[Game] 27/82: Kings vs. Nuggets 16 DEC 2024 7pm PT/10pm ET
- Thread starter Mr. S£im Citrus
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I mean, it's all up to Brown, but this is the 2nd time Monte has attempted to draft a Warriors style multi-positional defender. Last time it was Davion but anyone could tell that was a stretch. He looked nothing like the players the Warriors lusted over. Carter however does. Lets see if those "he can play 4 positions" ideas translate with this one. If not, he isn't the reason this team is where they're at. No other rookie was saving the day if the Kings power trio tops out at the play in level. Then thank goodness Monte goes BPA because now you at least also have something to build with. Fits needs and can play now? Check. Decent upside in a worst case? Check.
The execution in the last 5 minutes was not great. But I think when you lose the game by 1 pt and lose the first quarter by 20 points, you have to consider the scope of the whole game not just the last 5 minutes.
And my point about holding their heads high is that I think for a solid 2 and a half quarters the Kings were dominating a bigger team with a championship on their resume and they were doing it almost entirely with scrappy defense by smaller guys like Colby Jones and Keon Ellis and Domas and Monk putting relentless pressure on the basket every time they got the ball. If they go back to the game tape there's a lot they can learn from this game that they should apply to the rest of the season -- on offense and on defense. And while they're at it, they should also study what went wrong in the first quarter and the last 5 minutes.
That's really the tale of the Kings season so far. If they can string together a full 48 minutes of good basketball, they would be solidly in the playoff picture right now. It's this "taking 1 and a half quarters off" garbage that has us under .500 right now.
And my point about holding their heads high is that I think for a solid 2 and a half quarters the Kings were dominating a bigger team with a championship on their resume and they were doing it almost entirely with scrappy defense by smaller guys like Colby Jones and Keon Ellis and Domas and Monk putting relentless pressure on the basket every time they got the ball. If they go back to the game tape there's a lot they can learn from this game that they should apply to the rest of the season -- on offense and on defense. And while they're at it, they should also study what went wrong in the first quarter and the last 5 minutes.
That's really the tale of the Kings season so far. If they can string together a full 48 minutes of good basketball, they would be solidly in the playoff picture right now. It's this "taking 1 and a half quarters off" garbage that has us under .500 right now.
The one all of a sudden problem we have is Colby has been an absolute dawg on defense and was the second best defender on the floor for either team after Keon. Remember when a lot of us thought he had a chance to be a really good player after summer league and the Gleague performances and then he sucked and we all forgot about him? He is going to get plenty of playing time for the next month but when Devin comes back?
Devin Carter is one of the best defensive prospects we've seen in a good minute and a freak athlete/incredible wingspan to boot. How is that not a fit for a team that's been one of the worst defensive franchises in the entire NBA for basically the whole existence?
Knecht is great, but he's basically Kevin Huerter's measurements and he struggles defensively. Yeah, he's 6'6, but I think it's very easy to make the case that Carter's skill-set is a much bigger need/fit than Knecht.
Knecht is great, but he's basically Kevin Huerter's measurements and he struggles defensively. Yeah, he's 6'6, but I think it's very easy to make the case that Carter's skill-set is a much bigger need/fit than Knecht.
Except that first quarter, of course.
We dropped 47 points in the second quarter. Nuggets didn't know what hit them. Injected chaos at both ends of the floor. The frustrating thing is that the team is versatile but could not put it all together for a sustained period of time. Are we carrying and expanding on the lessons that we learn in one game to another? It remains to be seen.
We dropped 47 points in the second quarter. Nuggets didn't know what hit them. Injected chaos at both ends of the floor. The frustrating thing is that the team is versatile but could not put it all together for a sustained period of time. Are we carrying and expanding on the lessons that we learn in one game to another? It remains to be seen.
I mean yeah, Huerter trade. I don't think there's any expectation that he's a long-term piece here. Or that Carter really contributes that much this season with how much time he's missed.
The rest of this season (or until trade deadline?) is Keon/Huerter as your 6/7 off the bench, while we hope Colby/IJ continue to develop and maybe we get some late season help from Carter.
This is also assuming Colby can keep up his level of play and remain a solid contributor.
The rest of this season (or until trade deadline?) is Keon/Huerter as your 6/7 off the bench, while we hope Colby/IJ continue to develop and maybe we get some late season help from Carter.
This is also assuming Colby can keep up his level of play and remain a solid contributor.
Colby is playing hard but effort will eventually plateau. Devin projects entirely different on both ends with a basis of tools fundamentally and athletically that simply do not come around very often. Also, Monte made it clear, this isn't just about now. Carter wanted to play through the shoulder but Monte is looking at him as a core piece moving on. I think the best thing about Carter is his talent + rookie contract potentially gives Monte the ability to keep his team and add a little in time or rebuild should it come to that. If anyone ends up thinking Carter in any way is the reason the Kings flatline they need to look over at the Kings star trio. That's where you win or lose. They're the ones steering the ship.
I still don't like watching MB being the chill guy on the sidelines. During the NBA Cup semis Mosley and Rivers had a mic and Mosley was giving instructions in every f*cking possession to his players, offense, defense all the way (by possession, by possession, by possession and so on), today Malone did the same (no mic was involved) he was making gestures for the players to hold their hands high calling for screens etc while Brown did the chill guy Darvin Ham immitation having his hands on his pockets and sometimes Luke gets up calling the players on defense to do this and that.
That had never happened the first season when he got all the votes for COTY, not so much during the 2nd season, but now in this 3rd season that he got an improved contract it happens all the time. He only gets frustrated and calling his players for their mistakes only in the press conference after the game. I don't think that helps the team, like I don't think keeping Keon off several matches helped the team either and I don't think he had a coaching masterclass today either. Use your energy and your frustration during the game not after it finished.
That had never happened the first season when he got all the votes for COTY, not so much during the 2nd season, but now in this 3rd season that he got an improved contract it happens all the time. He only gets frustrated and calling his players for their mistakes only in the press conference after the game. I don't think that helps the team, like I don't think keeping Keon off several matches helped the team either and I don't think he had a coaching masterclass today either. Use your energy and your frustration during the game not after it finished.
Also since many wrote about the refs, I think they were ok tonight, Denver was complaining also the whole time for many "contacts" close to the basket that weren't given as fouls. Refs "let them play" the whole match, BUT those 2 (cause the 3rd was without a doubt) quick fouls against us in the beginning of the last quarter made no sense regarding the way they were not calling them in the 3 previous quarters from both sides.
Yeh I’m comfortable with that but I think we are looking at a 9 man rotation for most of the remaining season with spot minutes for a 10th and 11th guy.
Option one: no trades. Lyles at the 4/5, Keon, Huerter and Devin/Colby fighting it out for 9th spot with the “loser” competing with Mcbuckets for minutes.
Option 2: DFS trade. Lyles at the 5, DFS, Keon and Colby/Devin competing
The other trade options like Cam or Kuzma would see Lyles/ Kev shipped out but now we have to play Len or IJ minutes at the 5 so the minute crunch is likely to be a problem no matter what. Good problem to have but worth noting.
Option one: no trades. Lyles at the 4/5, Keon, Huerter and Devin/Colby fighting it out for 9th spot with the “loser” competing with Mcbuckets for minutes.
Option 2: DFS trade. Lyles at the 5, DFS, Keon and Colby/Devin competing
The other trade options like Cam or Kuzma would see Lyles/ Kev shipped out but now we have to play Len or IJ minutes at the 5 so the minute crunch is likely to be a problem no matter what. Good problem to have but worth noting.
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