[Grades] Grades vs. Blazers, 11/17 Version

#4
B.

A solid B.

A solid B which I can live with tonight, and every night we are able to put forth a similar effort. This game was actually a lot of fun to watch, and would get an "A" if it were not for a few bonehead plays (made by bonehead players) scattered throughout the game. WCS gets an A. A solid A. Fox, as well, gets an A.

Oh, and our defense gets an A++. A very solid A++. Can the doctor prescribe some more of that medication, please??????

If the effort we saw from this group is the same darn effort we see from the Kings for a good majority of the remaining schedule, I don't freaking care if we end the season going 0-67. OK, maybe I do freaking care. A little.

Baby steps. We're getting good at it/them.
 
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#5
Didn't get to see much but a few minutes of the second quarter, but I hear that Willie Cauley-Stein is still awful, right? Post your grades here!
He's beyond awful. I doubt we will ever see a game in which he actually lives up to his potential. Now that I think about it, I don't even think we ever have seen such a game...Not yet at least....;)
 
#13
Props to Dave for finally making a change which most on the forum have wanted in moving Fox to play next to Hill and playing Mason.

WCS just reminds me so much of Derrick Williams it's unreal there is nothing quiet as exciting as watching both go out there once a fortnight and play with amazing energy and just lift the whole building with the athletic ability and hustle, WCS is probably more impressive since he can do it at both ends.

KK has been amazing this season despite the stats not reflecting it dude just plays ball his defense was so suffocating.
 
#14
Damn the kings needed this after that 46 point debacle to Atlanta.

Funny reading the Portland forum, quite a few fans knew that this was a dangerous game for their team. The kings are bad but you never want to play ANY TEAM after a game like that. Especially at their place.

Their fans can talk all the trash they want about how bad we are right now. At least we are rebuilding. We're going in a complete different direction than we were last year. We have some very young players and will get another stud this summer. The blazers? They are middle of the road. They will have the pleasure of being drummed out in the first round, AGAIN. They are paying out a lot of money to probably make the playoffs and be a doormat for the warriors. It must suck right now to be kinda good but know that you have zero chance to go anywhere in the playoffs. Congratulations. Enjoy. I'll take our young guys and future young studs and shoot for the playoffs when we might actually have a chance (when the warriors aren't a juggernaut) to do more than be drummed out in the 1st round over and over again.
 
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#18
The Kings are a team that often struggles to get 90 points. That is a fact. Therefore they must hold teams below their scoring averages to have a chance. The Kings are young and play lots of guys. That gives them the energy to play tough defense every night. Portland was disrupted on offense the whole night. It was a thing of beauty. The Portland game shows the value of coaching. Coach J read the Kings the riot act after the Atlanta game as well he should have. The team responded.

From the ferocious defense, naturally comes better rebounding. With a high level of effort players value the ball. Turnovers go down. There is some fast break potential. There is a cascade of positive benefits. It all starts with the defense.

I would single out the play of Willie and dependable Koufus as big difference makers last night. They clogged the middle, blocked some shots and rebounded. They played tough. Skal disappeared. Randolph was depended on less. Willie seems to realize finally, "oh yeah, I forgot I am a seven footer with quickness and leaping ability."

Hill and Fox played well together. Bogdan was not a factor. Justin Jackson did not play at all. Message received. No Vince. Frank has great potential but lacks confidence. By March he could be the most improved player on the team. Hope Buddy's ankle gets a chance to heal up.

If the Kings want to sell tickets and have some dedicated fans they need to play hard like last night. Then they are worth watching.
 
#21
Everyone gets an A on defense. The offense was still really bad but the defense carried them. Seemed like the game was within 4 points nearly the entire time. Add to the fact that Lillard had to make some very tough drives and shots to even keep them in it....it just goes to show how awesome these guys were on defense. Portland has also been one of the best defensive teams themselves this year so these guys did an awesome job of pulling this one out.

I don't want to be debbie downer but for those of you with the sarcastic "Willie sucks!" and "Joerger sucks!"....lets see them play like this for more than one game every couple weeks before you start calling out the people griping around here. One good game every great once in a while is not enough to justify the terrible play that's been going on for all the games prior. Everyone will stop complaining when they start showing hustle like this on a consistent basis.
 
#22
I've been patient but my patience is running out with Joerger and his dumb rotations. Absolutely an F - for him.

Where was Malachi Richardson, Jakarr Sampson, Justin Jackson, Papagiannis and Jack Cooley!!??? How can Zach get 14 minutes while these youths play none!? I thought we were rebuilding here.

But no.... it's all Koufas this and ZBo that and Temple the other thing. I've been saying it forever - he loves vets too much and will never develop Papagiannis and Cooley and Sampson to their potential.
 
#23
I don't want to be debbie downer but for those of you with the sarcastic "Willie sucks!" and "Joerger sucks!"....lets see them play like this for more than one game every couple weeks before you start calling out the people griping around here. One good game every great once in a while is not enough to justify the terrible play that's been going on for all the games prior. Everyone will stop complaining when they start showing hustle like this on a consistent basis.
The Kings need to be more consistent and play better on the road, but they are 3-3 in their last six, so they have been better than one good game every once in a great while, even though it might not feel that way.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#24
I've been patient but my patience is running out with Joerger and his dumb rotations. Absolutely an F - for him.

Where was Malachi Richardson, Jakarr Sampson, Justin Jackson, Papagiannis and Jack Cooley!!??? How can Zach get 14 minutes while these youths play none!? I thought we were rebuilding here.

But no.... it's all Koufas this and ZBo that and Temple the other thing. I've been saying it forever - he loves vets too much and will never develop Papagiannis and Cooley and Sampson to their potential.
LOL!
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#25
I've been patient but my patience is running out with Joerger and his dumb rotations. Absolutely an F - for him.

Where was Malachi Richardson, Jakarr Sampson, Justin Jackson, Papagiannis and Jack Cooley!!??? How can Zach get 14 minutes while these youths play none!? I thought we were rebuilding here.

But no.... it's all Koufas this and ZBo that and Temple the other thing. I've been saying it forever - he loves vets too much and will never develop Papagiannis and Cooley and Sampson to their potential.
Joerger played Mason meaningful minutes as well as some other young guys. Started Fox and finished with him. Do you want him to just play the youth only? We would get killed and not play meaningful minutes. How do you play 10 young guys meaningful minutes? It's impossible.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#27
Everyone gets an A on defense. The offense was still really bad but the defense carried them. Seemed like the game was within 4 points nearly the entire time. Add to the fact that Lillard had to make some very tough drives and shots to even keep them in it....it just goes to show how awesome these guys were on defense. Portland has also been one of the best defensive teams themselves this year so these guys did an awesome job of pulling this one out.

I don't want to be debbie downer but for those of you with the sarcastic "Willie sucks!" and "Joerger sucks!"....lets see them play like this for more than one game every couple weeks before you start calling out the people griping around here. One good game every great once in a while is not enough to justify the terrible play that's been going on for all the games prior. Everyone will stop complaining when they start showing hustle like this on a consistent basis.
It's been fairly common for Lillard and or McCollum to just kill us. Those guys did not go nuclear on us and worked hard for everything they got.
 
#29
I would dare to say that was the most entertaining 86-82 win in Kings history!

Allow me to go meta and drill down and shed some light on what happened last night since I think it was rather significant.

Although the Kings may lose by 30 tonight, I think they may have found something.

Entering the game the Kings could not have been more woeful over 14 games with the exception of the 2-game streak and the Fox game winner.

We are talking historically bad over small sample size my friends.

Heading into last nights game the Kings were:
  • Worst in Point Differential (-15 per 100 possessions)
  • Worst in TS%
  • Worst in Rebound Rate
  • Second Worst in Offensive Efficiency
  • Second Worst in Defensive Efficiency
  • Third Slowest in Pace
It is highly unusual for even a very bad team to be bottom of the barrel on both ends of the floor, but our 2017-18 Kings and Joerger found a way. :)

A team that sucks the air of the ball and pounds it inside can usually experience some modest success in defensive efficiency by slowing down the opponent through their own deliberateness, and a team that pushes the pace and increase possession can usually experience some modest success with the offensive weapons they possess as reflected in offensive efficiency. Our Kings did neither.

The Suns Earl Watson was fired for less than Joerger has been on the hook for until last night.

Anecdotally, the Kings were non-competitive before last night at about a 70% being out of the game 10 out of 14 times. After last night it is 10 out of 15.

Follow me on this one, this is a "stat" I just came up with. With the exception of the Suns loss, in which if I recall correctly the final score (115-117) was not indicative of the separation, every loss the Kings have experienced has been of the blowout variety. The Kings have lost big. They have lost boring. (3rd slowest pace). They can't score. They can't rebound. They can't defend. No pride. No heart. No hope. The only thing the Kings have done well is not turnover the ball at 9th fewest TOs in the league, partly a function of playing so slow pace. Then last night happened.

The lineup changes were predicated on being humiliated by 46 points against a team of 1st and 2nd year guys on the Hawks and most of them picked lowered in the draft than our contingent. If the Kings lose the Hawks game by 16 points or even 26 points then stubborn as a mule with cement shoes Joerger trots out the same mix of under keystone cops. There is actually a lesson to be learned from the epic no-show in Atlanta not just for those involved but those bearing cringe-inducing witness. Adversity points the way. It is the impetus for constructive change.

Earlier this year we had the discussion about the shortened training camp, the number of new players and number of young players, and as the result of these variables there should be experimentation and multiple line-ups until something sparks and clicks. But we didn't see that with Joerger. We saw reluctance, stubbornness and ride-and-die mentality with Z-Bong.

In defense of Z-Bong his TS% of 50.4% is up 1% than last year and on par with the bricklaying propensity of his teammates (team TS% 50.1; last in the NBA). But the guy is a statue on defense. Or a mannequin. Take your pick a statue or a mannequin, which ever you think exhibits more hustle. You cannot win. You cannot compete with a 50% TS who shooter who cannot guard his shadow.

If Joeger was oblivious to this facts, and further stated Z-Bong would play center "only due to emergency", instead slotted as PF for 25-30 MPG, then you may as well call off the season!

I said before the season Z-Bong was and is a back-up center. That's where he belongs. If he is going to play 10-15 MPG like he did last night, then I don't have a problem with him. Maybe he catches fire and makes a few plays. Ultimately the hope is he is just a placeholder until Harry Giles is ready and Skal stops playing like a lost puppy.

It is NOT a coincident Z-Bong played ONLY 14 minutes (at center) and we allowed only 82 points to the opponent. This should be a revelation for a coach who apparently needs to be clubbed over the head with a 2 x 4 to get a fundamental grasp on the epic shortcomings of a washed up player.

Now there are three more revelations I want to talk about as preceded by the thrashing in Atlanta, i.e. lessons extracted from adversity to light the path forward:
  • Mason needs to be on the floor
  • Fox - Hill backcourt
  • Maximizing Willie
It is something that the Kings won a game against an average team with three of their rotational players going 1-6 (Mason), 1-7 (Skal) and 1-8 (Bogdan).

The reason the Kings were able to absorb this bricklaying and 42% shooting overall is because their defense at the point of attack with Mason was excellent. Mason does a terrific job of staying in contact with the PG when he goes over the pick. He also hedges and recovers and closes out on shooters. He is feisty and unrelenting to give up space. If our offense is going to be so pedantic we need a guy like this on the floor to compete. Then we can win games in the 90s.

Mason also gets into the lane. He uses his speed and he bulls his way. This is significant because it creates draw and kick opportunities and it creates opportunities for Koufos and Willie to clean up the miss. This is also true with backcourt of Fox and Hill where there is more players, FIVE TOTAL, when you add Temple and Bogdan, who can get penetration into the lane and create chances for lobs and put backs.

Hill has more freedom to play off-guard and use his scoring instincts with Fox along side to share ball handling duties. Actually it is interesting that both Hill and Fox are comparable in having some SG traits. The Kings don't have a star so they need synergy. They need for the sum to be greater than the parts. They need t maximize a guy like Willie who is NOT going to create his own shot but has the length and agility to be opportunistic.

The opportunities do NOT come if you have a plodding isolation player clogging the lane like Z-Bong and being a ZERO on the defensive end. It is so obvious and it may have taken this coach 15 games to figure it out. Willie and Koufos was the beneficiary last night of our guards - Fox, Mason, Hill - getting penetration into the lane and forcing rotation. The offense was hardly magical or humming but this is general blueprint to stay in games on nights you are not making your three ball.

These are the revelations in summary and I hope Joerger reads this because he needs a little help:
  • Z-Bong is a center and 10-15 MPG at most before giving way to Giles and Lost Puppy Skal
  • Mason obviously deserves to be on the floor as a pit bull defender and to help the modest scoring talent
  • Hill has more freedom to maximize his scoring ability with De'Aaron to assume some PG duties
  • De'Aaron has more freedom to maximize his scoring ability with Hill to assume some PG duties
  • Willie needs space and room to play mop up and lob ball with maximum penetrators on the perimeter and Z-Bong out of the way
The odd men out for now are Malachi and Justin Jackson. But that's fine they can play one-on-one and improve themselves.

There's not time for everyone and injuries like Buddy ankle happen to afford them their chance.

Now lets see how this plays out and see if our coach has a clue and learned anything from last night. Right now the Kings point differential is a woeful -13.4 per 100 possessions (95.1 to 108.5). If the above potential revelations prove substantive then we should see this differential gap close to under 10 points per 100 possessions over the next 5 games. This is what I will be looking for, not just wins and losses but competitiveness from a team non-competitive far more than reasonably acceptable.

Go Kings! :)