[Game] Kings @ Suns, 3/11/2023 6pm Pacific 9pm Eastern
- Thread starter QWERTYLICIOUS
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Wow Edwards, and the bench......Brown needs to consider extending their minutes or letting them start! Metu really picked it up this game. Lyles another great game. At this point, I think Brown needs to start subbing more freely to keep the energy flowing. This was one of the best defensive games of the year. It was somewhat similar to the Knicks game in tone - Kings let the Suns back into the game after controlling for a quarter and a half, but the Kings didn't let the Suns on the boards. This game was not nearly as frustrating as the Knicks. The bench was playing at an exceptional level, better than the last Portland game even.
Night and day between Murray and Edwards when it comes to defense. Also, night and day when it comes to wanting to rebound the ball as well, he has a knack for getting rebound...that's because Edward had tremendous team awareness on the court. And because of his defensive awareness, his team help defense is second to none. He's already the 2nd best defensive player if not the best defensive player on the team. He needs to get more minutes. I anticipate Mike Brown is not going to change the lineup and mess up the team chemistry. But I anticipate that if Murray or Huerter are struggling defensively, Mike is going to insert Edward...no question about it. Especially in the Playoffs, you can't have Huerter guarding KD for example or even Murray. In the Playoffs, it's a chess game and you want to put guys in that can play defense because every possession count.
This is correct; concentrate on resigning or extending all players. This team just eclipsed the 2019 team, and will almost certainly eclipse the 2006 team. They have an outside chance to actually eclipse the 2005 team now. Brown is almost certain to get NBA Coach of the Year. This is a dream for a coach when you can get buy-in from deep into the team. Tonight was like a glimpse of what the team could compete with improved defense - it was a realization of synergy with some infused defense. I loved the fact they swung the ball to Edwards after he missed earlier. HIs interview showed he's quickly embraced his role.....team defense can be infectious when it blossoms.
I'm not worried in the slightest. McNair has been extremely consistent in his intentionality with any move he makes with the Kings. It's very much the Morey tree where you're not making moves to just make moves, but only striking at the right times. Honestly, he didn't bring in a whole lot the first 2 seasons outside of retaining Holmes (good move, at the time), minor trades/FA pick-ups for back-end rotation players and making his draft picks. Then just turned on the turbo jets in the past year with the Domas trade, Monk FA signing, Huerter trade, Brown his first coach hiring, etc.
I mean, just look at the dialogue after the deadline about how pissed everyone was that he didn't make any substantial moves and that we'd fall behind in the playoff race. Maybe even fall all the way to the play-in. And the Kings have responded with an 8-1 record post-break.
I mean, just look at the dialogue after the deadline about how pissed everyone was that he didn't make any substantial moves and that we'd fall behind in the playoff race. Maybe even fall all the way to the play-in. And the Kings have responded with an 8-1 record post-break.
I think Brown is figuring it out, but he can extend the leash, and get more players more rest throughout the game- and the essence of "next player up". Ideally in basketball you'd want an even spread of points across as many players as possible. At 120 pts that would be 11 players with 11 pts. On offense it gets everyone involved and contributing together;, on defense if there's similar consistent effort, its a championship team. In practice that doesn't quite happen, but the team is getting closer. I'm liking the defense that I'm seeing....steals are key and seem to be on the upswing. You can see the effort.
Kessler had a great game and was a trade target of mine in the previous offseason but we might need to pump the brakes on declaring him night and day better on defense and boards than Keegan. We have an incredibly small sample size and we have seen this before with guys like KZ, Jeffries and TD.
Right now he is a second year player on a 1 million dollar deal that the Nets paid the Kings to take off their hands. I’m hopeful, but I put very little stock in 2 good showings and will reevaluate after I see it for more than a handful of games.
Right now he is a second year player on a 1 million dollar deal that the Nets paid the Kings to take off their hands. I’m hopeful, but I put very little stock in 2 good showings and will reevaluate after I see it for more than a handful of games.
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Feel free to pump your brakes my friend but I've already uninstalled my brake pedal.
Even the Nets (fans) said he was always good on defense - just had too much pressure on him too early to perform on offense and shoot. We give him a nice little bench role of 20-25 minutes and ask him to do what he does best and this dude is going to crush it. Screenshot this!!
This is coming from a guy who thinks Keegan is our future #3 of a Big Three - I see Edwards as being our 7th man behind Monk, and crunch time stopper. The more I see of this young team the more I think we might actually already have almost all the peices we need for a serious championship run - CRAZY as that sounds.
Even the Nets (fans) said he was always good on defense - just had too much pressure on him too early to perform on offense and shoot. We give him a nice little bench role of 20-25 minutes and ask him to do what he does best and this dude is going to crush it. Screenshot this!!
This is coming from a guy who thinks Keegan is our future #3 of a Big Three - I see Edwards as being our 7th man behind Monk, and crunch time stopper. The more I see of this young team the more I think we might actually already have almost all the peices we need for a serious championship run - CRAZY as that sounds.
For me it's not so much the defense which KZ also brought IMO but that he can hit a set shot.
And per the percentages it doesn't look like that's a fluke or anything, he's been like at least a 35% 3pt shooter right?
On a team where everyone is supposed to have a role, I don't see why he couldn't thrive as a specialized wing defender where he can guard those tough wings while also being able to hit the open shot on offense.
No more no less and I think that's perfect for this team at this stage. That alone makes this a home run pickup, he won't all of a sudden forget how to defend or shoot the ball at least decently.
I saw it in the first @Phoenix game. I could tell the dude could defend and might be a low key underrated pickup that Monte made.
Stoked that he played as well as he did today, he completely disrupted Booker and I'm sure the Sun's game plan
And per the percentages it doesn't look like that's a fluke or anything, he's been like at least a 35% 3pt shooter right?
On a team where everyone is supposed to have a role, I don't see why he couldn't thrive as a specialized wing defender where he can guard those tough wings while also being able to hit the open shot on offense.
No more no less and I think that's perfect for this team at this stage. That alone makes this a home run pickup, he won't all of a sudden forget how to defend or shoot the ball at least decently.
I saw it in the first @Phoenix game. I could tell the dude could defend and might be a low key underrated pickup that Monte made.
Stoked that he played as well as he did today, he completely disrupted Booker and I'm sure the Sun's game plan
I brought it up because I find myself subconsciously comparing these Kings to the 2020-21 Hawks: they had success way earlier than their timeline projected that they should have had organically, then had a letdown season, and reacted to that by making panic moves (like not being patient with Cam Reddish, or trading Kevin Huerter for a handful of magic beans).
I worry about the possibility of that happening again in Sacramento. Because Ranadivé is absolutely the kind of owner I can see getting too excited about a miracle run to the conference finals this year, and overreacting if the Kings had a letdown and followed it up with a first-round exit next year.
I worry about the possibility of that happening again in Sacramento. Because Ranadivé is absolutely the kind of owner I can see getting too excited about a miracle run to the conference finals this year, and overreacting if the Kings had a letdown and followed it up with a first-round exit next year.
Right, Kessler was putting out an incredible amount of energy (kudos tonight)....he looks a bit more athletic than Murray, but Murray has a much more developed looking skill set and savvy on offense. That said, this is a "good problem" to have. You need an energy guy out there - and if Edward can work that hard night-in-and-night-out he'll have earned his higher minutes.
Gonna give a shout-out to Davion as well here. I don't think we're 8-1 post-all star break without his play, especially the games he filled in for Foxy:
19.7 MPG
7.4 PPG
2.8 APG
0.7 TOV
45.8% from 3 on 2.7 3PA
73.9% TS (damn)
+41 overall (+/-)
Plus the usual elite guard defense.
The spot behind Fox has been a major hole all season and Davion is seemingly finding a real groove for the first time all year. Could not have come at a better time too heading into crunch time of the regular season and the playoffs. We're absolutely going to need him firing on all cylinders in a 7-game playoff series.
19.7 MPG
7.4 PPG
2.8 APG
0.7 TOV
45.8% from 3 on 2.7 3PA
73.9% TS (damn)
+41 overall (+/-)
Plus the usual elite guard defense.
The spot behind Fox has been a major hole all season and Davion is seemingly finding a real groove for the first time all year. Could not have come at a better time too heading into crunch time of the regular season and the playoffs. We're absolutely going to need him firing on all cylinders in a 7-game playoff series.
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