[Game] Sacramento Kings @ Portland Trailblazers, 12/26/2023, 7:00pm PST/10:00pm EST
- Thread starter QWERTYLICIOUS
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Keegan 2-11 going -10 is a stinker. However, Monk being -21, Ellis -14, and Sasha -12 shows this second unit absolutely got smoked giving up that big run. This team will not succeed with the "out-score opposition" approach. We need to be able to have a unit that can put out defensively and slow down teams when we need disruption.
Blazers picked apart the Kings defense far too easily. Where was the defensive adjustment? Did we change up the scheme or change the defensive personnel on the court? Even a few minutes of defensive disruption would have been enough to get the Blazers off rhythm and close the gap. We just kept doing the same things that didn't work all game.
Also, what's with the videogame defense? Too many instances of people running away from the person catching the ball and giving up the open three.
Also, what's with the videogame defense? Too many instances of people running away from the person catching the ball and giving up the open three.
Fox is still scoring the ball at an elite rate but when he's not getting into the paint he's not pulling the defense away from anyone else so his points have less of an impact. That's how I see it anyway. When he blitzes the defense and gets all the way to the basket opposing bigs have to contest instead of crashing the boards. Defenders have to play back to respect his speed which creates more space for Domas to facilitate from the top of the key. It's been a chain reaction of negative effects like someone wandered into a functioning ecosystem and started messing with the equilibrium.
I'm not trying to pin this on Fox. He's playing the best defense he's played in the NBA and he's been lights out from range. He's stepped up his game but we may ironically be worse as an offense because of it. I can't help feeling like we've taken this whole 3pt barrage of an offense past it's breaking point. Our bench players shot 8 for 21 combined and that includes going 1 for 12 from deep. Our trio of shooters (HB, Keegs, KVon) who used to be Fox's floor spacers shot a combined 2 for 15 from deep. That means everyone not named Fox shot a combined 3 for 27 in this game from behind the 3pt line. There's more going on here than guys being in a cold stretch.
Ultimately I don't know what else we can do here with this roster. Monte needed to go get some enforcers, rebounders, and physical defenders and instead be paid to bring back HB and Lyles and traded for Duarte who is buried behind all of our other guards. Maybe Fox becoming a 30pt guy with good shooting splits means we can give up a shooter to get a slasher / defensive wing now? Or put a non shooting defensive specialist next to Sabonis instead of a stretch 4? Something needs to happen to rebalance the roster or we're just going to be the "unbeatable every 3rd or 4th game when shots are falling" team that no one takes seriously.
I'm not trying to pin this on Fox. He's playing the best defense he's played in the NBA and he's been lights out from range. He's stepped up his game but we may ironically be worse as an offense because of it. I can't help feeling like we've taken this whole 3pt barrage of an offense past it's breaking point. Our bench players shot 8 for 21 combined and that includes going 1 for 12 from deep. Our trio of shooters (HB, Keegs, KVon) who used to be Fox's floor spacers shot a combined 2 for 15 from deep. That means everyone not named Fox shot a combined 3 for 27 in this game from behind the 3pt line. There's more going on here than guys being in a cold stretch.
Ultimately I don't know what else we can do here with this roster. Monte needed to go get some enforcers, rebounders, and physical defenders and instead be paid to bring back HB and Lyles and traded for Duarte who is buried behind all of our other guards. Maybe Fox becoming a 30pt guy with good shooting splits means we can give up a shooter to get a slasher / defensive wing now? Or put a non shooting defensive specialist next to Sabonis instead of a stretch 4? Something needs to happen to rebalance the roster or we're just going to be the "unbeatable every 3rd or 4th game when shots are falling" team that no one takes seriously.
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Kings now have 2 days to stew on this loss, a couple nights in Hotlanta and a Hawks team to play that normally gives us some trouble. Also Young shot horribly from 3 tonight so expect an 8-12 night from him Friday.
ok I’ve reached my allotted negative posts for one season in this one game thread. Time to leave. Haha
ok I’ve reached my allotted negative posts for one season in this one game thread. Time to leave. Haha
Kings now have 2 days to stew on this loss, a couple nights in Hotlanta and a Hawks team to play that normally gives us some trouble. Also Young shot horribly from 3 tonight so expect an 8-12 night from him Friday.
ok I’ve reached my allotted negative posts for one season in this one game thread. Time to leave. Haha
ok I’ve reached my allotted negative posts for one season in this one game thread. Time to leave. Haha
I'm trying to stay positive but when the "it's just one loss" games start to stack up and the losses look this ugly, you have to hope the team starts to take these embarrassing losses personally and make some kind of adjustment.
I defended Huerter through a lot of unwarranted criticism of his play last season. He was a consistent scorer last season. Even on nights his three wasn’t dropping.
Only 16 games out of 76 last season where he didn’t score double figures. One of them was a game he left with injury in the first few minutes. He already has 13 games out of 28 where he hasn’t scored double figures this season. Only 6 games where he reached or exceeded his season average from last season.
It’s beyond a funk now. At this point it’s the season he is having. He’s having the worst season of his career including his rookie season in Atlanta. Not simply a decline from last season..which isn’t even comparable at this point. He wasn’t just a little better last season. He was way better last season. He was a legitimate starting SG last season.
I don’t know how long Brown can continue with him at the starter. Basically his role is diminished in every single way EXCEPT him being trotted out as a starter every night. His minutes way down. His shot attempts and percentage way down.
Both that position and the bench need a considerable shakeup. As the bench has been another major disappointment. Even with Monk having a consistent season, the bench ranks near the bottom of the league.
It’s actually a testament to the Kings main core that on many nights they aren’t getting offensive production from 1-2 starters, and bottom end of the league bench play and still be top 6 in the west.
Kings should consider a shakeup at SG though. It might be good for the team and Huerter as he might be able to play more his game as a reserve. Nobody has really taken up that spot though since Duarte has had a bad season too. Unless we want to move Monk into the starting role of course which is tempting.
Only 16 games out of 76 last season where he didn’t score double figures. One of them was a game he left with injury in the first few minutes. He already has 13 games out of 28 where he hasn’t scored double figures this season. Only 6 games where he reached or exceeded his season average from last season.
It’s beyond a funk now. At this point it’s the season he is having. He’s having the worst season of his career including his rookie season in Atlanta. Not simply a decline from last season..which isn’t even comparable at this point. He wasn’t just a little better last season. He was way better last season. He was a legitimate starting SG last season.
I don’t know how long Brown can continue with him at the starter. Basically his role is diminished in every single way EXCEPT him being trotted out as a starter every night. His minutes way down. His shot attempts and percentage way down.
Both that position and the bench need a considerable shakeup. As the bench has been another major disappointment. Even with Monk having a consistent season, the bench ranks near the bottom of the league.
It’s actually a testament to the Kings main core that on many nights they aren’t getting offensive production from 1-2 starters, and bottom end of the league bench play and still be top 6 in the west.
Kings should consider a shakeup at SG though. It might be good for the team and Huerter as he might be able to play more his game as a reserve. Nobody has really taken up that spot though since Duarte has had a bad season too. Unless we want to move Monk into the starting role of course which is tempting.
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