[Grades] Grades v. Grizzlies 12/16/2016

[Suicide King]

Memphis already had a big 4. They already had Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol. Don't forget, they were all young and in their prime too. It's not like the Kings were DC is already 29, Afflalo 31, etc.

Without Rudy, the Kings would only have DeMarcus Cousins. Darren Collison is a bench player. Koufos is a bench player. Omri is a bench player. Ben is a bench player.

There's no one on our team capable of scoring at least 20ppg aside from Cousins and Gay.

I look at it from this perspective. Whether Cousins and Rudy are here till the end of the season, we trade Rudy, we trade DMC and rebuild completely, or any other scenario. Rudy took the out of character for him step of making it clear , through the media, that he will not pick up his option. He simply does not fit into any scenario for winning much of anything beyond this season. The time tables do not match.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

It's always nice to beat a good team on the road. Also unexpected. I didn't see this one coming, but sure glad that it did. Slightly makes up for that Courtney Lee shot that shouldn't have counted a few years back.

 

[Ron]

a win in the Grindhouse is exceptional. It also helps that they don't shoot or make that many three's...which makes the Kings defense look better than it is IMO.

Can't you just ENJOY the W and see the bright side for once? SMH...

Oh, and admit you were wrong saying we can NEVER win in MEM?

 

[gunks]

I think I was the only person to predict an L in the prediction thread.

So... do I get an A for the clutch reverse jinx?

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Losing Gay will make us less talented: it may not necessarily make us worse; Memphis didn't become more talented when they traded him, but they gave more minutes to guys who ended up being a better fit. Same with Toronto: they didn't improve because they became more talented, either.

The Trading-Rudy-Gay-Bounce. It's a thing. Let's get it.

 

[Kingsfan23]

And can we throw WCS into the river.. Skal is the future, he needs the burn

 

[KingMilz]

Temple is a absolute savage I wonder how the team would go teaming him up with another above average wing defender like Thabo or PJ Tucker or someone in that regard.

 

[Joshoua]

Temple is a absolute savage I wonder how the team would go teaming him up with another above average wing defender like Thabo or PJ Tucker or someone in that regard.

What are you talking about, I remember 3 games in people questioning the Temple signing

 

[Tetsujin]

Minnesota has 3 guys averaging 20+ pts and are still losing. Go figure.

But that's obviously because they're being coached by non-defense idiot Tom Thibodeau. Oh wait.

 

[Tetsujin]

Temple is a absolute savage I wonder how the team would go teaming him up with another above average wing defender like Thabo or PJ Tucker or someone in that regard.

At this point, I'm absolutely shocked that the Kings were able to get him at the price they did. He's gone beyond just being a defensive body and somehow become (with Rudy out) the second best overall player on the roster.

 

[Tetsujin]

What are you talking about, I remember 3 games in people questioning the Temple signing

In those people's defense, the Arron Afflalo still looks awful.

 

[KingMilz]

At this point, I'm absolutely shocked that the Kings were able to get him at the price they did. He's gone beyond just being a defensive body and somehow become (with Rudy out) the second best overall player on the roster.

I watched a ton of Temple when he was with the Wizards the whole time Andre Miller was there and while he was always a good defender I never remembered him being this good I think it might be that he really excels defending PG's (he's obviously good against wings as well) and pressing whoever is bringing the ball up full court his defense and overall game is really shining now that he's getting consistent playing time.

 

[kingdivac]

I was wrong about Temple, while I didn't like his offense to begin with, his consistent total effort shows his value. They struck out with Affaolo, but did well with Temple. Win some and lose some in FA - Lawson and Temple were good pickups Barnes and Affaolo not really....the win at Memphis is the Kings fools-gold game, and there will be others statistically. Winning 5-row+ would be a marker for this team. Last year's team had it just before nose-diving.
I like McClemore getting some minutes again. Gay is talented but a black hole. His passing sucks on offense, and his defense is inconsistent. He'll look like an all-star one game when his offense is there, and team-defeating ball-hog another, or worse yet disappear in a different game.

 

[Jeremy Fraser]

Temple truthfully is becoming my favorite Kings player of the this abysmal last decade. Dude just does everything right.

 

[Sac.1989]

Collison and temple hopefully have secured themselves as starting backcourt

 

[upinsmoke]

Time to build around Mclemore.

 

[Larry89]

Minnesota has 3 guys averaging 20+ pts and are still losing. Go figure.

I honestly feel KAT is getting overrated and found him to be a very soft player.. right now anyways. When the Kings played the Wolves KAT was absolutely shook

 

[pshn80]

Hey, we won a game. Tough team at home. The players and the team we fielded deserve a lot of credit, along with the coach.

Let's not raise Temple to sainthood or toss Gay out as trash. Hey, we just won a great game.

Maybe the team took a small step towards plaiying better team basketball. We haven't yet locked the number one seed spo in the west.

 

[kingsboi]

Can't you just ENJOY the W and see the bright side for once? SMH...

Oh, and admit you were wrong saying we can NEVER win in MEM?

Is that what you want? for me to admit I was wrong? I may be wrong from time to time, but more often than not, I am right. One win against Memphis doesn't change my optimism and the outlook in general of this team. I'm thinking in the long term and present and not just the present.

 

[Ron]

... I may be wrong from time to time, but more often than not, I am right. One win against Memphis doesn't change my optimism and the outlook in general of this team. I'm thinking in the long term and present and not just the present.

Or the severe lack thereof...

 

[kingsboi]

Or the severe lack thereof...

Don't be like that!

I know I get criticized for being a debbie downer too much, but I can no longer be content with the team winning 25-30 games a season while continuously ending up in "No man's land" with no shot to compete for not just a 8th seed in a weakened conference, but a long term winner.

 

[Bricklayer]

Don't be like that!

I know I get criticized for being a debbie downer too much, but I can no longer be content with the team winning 25-30 games a season while continuously ending up in "No man's land" with no shot to compete for not just a 8th seed in a weakened conference, but a long term winner.

We're not going to win 25-30 games this year, unless we trade somebody major or lose them to long term injury. This team has shown better than that.

 

[Ron]

Don't be like that!

I know I get criticized for being a debbie downer too much, but I can no longer be content with the team winning 25-30 games a season while continuously ending up in "No man's land" with no shot to compete for not just a 8th seed in a weakened conference, but a long term winner.

We have 10 wins in less than a 1/3 of the season (26 games), and the most brutal part of the schedule is behind us.
If I were to only extrapolate from this - I would estimate our total wins this season at 35-40,
And that's without getting better, either by gelling together further or improving the roster mid-season.
You may also want to add the tanking/resting factor of other teams in the last stretch...

 

[kingsboi]

We're not going to win 25-30 games this year, unless we trade somebody major or lose them to long term injury. This team has shown better than that.

Pardon, 35 wins then? is that what we have come to accept and be happy about?

 

[kingsboi]

We have 10 wins in less than a 1/3 of the season (26 games), and the most brutal part of the schedule is behind us.
If I were to only extrapolate from this - I would estimate our total wins this season at 35-40,
And that's without getting better, either by gelling together further or improving the roster mid-season.
You may also want to add the tanking/resting factor of other teams in the last stretch...

you really see 40 wins with this roster? so what happens then? you lose a valuable asset, which is a draft pick and have a handful of free agents...time to replace with the same type of veterans?

 

[pshn80]

you really see 40 wins with this roster? so what happens then? you lose a valuable asset, which is a draft pick and have a handful of free agents...time to replace with the same type of veterans?

Yes.

 

[SLAB]

Pardon, 35 wins then? is that what we have come to accept and be happy about?

It's a step in the right direction. That's all we can ask for... AS LONG as steps continue to be taken and they don't stagnate at 35 wins each and every season.

 

[New Era]

We're not going to win 25-30 games this year, unless we trade somebody major or lose them to long term injury. This team has shown better than that.

Well, you're technically right. We are currently on pace for 31.5 wins and that's with DeMarcus playing every game (except the Rockets gave, which we probably would have lost anyway with him). DC missed, what, 8 games in the beginning, but who noticed? It's not exactly like he's tearing it up.

So we are on pace for 31.5 and then when you throw in the inevitable 10-15 games that DMC will miss due to injuries and suspensions it could very well put us back to the 25-30 range.

 

[Bricklayer]

you really see 40 wins with this roster? so what happens then? you lose a valuable asset, which is a draft pick and have a handful of free agents...time to replace with the same type of veterans?

People keep saying this, but really, what exactly is this great disaster coming down the road? In another thread we have people openly suggesting losing Rudy might be addition by subtraction. Not sure I entirely believe that, but still, it can hardly be addition by subtraction now, and then some great disaster this summer.

 

[kingsboi]

It's a step in the right direction. That's all we can ask for... AS LONG as steps continue to be taken and they don't stagnate at 35 wins each and every season.

The Kings stagnate time and time again around 25-32 wins...this has not change, I have zero reason to believe that will change for this season as the roster is assembled.