Starting at the 3?
- Thread starter vistacruza_kings
- Start date
My vote goes to Donte. His size, athleticism, and recently acquired defensive prowess make him a great fit for us. I wouldn't be upset to see Casspi there, though, as long as Greene gets significant minutes of the bench. I think that we have to give Casspi and Greene a lot of credit for taking advantage of Francisco's injury. Neither of them were expected to get much in the way of minutes this season, but yet they've come out and shown us that they may in fact be the best small forwards on the team. It's no secret that we have a glut of 3's on the team, but right now, the two I'd like to keep most are Omri and Donte, but for different reasons.
IMO omri has worked his way into the started line-up, but donte is proving himself with his defense, and thats what we need when all offense/no defense kevin martin comes back.
also hate to see Noc lose playing time, because he is a solid nba player, but there are younger players with more potential. also i have no idea where cisco fits into this situation.
also hate to see Noc lose playing time, because he is a solid nba player, but there are younger players with more potential. also i have no idea where cisco fits into this situation.
Well, needless to say Coach has some very interesting decisions to make. Larry - you left out Udoka. Which probably doesn't matter. Him and Sergio will probably suffer the most w/ the returns of Martin and Garcia.
I think Noc may be able to play SOME PF though. I'd also think Casspi will see more time at the 3 than Cisco.
I think Noc may be able to play SOME PF though. I'd also think Casspi will see more time at the 3 than Cisco.
Its a good question. Early in the season I immediately saw Casspi as a futrue roleplaying starter for this franchise. It was obvious that he was just that good and that mature from the beginnning. Not a big star. But a scrappy 12-15ppg type support starter who could hit the threes, give you hustle points -- a winner of the type good teams always have around.
But then within 2 or 3 games of seeing the new and improved Donte Green I immediately started mentioning that I thought he might be the second most exciting prospect on the Kings (behind Evans of course). Omri could be a good roleplayer on a good team. But Donte...Donte could be a star. What he's shown this season, and in particualr on defense....if that does not excite you you just don't know what you are seeing. He and Evans could form a positively nasty huge athletic defensive stopping duo at the PG/SF spots. I hate to even remotely invoke these names, but in the same way Jordan and Pippen made things so tough on the perimeter back in the day. Throw in a defensive roleplayer between them (the Ron Harper role) and your perimeter defense could be flat out excellent. Then Omri becomes Kukoc off the bench.
And so I personally think you start Donte there -- and Coach, you start him and play him more than 22 minutes when he's going good.
I already pretty much know what Omri is and can bring. He's amazingly well developed for a young player. But I am extremely intrigued to see what Donte can be -- we need to know. And so he needs to play, and consistently. If he really does realize the potential we as a franchise are really set at those PG-SF positions.
Its a good question. Early in the season I immediately saw Casspi as a futrue roleplaying starter for this franchise. It was obvious that he was just that good and that mature from the beginnning. Not a big star. But a scrappy 12-15ppg type support starter who could hit the threes, give you hustle points -- a winner of the type good teams always have around.
But then within 2 or 3 games of seeing the new and improved Donte Green I immediately started mentioning that I thought he might be the second most exciting prospect on the Kings (behind Evans of course). Omri could be a good roleplayer on a good team. But Donte...Donte could be a star. What he's shown this season, and in particualr on defense....if that does not excite you you just don't know what you are seeing. He and Evans could form a positively nasty huge athletic defensive stopping duo at the PG/SF spots. I hate to even remotely invoke these names, but in the same way Jordan and Pippen made things so tough on the perimeter back in the day. Throw in a defensive roleplayer between them (the Ron Harper role) and your perimeter defense could be flat out excellent. Then Omri becomes Kukoc off the bench.
And so I personally think you start Donte there -- and Coach, you start him and play him more than 22 minutes when he's going good. I already pretty much know what Omri is and can bring. He's amazingly well developed for a young player. But I am extremely intrigued to see what Donte can be -- we need to know. And so he needs to play, and consistently. If he really does realize the potential we as a franchise are really set at those PG-SF positions.
But then within 2 or 3 games of seeing the new and improved Donte Green I immediately started mentioning that I thought he might be the second most exciting prospect on the Kings (behind Evans of course). Omri could be a good roleplayer on a good team. But Donte...Donte could be a star. What he's shown this season, and in particualr on defense....if that does not excite you you just don't know what you are seeing. He and Evans could form a positively nasty huge athletic defensive stopping duo at the PG/SF spots. I hate to even remotely invoke these names, but in the same way Jordan and Pippen made things so tough on the perimeter back in the day. Throw in a defensive roleplayer between them (the Ron Harper role) and your perimeter defense could be flat out excellent. Then Omri becomes Kukoc off the bench.
And so I personally think you start Donte there -- and Coach, you start him and play him more than 22 minutes when he's going good.
I already pretty much know what Omri is and can bring. He's amazingly well developed for a young player. But I am extremely intrigued to see what Donte can be -- we need to know. And so he needs to play, and consistently. If he really does realize the potential we as a franchise are really set at those PG-SF positions.
Indeed it is the key word -- its why he works and a star doesn't.
I don't know whether its the influence of fantasy basketball or what, but people often try to construct teams in ways that just will not work + do not take into account roles and roleplayers. And yet most top teams have more rolpelayers than they do stars. The whole way a star player can dominate the ball and take all those shots is by his teammates not doing so. When Shaq and Koeb were teamed in L.A. They were literally surrounded by nothign but roleplayers -- nobody else ont hose teams averaged even 10ppg. And yet they won 3 titles.
The key is that those roleplayers 1) have to understand their roles; and b) have to be able to contribute to the team even wihtout the ball, because they aren't going to see that much of it. So they have to be able to space the floor with their shooting, to play defense, to scrap and do the dirty work etc. Cisco is indeed a roleplayer. Its a compliment. And its what you likely need next to your star in the backcourt. Jordan didn't have Reggie Miller next toi him in the backcourt. He had Ron Harper. Dwayne Wade started the seaosn with Mario Chalmers and is now down to Carlos Arroyo. Kobe has Derek Fisher. Roy has Steve Blake. So I nominate Cisco, at least for hte time being, for the Kings. He does all the things you need that player at that positon to do. Then you bring Casspi and Beno off the bench to fill in hte rest of those minutes. Casspi/Beno/Donte/Cisco = 4 shooters who can score 15 on any given night. That's a dangerous grouping.
I don't know whether its the influence of fantasy basketball or what, but people often try to construct teams in ways that just will not work + do not take into account roles and roleplayers. And yet most top teams have more rolpelayers than they do stars. The whole way a star player can dominate the ball and take all those shots is by his teammates not doing so. When Shaq and Koeb were teamed in L.A. They were literally surrounded by nothign but roleplayers -- nobody else ont hose teams averaged even 10ppg. And yet they won 3 titles.
The key is that those roleplayers 1) have to understand their roles; and b) have to be able to contribute to the team even wihtout the ball, because they aren't going to see that much of it. So they have to be able to space the floor with their shooting, to play defense, to scrap and do the dirty work etc. Cisco is indeed a roleplayer. Its a compliment. And its what you likely need next to your star in the backcourt. Jordan didn't have Reggie Miller next toi him in the backcourt. He had Ron Harper. Dwayne Wade started the seaosn with Mario Chalmers and is now down to Carlos Arroyo. Kobe has Derek Fisher. Roy has Steve Blake. So I nominate Cisco, at least for hte time being, for the Kings. He does all the things you need that player at that positon to do. Then you bring Casspi and Beno off the bench to fill in hte rest of those minutes. Casspi/Beno/Donte/Cisco = 4 shooters who can score 15 on any given night. That's a dangerous grouping.
I happen to agree with Brick on this one. I think Cisco fits better with Evans than Martin. And if Donte keeps developing as a defender and under control offensively, than you have something very special at both ends of the court. I know Martin is the better scorer, but Cisco is the better ball handler, play maker and defender. Parts not only have to be good, but they have to fit together.
really think your overthinking it. our team is no championship team YET. comparing our team to those teams is riduclous.
i dont want to see cisco taking away minutes from young players that are proving themselves, bottom line.
maybe in 3-4 years when were championship calibar, Cisco can be that role player your talking about. But right now its all about finding out what we got. we know what cisco is
i dont want to see cisco taking away minutes from young players that are proving themselves, bottom line.
maybe in 3-4 years when were championship calibar, Cisco can be that role player your talking about. But right now its all about finding out what we got. we know what cisco is
Cisco wouldn't be taking away minutes from young players in this scenario. Martin would be moved and Cisco would probably be eating up minutes Beno or Sergio currently get. Cisco would be the secondary ball handler and the beneficiary of getting the weakest of the 3 defenders guarding Reke/Cisco/Greene. Casspi would still get big minutes as the 1st guy off the bench and a major sparkplug player.
I think we should start Casspi at the 3. He's the more consisent player between he and Donte. Bringing Donte off the bench allows Westphal to use different looking lineups. He can sub in Donte and have a huge backcourt. Bring in Donte to replace Casspi. Westphal can also use a high scoring small ball lineup if he brings in Donte as the 4 and slides Thompson over to the 5. Starting Casspi also helps give the Kings more of an identity defensively.
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