Kings vs. Warriors pre season game 3
- Thread starter Fireplug
- Start date
The only real SFs we have on the team besides Honeycutt are Outlaw and Johnson. Out law earned a try out at sstarting from his few games of starting at the end of the season. I can see the coach holding back for these first games on putting starting pressure on Johnson. No need to yet. Also we have to see what Outlaw has to give if put in the staring spot. Not much so far. Even our trusty kingsfans player sources don't know a heck of a lot about JJ. Let the coach coach. Just think of the probblems he has - Evans has never played SG and is starting, we apparently have a legitimate competition at PG for starting, we have no starting SF, he has a 6-6 center, a rookie PF, a Honeycutt with a broken bone, a Jimmer who has so far to go to earn any regular season minute that god only knows, a Thornton who is such a scoring machine but is a real shorty for defense and just learning to pass, etc., and Cousins has a way to go before being let off his training leash, etc., etc. etc.
Evans has played a ton of minutes at SG. I don't see the competition at PG as a problem. If anything its a positive. Our team is simple. You start Brooks/Thomas, Evans, Johnson, JT and Cousins. Thornton is the 6th man, TRob backs up SF/PF, Salmons, Garcia, Outlaw back up SG/SF and Hayes is the backup center. Everyone else is Mateen.
Petrie didn't bless Smart with the best roster but putting it together is as easy as pie.
Petrie didn't bless Smart with the best roster but putting it together is as easy as pie.
I thought Cousins was playing against Festus, you know, the rookie drafted 30th by the Warriors (see below). It's pretty bad when Cousins gets taken out of his game by Festus.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/warrio...ie-festus-ezeli-plugs-hole?source=most_viewed
http://www.insidebayarea.com/warrio...ie-festus-ezeli-plugs-hole?source=most_viewed
I agree but the coach still has to choose who to start at PG. He has to choose who starts at SF. If he starts Tyreke at SG he has alot of work to do on Evans' offense. Thompson is a gift from god. Cousins is a wonderful work in progress for the coach. I don't think putting the right starting combo together is as easy as pie. But I'm optomistic. The whole bunch wants to get something done and that means a lot.
Old habits die hard. When moving to a new type of offense, its easy to revert back to what your habits were when the new one doesn't seem to be working. Its going to take some time. I clearly remember the old crew of Vlade, Webb, Bibby, Christie and Peja, going away from the Princeton and reverting to one on one isolation for a quarter or so. But they usually went back to the Princeton and won more than they lost. Its just going to take some time.
I also think it'll become easier once he settles on a permanent starting lineup and rotation. Familiarity breeds excellence!
I also think it'll become easier once he settles on a permanent starting lineup and rotation. Familiarity breeds excellence!
I was a big fan of Ezeli's at Vanderbilt. The one thing he's noted for is his defense. He's a legit shotblocker and a big body thats very athletic. Thats not to say that Cuz couldn't, or shouldn't challenge him. As I didn't see the game, I can't really comment. But I did predict that Ezeli would end up beating out Biedrins for the backup center position.
That seems right to me. However, Evans has to contribute more than just very good defense. So far he is more often absent than involved in the offense. If this continues, its a problem for the team, its a problem for the coach. The jury is out no matter how I look upon it. Hopefully it is not a big problem. But I bet it gives the coach an itchy head ...... and then there is Thornton. Easy as pie it ain't.
Well yeah, he has to choose who's going to start at SF but it has to be JJ. There is no other competition for the position. Unless Smart tries the already failed IT/Thornton/Evans back court, there's no other choice than to start JJ.
Tyreke is just going to have to learn how to play next to Brooks/IT. He's going to get his fair share of PG duties next to them. They're both good spot up shooters, so he'll be able to find them for open shots. If they're bringing the ball up, he'll have to start cutting to the basket and scoring in ways other than 1 on 1 ball. As a SF he just stands in the corner and does nothing.
Hopefully common sense will prevail with the starting lineup and rotation. I don't think anyone will be up in arms whether Brooks or IT start because they're both gonna get minutes. It comes down to picking the obvious choice for SF (JJ) and convincing Thornton he's better served as the 6th man.
After that they just need to suck less than they did last year.
Tyreke is just going to have to learn how to play next to Brooks/IT. He's going to get his fair share of PG duties next to them. They're both good spot up shooters, so he'll be able to find them for open shots. If they're bringing the ball up, he'll have to start cutting to the basket and scoring in ways other than 1 on 1 ball. As a SF he just stands in the corner and does nothing.
Hopefully common sense will prevail with the starting lineup and rotation. I don't think anyone will be up in arms whether Brooks or IT start because they're both gonna get minutes. It comes down to picking the obvious choice for SF (JJ) and convincing Thornton he's better served as the 6th man.
After that they just need to suck less than they did last year.
That doesn't bode well for the season. You have to have Tyreke play with a jump shot in order for this team to be a viable playoff team. Also, if Tyreke doesn't have the jump shot, then there is going to be much more of an impetus by Smart to take minutes away from Tyreke and give them to Thornton. The decision of who to play at the 2 at various points in the game becomes much more difficult.
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I didn't see the game either. But from the Gerould play by play it seemed that from the opening tip Cousins wasn't into it. Gerould mentioned that he wasn't getting up the floor, and then he mentioned the lazy foul he did because he wasn't running up the floor. Then you throw in the 20 footers he did, along with the fouling, and it just sounds like he didn't show up. If Cousins doesn't have a dominating performance against the Warriors this year, it's hard to see the Kings winning. They can't match up against those guys at the other positions. Warriors could be extremely tough this year if Bogut stays healthy.
