A Round of Applause

[Bricklayer]

I know we lost. That's unfortunate. But I think this team absolutely deserves a big hand for the all out effort and grit they played this game with. So here it is:

Helluva effort guys. Helluva effort. If you can just sustain that the wins will come.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

 

[Spok22]

Clap clap clap. But we need a new power forward.

 

[rainmaker]

This newfound tough, in your face, physical defense can really become a solid foundation for this team going forward, if they can keep it up. Loved what I saw tonight. Far too much of a positive to be down about the final score.

 

[ReinadelosReys]

::sigh::

Sure wish they could have won this one, it would have done lots for the team and the fanbase, but a heck of an effort nonetheless. Lets keep it going, boys!

 

[pshn80]

They have my applause. This was their best whole game of the season. Let's do it all the same again and get just a little better. Kings!!!!!

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

Definitely the type of effort that can turn a season around.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Amazing job defensively. Luckily the refs let the game be played as it should. Terrific effort and hustle.

The wins will start becoming more frequent if we can keep up the intensity, I just hope they're not disheartened by the tough loss. Most other nights, this would have been an easy win.

 

[gunks]

The best team in the NBA had to work hard for their win.

I dont know where the D is coming from, but I love it. We keep this up and hammer out some kind of passable offense, we're going to see wins.

*clap clap clap*

 

[King Baller]

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP THE SACRAMENTO KINGS, DEFENSIVE STALWARTS.

Keep this up and the wins will come.

KB

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I just can't applaud a loss. Yeah they played their best game of the year so far but a loss is a loss. The fact they played so well and still lost almost makes it more disappointing.

 

[Kingster]

Totally agree with giving the Kings a hand for this game. What a difference a few lineup changes make. Imagine down the line when Whiteside can find his way into this lineup. It could be scary good defensively.

 

[iowamcnabb]

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Totally agree. What a difference a few lineup changes make. Imagine down the line when Whiteside can find his way into this lineup. It could be scary good defensively.

The best defense in the world doesn't really matter though when you shoot 60% on free throws and turn the ball over 20+ times.

 

[hrdboild]

That was the best game they've played this season. The defensive effort was there all game despite the huge number of turnovers on our end. Would have been nice to get the win, but losing to New Orleans is nothing to be ashamed of right now. I was really impressed with the effort tonight. Well done Kings!

Is it wrong that I find myself really liking Luther Head right now? He harassed Chris Paul all night, most notably when he pounced on the lazy walk the dog play and almost got the turnover.

 

[Kingster]

The best defense in the world doesn't really matter though when you shoot 60% on free throws and turn the ball over 20+ times.

Sooo negative. What do you expect from such a young team? The offense will come. Turnovers is typical with a young team.

 

[kingsboi]

Bravo! But let's hold off on too much credit until we see this happen in a span of 15-20 games. Then we can get somewhere with maybe the Kings finding an identity on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Sooo negative. What do you expect from such a young team? The offense will come. Turnovers is typical with a young team.

What you call negative, I call reality.

 

[Kingster]

What you call negative, I call reality.

Has nothing to do with reality. It has to do with your opinion on the reality. And your expectations concerning the reality. What did you expect? A playoff team?

And if you didn't expect a playoff team, how exactly did you expect the losses to occur? Due to low turnovers? Great offense? High assists? How did you envision these losses to happen?

 

[rainmaker]

What you call negative, I call reality.

Yet, you choose to harp on the negatives when there was a very important, and blatant positive. Our defense. You expect everything to magically click overnight? The progression our team has made defensively in the last 5 days is nothing short of astounding.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Has nothing to do with reality. It has to do with your opinion on the reality. And your expectations concerning the reality. What did you expect? A playoff team?

And if you didn't expect a playoff team, how exactly did you expect the losses to occur? Due to low turnovers? Great offense? High assists? How did you envision these losses to happen?

I hate to be the one to break to break it to you, but 21 turnovers and 60% FT shooting are the reality. It's also reality that they effectively rendered a good defensive effort a waste. Those things have nothing to do with my opinion, they're facts.

Did I expect a playoff team? No, not really.

But I also didn’t expect them to be 2 and 6 at home. Guess that was expecting too much, right? LOL

 

[rainmaker]

I hate to be the one to break to break it to you, but 21 turnovers and 60% FT shooting are the reality. It's also reality that they effectively rendered a good defensive effort a waste. Those things have nothing to do with my opinion, they're facts.

Did I expect a playoff team? No, not really.

But I also didn’t expect them to be 2 and 6 home. Guess that was expecting too much, right? LOL

Well there's your problem. You can't see improvement pass the win/loss column, while others are able to pick up the finer points. We almost beat a 10-1 team. After what you have seen the past few weeks, how can you not acknowledge improvement?

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Yet, you choose to harp on the negatives when there was a very important, and blatant positive. Our defense. You expect everything to magically click overnight? The progression our team has made defensively in the last 5 days is nothing short of astounding.

Acknowledging reality isn't harping. The "good defense" is fool's gold because they still lost the game because of horrible free throw shooting and countless dumb turnovers. I don't see how acknowledging that is "expect everything to magically click overnight".

I guess I should fetch the rose colored glasses and jump aboard the moral victory bandwagon...

As for the defensive progression, it could very well be an aberration. I’m going to wait awhile and see if they can sustain that type of defensive play over an extended period of time before I get too excited about it.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Well there's your problem. You can't see improvement pass the win/loss column, while others are able to pick up the finer points. We almost beat a 10-1 team. After what you have seen the past few weeks, how can you not acknowledge improvement?

If the improvement doesn't translate to more wins, it's fool's gold. Simple as that. Plus, while they are defensively better this year, their offense has been worse so it makes the defensive improvement mean less than it otherwise would.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

If the improvement doesn't translate to more wins, it's fool's gold. Simple as that. Plus, while they are defensively better this year, their offense has been worse so it makes the defensive improvement mean less than it otherwise would.

If the improvement lasts, it will translate into wins. Thats the real question - can we continue to do this.

There will be days we shoot bad, there will be days we shoot good, there will be days we shoot ok, but if this defensive improvement is for real and consistent, we will win our fair share of games.

 

[rainmaker]

Acknowledging reality isn't harping. The "good defense" is fool's gold because they still lost the game because of horrible free throw shooting and countless dumb turnovers. I don't see how acknowledging that is "expect everything to magically click overnight".

I guess I should fetch the rose colored glasses and jump aboard the moral victory bandwagon...

As for the defensive progression, it could very well be an aberration. I’m going to wait awhile and see if they can sustain that type of defensive play over an extended period of time before I get too excited about it.

Good defense is never, ever,"fools gold".

There were some dumb turnover, but NO is one of the best defensive teams, and this is the 2nd time we threw that starting lineup out there. How about giving them a little time? You do realize this is what young teams go through, right?

When you say things like "If the improvement doesn't translate to more wins, it's fool's gold. Simple as that", I think your timeline of where you think he Kings are is way off, as well as your understanding of what a rebuild actually entails. If it's fools gold, then where do you think a winning record will come from? Answer, improvement.

Improvement over the next few years will lead to us being a relevant playoff team. Without improvement, which happens one step at a time, we'll never win. That is exactly why with a young, rebuilding team, you focus on improvement, and not recognizing it, or implying it's fools gold, is ignoring the very thing which will lead to the team getting those wins you so dearly want.

 

[mac]

. If it's fools gold, then where do you think a winning record will come from?

Trading Tyreke for Ricky Rubio and signing Afflalo and Rudy Gay to a max contract.

 

[asakkings]

I was hoping we would just become an ugly scrappy team. This lets you stay in games while the offense can come around when Reke gets back up to 100%.

 

[SacTownKid]

Clapping but still pissed I see. hahaha.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Good defense is never, ever,"fools gold".

There were some dumb turnover, but NO is one of the best defensive teams, and this is the 2nd time we threw that starting lineup out there. How about giving them a little time? You do realize this is what young teams go through, right?

When you say things like "If the improvement doesn't translate to more wins, it's fool's gold. Simple as that", I think your timeline of where you think he Kings are is way off, as well as your understanding of what a rebuild actually entails. If it's fools gold, then where do you think a winning record will come from? Answer, improvement.

Improvement over the next few years will lead to us being a relevant playoff team. Without improvement, which happens one step at a time, we'll never win. That is exactly why with a young, rebuilding team, you focus on improvement, and not recognizing it, or implying it's fools gold, is ignoring the very thing which will lead to the team getting those wins you so dearly want.

My point is that if the improvement isn't enough to translate to more wins, then it's really nothing to get excited about. All I expect is maybe 8 to 12 more wins than last season. Which is a totally realistic goal. If things keep going the way they have been though even that's not going to happen. They're on pace to win 23-28 games if things don't change real soon and I'm sorry, but that's not improvement no matter how you spin it. That's treading water.

The young excuse is wearing out pretty fast too. Dalembert, Landry, Beno, Garcia, and Head are all over 25. JT and Greene are entering their 3rd NBA seasons. The only players the young excuse really flies for is Cousins and Casspi. I suppose you could pull the young card for Tyreke too but I don't think it really applies when a guy is averaging 20, 5, and 5 going into his second season.

This "rebuild" has been going on for quite a few years now and I think it's perfectly reasonable for fans to at least expect some tangible improvement in the win column.