http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12500925p-13356440c.html
Defensive apathy aplenty
After yielding 67 first-half points, the Kings fall short at the end
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, March 3, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - As befit a matchup of the NBA's most defensively allergic squads, a wide-open, potentially game-tying three-point attempt was in the air just before the game-ending buzzer sounded.
It left the hands of Kings forward Peja Stojakovic on the left sideline in front of the Orlando Magic bench.
However, the shot was long, bounding off the back rim.
In reality, justice was served as the Magic ended its three-game losing streak with a 114-111 victory at the TD Waterhouse Centre on Wednesday night.
The Kings should have been embarrassed by allowing a season-high 67 points in the first half.
No wonder a stack of first-half statistics sheets sat alone on a table in the visitors' locker room. Since the Kings barely touched anyone, hardly made a determined effort to get back on defense or sacrifice their bodies or oxygen in hopes of preventing a basket, who needed a stat sheet?
There were plots aplenty in this one, with Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu and Doug Christie having played for the Kings and Sacramento's Cuttino Mobley having played with the Magic - and for five seasons before that with shooting guard Steve Francis as members of the Houston Rockets.
Those were subplots which underscored the story line: an absence of defense from either squad. Not that it was a surprise, with Sacramento ranking 26th in points allowed and Orlando 27th.
Kings coach Rick Adelman minced no words describing the ugliness that resulted in his team trailing by nine at halftime.
"In the first half, we were very poor defensively ... transition defense, getting (beaten) off the dribble," Adelman said. "The only way we're going to get better is if we defend better, especially on the perimeter. Our defense there was very poor."
The perimeter defense mostly was manned by point guard Mike Bibby, shooting guard Mobley and Stojakovic, who returned after missing seven games with the flu and a strained hamstring to score a team-high 28 points.
Bibby, Mobley and Stojakovic were pretty slovenly in the first half as it pertained to staying in front of their men.
But the big men were not much better, if any. Only infrequently did they slide over quickly enough to help stop penetration before it totally destroyed what represented Sacramento's defensive approach.
"I don't think you're going to get better at it unless individuals take it upon themselves to put more effort into it," Adelman said without mentioning names. "I saw a lot more effort going on at the offensive end than the defensive end. We were quicker on offense and attacking. On the other end, we weren't.
"If we're going to get better as a team in the last 20-plus (games), that's where it's going to have to be."
Mobley pointed to the team's unfamiliarity with each other and lack of communication, both valid points.
Unfortunately, those factors have nothing to do with getting back on defense as if some type of 2005 plague awaited at the other end. Too many times, after made field goals, the Kings watched the Magic beat them to the other end for easier-than-easy shots.
That's partly why all five Magic starters scored in double figures, led by Francis' 29. Grant Hill and rookie Dwight Howard had 20, with rookie point guard Jameer Nelson scoring a season-high 19. "We've got to take more pride in it," forward Corliss Williamson said about the Kings' defense. "We defended a lot better in the second half after coach challenged us, so that will tell you it's about effort."
Defensive apathy aplenty
After yielding 67 first-half points, the Kings fall short at the end
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, March 3, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - As befit a matchup of the NBA's most defensively allergic squads, a wide-open, potentially game-tying three-point attempt was in the air just before the game-ending buzzer sounded.
It left the hands of Kings forward Peja Stojakovic on the left sideline in front of the Orlando Magic bench.
However, the shot was long, bounding off the back rim.
In reality, justice was served as the Magic ended its three-game losing streak with a 114-111 victory at the TD Waterhouse Centre on Wednesday night.
The Kings should have been embarrassed by allowing a season-high 67 points in the first half.
No wonder a stack of first-half statistics sheets sat alone on a table in the visitors' locker room. Since the Kings barely touched anyone, hardly made a determined effort to get back on defense or sacrifice their bodies or oxygen in hopes of preventing a basket, who needed a stat sheet?
There were plots aplenty in this one, with Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu and Doug Christie having played for the Kings and Sacramento's Cuttino Mobley having played with the Magic - and for five seasons before that with shooting guard Steve Francis as members of the Houston Rockets.
Those were subplots which underscored the story line: an absence of defense from either squad. Not that it was a surprise, with Sacramento ranking 26th in points allowed and Orlando 27th.
Kings coach Rick Adelman minced no words describing the ugliness that resulted in his team trailing by nine at halftime.
"In the first half, we were very poor defensively ... transition defense, getting (beaten) off the dribble," Adelman said. "The only way we're going to get better is if we defend better, especially on the perimeter. Our defense there was very poor."
The perimeter defense mostly was manned by point guard Mike Bibby, shooting guard Mobley and Stojakovic, who returned after missing seven games with the flu and a strained hamstring to score a team-high 28 points.
Bibby, Mobley and Stojakovic were pretty slovenly in the first half as it pertained to staying in front of their men.
But the big men were not much better, if any. Only infrequently did they slide over quickly enough to help stop penetration before it totally destroyed what represented Sacramento's defensive approach.
"I don't think you're going to get better at it unless individuals take it upon themselves to put more effort into it," Adelman said without mentioning names. "I saw a lot more effort going on at the offensive end than the defensive end. We were quicker on offense and attacking. On the other end, we weren't.
"If we're going to get better as a team in the last 20-plus (games), that's where it's going to have to be."
Mobley pointed to the team's unfamiliarity with each other and lack of communication, both valid points.
Unfortunately, those factors have nothing to do with getting back on defense as if some type of 2005 plague awaited at the other end. Too many times, after made field goals, the Kings watched the Magic beat them to the other end for easier-than-easy shots.
That's partly why all five Magic starters scored in double figures, led by Francis' 29. Grant Hill and rookie Dwight Howard had 20, with rookie point guard Jameer Nelson scoring a season-high 19. "We've got to take more pride in it," forward Corliss Williamson said about the Kings' defense. "We defended a lot better in the second half after coach challenged us, so that will tell you it's about effort."
