And1
G-League
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6277948
Charley Rosen / FOXSports.com
Even after Sacramento's stunning 98-97 come-from-behind win in Utah, one question still shadows the Kings: Can Ron Artest and Mike Bibby coexist?
Let's examine the latest evidence.
The usual procedure is for a team to run its first offensive play for its big man, the idea being to get his engine running from the get-go so that he'll be willing to rebound, set screens, and defend. But the Kings initial possession was a clear-out for Artest, a strong indication that Eric Musselman either believes, or wants to believe, that Ron-Ron is the team's leading man. Unfortunately, Artest wound up throwing the ball away.
From there, the Kings began the game in slow-motion. Once the ball crossed the time-line, shots were launched after only one or two passes. The Kings played like they were strangers on both ends of the court. And after bagging his first jumper, Bibby mostly fired blanks for the rest of the half.
Up until then, neither Artest nor Bibby showed any trace of leadership.
Indeed, it wasn't until Mussel-person yanked Artest (after his 2nd foul) and Bibby, and inserted his second unit midway through the first quarter that the Kings started to show some life. If John Salmons (1-4, 2 points), Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Corliss Williamson were virtually useless, the quickness of Ronnie Price (1-5, 5 points), and Francisco Garcia (3-5, 9 points) was instrumental in leading the Kings on a 12-4 tear that put them back in the ball game.
The starters re-entered the game and played the Jazz even until the intermission, but Artest's play was uneven. He did a good job of stifling Carlos Boozer with fronting, denying defense, and by not allowing the bigger man to bully him. His stubborn defense forced Boozer into a turnover, and was beaten only when Boozer slipped a screen/roll and scored a layup.
One particular play illustrated just how good a defender Artest really is. He made an aggressive show on another S/R, so much so that Utah's ball-handler (Deron Williams) was forced to back up, then Artest was quick enough to jump back into Boozer's lap and resume his nagging defense on the home team's high scorer.
Yet Artest also spent a great deal of his court-time trying to check Andrei Kirilenko (while either Williamson or Abdur-Rahim attended to Boozer), and AK-47 proved to be more than he could handle. Artest bit on a pair of fakes that ultimately led to a dunk and an assist. While Artest did post-up his skinnier opponent and powered his way to a 3-point play, Kirilenko also ripped him once and blocked two of his shots. (In his only post-up versus Boozer, Artest had another shot swatted.) Kirilenko also beat Artest on a dribble-drive from 20-feet out, when the latter was so intent on trying to steal the ball that his arms were too extended and his body was tilted too far forward.
At age 27, Artest has lost some of his youthful speed and is much more effective guarding bigger, stronger, more immobile opponents than he is defending quicker ones. At the other end of the floor, Artest did force a couple of shots, but he was also looking to pass the ball. His final numbers amounted to 3-9 (including 1-4 from downtown), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 11 points.
Meanwhile, Bibby continued looking for his jumper, and showed a reluctance to drive the ball into the paint. Indeed, he took the rock to the ring only five times, with the following results: Drawing a non-shooting foul. Throwing a pass that was intercepted. Making a pass that gained no advantage. Getting a shot blocked. And finally, in the 3rd quarter, he scored on a power layup and was fouled.
Why this disinclination to drive? It certainly looked as though at age 28, Bibby has also lost a step.
On defense, Bibby had his hands full chasing the hot-footed Williams around the court. The Kings starters resumed their lethargic play to commence the second half. At best, their offense consisted of 2-man games (none of which paired Bibby and Artest). Their defense was likewise lacking in intensity, especially off the ball. Virtually every time one of the Jazz made a baseline cut from the weak-side to the strong-side he was wide open. Not even the second-stringers could rescue the Kings. Price threw a foolish behind-the-back pass that botched a 3-on-2 fast break. Garcia unleashed an air ball. Abdur-Rahim's adventures in the pivot led to repeated turnovers. The return of the starters led to more of the same.
Parenthetically, it certainly seemed as though the referees were gunning for Artest. Only one of the three fouls called against him was legit. The second foul was whistled when Artest was caught up in a traffic jam that clustered around a S/R, even though he committed no illegal act. The third foul was called by a ref who was behind the play and needed to have X-ray vision to determine whether or not Artest hit Kirilenko's hand as he attempted to deflect AK's dribble. The camera had a much better view and showed plenty of air between Artest's outstretched hand and Kirilenko. But, even though the calls were blatantly unjust, Artest maintained his cool.
Before delving into the exciting climax of the game, let's scout the Kings supporting cast. Brad Miller — 5-11, only 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 10 points — was slower than slow. In fact, if he ever loses another step he'd only be able to move in reverse. Miller did hit a few mid-range jumpers, converted on one hard drive, and also scored on a tip-in. But his defense was awful, his hands were flabby, and he couldn't bend to catch any pass (or loose ball) that didn't bounce up to at least his waist. Overall, Miller did more harm than good.
Ken Thomas — 0-1, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 blocked shot — wasn't ready to play until the second half.
John Salmons never did show up.
After a do-nothing first-half, Williamson — 3-6, 6 points — began to move without the ball, and also took a turn banging Boozer around.
Kevin Martin — 2-12, 2 assists, a steal, and several turnovers, and 13 total points — occasionally flashed his brilliant speed, but forced too many shots, and was mostly a non-factor.
After sparking the team in the first half, Francisco Garcia did nothing thereafter. Abdur-Rahim's boardwork, defense on Boozer, all-around hustle, and timely shooting were all vital parts of the Kings comeback. His line showed 6-8, 8 rebounds (including 5 offensive), 2 assists, 2 steals, and 21 points — all in less than 19 minutes!
At the last mandatory time-out of the third quarter, the Kings were down 84-64, and Mussel-boy stood on the court by himself as his players wandered over to the bench. The young coach looked shocked, resigned, despaired, and at least 80 years old. But, lo and behold, the Kings fashioned a riotous fourth quarter rally.
Suddenly, Abdur-Rahim began collecting garbage points — and even hit an awkward 18-foot jumper. At the same time, the Kings defense got hyped. Bibby drew a charge on Williams. Utah's precision offense developed glitches and they started missing jumpers and losing the ball. And, most importantly, Sacramento's slothful dormant offense came alive when Bibby's bombs began homing in on the basket.
Indeed, the primary catalyst for the turn-around was Bibby's heroic perimeter shooting.
And then the game boiled down to the critical play: The Kings trailed 97-95 and had the ball with the game clock ticking down to 60 seconds.
To whom would Musselman the Younger assign the win-tie-or-die shot?
Up till that point Bibby had registered 8-18, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 19 points. And his hand was the hottest in the building.
But Artest's number was called. There he was, dribbling like a mad scientist in the middle of the court, and totally ignoring Bibby. Then Artest darted toward the foul line, and kicked the ball to Abdur-Rahim, who uncorked a trey that split the net. His first successful 3-pointer of the season.
These were the last points scored, and the Kings were the unlikeliest of winners. So, then, who is the leader of the team? Bibby? Artest? Both of them?
Ah, teams that have two heads eventually are pulled in two opposing directions. Think of the old Sixers with the Julius Erving faction versus the George McGinnis faction.
So, short of trading one or the other, what can the Kings do about the not-so-private contention between Bibby and Artest?
The answer is deceptively simple. Have the two of them hook up in perpetual S/Rs. Again, and again, and again, and … At least two dozen times per game. Until they accept that they'll either succeed or fail in tandem. Until they discover that their respective talents can compliment each other. If a few games are lost while this forced harmony is being formed, the losses in December and January will turn to victories in March, April, and possibly beyond.
Meanwhile, the brothers Maloof should make it clear that Musselman's job is secure. While they're at it, they should also procure a big man who can rebound and block shots. The Kings dramatic win in Salt Lake City proves that, in the wonderful world of the NBA, miracles are routine events. Hey, even Shaq and Kobe were able to make nicey-nicey.
Charley Rosen / FOXSports.com
Even after Sacramento's stunning 98-97 come-from-behind win in Utah, one question still shadows the Kings: Can Ron Artest and Mike Bibby coexist?
Let's examine the latest evidence.
The usual procedure is for a team to run its first offensive play for its big man, the idea being to get his engine running from the get-go so that he'll be willing to rebound, set screens, and defend. But the Kings initial possession was a clear-out for Artest, a strong indication that Eric Musselman either believes, or wants to believe, that Ron-Ron is the team's leading man. Unfortunately, Artest wound up throwing the ball away.
From there, the Kings began the game in slow-motion. Once the ball crossed the time-line, shots were launched after only one or two passes. The Kings played like they were strangers on both ends of the court. And after bagging his first jumper, Bibby mostly fired blanks for the rest of the half.
Up until then, neither Artest nor Bibby showed any trace of leadership.
Indeed, it wasn't until Mussel-person yanked Artest (after his 2nd foul) and Bibby, and inserted his second unit midway through the first quarter that the Kings started to show some life. If John Salmons (1-4, 2 points), Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Corliss Williamson were virtually useless, the quickness of Ronnie Price (1-5, 5 points), and Francisco Garcia (3-5, 9 points) was instrumental in leading the Kings on a 12-4 tear that put them back in the ball game.
The starters re-entered the game and played the Jazz even until the intermission, but Artest's play was uneven. He did a good job of stifling Carlos Boozer with fronting, denying defense, and by not allowing the bigger man to bully him. His stubborn defense forced Boozer into a turnover, and was beaten only when Boozer slipped a screen/roll and scored a layup.
One particular play illustrated just how good a defender Artest really is. He made an aggressive show on another S/R, so much so that Utah's ball-handler (Deron Williams) was forced to back up, then Artest was quick enough to jump back into Boozer's lap and resume his nagging defense on the home team's high scorer.
Yet Artest also spent a great deal of his court-time trying to check Andrei Kirilenko (while either Williamson or Abdur-Rahim attended to Boozer), and AK-47 proved to be more than he could handle. Artest bit on a pair of fakes that ultimately led to a dunk and an assist. While Artest did post-up his skinnier opponent and powered his way to a 3-point play, Kirilenko also ripped him once and blocked two of his shots. (In his only post-up versus Boozer, Artest had another shot swatted.) Kirilenko also beat Artest on a dribble-drive from 20-feet out, when the latter was so intent on trying to steal the ball that his arms were too extended and his body was tilted too far forward.
At age 27, Artest has lost some of his youthful speed and is much more effective guarding bigger, stronger, more immobile opponents than he is defending quicker ones. At the other end of the floor, Artest did force a couple of shots, but he was also looking to pass the ball. His final numbers amounted to 3-9 (including 1-4 from downtown), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 11 points.
Meanwhile, Bibby continued looking for his jumper, and showed a reluctance to drive the ball into the paint. Indeed, he took the rock to the ring only five times, with the following results: Drawing a non-shooting foul. Throwing a pass that was intercepted. Making a pass that gained no advantage. Getting a shot blocked. And finally, in the 3rd quarter, he scored on a power layup and was fouled.
Why this disinclination to drive? It certainly looked as though at age 28, Bibby has also lost a step.
On defense, Bibby had his hands full chasing the hot-footed Williams around the court. The Kings starters resumed their lethargic play to commence the second half. At best, their offense consisted of 2-man games (none of which paired Bibby and Artest). Their defense was likewise lacking in intensity, especially off the ball. Virtually every time one of the Jazz made a baseline cut from the weak-side to the strong-side he was wide open. Not even the second-stringers could rescue the Kings. Price threw a foolish behind-the-back pass that botched a 3-on-2 fast break. Garcia unleashed an air ball. Abdur-Rahim's adventures in the pivot led to repeated turnovers. The return of the starters led to more of the same.
Parenthetically, it certainly seemed as though the referees were gunning for Artest. Only one of the three fouls called against him was legit. The second foul was whistled when Artest was caught up in a traffic jam that clustered around a S/R, even though he committed no illegal act. The third foul was called by a ref who was behind the play and needed to have X-ray vision to determine whether or not Artest hit Kirilenko's hand as he attempted to deflect AK's dribble. The camera had a much better view and showed plenty of air between Artest's outstretched hand and Kirilenko. But, even though the calls were blatantly unjust, Artest maintained his cool.
Before delving into the exciting climax of the game, let's scout the Kings supporting cast. Brad Miller — 5-11, only 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 10 points — was slower than slow. In fact, if he ever loses another step he'd only be able to move in reverse. Miller did hit a few mid-range jumpers, converted on one hard drive, and also scored on a tip-in. But his defense was awful, his hands were flabby, and he couldn't bend to catch any pass (or loose ball) that didn't bounce up to at least his waist. Overall, Miller did more harm than good.
Ken Thomas — 0-1, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 blocked shot — wasn't ready to play until the second half.
John Salmons never did show up.
After a do-nothing first-half, Williamson — 3-6, 6 points — began to move without the ball, and also took a turn banging Boozer around.
Kevin Martin — 2-12, 2 assists, a steal, and several turnovers, and 13 total points — occasionally flashed his brilliant speed, but forced too many shots, and was mostly a non-factor.
After sparking the team in the first half, Francisco Garcia did nothing thereafter. Abdur-Rahim's boardwork, defense on Boozer, all-around hustle, and timely shooting were all vital parts of the Kings comeback. His line showed 6-8, 8 rebounds (including 5 offensive), 2 assists, 2 steals, and 21 points — all in less than 19 minutes!
At the last mandatory time-out of the third quarter, the Kings were down 84-64, and Mussel-boy stood on the court by himself as his players wandered over to the bench. The young coach looked shocked, resigned, despaired, and at least 80 years old. But, lo and behold, the Kings fashioned a riotous fourth quarter rally.
Suddenly, Abdur-Rahim began collecting garbage points — and even hit an awkward 18-foot jumper. At the same time, the Kings defense got hyped. Bibby drew a charge on Williams. Utah's precision offense developed glitches and they started missing jumpers and losing the ball. And, most importantly, Sacramento's slothful dormant offense came alive when Bibby's bombs began homing in on the basket.
Indeed, the primary catalyst for the turn-around was Bibby's heroic perimeter shooting.
And then the game boiled down to the critical play: The Kings trailed 97-95 and had the ball with the game clock ticking down to 60 seconds.
To whom would Musselman the Younger assign the win-tie-or-die shot?
Up till that point Bibby had registered 8-18, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 19 points. And his hand was the hottest in the building.
But Artest's number was called. There he was, dribbling like a mad scientist in the middle of the court, and totally ignoring Bibby. Then Artest darted toward the foul line, and kicked the ball to Abdur-Rahim, who uncorked a trey that split the net. His first successful 3-pointer of the season.
These were the last points scored, and the Kings were the unlikeliest of winners. So, then, who is the leader of the team? Bibby? Artest? Both of them?
Ah, teams that have two heads eventually are pulled in two opposing directions. Think of the old Sixers with the Julius Erving faction versus the George McGinnis faction.
So, short of trading one or the other, what can the Kings do about the not-so-private contention between Bibby and Artest?
The answer is deceptively simple. Have the two of them hook up in perpetual S/Rs. Again, and again, and again, and … At least two dozen times per game. Until they accept that they'll either succeed or fail in tandem. Until they discover that their respective talents can compliment each other. If a few games are lost while this forced harmony is being formed, the losses in December and January will turn to victories in March, April, and possibly beyond.
Meanwhile, the brothers Maloof should make it clear that Musselman's job is secure. While they're at it, they should also procure a big man who can rebound and block shots. The Kings dramatic win in Salt Lake City proves that, in the wonderful world of the NBA, miracles are routine events. Hey, even Shaq and Kobe were able to make nicey-nicey.
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