And it was the best of all possible results for us tonight. We won. In a close, exciting game. On the backs of our kids. With our ROY superstar in the making showing off for ESPN. In front of a good crowd. I've tagged several games this season as important ones for this franchise. I tagged Reke's first big game against CP3, because it was so critical he not be abust after we took him over Rubio. I tagged the explosion against Deron, because right there, 6 games into his career, I just knew what I was looking at -- something unprecedented in the Kings era in Sacramento. We drafted a superstar. And tonight it came together in critical fashion. Like that Kings team 11 years ago now (11!) that exploded onto the national scene, refilled an arena, regenerated a passion (people forget thast Arco had cleared out the season before that team arrived too). Like that team this one plays with passion, has the steady veteran coach, has found a superstar, and is getting people talking about it. And it was just so critical we put on a good show here. The fans who went had to have fun. ESPN won't forget and may give us more games. Just a critical outcome. Makes me happier than a rained on rooster or something.
And in a vote that I would be willing to bet was almost entirely split along male/female lines, my plan to celebrate with a pretty girls theme has been approved by the majority, while I have been tut tutted as a misogynist by the rest. So I have decided to do the theme anyway, but sensitive misogynist that I am, I will put the lovely ladies under Spoiler tags.
Time to kick this puppy...
Casspi ( A- ) -- got the surprise start (well surprise to me -- I was watching the ESPN feed and they flipped over just seconds before tipoff without explantion. Took me several trips down the floor before I realized how come Hawes looked so small out there). Made the absolute most of it. Started off doing a nice job of cutting inside on offense, finishing and drawing fouls. Splashed in a three as well. But on the other end but was having trouble on defense against whoever he was guarding, and given that the Wizards start two former All Stars at SF + PF that is maybe not a surprise. But made a great hustle save on a scramble play diving out of bounds to flic the ball back in on what would eventually end up as a Donte reverse slam. Came up with a big game tying three in the late third courtesy of Sergio on which JT picked up a loose ball foul. And his passion inspired a back in the good ole days roar from the crowd. Followed with an aggressive take to the left of the hoop. Added a nice lean in runner in the late 4th to staunch the bleeding as we started to slip and then batted the ball ahead to Reke on the break for a slam. Got away with an offensive foul with the off arm on a flying finsih on the break. Missed any chance of losing the "-" to his A as he missed back to back open threes down the stretch set up perfectly by Reke (in fact was only 2-8 on the night, well belwo his ridiculous 49% seaosn average). He hits those, it ices the game for us, he finishes with 28, and I call this an A. He missses them (and wisely declines to shoot a third a few seconds later), and I still call it an A-. First start for the kid, and he did himself proud and inspired the team and the crowd with his passion. For his reward I grant him this:
Omri's countrywoman, SI model Bar Rafaeli. Seemed only appropriate.
Nocioni ( B ) -- this was a tough tough grade, because Noc did a hell of a lot right for us out there, and hit some huge timely shots. It was a major bounce back game. And yet this grade just had to be depressed because as nice of a bounce as he gave us on offense, he got scorched on defense as our smallball was a defensive disaster. Just could not handle Jamison at all as Jamison showed why he's a former All Star 4/3, and Noc is a roleplaying 3/4. Jamison had something like 20 points in the first 15 minutes of this one, and really the only thing that slowed him was a minor shoulder injury of some sort. Took a while for Noc to heat up his own offense and respond. Forced a 1 on 3 fast break move in the early second that just had me shaking my head, but then came back and splashed in an open three courtesy of Reke. And really came on strong for a key stretch fo the second half. Had a big sequence in the late third, blocking a fast break attempt on one end, then racing the other way to can a three and get fouled for the 4pt play on the other. Closed the third by faking a three (actually probably shuffling his feet a bit although it was not called), and agressively taking it to the rack. Canned a big three in the mid 4th too as we opened up just enough cushon to hold on to this one. Just a lot of big and timely plays for us on offense, and I wish I could ignore the defensive woes and give him a better grade. But as is, still a solid grade. He was important to the win.
And if Omri got Bar, it seemed only fair that Noc should get one of his countrywomen -- model Nicole Neumann. Kind of makes you wonder why you would ever bother coming north.
Thompson ( B+ ) -- JTs stock in this one, and his subsequent grade, was up and down more than the Dow. Started off the game working Jamison (I think it was Jamison) down nicely to set up a post move, was taking good smooth jump shots and looked good on offense -- about as in control as I've seen our hyper PF. But there was a game long problem at the other end, because Jason, as has been mentioned before, is just not very strong. He's listed at the same height as Dwight Howard, but he has never, at any point in his career, shown any ability to hold off a big center. And Brendan Haywood is a BIG center. Was just non-existent on both mand and help defense and overpowered by Haywood on the glass. In the first half he fought back by smoothly stroking those jumpers and putting up strong first half numbers wiht 14pts 6rebs, but in the third he was just getting killed by Haywood and had no answer on the other end. Got bad enough that we eventually, for the first time in the game, inserted Spencer...possibly for defensive toughness! That was kind of the nadir of Jason's grade. Because when he came back in the 4th it was with a new defensive focus + new energy. Immediately he grabbed a d-board, then came up with 2 momentum shifting blocked shots. Then went soft on us again with a soft foul on Haywood leading to a 3pt play as Washington struck back and closed again. But came up with a huge o-board and finish at the 1:45 mark to help us hold them off. This grade is a lot like Noc's. Did a lot of things right, 17pts 13rebs 2blks is a beautiful statline. But also got overpowered inside for much of the night and may have made an even more ineffective defensive center than Spencer. Gave him the extra "+" I did not give Noc for the key 3pt play in the final two minutes.
Well JT is just a boring old American, so just a "boring" old American lass named Rachel Nichols for him. Least I think she's American...my attention seems to be oddly diverted at the moment. Well at least I know Slim will enjoy her, regardless of her nationality.
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