There was actually one positive on that last play that no one has mentioned yet, and a mistake a lot of young players make. Tyreke ran down the clock long enough that the Lakers/Kobe didn't get the lst shot. Maybe he waited a couple seconds too long, but at least he made damn sure if anyone was going to take the last shot, it would be a King, not a Laker.
Its not much, but it is something I noticed, and Tyreke even commented on it after the game. He said h held on to the ball, a little too long, because he didn't want the Lakers getting the last shot.
Its not much, but it is something I noticed, and Tyreke even commented on it after the game. He said h held on to the ball, a little too long, because he didn't want the Lakers getting the last shot.
You know, it's been so long since we have had a legitimate team, and I was so excited to see how well we were playing against the Lakers last night. I truly did get caught up in the moment, so much that it looks like I may have broken a toe, watching the game!
Anyway, seeing it from a fresh perspective today, I am just flat out excited about the future of this team. I have faith to believe that Coach knows what he's doing. I'm also looking forward to seeing how well we play this week (after playing against the best in the NBA). Truly, it is awesome seeing these guys "growing up" before our eyes. Pretty cool ride, I might say, even though I may get frustrated at times. It's only because I LOVE this team!! GO KINGS!!!
Anyway, seeing it from a fresh perspective today, I am just flat out excited about the future of this team. I have faith to believe that Coach knows what he's doing. I'm also looking forward to seeing how well we play this week (after playing against the best in the NBA). Truly, it is awesome seeing these guys "growing up" before our eyes. Pretty cool ride, I might say, even though I may get frustrated at times. It's only because I LOVE this team!! GO KINGS!!!
They did not move because it was a designed play for Reke to go one on one with Kobe. I don't think it was a question of not wanting to move, but that the coach told them to get out on the perimeter (taking their defender with them).
It really wasn't on Reke, Rock. The play was intended to be our best player one on one with their best defender. He either makes a shot (winning the game) or no shot/miss (game goes to overtime). Coach even said so in his interview.
Rock, you need to get over this passing nonsense. You say it all the time. This is the problem of us being accustomed to the team we had in the early part of this decade. It was strictly team oriented. But although we had alot of tough breaks we also never had someone to go to at the end of critical games. Late game plays with the kobes and wades and lebrons of the world are always one on one isos. Unless a double team comes. There was no double and the lakers with Kobe against a rookie didn't really need to double
I hear ya, Rock. As much as I love Kayte, she is only indicating that the offense stagnated when Tyreke came back in (in the first OT). Besides, I did not hear anything Kayte said. That was only one member's interpretation of the "gist" of what Kayte said.
But, coach was very specific in the post game, that the play was run exactly as designed. He said that they just weren't successful in the execution...this time. When he was talking about the players standing around, he was talking about when Reke first came back in. He was not talking about the final play.
Anyway, in this case, I gotta put more value in what the coach said himself.
If you had listened to the post game interview with Westphal, and last time I checked, he is the head coach. He stated that he had called for a One, four flat. Which is an isolation play with Tyreke going one on one with whoever guards him, which in this case was going to be Kobe. He also stated that your going to see that play alot, and teams that have players like Kobe and LeBron run that play all the time.
Now I don't know what Kayte said and I don't know when she said it. It may have been said about plays earlier in the game. But I do know what Westphal said because I watched him on televison, his mouth was moving and thats what he said. You can believe who you want to believe. But personally I'm going with the coach..
Now I don't know what Kayte said and I don't know when she said it. It may have been said about plays earlier in the game. But I do know what Westphal said because I watched him on televison, his mouth was moving and thats what he said. You can believe who you want to believe. But personally I'm going with the coach..
Well, the Evans being a rookie thing is the thing. Even Kobe gets set up for his final shots. Just tossing the ball to Reke and standing around is not how to approach a rookie. YOu should let him learn and put him in positions to succeed. I don't see many of those plays as drawn up to succeed. They completely rely on Tyreke and that's not good.
And if it's his teammates becoming passive when he has the ball, then it speaks to a bigger problem.
I don't ever forget that the team is young and will have time to improve, but it is also young enough to instill bad habits into. You worry about the mistakes they continue to make.
And if it's his teammates becoming passive when he has the ball, then it speaks to a bigger problem.
I don't ever forget that the team is young and will have time to improve, but it is also young enough to instill bad habits into. You worry about the mistakes they continue to make.
Outside Perspective
Living in the Midwest, my excitement is limited to infrequent updates at ESPN.com so I can't pretend to understand how you felt if you were lucky enough to actually watch the game.
From my perspective, I just kept thinking..."HOW COOL IS IT THAT WE FINALLY HAVE A TEAM THAT CAN HANG WITH LEBRON AND kobe!?!?!?!?"
I mean seriously...in 1 year?!!?!? We are doing just what the Kings of the Glory Days did right up to their big breakout...lose-but-just-barely a lot of games with our best people injured. And when they all got healthy halfway through the season...WOW.
I'm excited, as I know most of us are.
Living in the Midwest, my excitement is limited to infrequent updates at ESPN.com so I can't pretend to understand how you felt if you were lucky enough to actually watch the game.
From my perspective, I just kept thinking..."HOW COOL IS IT THAT WE FINALLY HAVE A TEAM THAT CAN HANG WITH LEBRON AND kobe!?!?!?!?"
I mean seriously...in 1 year?!!?!? We are doing just what the Kings of the Glory Days did right up to their big breakout...lose-but-just-barely a lot of games with our best people injured. And when they all got healthy halfway through the season...WOW.
I'm excited, as I know most of us are.
Do you know for a fact that she was talking about that particular play, or was it possible that she was talking about other plays prior to that play. Because Westphal was speaking to the last play of regulation. He says thats what he called, and if you watch the play, thats what was run. So as I said, you can listen to the person that actually runs the team and calls the play, or you can take Kayte's word which is heresay and run with it.
Coach Westphal did indicate in his post-game interview that the ball was not moving the way that he wanted it to move which coincides with what Kayte also said. However, Westphal was talking about the latter half of the 1st Over-time, not the final play of the game.
The team tried to execute the play against the Cavs but did not execute it properly as Spencer didn't stay in position but instead moved and brought his man with him. This time, the team did execute the play properly which allowed the 1-on-1 with Tyreke. If Tyreke makes that play then we'd all be lauding him even more than we had in the past. But, Tyreke didn't make the play, and we ended up losing the game.
Now, for the 1st Overtime when Tyreke came back in, both the players and the ball stopped moving. Both Westphal and Kayte were critical of the team for allowing that to happen, and rightfully so. Westphal indicated that the team looked to be playing the clock and stopped being aggressive, and said that it's something that he expects this young team to get better at, as it hurts to lose, so they'll hopefully learn and do better next time.
The team tried to execute the play against the Cavs but did not execute it properly as Spencer didn't stay in position but instead moved and brought his man with him. This time, the team did execute the play properly which allowed the 1-on-1 with Tyreke. If Tyreke makes that play then we'd all be lauding him even more than we had in the past. But, Tyreke didn't make the play, and we ended up losing the game.
Now, for the 1st Overtime when Tyreke came back in, both the players and the ball stopped moving. Both Westphal and Kayte were critical of the team for allowing that to happen, and rightfully so. Westphal indicated that the team looked to be playing the clock and stopped being aggressive, and said that it's something that he expects this young team to get better at, as it hurts to lose, so they'll hopefully learn and do better next time.
What kayte said happens to be true at times, so there's no desputing that. Lets face it, the Kings are at their best when they share the ball and move without the ball. For whatever reason that just stops at times. I remember the old team with Webb and Vlade doing the same thing at times. So this team doesn't have a patent on it. At the same time I understand what Westphal is trying to do. The only way to learn how to go one on one with Kobe is to go one on one with Kobe.
Growing pains can be tough, and to be honest I sometimes think its tougher for the fans than it is the players. Players move on quicker than fans do.
Growing pains can be tough, and to be honest I sometimes think its tougher for the fans than it is the players. Players move on quicker than fans do.
Posts like the really ****ing pee me off. 1. Did you even watch the post game interview with PW??? 2. You don't learn by being put in situations to succeed. You learn by being put in situations to succeed or fail. And that makes all the difference. It is a fact of the universe that you will be failing many times. That is precisely how you learn. I've often thought that our education system has it backwards. We reward success. We should actually reward mistakes (genuine failures) because they are more valuable to the overall learning process. The more (genuine) mistakes you make the better! This is about a journey, a learning process. It takes just an eency bit of vision to see this.
3. Completely relying on Tyreke (in situations like the last play of regulation) is exactly what we need to learn to do since we now have a player like Tyreke! Haven't you been pining for a player of his talent level forever? Well, welcome to the future.
4. And no, I absolutely don't worry about the mistakes they continue to make. That is if you call having the ball on the last possession of the game against the two best teams in the NBA with a chance to win it but not doing so a mistake, which I don't. Good grief. Worry? That is the exact opposite of how I feel about this team. In fact, this is the least worried I've been about this team, especially after the last two games, in quite some time.
3. Completely relying on Tyreke (in situations like the last play of regulation) is exactly what we need to learn to do since we now have a player like Tyreke! Haven't you been pining for a player of his talent level forever? Well, welcome to the future.
4. And no, I absolutely don't worry about the mistakes they continue to make. That is if you call having the ball on the last possession of the game against the two best teams in the NBA with a chance to win it but not doing so a mistake, which I don't. Good grief. Worry? That is the exact opposite of how I feel about this team. In fact, this is the least worried I've been about this team, especially after the last two games, in quite some time.
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Very well said. All those that disagree, ask youself this question. If there's 15 seconds left in the game, and your the Lakers, and your down by 2 points, who do you think is going to have the ball in his hands? Ditto Cleveland. Ditto Miami. Well Evans is our guy. And two years from now, no one will question why the ball is in his hands at the end of the game.