Do you like the "run and gun" style the team is playing?
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Mass
Starter
In the long run, I don't like it. Nobody has ever been able to win a championship with this style of play. D'Antoni's Suns came close, but they failed. Defense wins rings, there's no doubt about it. But, right now, I like it, because I think this is the only way we can have some success with this team. We won't win many games scoring 90-95 points, we just don't have a defense that would allow it.
So, I have to give Smart credit. He is doing good with the players he has. I like what he is doing. Our young core is developing, the role players now seem to understand their role, and it looks like the guys are having fun playing together. If you remember this team at the beginning of the year, you see lots of improvements. I'm not sure we would be at this point with Westphal. This team has won almost 40% of its games under Smart, with all the issues we had. Last year, with maybe a better team, we were below 30%, with a normal regular season, preseason and training camp.
So, I have to give Smart credit. He is doing good with the players he has. I like what he is doing. Our young core is developing, the role players now seem to understand their role, and it looks like the guys are having fun playing together. If you remember this team at the beginning of the year, you see lots of improvements. I'm not sure we would be at this point with Westphal. This team has won almost 40% of its games under Smart, with all the issues we had. Last year, with maybe a better team, we were below 30%, with a normal regular season, preseason and training camp.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Its acceptable at this time because of our youth and unbalanced roster. Those things need to be corrected though as we get serious about winning.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
The last few games hasn't been, "run and gun". They've gotten up and down the floor quickly on some plays, but they are playing incredible HALF COURT offense. They ditched the small ball run, run, run, jack it up crap and have gone to almost a version of classic Kings basketball with tons of off the ball movement, back cuts, and team oriented passing. This team looks much better emulating millennium era Kings than it did emulating the Warriors or Suns, now Smart needs to stick with it.
The best answer isn't a choice on the poll. Great teams can play either way - great half court and get out and run. It's senseless to turn your back on easy scoring opportunities. That said, this team has some tools to be able to do both in the near future provided some good things happen in the front office this summer and we see continued improvement from key young players.
Section 101
All-Star
The Mavs last year. The showtime Lakers.
Mass
Starter
Well, if you think the Mavs were playing run and gun, I don't really know what to say...
BTW, we are not talking about fast pace teams. It's different from the run and gun style.
HighFlyingMonkey
Starter
I like uptempo
I do NOT like smallball.
The former can lead to winning a championship. The latter cannot. So ultimately, if we are serious about playing uptempo, eventually we're going to need to get a fullsized SF. We can live with one position being small (IT) but we can't with 3 (IT/Thornton/Salmons). If either Reke or Thornton comes off the bench, we get a fullsized defensive-minded SF and send Salmons to the bench, then you can roll with a nine man rotation of IT/Reke/(SF)/Thompson/Cousins with Thornton/Salmons/Greene/Hayes off the bench. Just a few minor tweaks and this can be the start of something really good.
I do NOT like smallball.
The former can lead to winning a championship. The latter cannot. So ultimately, if we are serious about playing uptempo, eventually we're going to need to get a fullsized SF. We can live with one position being small (IT) but we can't with 3 (IT/Thornton/Salmons). If either Reke or Thornton comes off the bench, we get a fullsized defensive-minded SF and send Salmons to the bench, then you can roll with a nine man rotation of IT/Reke/(SF)/Thompson/Cousins with Thornton/Salmons/Greene/Hayes off the bench. Just a few minor tweaks and this can be the start of something really good.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
It's not just run and gun. They are doing well in the half court. That is impressive, especially for this very young team. Just shows you how huge it is to have guys that want to pass the ball rather than just hunt for their own shot. Regarding the run and gun, it is sooooooooo nice to see guys looking to pass the ball past the half court line rather than dribble, dribble, dribble to get it past half court. Thank God that practice has been stripped from this team. Just that one thing has improved the number of fast breaks. Then add the fact that it seems our guys have actually learned how to run a fast break. That's a welcome change. Throw in a new pg talent in IT, and now teams have to respect that break, making them think about going for that offensive rebound, which might put them out of position to defend the break.
I wouldn't describe the last three games as run and gun either. The Kings have gone from a geezer offense with Evans bringing the ball up at a walk to a team that pushes the ball looking for openings in transition. Their half-court O is vastly improved. The other thing that stands out is the offensive opportunities started by improving defense. Evans was impressive in his willingness to come off the bench. He did something well last night we haven't seen much from him- moving without the ball with cuts to the hoop.
All this prognostication about being a playoff team is fantasy. I would love to see the Kings get to .500.
All this prognostication about being a playoff team is fantasy. I would love to see the Kings get to .500.
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Padrino
All-Star
the mavs last year were NOT a run and gun team. not by a LOOOOOOOOOONG shot. to think that is to misunderstand run and gun altogether. its honestly a bit bewildering to mention such an old, slow, and measured halfcourt team alongside a team like the showtime lakers. as for the those lakers, they were a true rarity. i mean, ****, magic johnson, their starting PG, was 6'9". they did not play small, nor did they sacrifice rebounding, which is usually what a run and gun style of play asks you to do, and its usually what prevents those teams from winning championships. they were exceptionally athletic at every position, and they are the exception that proves the rule. more importantly, NOBODY was comparing this kings team to that lakers team last time i checked...
now, as for the poll, i agree with brickie. i do not believe that a small ball style of play is sustainable in the long run. i've come down HARD on keith smart and his lineups in the last few weeks. i take back very little of what i have said, however, the team is on a three-game win streak, they're beginning to play together, and their showing a newfound amount of trust in each other. these are improvements worth lingering on. and they don't strictly play run and gun, anyway. they're running a motion offense in the halfcourt that partly resembles the more controlled offenses of the adelman-era kings. their outstanding passing in these last three games, tyreke's deferral to john salmons last night, demarcus' positivity and encouragement on the bench, and even smart's gesture to let demarcus "coach" the final moments of the game all point towards tremendous chemistry-building. marcus thornton is learning to pass, while discovering that he can still fill up the scoreboard if he gives the ball up every now and then, and that alone might be worth it. but its still those small ball lineups that get me. given that this season is "lost," in the sense that the kings will not be competing for the playoffs, i can be okay with spurts of small ball in the short term, as long as the team is winning most of their games at home, and remaining competitive in their games on the road...
my fear, though, is that geoff petrie and keith smart will get trapped inside of these small ball fantasies. my fear is that, with minimal stakes at the moment, any winning the kings accomplish with small ball lineups will result in further impotence from the kings' front office, and an unwillingness to match up on defense from the kings' coaching staff. i am enjoying the solid play of isaiah thomas as much as anybody, but i do not believe his starting status is sustainable in a league of grown-*** men. i do not believe a starting lineup that features three guards is sustainable, either. the good news is that jason thompson continues to play very well, and demarcus is beginning to wake up from whatever hypnotic state he was in, although the kings' fast pace is clearly effecting his rebounding rate. our frontline still has defensive issues, but our guards are helping with the rebounding, so small ball is finding some success in sacramento right now. i'm just happy to see the kings win a few, and i can be content with this style of play for the remainder of the season...
i just hope that its not fool's gold for the maloofs, who absolutely LOVE buying stock in fool's gold, and i just hope that we don't see the same trickle-down effects we've seen in the past from the offices of this team, because such a virus is almost helplessly contagious. example: don nelson is the winningest coach in nba history. in the last few decades of his career, he caught the small ball bug, and it ran rampant across his better senses until he retired. nelson believed in his style of play SO MUCH that he would never return to the more sensible, traditional, championship-contending styles of play that he cut his teeth on. as such, he never did win a championship as a head coach, after winning several championships as a player on a traditionally-stacked boston celtics team. its kinduva sad story, really. but there's still time to save keith smart!! GP's gotta help him out, though!! the kings need to have some of their gaps filled in so that small ball becomes less of a necessity, and more of a hazy memory...
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It's funny. Fool's gold is exactly what came to my mind last night. This year I just hope that the individual improvements continue, and that the FO works on balancing the roster in the off-season. I agree with everything else you said. Must be the Chico thing...
Didn't vote. I like style that wins games and style that wins three games in a row is better. Then I have to ask myself what style did we use when we lost 3 in a row? I like a style where we hold the opponents to under 95 points and we average over 95 points. It's fun the kind of discussions we can have when we win a game or two. Utah will probably have something to say about our "style" tomorrow night. Go Kings!!!!!!
Kingster
Hall of Famer
I haven't seen any evidence that Petrie and Smart believe that they can win an NBA championship with an undersized team. I just think Smart is working with what he has. Give Smart a 6'9" SF and a 6'11 PF and a 6'6" SG who are good players, he'll play them. If we had Kirelinko do you think he wouldn't play him because he's in love with small? Or, if we had P. Gasol, do you think he wouldn't play him because he's love with small? He's not going to substitute in small guys for the sake of being small. He's forced to play small because of the deficiencies of the current lineup.
Padrino
All-Star
if the kings had acquired andre kirilenko, it is a certainty that keith smart would start him. however, my uncertainty stems from the question of whether smart would start a player like kirilenko at SF or PF. THAT is the issue for me. if given the talent, will smart use it correctly? i agree that there are deficiencies in the kings' roster that have coaxed him into playing a small, unconventional lineup. but, given his tenure under don nelson, and his affinity for quickness, deflections, and the fast break, i feel that my concern is justified. i hope that he proves me wrong, because he was extended for an additional season, and because the maloofs are in love with him enough [and broke enough] to roll with smart [at low cost] in the long term...
Section 101
All-Star
Well according to your premise if the Kings are running and gunning now then that's what the Mavs did last year. It's not like the Kings are in the shot within 6 seconds or less mode.
Mad D
Starter
I don't like that Thornton has to play more than 40 minutes and get 30 touches a night mainly because I worry about how a players body will hold up playing in that manner. Similarly he was played that high usage style at the end of last season when the team went on a small winning run.
kennadog
Dog On It!
I didn't pick any of the above, because I agree with Brick. Smart obviously needed to get this team working together and they're so young. Smart had no training camp with the team, just came to the organization this year and has had little practice time due to the compressed schedule.
Easiest to start with offense and use their youth to really run. He wants the team to bond and have fun, too. Easier to bond, if you are winning and enjoying it.
I expect (hope) that they will work more on the halfcourt offense, although it's not been bad in the last 3 games, due to a lot of passing, instead of dribbling so much. Finally, defense is critical for this team, but may be the hardest part to get guys to really focus on.
The team of our "glory days," were pretty awful on defense, until they realized they wouldn't have a shot at a championship until they focused on improving their defense. Went from one of the worst defensive teams to arguably the best defensive team in the league.
OnYouLikeGlue
Bench
Agree completely. I think the "run and gun" label is wrong. It's not like this team is putting up every shot within the first 10 seconds of every possession. They've been pushing the ball looking for easy opportunities to score, but when it's not there they have been executing extremely well in the halfcourt. I'm confused as to what some people want in the long run. Would you rather they don't look for easy transition opportunities?
jcwkings
All-Star
I don't get why people say up tempo style cant win. The heat destroy teams when they get out and run. It starts with the defrnse though. We have the pieces to play both ways, why would you want to constricted tyreke to the half court, when he shows that he is most effective in the open floor, then we have the extremely quick Isaiah and Thornton, jimmer who can pull up for 3 or trail the fastbreak, JT who has a insane motor to run up and down, cousins who can gobble up rebounds and has shown o be a good outlet passer.
On the other hand if this team plays a half court drag out game, Tyreke is less effective and needs isolation plays an his drives are more contested, Jimmer has alot more trouble getting space for his shots, Isiah has to deal with the trees when driving in, cousins is the only player we have that is more effective in the half court, Thornton is effective uptempo or half court.
IMO option A for this team is to get defensive stops and try and push the ball
Option B- if no fast break opportunity is there, run the offense through Cousins and setting up shots for Thornton
On the other hand if this team plays a half court drag out game, Tyreke is less effective and needs isolation plays an his drives are more contested, Jimmer has alot more trouble getting space for his shots, Isiah has to deal with the trees when driving in, cousins is the only player we have that is more effective in the half court, Thornton is effective uptempo or half court.
IMO option A for this team is to get defensive stops and try and push the ball
Option B- if no fast break opportunity is there, run the offense through Cousins and setting up shots for Thornton
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Kingster
Hall of Famer
I agree with this. Teams typically have to progress in stages, and defense is usually the last stage. Yes, this team will lose sometimes because they aren't aren't upper eschelon in half court offense. Then they'll hopefully get better at the half court offense. Then they'll sometimes lose because their D isn't that great. Hopefully, they will learn from that set of experiences and develop a very good D. What I'm happy about is at least we're finally seeing STAGE 1. We can't have it all immediately. I'm just happy with the blast off.
Glenn
Hall of Famer
This is me at my most optimistic and if you look at the collection of players we have, it makes sense that we play small ball. The fear is that some gene splicing has occurred and that a bit of Nellie's genes have been spliced into Smart's. I have been highly critical of Smart but maybe he was just doing the only thing he could do.
He has at the least partially engrained a style into this team that will work whether the team is small or short and that is the passing game. He also wants to push the ball up court which I THINK is because he wants to wear the other team down. Not sure of the latter. In any case, Smarts has won the hearts and minds of many players, the most crucial being DMC. That's a big deal. I hope he can keep the interest of Tyreke because he has asked a lot of Tyreke.
I'm sure we have all watched the body language of our guys on the bench. So far, it is very positive. They cheer for each other so maybe this family idea of Smarts is great. It's been a long time since we have had a coach that was a keeper and maybe this is one. Maybe.
Lingering in the back of my mind is what Padrino just posted - interesting timing.
Glenn
Hall of Famer
We'll find out very quickly.
Rookie
Starter
I think it has more to do with the time wasted moving up and the time needed to move the ball around to create a play. the more time you have to create a play the better chance a play can be created. But we both don't know so your thought is as good as mine.
Rookie
Starter
It's funny that ppl talking about how to get pass 2nd round, the final and win championship when earlier in the season this team could barely be consider a NBA team.
Teach the team how to walk before you teach them how to run IMO. Basically get this team to play like a team first and a style to their capabilities. Even that is still too early to say accomplished. But it does seem to be moving along.
I don't question the big line up or the defensive team build but seriously....at this time?
I also agree with STK that we're playing more of a classis Kings BB than a "run and gun" with the last few games.
Teach the team how to walk before you teach them how to run IMO. Basically get this team to play like a team first and a style to their capabilities. Even that is still too early to say accomplished. But it does seem to be moving along.
I don't question the big line up or the defensive team build but seriously....at this time?
I also agree with STK that we're playing more of a classis Kings BB than a "run and gun" with the last few games.
CruzDude
Senior Member sharing a brew with bajaden
Nice thing about their running and gunning is when they do go to half court set they can run it thru Cuz who is/can be a monster. Especially since he learned 3rd time around against big Marc Gasol, who took him to school the first two times, he controled Gasol and the middle when he was in there. Those are two really good abilities to have. Then once in awhile (a great while!)let Cuz do an end-to-end fast break as he has done last two games. Drives Coach nuts I'm sure but......meh.
