Westphal on 1140

[Kingster]

He said Evans is a "one". Why? Because defense determines the matchup, not offense. And he sees Evans guarding most point guards in this league. He thinks Evans can create double teams on the low post and create scoring opportunities for others with his drive. He also is not going to be concerned with pgs trying to post us up because of Evans. The overall theme of the draft is toughness. He loves Evans's work ethic and his love of the game. And he said that you know when a player has "it", and Evans has "it".

Westphal said he will develop a system that takes advantage of the strengths of players and minimize their weaknesses. In an "ideal world" he'd like to have 5 players who can post up, who can drive to the basket, and who can shoot long range because then you can attack the weakest link of your opponent. He thinks that with the shooting the Kings have they can create some problems for other teams offensively, but said we needed someone to create the space for those shooters. Evans, he thinks, can do that.

PS. As far as handling the ball, he sees several players handling the ball. Implication: the ball is not just going to be in Evans's hands.

I get really good vibes from Westphal.

 

[sactownfan]

well I keep saying it but all this team needs from a PG is someone that can hit a mid range jumper (pick and roll), or actually drive and kick the ball out to all these jumpshooters!

what are the odds that Evans shoots a highter % from behind the 3 line than Beno did this year???

Im betting Evans surprises(or maybe its not that surprising) and shoots better.

 

[Bricklayer]

Whatever else may be made of yesterday's events, one thing that is very evident is that our front office and coaches believe in Evans, and believe HARD. It was the closest thing to enthusiastic I have ever heard from Petrie, and Westphal sounded the same way (don't get me going about Gavin). They really truly think he's going to be a star. And at a certain point you just have to go with that. They may be right, they may be wrong, but the pick was made for the right reasons (with the single proviso that he wowed them in workouts, which as you recall was how Douby got his job too -- body of work has to matter more than a good showing in 1 on none or 3 on 3). If they are right then all of Gavin's ranting might actually look prophetic.

Point being they really truly think they have a tiger by the tail here, and you can't ask somebody to make the popular pick when they really think they've found a special player instead.

 

[VF21]

I've listened to quite a bit of different opinions today, and there are a number of them who have come right out and said Tyreke Evans could end up being the second best player out of this draft. I'm actually feeling even better about this pick than I did yesterday...

 

[Kingster]

Whatever else may be made of yesterday's events, one thing that is very evident is that our front office and coaches believe in Evans, and believe HARD. It was the closest thing to enthusiastic I have ever heard from Petrie, and Westphal sounded the same way (don't get me going about Gavin). They really truly think he's going to be a star. And at a certain point you just have to go with that. They may be right, they may be wrong, but the pick was made for the right reasons (with the single proviso that he wowed them in workouts, which as you recall was how Douby got his job too -- body of work has to matter more than a good showing in 1 on none or 3 on 3). If they are right then all of Gavin's ranting might actually look prophetic.

Point being they really truly think they have a tiger by the tail here, and you can't ask somebody to make the popular pick when they really think they've found a special player instead.

I think the workouts were just a part of the puzzle, and probably not the main piece. I thought Evans had "it" when I watched him in games last year. The workouts just reinforce what they already intuited. Regarding Gavin, he said that Evans, "could be the best player in the draft." I doubt that he's saying it just because he'd like to believe it, but rather that there are other people in the organization that he's heard say the same thing. Time will tell....

 

[Kingster]

I've listened to quite a bit of different opinions today, and there are a number of them who have come right out and said Tyreke Evans could end up being the second best player out of this draft. I'm actually feeling even better about this pick than I did yesterday...

He might end up to be the best player in the draft, not the second best...

 

[VF21]

I'm not talking about Gavin. I was listening to one of the sports radio stations and a couple of unidentified voices were saying Evans had the potential to be second only to Griffin in this year's draft.

 

[roasthawg]

I'm not talking about Gavin. I was listening to one of the sports radio stations and a couple of unidentified voices were saying Evans had the potential to be second only to Griffin in this year's draft.

That was my opinion before the draft... Griffin was one and Evans was two. So obviously I'm a happy King's fan right now... but I do understand the frustration of all the people who feel that Rubio has superstar potential. I personally see a lot more of it in Evans but that's just my opinion.

 

[swisshh]

Westphal's comments really worry me

 

[Section 101]

Whatever else may be made of yesterday's events, one thing that is very evident is that our front office and coaches believe in Evans, and believe HARD. It was the closest thing to enthusiastic I have ever heard from Petrie, and Westphal sounded the same way (don't get me going about Gavin). They really truly think he's going to be a star. And at a certain point you just have to go with that. They may be right, they may be wrong, but the pick was made for the right reasons (with the single proviso that he wowed them in workouts, which as you recall was how Douby got his job too -- body of work has to matter more than a good showing in 1 on none or 3 on 3). If they are right then all of Gavin's ranting might actually look prophetic.

Point being they really truly think they have a tiger by the tail here, and you can't ask somebody to make the popular pick when they really think they've found a special player instead.

They are all drinking J.R. homemade cool aid.

 

[bajaden]

Westphal's comments really worry me

Why? Just thought I would ask..

 

[bajaden]

Whatever else may be made of yesterday's events, one thing that is very evident is that our front office and coaches believe in Evans, and believe HARD. It was the closest thing to enthusiastic I have ever heard from Petrie, and Westphal sounded the same way (don't get me going about Gavin). They really truly think he's going to be a star. And at a certain point you just have to go with that. They may be right, they may be wrong, but the pick was made for the right reasons (with the single proviso that he wowed them in workouts, which as you recall was how Douby got his job too -- body of work has to matter more than a good showing in 1 on none or 3 on 3). If they are right then all of Gavin's ranting might actually look prophetic.

Point being they really truly think they have a tiger by the tail here, and you can't ask somebody to make the popular pick when they really think they've found a special player instead.

I think the body of his work qualifies him, however small that body of work is. The workouts were simply icing on the cake. Over a month ago or so, I stated, carefully, as not to offend the Rubio fans, that if Rubio was gone before the Kings picked, and they thought they needed an impact player. Someone that could be a star. They should select Evans. I will admit that I wasn't even thinking about whether he was a point guard or not. I just thought he was a special player.

I also agree with you. Thats the closest I've ever seen Petrie come to looking excited.

 

[Entity]

Hmmm. I don't remember a coach, Petrie, or the Maloofs speaking so highly of any draft pick I have ever seen.

 

[swisshh]

Why? Just thought I would ask..

You don't setup positions by defense. Positionally, each position had roughly the same objective: Defend, keep man in front of them, cut people off. Offense is where the positions differ more. Your PG runs offense, handles the ball, wings play... well on the wing, big men work inside, set picks, etc. You don't normally have your center bring up the ball and work from the top, calling out plays. Kings fans have seen inverses of this obviously, but each role was just reassigned. Our bigs ran the offense, but PGs still had to pick n roll. Either way, you set up positions offensively, especially at point.

The second thing is that Westphal wants five guys who all do the same thing. That doesn't work as well as five guys who compliment what each other do.

In Westphal's opinion, the offensive roles are all the same. Each position posts up, shoots and drives. That leaves out various important parts of a smooth offense.

So, because he can defend a 1 that doesn't make him a 1. Eddie House defends 1s in the league, but is usually used as a shooting guard positionally and switches on defense. Scottie Pippen was used to defend Stockton in the Utah/Chicago finals, but was playing the small forward position. Defensive matchups only determine defensive matchups. They don't determine your starting line up or overall lineup, or you'd be changing starting lineups game to game and all sorts of nonsense.

This year is going to be a race between Minny and Sac for the most nonsensical lineup in the NBA.

 

[Smills91]

I've listened to quite a bit of different opinions today, and there are a number of them who have come right out and said Tyreke Evans could end up being the second best player out of this draft. I'm actually feeling even better about this pick than I did yesterday...

I've heard some opinions ranging he might be the BEST player in this draft. I don't think that's out of the realm of possibilities.

 

[Smills91]

You don't setup positions by defense. Positionally, each position had roughly the same objective: Defend, keep man in front of them, cut people off. Offense is where the positions differ more. Your PG runs offense, handles the ball, wings play... well on the wing, big men work inside, set picks, etc. You don't normally have your center bring up the ball and work from the top, calling out plays. Kings fans have seen inverses of this obviously, but each role was just reassigned. Our bigs ran the offense, but PGs still had to pick n roll. Either way, you set up positions offensively, especially at point.

The second thing is that Westphal wants five guys who all do the same thing. That doesn't work as well as five guys who compliment what each other do.

In Westphal's opinion, the offensive roles are all the same. Each position posts up, shoots and drives. That leaves out various important parts of a smooth offense.

ACTUALLY, whenever I go play ball, I look at the match-ups first from a defensive point of view. The offense is the offense. You SET the stage there. But on DEFENSE, that's where the match-ups are won or lost. I don't think Westphal is saying he want's 5 SF's. Rather that he wants COMPLETE players. They can have stronger suits, but he wants WELL ROUNDED players that can do a little bit at everything. The complimentary effects occur with a players specific STRENGTH that seperates them. But he doesn't want any Liabilities out there.

That's how I understand it at least. It makes sense to me.

 

[Entity]

You don't setup positions by defense. Positionally, each position had roughly the same objective: Defend, keep man in front of them, cut people off. Offense is where the positions differ more. Your PG runs offense, handles the ball, wings play... well on the wing, big men work inside, set picks, etc. You don't normally have your center bring up the ball and work from the top, calling out plays. Kings fans have seen inverses of this obviously, but each role was just reassigned. Our bigs ran the offense, but PGs still had to pick n roll. Either way, you set up positions offensively, especially at point.

The second thing is that Westphal wants five guys who all do the same thing. That doesn't work as well as five guys who compliment what each other do.

In Westphal's opinion, the offensive roles are all the same. Each position posts up, shoots and drives. That leaves out various important parts of a smooth offense.

he said in an ideal world. every player could do everything basically. your annoying at best. get over it Evans is here.

 

[Kingster]

You don't setup positions by defense. Positionally, each position had roughly the same objective: Defend, keep man in front of them, cut people off. Offense is where the positions differ more. Your PG runs offense, handles the ball, wings play... well on the wing, big men work inside, set picks, etc. You don't normally have your center bring up the ball and work from the top, calling out plays. Kings fans have seen inverses of this obviously, but each role was just reassigned. Our bigs ran the offense, but PGs still had to pick n roll. Either way, you set up positions offensively, especially at point.

The second thing is that Westphal wants five guys who all do the same thing. That doesn't work as well as five guys who compliment what each other do.

In Westphal's opinion, the offensive roles are all the same. Each position posts up, shoots and drives. That leaves out various important parts of a smooth offense.

Actually, matchups are created by whether you can guard someone or not. For example, if a smaller guy can guard a big guy, then the team with the big guy probably has a matchup problem. Also, I think you better read the post a little more carefully. Westphal isn't saying that he wants everybody to do the same thing. He wants to create an offense to minimize their weaknesses and maximizes their strengths. He said during the call that if you had a big guy that could only score 10 feet from the basket you would have to devise an offense where he would be only 10 feet from the basket. Ideally, he'd like to have all players score from the inside and the outside, as well as drive to the basket (in the perfect world). But he knows it's not an ideal world and he will have to work with the limitations of the players that he is given.

If Evans can score from the outside, he will fit the Westphal ideal, because he will be able to post, score outside, and definitely drive to the basket. As Hawes and Thompson get better at scoring inside, they too will become close to his ideal.

 

[swisshh]

ACTUALLY, whenever I go play ball, I look at the match-ups first from a defensive point of view. The offense is the offense. You SET the stage there. But on DEFENSE, that's where the match-ups are won or lost. I don't think Westphal is saying he want's 5 SF's. Rather that he wants COMPLETE players. They can have stronger suits, but he wants WELL ROUNDED players that can do a little bit at everything. The complimentary effects occur with a players specific STRENGTH that seperates them. But he doesn't want any Liabilities out there.

That's how I understand it at least. It makes sense to me.

If that is his intent, then I don't see how that explains Evans as your 1.

 

[Gary]

If Evans can score from the outside, he will fit the Westphal ideal, because he will be able to post, score outside, and definitely drive to the basket. As Hawes and Thompson get better at scoring inside, they too will become close to his ideal.

He's going to have to learn to score from outside. Ugly shot mechanics, and not very good outside 17ft. I have no doubt he can learn it (and I think he's going to have to) but right now he has no consistent 3pt shot to speak of.

 

[swisshh]

Actually, matchups are created by whether you can guard someone or not. For example, if a smaller guy can guard a big guy, then the team with the big guy probably has a matchup problem. Also, I think you better read the post a little more carefully. Westphal isn't saying that he wants everybody to do the same thing. He wants to create an offense to minimize their weaknesses and maximizes their strengths. He said during the call that if you had a big guy that could only score 10 feet from the basket you would have to devise an offense where he would be only 10 feet from the basket. Ideally, he'd like to have all players score from the inside and the outside, as well as drive to the basket (in the perfect world). But he knows it's not an ideal world and he will have to work with the limitations of the players that he is given.

I took his ideal world comments a bit too much into realworld practice.

They were just a lead up to a setup offensively with Evans that reminds me of what we had with Artest. A guy who is big for his positions posting up others and trying to get shots off of that. The problem was that you need a guy who facilitates well from that position and as we saw with Artest, if he is a bit star happy and ball greedy, it can turn into lots of turnovers and bad shots.

 

[Gary]

ACTUALLY, whenever I go play ball, I look at the match-ups first from a defensive point of view. The offense is the offense. You SET the stage there. But on DEFENSE, that's where the match-ups are won or lost. I don't think Westphal is saying he want's 5 SF's. Rather that he wants COMPLETE players. They can have stronger suits, but he wants WELL ROUNDED players that can do a little bit at everything. The complimentary effects occur with a players specific STRENGTH that seperates them. But he doesn't want any Liabilities out there.

That's how I understand it at least. It makes sense to me.

If that is the case who is going to play point? Because if we are going off strengths then we don't have a distributor and we are back to iso and 1 on 1 play which all the Kings fans loved when Salmons, and Artest did it. You pack the zone and you take away Evans strengths, because he had troubles hitting a college 3.

Defensively I just re-watched the Syracuse Memphis game, and Evans was on Flynn and vice versa for 20+ minutes and there were a ton of issues with Flynn's speed and his ability to get around Evans. Mack played about 25 minutes.

 

[jdbraver]

If that is the case who is going to play point? Because if we are going off strengths then we don't have a distributor and we are back to iso and 1 on 1 play which all the Kings fans loved when Salmons, and Artest did it.

You don't need a Nash type PG to intiate the offense at all times. Many successful teams share the facilitator role. I think you are going to have to wait until the preseason to see what the Kings will do. I'm sure westphal has a vision for how it will work.

 

[DesertFox]

You don't setup positions by defense. Positionally, each position had roughly the same objective: Defend, keep man in front of them, cut people off. Offense is where the positions differ more. Your PG runs offense, handles the ball, wings play... well on the wing, big men work inside, set picks, etc. You don't normally have your center bring up the ball and work from the top, calling out plays. Kings fans have seen inverses of this obviously, but each role was just reassigned. Our bigs ran the offense, but PGs still had to pick n roll. Either way, you set up positions offensively, especially at point.

The second thing is that Westphal wants five guys who all do the same thing. That doesn't work as well as five guys who compliment what each other do.

In Westphal's opinion, the offensive roles are all the same. Each position posts up, shoots and drives. That leaves out various important parts of a smooth offense.

So, because he can defend a 1 that doesn't make him a 1. Eddie House defends 1s in the league, but is usually used as a shooting guard positionally and switches on defense. Scottie Pippen was used to defend Stockton in the Utah/Chicago finals, but was playing the small forward position. Defensive matchups only determine defensive matchups. They don't determine your starting line up or overall lineup, or you'd be changing starting lineups game to game and all sorts of nonsense.

This year is going to be a race between Minny and Sac for the most nonsensical lineup in the NBA.

I think his comments shouldn't be taken so literally.
He surely doesn't think every player does has the same role on offense, and his teams as far as I remember have been pretty orthodox in terms of lineups.

 

[Gary]

You don't need a Nash type PG to intiate the offense at all times. Many successful teams share the facilitator role. I think you are going to have to wait until the preseason to see what the Kings will do. I'm sure westphal has a vision for how it will work.

Exactly. Memphis did it with Anderson, and Evans.. Which one was the better distributor? Anderson was in set offenses, although Evans was better at pretty much everything else. Who else on the Kings can we rely on to distribute? We don't have Vlade or Webber anymore. Hawes and Thompson can do it, but you pack the zone, and double Hawes where will Evans go? He can't go out and hit a shot because he doesn't have one..

 

[ElRey]

Exactly. Memphis did it with Anderson, and Evans.. Which one was the better distributor? Anderson was in set offenses, although Evans was better at pretty much everything else. Who else on the Kings can we rely on to distribute? We don't have Vlade or Webber anymore. Hawes and Thompson can do it, but you pack the zone, and double Hawes where will Evans go? He can't go out and hit a shot because he doesn't have one..

Why is it so important to have that one superstar "distributor"??? Basketball is a team game, as long as guys play like a team and move the ball around, there will be plays. Tony Parker isn't much of a distributor....the Spurs seem more than fine to me. Same for guys like Bobby Jackson, Westbrook, TJ ford, Rafer Alston...they aren't great passers. If you're counting on Rubio as a great distributor, then you have to surround him with great players to pass to... the Kings certainly don't have any at this point, neither do other lottery teams. Like Rubio said in his interview after his workout here, "I need my teammates."

 

[bozzwell]

Whatever else may be made of yesterday's events, one thing that is very evident is that our front office and coaches believe in Evans, and believe HARD. It was the closest thing to enthusiastic I have ever heard from Petrie, and Westphal sounded the same way (don't get me going about Gavin). They really truly think he's going to be a star. And at a certain point you just have to go with that. They may be right, they may be wrong, but the pick was made for the right reasons (with the single proviso that he wowed them in workouts, which as you recall was how Douby got his job too -- body of work has to matter more than a good showing in 1 on none or 3 on 3). If they are right then all of Gavin's ranting might actually look prophetic.

Point being they really truly think they have a tiger by the tail here, and you can't ask somebody to make the popular pick when they really think they've found a special player instead.

Darko and Jianlin "worked their way out" to #2 and #5 picks. Bircklayer, please.

 

[Bricklayer]

I think his comments shouldn't be taken so literally.
He surely doesn't think every player does has the same role on offense, and his teams as far as I remember have been pretty orthodox in terms of lineups.

No not really. At least not the Phoenix ones, and the Patrick Ewing failure in his last year up in Seattle was as much on him as it was on Ewing being finished.

In Phoenix he was largely a junkballer. A wannabe Don Nelson playing 6'9 centers and 6'5" PFs. That was personnel, but there was no doubt whatsoever what the flavor was there (and Westphal proudly points to his own role in helping to assemble those personnel). If there is any hole to Westphal as the safe coaching pick, it is precisely that he may be nothing but a gimmick coach. It'll be something to watch here. First time he benches JT so he can run a Hawes/Noc or Hawes/Donte frontcourt along with Evans, Cisco and whoever, we'll know what's up.

 

[Bricklayer]

Darko and Jianlin "worked their way out" to #2 and #5 picks. Bircklayer, please.

Actually Yi wouldn't work out for anyone -- in that respect he was very much like Rubio.

Don't recall the Darko situation as we were nowhere near the lottery at the time and I wasn't really paying attention.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Its very well possible Evans could turn out to be the best player in this draft. Its been a very strange draft this year and I think anything could happen. People called it weak at first... I think the draft was actually incredibley deep. Their may not have been any for sure MEGA SUPER STARS but I think many of the players in the late first round and even second round will make a name for themselves. Another good reason Evans could be the best player in the draft is the fact that Griffin went to the Clippers... He is doomed from the get go.