[Game] Kings vs. Blazers, 11/8/2023 7pm Pacific 10pm Eastern

[ockingsfan]

I've now started to stare at Davion on defense. He obviously makes some hard nose defensive plays, etc., but for all of his efforts it feels like his man is constantly getting downhill into the lane and he is losing players off ball. Taller players easily shoot over the top of him regardless of how solid his defense is, which is why I'm now not so sure it's a great idea to have him sub in at the end of games for key defensive possessions. This is all irrespective of his hot and cold offensive play.

The upshot is... I think we desperately need a new backup pg.

The problem is when Davion needs to guard bigger players, like Klay Thompson, they just shoot over him. But with players closer to his own size or a little taller, like Steph Curry, I think he does pretty good.

 

[SLAB]

l
The upshot is... I think we desperately need a new backup pg.

Keon Ellis!

 

[kingdivac]

If these guys who are making 45-50% of their shots instead like 33%, we would be better than the 3-4 record, even without Fox.

If those guys continue to shoot sub 40% all year, well, we won’t be going to the playoffs, even with Fox.

Yes shooting % is the single most important statistic in basketball - the great equalizer or a game wrecker.

 

[ockingsfan]

LeBron and the Lakers just lost to Houston by 34 points last night. Maybe losing twice at Houston by 20+ wasn't so bad after all.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

LeBron and the Lakers just lost to Houston by 34 points last night. Maybe losing twice at Houston by 20+ wasn't so bad after all.

Naa, it was bad because they played awful. Houston isn't Denver

 

[ockingsfan]

Naa, it was bad because they played awful. Houston isn't Denver

Maybe it's the strip joints in Houston!

 

[MizzouKing]

I don’t need my heart pumping out of my chest every night though, thanks.

I hear the next game is being sponsored by Losartan...

 

[Kingster]

I totally get why people are annoyed or worried. I think we could live with the cold three point shooting if he could just get to the basket or shoot from the mid range with confidence. He has to be more decisive and aggressive, it’s his biggest hurdle as a player.

Having said that, I agree that he will turn it around, the sooner the better

Yeah, he appears to be thinking too much, probably trying to incorporate into his game everything coach is telling him, including an emphasis on defense. He'll get comfortable eventually.

 

[TaxMan]

Keon Ellis!

I'm not convinced he's the answer, but I like the change while Fox is out. If Keon can prove to do a reasonable job of getting us into our offense, and hit his open threes, he seems at a minimum serviceable. At a minimum, I think he's just as good of a defender as Davion (with more length).

 

[Kingster]

I think he's put a lot of pressure on himself to be the consistent #2 option for us this season and he's finding out that what works in Summer League and on the practice court doesn't necessarily work during an NBA game. Especially when Fox isn't there to be the #1 option. As long as he stays aggressive and keeps refining his mechanics the shooting percentages will bounce back up.

This whole team is a work in progress in a lot of ways. I was just happy to see Domas back in All-Star form this game and K'Von hitting shots. It's way too early to panic. The ultimate goal is just to get all of this figured out by next April. Keegan struggling early isn't necessarily a bad thing since he's expanding his toolset and figuring out other ways to score.

I think it does work, it's just that his focus in the summer and on the practice floor was on his offensive game. Now, with Brown demanding he is a plus defender, his focus is temporarily distracted by the physical and mental demands of the defensive end of the floor. He's just like a guy working out with weights, who experiences a lot of muscle soreness temporarily until his muscles break down and regrow into Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

[SLAB]

I'm not convinced he's the answer, but I like the change while Fox is out. If Keon can prove to do a reasonable job of getting us into our offense, and hit his open threes, he seems at a minimum serviceable. At a minimum, I think he's just as good of a defender as Davion (with more length).

That extra length is so important. So even if he’s not quite as hard nosed as Davion, it’s made up with his ability to interfere with taller players shooting directly over him.

 

[sactowndog]

Didn’t catch the full interview but sounded like the morning crew and Sam Amick were rightfully unimpressed with last nights win.

Like I said earlier on, a win is a win... But it’s as concerning a win as you can have.

Get well soon, Foxy!

was at the game and I can see why Pheonix traded Ayton. He is pressing Domas 3 ft past the 3 point line. It of course opened our offense back up and we had a couple back door cuts.

Does he even read a scouting report? I don’t think we can count on other teams being so stupid defensively.

regardless it was nice to get a win.

 

[NewArena]

I totally get why people are annoyed or worried. I think we could live with the cold three point shooting if he could just get to the basket or shoot from the mid range with confidence. He has to be more decisive and aggressive, it’s his biggest hurdle as a player.

Having said that, I agree that he will turn it around, the sooner the better

Yeah, you don’t shoot the way he did in your rookie season only for it to be a fluke. People gotta relax and let it all play out.

 

[NewArena]

HB doesn’t challenge shots well enough. I know he’s not the lengthiest player, but if you pull up the game tape, you’ll see a lot of lackadaisical attempts at challenging jumpshots. They need to be calling him out on it or we’ll continue to get killed by every wing or athletic 4 man like Jerami Grant.

 

[NewArena]

I was actually curious, so I ran the numbers. Last year, our record against the 14 teams that didn't make the playoffs was:

Home: 12-6
Road: 16-3

So I think it is very safe to say that we lost WAY too many games to bottom dweller teams at home last year.

Yup. That Spurs game before the regular season ended immediately comes to mind lol we literally could have clinched the playoffs that Sunday and we came out half asleep.

 

[iowamcnabb]

The counter argument to the Blazers being a shell of themselves due to injury is we were without our best player, our second best bench player and we played 3 guys who have only played in garbage time this season including one who started.

not trying to argue it was an impressive win

 

[TheMobb]

The amount of missed wide open 3s are puzzling.

HB doesn’t challenge shots well enough. I know he’s not the lengthiest player, but if you pull up the game tape, you’ll see a lot of lackadaisical attempts at challenging jumpshots. They need to be calling him out on it or we’ll continue to get killed by every wing or athletic 4 man like Jerami Grant.

I agree. As our starting PF he provides no rim protection or help defense next to Sabonis, and on top of that gets beat off the dribble too easily. This stuck out more last night when Kessler Edwards was keeping his man in front and the block he had on a dribble penetration.

 

[reptilexcq2]

HB doesn’t challenge shots well enough. I know he’s not the lengthiest player, but if you pull up the game tape, you’ll see a lot of lackadaisical attempts at challenging jumpshots. They need to be calling him out on it or we’ll continue to get killed by every wing or athletic 4 man like Jerami Grant.

Not only that...he also wasn't good at team help defense. You'll be lucky to see Barnes block any shot. I already talk about this since last year...which is we need more lengthy guys on the team to bother team's shots. But they chose to resigned everybody back because of the success of last year I guess.

 

[dude12]

I do hope that Brown utilizes Kessler and Keon in situational lineups when all are healthy. Kessler just defends way way better than HB in certain matchups. Same goes with Keon whose length can do more than Davion in certain matchups

 

[BenchMob]

I like how we are 2-0 in OT games with Monk leading the charge and without Fox. Will bode well for us as the season continues.

 

[TaxMan]

I do hope that Brown utilizes Kessler and Keon in situational lineups when all are healthy. Kessler just defends way way better than HB in certain matchups. Same goes with Keon whose length can do more than Davion in certain matchups

I get the feeling Brown has been giving his shiny new toys (i.e. Duarte, Sasha and Javale) priority coming into the season. Now that some things aren't clicking he's going to start tinkering more. Not really all that different from last year, where KZ and Chimeze were a big part of the rotation early, Lyles and Len not so much. Will be great to get Lyles back. As much as I've been rooting for Sasha, at this point Lyles is a more impactful player. I also liked to see Len given a chance. I don't think there is really much separating Len and Javale, so I'm fine going with whichever one is playing better at the moment. Lots of things about Javale that is exciting, but man he does at least one fairly dumb thing a game.

 

[TaxMan]

HB doesn’t challenge shots well enough. I know he’s not the lengthiest player, but if you pull up the game tape, you’ll see a lot of lackadaisical attempts at challenging jumpshots. They need to be calling him out on it or we’ll continue to get killed by every wing or athletic 4 man like Jerami Grant.

I agree with us resigning HB, especially on a very good/tradeable contract, but boy does this team need an upgrade. His defense has been awful this year. He just doesn't have the foot speed anymore.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1722704146711887976

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I'm not convinced he's the answer, but I like the change while Fox is out. If Keon can prove to do a reasonable job of getting us into our offense, and hit his open threes, he seems at a minimum serviceable. At a minimum, I think he's just as good of a defender as Davion (with more length).

Ellis was measured for a 6'8.5" wing span and 8'6" standing reach. Mitchell came in at 6'4 wing span and 8'.05" standing reach.

It's quite a difference in length

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

The amount of missed wide open 3s are puzzling.


I agree. As our starting PF he provides no rim protection or help defense next to Sabonis, and on top of that gets beat off the dribble too easily. This stuck out more last night when Kessler Edwards was keeping his man in front and the block he had on a dribble penetration.

That was an impressive block by Edwards. Best of the season so far on this team

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1722488066412331405

The league made a mistake giving Doug Christie a raw defensive prospect like Kessler Edwards to work with. Guy legitimately has the tools to guard 1-4 in the NBA. Now, he’s largely been absolutely useless on offense for most of his career but that really never stopped Tony Allen, Thabo, or Andre Roberson from being rotation players/starters on good playoff teams.

 

[Turgenev]

The amount of missed wide open 3s are puzzling.


I agree. As our starting PF he provides no rim protection or help defense next to Sabonis, and on top of that gets beat off the dribble too easily. This stuck out more last night when Kessler Edwards was keeping his man in front and the block he had on a dribble penetration.

HB has the skillset and impact of a good fifth option offensive player but has close to no defensive impact. It's not something like our 3s that will 'positively regress' as he has never really been that great a defender.

 

[Turgenev]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1722488066412331405

The league made a mistake giving Doug Christie a raw defensive prospect like Kessler Edwards to work with. Guy legitimately has the tools to guard 1-4 in the NBA. Now, he’s largely been absolutely useless on offense for most of his career but that really never stopped Tony Allen, Thabo, or Andre Roberson from being rotation players/starters on good playoff teams.

Kessler Edwards might get good but at the moment his offence looks worse than even Mo Harkless.

 

[ESP47]

Why do we always have trouble with those little waterbug type players? DRuss, Mays, Conley etc

Probably because any player with average handles can straight line drive past most of the roster.

 

[ockingsfan]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1722488066412331405

The league made a mistake giving Doug Christie a raw defensive prospect like Kessler Edwards to work with. Guy legitimately has the tools to guard 1-4 in the NBA. Now, he’s largely been absolutely useless on offense for most of his career but that really never stopped Tony Allen, Thabo, or Andre Roberson from being rotation players/starters on good playoff teams.

I loved how Coach Brown made the defensive/offensive switches between each stoppage of play during the last couple of minutes and in overtime.

It was a masterful use of timeouts and knowing and trusting your players to come in and make the right plays.