by him for an o-board and a score, with a competent second half as we responded to our eternal SG problem by simply playing without one, and playing SFs all over the court.

23min 9pts (4-7 0-0 1-3) 4reb 0ast 1stl 0blk 0TO
Cauley-Stein ( B ) -- hey! We got a game out of Willie. And maybe this will be the one decent game that gives Joerger an excuse to start him. With Kosta incompetent, and Matt trying to kill orphans with howitzers, Willie came in and looked mostly competent. Finally got active on D, but made dumb young player mistakes on fouls.

9min 0pts (0-2 0-1 0-0) 0reb 1ast 1stl 0blk 2TO
Lawson ( F ) -- was so bad in his first half minutes that he actually cost himself his 2nd half. Did absolutely nothing as the Knicks poured on a barely deserved lead. No offense, and critically none of the defense or scrap that has surprised early in the year.

18min 5pts (2-3 1-2 0-0) 3reb 1ast 1stl 1blk 1TO
Temple ( B- ) -- was our only perimeter player to give us any game before half, and yet was largely frozen out in the second half as Collison went the whole way and we went big at the SG spot. Highlight moment when he flew over to block Porzingis inside.

 

[IfAt1st]

Well, Brick - we're 20 games in.
7-13.

Any updates on your judgment on the team and its coach?

IMO, these losses have made the Mavs game as close to a must-win game as is possible this early in the season.

 

[Larry89]

Offense doesnt look very good, neither does the defense. Ball sticks.

 

[kingsboi]

let's hope that we see a bit more of Willie next game, this Koufos/Afflalo starting unit is really hurting my eyes.

 

[Bricklayer]

Well, Brick - we're 20 games in.
7-13.

Any updates on your judgment on the team and its coach?

None.

 

[SLAB]

Easy answer; Start the same lineup, they lose.

Adjust, they have a chance.

 

[jcwkings]

Its just painfully obvious the moves that need to be made. Koufos and Afflalo to second unit and Temple and WCS to starters. Afflalo is useless with the starters. With the second unit he at least can be more agressive and maybe provide 10-15 pts off the bench. Koufos is god awful playing with Cousins but is solid as a lone anchor and has a good connection with Lawson. Temple is the best defender on this team by a wide margin and is league average at hitting open spot shots. WCS is a a guy that could make the biggest difference if he finds his game. I have always said he needs to play with Cousins, they both cover for eachothers weaknesses on defense to a shocking degree.

 

[Suicide King]

Its just painfully obvious the moves that need to be made. Koufos and Afflalo to second unit and Temple and WCS to starters. Afflalo is useless with the starters. With the second unit he at least can be more agressive and maybe provide 10-15 pts off the bench. Koufos is god awful playing with Cousins but is solid as a lone anchor and has a good connection with Lawson. Temple is the best defender on this team by a wide margin and is league average at hitting open spot shots. WCS is a a guy that could make the biggest difference if he finds his game. I have always said he needs to play with Cousins, they both cover for eachothers weaknesses on defense to a shocking degree.

This is why i get a little bent out of shape when a player in his second year gets thrown under the bus by some after a poor game. If it takes a few years to reap the benefits of your pick then so be it. A lot of Willie's defensive prowess does not show up as a block, but he alters a lot of shots and his length gets into passing lanes a lot.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

WCS is a a guy that could make the biggest difference if he finds his game. I have always said he needs to play with Cousins, they both cover for eachothers weaknesses on defense to a shocking degree.

The really weird thing about Cauley-Stein (at least, last year) is that he makes up for being a horrible rebounder by being above average at blocking out. Coming off the bench this year, he's blocking out, but there's nobody on the bench who's actually good at rebounding, so they all end up in the other teams' hands, anyway.

 

[KingMilz]

A few years ago when we signed Koufus/Belly me and a number of posters were wanting Kyle O'Quinn on the Kings the dude signed like a 3million dollar deal which in comparison to what we gave Kosta is peanuts. Jeff Hornacheck did us a huge favor in this game playing Noah over O'Quinn (there was a stat when O'Quinn starts the Knicks are undefeated or maybe 1 loss) who was controlling the paint and smashing us on the glass.

When given playing time O'Quinn is productive he's a really really poor man's Marc Gasol and I wonder if we have anything the Knicks would want (Casspi/Ben) from us in return for O'Quinn who's passing/thugness/size next to Cousins would actually look very decent despite both being on the slower side. Unlike KK, O'Quinn actually has basketball skills and can at times step out and hit mid range jumpers and as witnessed tonight he's a very good passer and actually has a presence on the floor.

Some of this years coaches decisions in regards to playing Kosta/AA is actually probably worse than the crap Karl was doing last year.

 

[HndsmCelt]

These close loses against winning teams would be a lot more palatable if we were consistently beating the teams on the low end.

 

[PurpleHaze]

These Kings are not "low end?" Lose to Dallas (4-15) and they are for sure.

 

[Kingster]

Rearranging the lineup won't change the fact that the Kings' only 3 point shooter of any note in the 4th quarter is Cousins. If Collison or Gay makes a pressure 3 pointer in the 4th it's worth a Sacto Bee front page headline. Other teams have wings that shoot pressure 3 point shots in the closing minutes. The Kings don't. The Kings are congenitally defective, a two point shooting anachronism that is unfit for the environment in which it was born.

 

[Siranthony]

I loved the toughness and tenacity of this team. They kept at it. Never quit. The Knicks were relieved when it was over.

I think there is more going on here than subbing one player in for another. Maybe something is being built.

I can watch this team at this tempo. They just haven't got it all together yet. At least I hope that is what is going on.

 

[dude12]

I loved the toughness and tenacity of this team. They kept at it. Never quit. The Knicks were relieved when it was over.

I think there is more going on here than subbing one player in for another. Maybe something is being built.

I can watch this team at this tempo. They just haven't got it all together yet. At least I hope that is what is going on.

This.

I've been saying that, based on Joerger's own words of this being a year and a half process, Joerger is laying down the foundation of his regime and he's got the backing from the FO and owner. WCS said it in the post game last night where he thought he was entitled to playing time, which resulted in no playing time, and that now he goes about and tries to be ready at any time coach calls him. This could be where Ben is at and Joerger is helping the kid out if Ben is willing to be helped out.

This is where this team is at and I love what Joerger is doing.....it does lead to some frustration amongst the fanbase but Joerger is doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing....establishing the culture.

 

[King Baller]

Headlines say it all. Another comeback falls short. The Kings need a Guard who can hit some clutch shots IMO. Also the offense is in dire need of some play making and less reliance on the iso-talents of Boogie and Rudy.

No one ever said it was easy to be a Kings Fan.

 

[Suicide King]

What is a real eye opener is that we went into the half at 29% from the field and only "climbed" to 32% for the whole game. A 35% or better would have likely meant a win.

 

[Chubbs]

Have we accepted that Afflalo is a bench player at best at this point in his career?

He an sit next to tolliver and count their money.

 

[pshn80]

A pshn80 same ol' theme. Cuz, Afflalo and Temple went 6-13 from the 3 pt line. Good shooting. Cuz went 4-10 in 43 minutes, Afflalo and Temple went 2-3 in a total of 35 minutes. Change the game plan and team thinking, have cuz take 5 and the other two a total of 8. Folks on here have told me you can't do that. Well, try it.

The point here is not these specific numbers nor a comparison with Cuz but rather that a team effort to get these two SGs to take a lot more threes. If you try this for say six games and it doesn't work go back to Plan A. This would be difficult. Means more ball movement, player movement, deemhasizing Cuz's play outside, reducing the times the ball stops at Cuz and Gay - obviously some major changes. Try it we can't lose at a greater rate than now.

I think if these two players did this that they would hit at a decent rate and change the game in a positive direction.

 

[ockingsfan]

WTF is Joeger thinking?!?!?!

Seriously, let's keep on trotting out the same freaking starting five and think the results are going to change.

I mean, seriously. Let's give our opponents a 10 point lead each game and don't make any changes to the starting 5.

That is about as bone-headed as you can get!!!

I had high hopes for Joeger, but he seems to be asleep at the wheel, just like Karl was.

 

[Bricklayer]

A pshn80 same ol' theme. Cuz, Afflalo and Temple went 6-13 from the 3 pt line. Good shooting. Cuz went 4-10 in 43 minutes, Afflalo and Temple went 2-3 in a total of 35 minutes. Change the game plan and team thinking, have cuz take 5 and the other two a total of 8. Folks on here have told me you can't do that. Well, try it.

The point here is not these specific numbers nor a comparison with Cuz but rather that a team effort to get these two SGs to take a lot more threes. If you try this for say six games and it doesn't work go back to Plan A. This would be difficult. Means more ball movement, player movement, deemhasizing Cuz's play outside, reducing the times the ball stops at Cuz and Gay - obviously some major changes. Try it we can't lose at a greater rate than now.

I think if these two players did this that they would hit at a decent rate and change the game in a positive direction.

There is emerging a very legit rotation issue that can be solved.

If you go Cuz-WCS-Rudy-Temple-Collison, if the starting redeems Willie's wussiness, then you get an offense/defense balance, clean up #1/#2/#3 status, and no longer waste scoring at the SG spot when none is needed.

And then you get Koz-Barnes-Omri-Afflalo-Lawson, and all of a sudden that looks more solid too while allowing Afflalo to take over as a scoring 6th man. Which he did in his only non-start of the year, and then we went back away from it. I do wonder, given how he reacted to being benched last year, if he said something. Or, alternatively, if Vlade said something because he wanted to use Afflalo's contract in a trade come Dec. 15.

 

[Bricklayer]

WTF is Joeger thinking?!?!?!

Seriously, let's keep on trotting out the same freaking starting five and think the results are going to change.

I mean, seriously. Let's give our opponents a 10 point lead each game and don't make any changes to the starting 5.

That is about as bone-headed as you can get!!!

I had high hopes for Joeger, but he seems to be asleep at the wheel, just like Karl was.

Not really what happened this time though. I mean, we STARTED great. Had a nice early lead. But then every single player on the court except for Cousins was just horrid offensively, and the lead disappeared late in the first and it just kept getting worse. There was a point early on where Cuz was 4-9 from the field and had 14 points, and the entire rest of the team was 3-20 and had 7 points. But for the first 6 minutes, things were looking good before you realized the ugliness yet to come.

The lineup is an obvious problem, but last night...I mean, nobody could shoot. And Ben and Tolliver apparently no longer exist as alternatives.