By the Stats: What are our weaknesses?

[CaminoChaos]

Frontcourt(SF/PF/C)
Rebounds- Kings: 25.6 Opponents: 33.7 Difference: -8.1
Who's to Blame: This may shock you but Peja an Reef are both only being outrebounded by 2 or less rebounds. Miller on the other hand is being outrebounded by more than 4.

Defensive Rebounds- Kings: 19.4 Opponents: 24.2 Difference: -4.8
Who's to Blame: Peja, Miller, and Reef are to blame. They are all consistantly losing in this catagory.

Backcourt(PG/SG/SF)
Assists- Kings: 9.3 Opponents: 14.8 Difference: -5.5
Who's to Blame: Bibby and Hart. As the PG's they are getting out assisted by 4.5 assists. They are not creating enough for there teammates. Granted most of the plays are run through the bigs so this could be debatable.

Bench
Minutes- Kings: 64.8 Opponents: 85.1 Difference: -20.3
Points- Kings: 20.5 Opponents: 31.5 Difference: -11
Rebounds- Kings: 9.9 Opponents: 15.3 Difference: -5.4
Who's to Blame: Adelman. The players he puts in are not producing but is he putting in the right players? Williamson and Skinner both rebound and pick up those garbage points on offensive rebounds. They scrap, bring heart and toughness.

Center
Points- Kings: 16 Opponents: 20.4 Difference: -4.4
Who's to Blame: Miller. He needs to shoot the ball more. He is a great shooter and we all see him pass up on open jumpers. If your open Brad SHOOT it!

 

[Bricklayer]

Center
Points- Kings: 16 Opponents: 20.4 Difference: -4.4
Who's to Blame: Miller. He needs to shoot the ball more. He is a great shooter and we all see him pass up on open jumpers. If your open Brad SHOOT it!

I disagree a bit with that one -- the problem is our inability to stop the OTHER team's centers, not Brad's own lack of scoring (well, most nights). Even after last night's debacle Brad's overal.l offensive numbers -- 13.6pts on .519 shooting, are pretty close to his normal averages for us. Problem is that I could post him up, let alone notorious unstoppable forces like Michael Olowakandi or Mark Jackson. And teams have recognized that and are just blatantly attacking him now as a weak point.

 

[Bricklayer]

BTW, if you went abck and added up all those opponet stats yourself, kudos!

 

[Warhawk]

One thing about the bench #s - the lower points and rebounds could be biased by the reduced minutes, unless they are on a per-48 basis.

Brad's assists are also very high for a center. Yes, he does need to shoot more, but I think he's trying to not be a black hole at times, even though he should be a little more selfish, IMHO.

 

[keflanag]

The problem with this team is not statistics. And you aren't going to solve the problem by bringing in a player with better stats. The problem is there is no emotion and no spark in these players. It's not a coincidence that the two players who show some energy (Corliss and Skinner) are the fan favorites when they come in off the bench. Some games Bonzi brings enough hustle and energy to make the difference, but he can't do it all. Peja, Bibby, and Brad as skilled as they are need to start playing with some aggression and urgency. When that happens consistently, this team will make a complete 180.

 

[CaminoChaos]

Re

I disagree a bit with that one -- the problem is our inability to stop the OTHER team's centers, not Brad's own lack of scoring (well, most nights). Even after last night's debacle Brad's overal.l offensive numbers -- 13.6pts on .519 shooting, are pretty close to his normal averages for us. Problem is that I could post him up, let alone notorious unstoppable forces like Michael Olowakandi or Mark Jackson. And teams have recognized that and are just blatantly attacking him now as a weak point.

Good point. I completeley over looked that. So it's probably his lack of defense more than anything. But I still feel he needs to shot more.

BTW, if you went abck and added up all those opponet stats yourself, kudos!

Hoopsstats.com

One thing about the bench #s - the lower points and rebounds could be biased by the reduced minutes, unless they are on a per-48 basis.

I thought about that also and I am aware of the lack of bench production but my point is I think Williamson and Skinner can help in our glaring weaknesses.

 

[VF21]

What are our weaknesses?

1. Declining production leads to declining attendance
2. Declining attendance leads to less energy from the crowd
3. Less energy from the crowd leads to decling production by the team

It's a downward spiral, folks. And do NOT be fooled by the "sellout" or "capacity" crowd comments being made by Napear. The arena has NOT been full, unless some fans are coming to game cleverly disguised as empty seats.

There are so MANY different problems with this team that it's almost easier to try and list what's NOT wrong instead of what is wrong.

1. Bonzi, Corliss and Skinner have enthusiasm, heart, drive and desire.
2. ...
3. ...
4. ...

Well, that's it. I only got 1...

 

[Bricklayer]

Hoopsstats.com

New one on me (and I thought I knew them all). Cool site! (well, if you're a stathound ).

 

[SacTownKid]

I disagree a bit with that one -- the problem is our inability to stop the OTHER team's centers, not Brad's own lack of scoring (well, most nights). Even after last night's debacle Brad's overal.l offensive numbers -- 13.6pts on .519 shooting, are pretty close to his normal averages for us. Problem is that I could post him up, let alone notorious unstoppable forces like Michael Olowakandi or Mark Jackson. And teams have recognized that and are just blatantly attacking him now as a weak point.

Yes exactly right! Marc Jackson, Adonal Foyle, and Kandiman looked like All-stars. Yuck.

 

[cfechter]

Frontcourt(SF/PF/C)
Rebounds- Kings: 25.6 Opponents: 33.7 Difference: -8.1
Who's to Blame: This may shock you but Peja an Reef are both only being outrebounded by 2 or less rebounds. Miller on the other hand is being outrebounded by more than 4.

Defensive Rebounds- Kings: 19.4 Opponents: 24.2 Difference: -4.8
Who's to Blame: Peja, Miller, and Reef are to blame. They are all consistantly losing in this catagory.

Backcourt(PG/SG/SF)
Assists- Kings: 9.3 Opponents: 14.8 Difference: -5.5
Who's to Blame: Bibby and Hart. As the PG's they are getting out assisted by 4.5 assists. They are not creating enough for there teammates. Granted most of the plays are run through the bigs so this could be debatable.

Bench
Minutes- Kings: 64.8 Opponents: 85.1 Difference: -20.3
Points- Kings: 20.5 Opponents: 31.5 Difference: -11
Rebounds- Kings: 9.9 Opponents: 15.3 Difference: -5.4
Who's to Blame: Adelman. The players he puts in are not producing but is he putting in the right players? Williamson and Skinner both rebound and pick up those garbage points on offensive rebounds. They scrap, bring heart and toughness.

Center
Points- Kings: 16 Opponents: 20.4 Difference: -4.4
Who's to Blame: Miller. He needs to shoot the ball more. He is a great shooter and we all see him pass up on open jumpers. If your open Brad SHOOT it!

Nice analysis, camino, but I have to disagree on your rebound analysis. You can't analyze rebounds without taking into account shooting percentages. The kings opponents are outshooting them this year, meaning natually, kings shots are producing more rebounding chances for their oppponents.

That being said, probably the most appropriate analysis of rebounding comes from analyzing OFFENSIVE rebounds gotten per game, and according to kings.com, kings are being out-offensive boarded by two per game (11.8 to 9.9).

That hurts. If we could switch that around, you figure that'd be a couple of buckets less per game for our opponents and a couple more per game for us.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Bench
Minutes- Kings: 64.8 Opponents: 85.1 Difference: -20.3
Points- Kings: 20.5 Opponents: 31.5 Difference: -11
Rebounds- Kings: 9.9 Opponents: 15.3 Difference: -5.4
Who's to Blame: Adelman. The players he puts in are not producing but is he putting in the right players? Williamson and Skinner both rebound and pick up those garbage points on offensive rebounds. They scrap, bring heart and toughness.
______________________

BINGO! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

 

[Bricklayer]

The kings opponents are outshooting them this year, meaning natually, kings shots are producing more rebounding chances for their oppponents.

Au contraire:

Kings 45.8%
Opp 46.1%

Best stat for taking that out of the equation is rebounding % (i.e. the % of available rebounds your team grabs). Espn is the only site I know right now which lists those.

 

[Bricklayer]

Interesting and dramatic stat from the Espn power ranking today:

The story is unchanged in Sacto. When Kings score, they win: 110.1 ppg in seven victories. In the 10 losses? Just 89.7 ppg.

 

[cfechter]

Au contraire:

Kings 45.8%
Opp 46.1%

Best stat for taking that out of the equation is rebounding % (i.e. the % of available rebounds your team grabs). Espn is the only site I know right now which lists those.

Not sure what you're saying, brick, since the kings have a lower shooting percentage, they've missed more shots, meaning more rebound chances for the opponents.

Moreover, you have to consider the kings style of play on offense when you think about offensive rebounding. Honestly, are there any other teams in the leageu whose center and power forward play on the wings as much as the kings players?

I think with the kings style of play, being outrebounded is just a choice they make to have their power players play so far out on the wings. However, while this is a weakness, you also have to consider this a strength. Since they can all consistently make a 20 footer, the opponent has to respect this shot, meaning back door cuts are constantly available since the defensive player can't sluff off.

 

[Bricklayer]

The %s are virtually identical.

But as I said rebounding %s clears that sort of confusion up. We are:

20th in Def Reb %
28th in Off Reb %
23rd overall in Reb% at .478.

To put that in firther perspective, Portland is the worst team in the league at .464, while Cleveland is tops at .534. We are clealry wallowing down in the bottom pack, and just got crunched by the 2nd worst team in the league (Minny is at .465 even after beating us on the glass).

I think your general analysis of why we suck on the ofensive glass is correct. Or at least part of it. But we just generally suck on the glass period. It goes hand in hand with the softness probelm. Just not enough guys willing and able to bang and scrap in there.

 

[Bballkingsrock]

Weakneses: DEFENSE, DEFENSE, and well you know

Defense is our main problem period.

 

[goggles99]

Frontcourt(SF/PF/C)
Rebounds- Kings: 25.6 Opponents: 33.7 Difference: -8.1
Who's to Blame: This may shock you but Peja an Reef are both only being outrebounded by 2 or less rebounds. Miller on the other hand is being outrebounded by more than 4.

Defensive Rebounds- Kings: 19.4 Opponents: 24.2 Difference: -4.8
Who's to Blame: Peja, Miller, and Reef are to blame. They are all consistantly losing in this catagory.

What would you expect from a center that is playing the Princeton offense? Also, as far as total rebounds go, out SG out rebounds the competition by BIG numbers fairly consistently. Plus, as was mentioned... the opponents shooting % has a lot to do with this.

Backcourt(PG/SG/SF)
Assists- Kings: 9.3 Opponents: 14.8 Difference: -5.5
Who's to Blame: Bibby and Hart. As the PG's they are getting out assisted by 4.5 assists. They are not creating enough for there teammates. Granted most of the plays are run through the bigs so this could be debatable.

Need I mention that we are playing the Princeton offense where the ball moves through the center? Granted this shifts things around, that is it's design. Our Guards are scoring more, and rebounding (Thanks to Bonzi)more than most opposites, but with less assists (ALA Princeton)

Bench
Minutes- Kings: 64.8 Opponents: 85.1 Difference: -20.3
Points- Kings: 20.5 Opponents: 31.5 Difference: -11
Rebounds- Kings: 9.9 Opponents: 15.3 Difference: -5.4
Who's to Blame: Adelman. The players he puts in are not producing but is he putting in the right players? Williamson and Skinner both rebound and pick up those garbage points on offensive rebounds. They scrap, bring heart and toughness.

Blame adelman??? How about blaming the players that are underachieving. (KT especially). Maybe he should be playing Corliss and Skinner more, but they were ineffective early on so who knows. Anyway, we have been down so much that bringing in Corliss and Skinner, we have no hope of trying to get a SPARK offensively. These players (Especially Skinner) are known more for defence.

I actually agree that our bench is the reason we have lost a number of games. This, combined with off games early by Bibby, and more recently Peja.

Center
Points- Kings: 16 Opponents: 20.4 Difference: -4.4
Who's to Blame: Miller. He needs to shoot the ball more. He is a great shooter and we all see him pass up on open jumpers. If your open Brad SHOOT it!

Agreed with another poster that this is a defensive problem, not offensive. How many Centers in the league are scoring 20.4 PPG. How many are even scoring 16? Any you forgot to mention the number of assists he dishes out VS the opposite centers. This makes up for quite a lot more than -4 ppg IMO.

I think that the OP is pretty skewed. It only compares categories where the we are being beaten in. Not categories we are ahead in (No big picture here or collective assists ECT).

The world champs each year always have some categories that some of the players are beaten in on average. The big picture though is that COLLECTIVELY they usually will have more categories than not that they rank better than the opposition at.

Anyway, you are comparing Apples to oranges when it comes to comparing the Princeton offense, to other systems.

The Princeton offense does not lend to poor defense either (contrary to what I have read posted here many times) Princeton led the nation in scoring defense for years while Carrill/Petre were there.

Byron Scott (with Eddie Jordan) coached the Nets with the Princeton offense to a few NBA Finals (also a very good defensive unit).

A good read on the Princeton Offense

Biggest problem(s) we have is simple...
Our Starters have no Defense, and our bench has no offense (and Pedja has been off the last few games).
Pedja is the partly the Key to our current dilemma (Either that or somehow become a more defensive team somehow). If he is able to produce 20+ points, and hit the 3, it opens up the offense greatly. Without that outside threat, the system doesn't click, the whole thing is thrown off.

This team CAN play defense. They have shown it in stretches, the problem is that their attitude is just to play offense and score. Is this the fault of the Coach, GM, or players? Firstly the GM. He already knows if they are good defensively before they are brought on board, good defense rarely comes later in life for these guys. The coach CAN teach and emphasize defense, improving it some, but the players have to have that mindset from far before the NBA to ever likely be considered "Excellent Defenders".

The kings are lazy on defense, but if they work on defense a lot, they seem to be terrible on offense so they lose anyway. Shrug

I'm not sure what is missing from this team right now. They appear to have the talent to be winning a lot more than they are. Is it just time that they need. Impatient Sacramento isn't very generous with that. Is it a leader that they are missing? Perhaps, but who will step up. Corliss has the ability to lead, but being a bench player, he will never get a true chance. Bad chemistry? Lack of comrodery? Locker room problems? Whatever it is seems mental and hopefully fixable before the all-star game rolls around.

 

[kingsfan916]

We need rebounds and blocks....