Bow down at the feet of the mighty....OSTERTAG!!!

SacTownKid · Dec 15, 2004

I was yelling at my TV last night for Adelman to put him in and sit Webber down. He did it and the lead was gone in nothing flat! I certainly don't completely attribute the win last night to him, but he was once again the main factor in the turn around. With the other unit on the floor we were just trading baskets but with Otag on the floor we got rebounds and solid D. I was looking at Webber in the paint and he didn't jump once for a rebound giving the Bucks 2nd and 3rd looks. I have no question that Webber is an important (if not the most important) piece to winning a championship but Otag needs more time to grab those rebounds and make those few stops in the paint the other unit typically can't.

Another thing maybe they should let Otag work in the post 3-4 times a game. Last night he kept posting up but would never even be acknowledged. A low post threat is something else the Kings lack and Otag may not be a great scorer I see possibilities there.

VF21 · Dec 15, 2004

Um, what?

Ostertag is...Ostertag. He's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing when he's supposed to be doing it. It seems to be working, especially if you look at the team's record. I, for one, am in no hurry to see Tag get more minutes at the expense of Webber...

Ostertag is NOT and has NEVER been a great scorer. If you see possibilities, you must be watching someone named Clarence Ostertag or even Marcus Ostertag. GREG Ostertag will be the first to tell you he doesn't WANT the responsibility of trying to be a scorer. He's quite happy in the role he was picked to fill - he blocks shots, he gets boards, and he allows our bigs a bit of breathing time. Nothing more... and quite frankly, what he does is perfectly fine with me!

It ain't broke. Don't fix it.

HndsmCelt · Dec 15, 2004

LOL, I have sort of appointed myself the unoffical Greg supporter since the trade was announced and so many posters went ballistic, but even I think this may be a bit over the top and unrealistic. Tag is doing well and I thought that Adelamn should have left him in a little longer as well, but not at the expense of Webber. Brad is a great center but las night he was not doing well and sure enough seconds after reentering the 4th he picked up his 5th foul. a few more Tag minuetssould not have hut the Kings and would ahve contenued to slow the game down, but the boy is NOT going to add much to the score... Webber on the other hand was the extra little bit the kings needed down the streach.

SacTownKid · Dec 15, 2004

VF21 said:

I never said bench Webb for Tag, but they need to get him in for more minutes. Maybe add 2 min. to the 2 stretches a game he plays now. Or stagger the minutes a little differently. When he's on the floor the Kings actually have someone inside making defensive stops!! How many times last night did Redd or Mason go right around everybody for an easy 2? When the Kings offense isn't working they go down b/c they can't consistently get stops on the defensive end.

As far as the offensive part, I am in no way saying when Ostertag comes on the floor he should be our # 1 option. If you call 3-4 shots a game making him responsible for the offense then I think you are over exaggerating. I have watched him throught the years in Utah and believe it or not he can put the big orange round thing in the circle with the net hanging from it occasionally.

BTW the rebounding and defense may not be broke, but it could use a tune up...and a change of oil.

Oh and a little duct tape.

Bibby_Is_Clutch · Dec 15, 2004

Tag shouldnt be responsible for any offense unless he can easily dunk it or just lay it up.

I would rather have Webb in there on defense. Tag only clogs up the lane and they dont drive in.

eflat · Dec 15, 2004

Yea, 'Tag!

Yea, Webber!

hmmm... Yea, Bibby!

errrr... Yea, Darius and Christy and B-rad and B-jax and Pedja and Matt and ...and Rick!

Yea, TEAM!

SacTownKid · Dec 15, 2004

HndsmCelt said:

Dude if Webber didn't hit that three last night and Mike James hit that second free throw we would be burying him on that foul he comitted at the end. Webbers great but go with whats working.

And whats over the top!? 4-5 more minutes a game and 3-4 shot attempts off a couple of designed post plays. Wow! if that were the case he would almost be as important as Matt Barnes

Bricklayer · Dec 15, 2004

You can't use Tag effectively as a post player. Or at least nobody has yet in his 10 years in the league.

It would be nice to see him getting more consistent minutes since he is our only shotblocker. Bu more minutes for tag probably means less for Darius, so its a give and take. When you've got two All-Star claiber starters, there are only about 20-25 total backup min for your big men.

kingsfan25 · Dec 15, 2004

we use tag when we need tag.

VF21 · Dec 15, 2004

SacTownKid said:

If, if, if...

And no, as a matter of fact, I - for one - would NOT be burying Webber for having a ticky-tacky touch foul called on him at the end of the game. It's not about blame for me. It's about cheering on a team effort.

I have been very vocal about how good a choice Ostertag was for this team. He is a good fit. I don't know why you have to act as though he's not getting the PT he expected. He is - and he's pretty happy about it. He's doing exactly what we needed of him - shot blocking, rebounds, clogging the paint. Sometimes, if you try and expand a player's role, you take him past his optimum efficiency. So, I say once again - It ain't broke. Don't fix it.

Andriod_KiNg · Dec 15, 2004

Woot Woot for Tag' , came up with some clutch blocks , leading to the Kings winning

!!!

Bricklayer · Dec 15, 2004

Well I think everybody expected/hoped Tag would be able to give us more than 9.8min a game. And given our rebounding and shotblocking problems, he will probably have to before the season is over if we're going to have any realistic shot at the title. Championship teams don't get their butts kicked inside.

But those minutes will come at a price. Either sitting one of our multi-talented starters, or stealing away Darius's minutes. When you've got two elite starters, there just aren't enough minutes to support two major minute backups. If we could throw Tag and Darius together into one of those chambers from The Fly and meld them together, we'd be in great shape minutewise. As it is, we're having to choose every night out between offensive skill or defensive presence. Adn neither choice is 100% correct. I would like to see Tag getting a consistent 15mpg. But if he does that, then Darius is down to 10. And vice versa. Webb's already down to 35, not realistically going to go much lower there. Could maybe shave Miller of 2-3 minutes and drop him to 35. But you're only going to be able to squeeze 3-4 min total off the starters, and those really only if we start getting a little more breathing room in our games.

BigWaxer · Dec 15, 2004

I am not a TAG fan, nothing against him as I don't know him. Maybe its all the days at the hated Utah. I cannot stand the Jazz. I don't think he is the savior but I doubt anyone does. But like VF said so far he is fitting in and doing what he was brought here to do and for that I am starting to like his play more.

I will say I have been pretty impressed and think RA is playing him at the right times. Some nights he may get 0 playing time others maybe 10-15. Think it all depends on the situation and flow of the game.

Pejasdabomb · Dec 15, 2004

Tag, Webber, & Darius

SacTownKid said:

I was yelling at my TV last night for Adelman to put him in and sit Webber down.

When Webber keeps jacking up those long jump shots on the nights he is shooting 30 percent or less, I find myself yelling at the TV for Adelman to sit Webber and put in Darius, not Tag. Darius can score. And usually when Adelman does that, we come back and get in the game. I will admit, however, that Webber looks better this year than last. However, I saw some video of Webber a few years ago, and it's shocking how much better he was then. Guess you've got to give him credit for working hard to come back.

I wasn't thinking that I would like Tag (we always made fun of him when he played against us), but I do. He is one of the few players we have who will actually go under the hoop and play defense. He is contributing what we need from him. I like the goofy things he says, too. He is such a dufus - but he seems really comfortable with being a dufus, and that makes it easy for us to accept him.

HndsmCelt · Dec 15, 2004

Just picture Tag hunting with one of those red and balck plaid hunters caps on... then try not to laugh.

SacTownKid · Dec 15, 2004

Pejasdabomb said:

SacTownKid said:

Darius may be a better scorer but I think there are enough scorers on the team to help on that end. The D is more important sometimes. Last night the first unit couldn't get a stop if their lives depended on it, they were trading baskets, you won't win like that.

VF21 · Dec 16, 2004

I guess I'm just dense because I think Adelman put Tag in at the right time, kept him in as long as was necessary, and then got the starters back out to get the win...or, at least, go into overtime.

And yet, strangely enough, I looked in the paper this morning and there it was! A W for the Kings. So, apparently, they didn't know "you won't win like that." Or, as I've said before, they did know what to do AND they did it.

Kingsgurl · Dec 16, 2004

SacTownKid said:

As many of you may remember, I saw Darius play in the NCAA tourney a few years ago when he was at Wake Forest. I came away from that tourney very impressed with Darius. I thought it was a GREAT move to get him (especially for nothing as the Kings did) I am probably one of the biggest Darius backers from the gate anywhere HOWEVER..... to say that he is a BETTER scorer than Webb is quite the stretch. On the defensive end, he is very active BUT he is undersized and gets called for even THINKING about commiting a foul. We are indeed lucky, IMO, to have him to spell Webb, but he is clearly not the same caliber of player.

ReinadelosReys · Dec 16, 2004

This guy needs a hobby!

I almost ran off the side of the road in laughter as he called in-unannounced-to the morning show today. He already called in to the post game show, tried to call into the afternoon show with Grant but they didn't think it was him and hung up on him. I'm telling you, this guy is a hoot!

Some highlights from his call ( as close to verbatim as I can remember):

On Kobe and Shaq: " Way to make a 360 lb black guy mad at you"

On who is more country, he or Brad: " Brad is more hillbilly country...he and his cousins know each other well"

On his hustle back to get the block last game: " I have hidden levels of speed...I'm like a 18 wheeler, once I get going...."

Bricklayer · Dec 16, 2004

ReinadelosReys said:

Tag's personality has really surprised me, but if I had to hazard a guess, not Petrie. I don't know whether he's just blossoming here outside of the Jazz bootcamp, or if this is the way he always was but he was kind of under pressure to suppress it in Utah, but its just damn hard not to like the guy.

HndsmCelt · Dec 16, 2004

Bricklayer said:

Your not tying to say that Utah is a represive enviorment are you? Waht ever the reason I too ahve to admit Tag makes me smile.

SacTownKid · Dec 16, 2004

Kingsgurl said:

As many of you may remember, I saw Darius play in the NCAA tourney a few years ago when he was at Wake Forest. I came away from that tourney very impressed with Darius. I thought it was a GREAT move to get him (especially for nothing as the Kings did) I am probably one of the biggest Darius backers from the gate anywhere HOWEVER..... to say that he is a BETTER scorer than Webb is quite the stretch. On the defensive end, he is very active BUT he is undersized and gets called for even THINKING about commiting a foul. We are indeed lucky, IMO, to have him to spell Webb, but he is clearly not the same caliber of player.

I was actually saying he is a better scorer than Otag not Webber.

Twix · Dec 16, 2004

ReinadelosReys said:

I heard him on the post game show.. but didn't know he called to Grant's show! Can't believe they hung up on him!!

Greg's too funny. LOL.

SacTownKid · Dec 19, 2004

So how does my thread sound now....

or was that Marcus out there tonight

Heuge · Dec 19, 2004

SacTownKid said:

Hopefully bowing down to Ostertag's feet never sounds good to anyone.

With that said, he can be huge for this team. (pun intended)

VF21 · Dec 19, 2004

SacTownKid said:

Your thread still sounds as though you're trying to make Tag into something he's not...

I posted Tag's comments to Grant right after the game in the PBP thread:

VF21 said:

Notice in particular the last part. TAG himself says he's on the court to block shots. He also said that any points he scores are bonuses. He is NOT a scorer and doesn't want to be put into that category. He knows why he was brought here and he fits the slot to a tee...

So, I say again - It ain't broke (meaning Tag); don't fix it.

VF21 · Dec 19, 2004

You know what? This is silly. We're arguing semantics...or I'm just arguing for the sake of arguing.

Tag is a great addition to this team and I'm sure RA will figure out the best way to use him AND Webber AND Miller AND Darius.

It's all good!

Kingsgurl · Dec 20, 2004

The crowd was very appreciative of Tag's efforts out there last night, he even got a quasi-standing O at one point. That's got to feel pretty good after the way he has been treated in this Arena in the past

SacTownKid · Dec 20, 2004

Can we at least agree to use Tag when we need him. For instance when the other guys couldn't stop a 5 year child from driving inside

BTW Adelman used Tag last night exactly how I said he should be used, I didn't and don't expect any more than what he did last night.

ae77 · Dec 20, 2004

i definitely love the post defense he has brought to the team.

Bow down at the feet of the mighty....OSTERTAG!!!

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