ESPN grades

Iggy

Iggy

Bench
#1
#1
Sorry if this has been posted already

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview2004/news/story?page=kingscap

Peja Stojakovic may not be happy about it, but Greg Ostertag is a big defensive upgrade over the decrepit Vlade Divac. Stojakovic needs to stop whining to the Maloofs and fighting with CWebb (who hasn't said 'my bad' in seven years), and toughen up.



This team will win its usual heap of regular-season games, but now it's up to Peja, not Webber, to get the W's that matter most.



Roster analysis
The starters: They know how to get good shots, but not how to prevent them. Pos. Player Comment Grade*
PF Chris Webber Lots of injuries. Lots of excuses. No titles 7

SF Peja Stojakovic California teammate drama heads upstate 9

C Brad Miller Looking to build on career-best 10.3 rpg 7

SG Doug Christie May start slowly because of an injury to his left foot 7

PG Mike Bibby Too bad you can't inject Bibby's spirit into his teammates 9

BENCH Despite replacing Vlade and Anthony Peeler with Ostertag and Courtney Alexander, the Kings aren't as deep as in past years. 7

TOTAL 46 *-out of 10
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#3
#3
Too bad you can't inject Bibby's spirit into his teammates? Interesting...

Apparently this guy has never seen Bobby J.

46 out of 10??????????
 
sloter

sloter

Starter
#5
#5
I completely agree with these grades. Bibby deserves a 10 for his offensive contributions and a 0 or -1 for his defensive, so I might drop him to 8. Everything else seems fair.
 
KingKong

KingKong

Starter
#6
#6
I can't say that I agree with any of this. These writers need to stop harping about the same thing over and over again, as I am right now. Chemistry blah blah.... has taken a hit....blah blah blah. Just because you don't have anything novel to write about doesn't mean you should repeat what everyone single writer has mentioned over the summer.
 
B

bibbyweb

Bench
#8
#8
sloter said:
I completely agree with these grades. Bibby deserves a 10 for his offensive contributions and a 0 or -1 for his defensive, so I might drop him to 8. Everything else seems fair.
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Bibby is not a good defender. But I think that its a bit of exagerration when you say he is 0 or -1. And also on the offense he is not exactly a 10 either.
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#10
#10
SacKings384 said:
Why is Doug Christie rated as high as Brad Miller?
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Well again, they're fantasy ratings, so they are only tangentially related to the actual merit of the players. For years Antoine Walker used to be a fantasy superstar. Ditto Brent Barry. Doug does well in fantasy ball because he fills up the stat sheet in a lot of areas. Brad might be earning some demerits for injuries and/or lack of shot blocking.
 
P

peja16

G-League
#11
#11
with CWebb (who hasn't said 'my bad' in seven years),
Lots of injuries. Lots of excuses. No titles

That is HILARIOUS. Does anyone know who writes these articles? It just says 'ESPN the magazine'.
 
piksi

piksi

Hall of Famer
#12
#12
peja16 said:
with CWebb (who hasn't said 'my bad' in seven years),
Lots of injuries. Lots of excuses. No titles

That is HILARIOUS. Does anyone know who writes these articles? It just says 'ESPN the magazine'.
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care to explain what is wrong with that statement ? It might be out of context but still not wrong. Some might or might not like it but still not wrong.
 
uolj

uolj

Starter
#14
#14
piksi said:
care to explain what is wrong with that statement ? It might be out of context but still not wrong. Some might or might not like it but still not wrong.
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I took it to mean that it was HILARIOUS because it was right.
 
S

salscamperini

Prospect
#15
#15
peja16 said:
with CWebb (who hasn't said 'my bad' in seven years),
Lots of injuries. Lots of excuses. No titles

That is HILARIOUS. Does anyone know who writes these articles? It just says 'ESPN the magazine'.
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I enjoyed the quote as well, as it captures my feelings perfectly.
 
P

peja16

G-League
#17
#17
uolj was right.

When it comes to dicussing Webber aka Mr. Suave, there's not a lot of 'blunt truth'. Those two sentences summed up a career of debate and controversy. Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
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LPKingsFan

LPKingsFan

All-Star
#21
#21
Kingsgurl said:
Peja Stojakovic may not be happy about it, but Greg Ostertag is a big defensive upgrade over the decrepit Vlade Divac. Stojakovic needs to stop whining to the Maloofs and fighting with CWebb (who hasn't said 'my bad' in seven years), and toughen up

hmm, the REST of the quote was equally 'funny' and true
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Does it always have to be Peja vs. Webb? I generally support Webb and thought the quote was funny too
 
Kingsgurl

Kingsgurl

Starter
#22
#22
My point was the WHOLE quote was funny. PEJA needs to quit whining, Webber needs to stay healthy. I wasn't the one who divided the quote up and made it all about Webber, I merely put the whole quote back together and bolded the parts people left out. I think both points are equally well taken....together. I think (or hope) that both players are up to the respective tasks (Webb to stay healthy, Peja to sack up) that are demanded of them. If not, the Kings are doomed...again.
 
Kingsgurl

Kingsgurl

Starter
#24
#24
I did too, was attempting to get it on the right track, which is there are SEVERAL points the Kings as a team and individually need to address. If they CAN, the skies the limit.
No divisions, it's US against THEM. May WE (the Kings) WIN!:D
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#25
#25
Iggy said:
This team will win its usual heap of regular-season games, but now it's up to Peja, not Webber, to get the W's that matter most.
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Actually this was the quote I thought was most interesting in there. The others were basically cheapo comments, and we're talking an irrelevant fantasy ball analysis. But the above quote, while no doubt also just a throwaway line, nonetheless kind of summed up the team's angst in one line.

In 2002 we were so damn good that we almost won the championship without Peja. Probably should have in fact. But we can't do that anymore -- there is no Hedo. The core guys are older. But if Peja does nothing more than match his normal productivity in the playoffs last year, we advance and who knows. And so while the statement in the article above might have been intended to mean that Peja had to lead us in the playoffs, I would settle for him just being himself. But can he?

Webber looks much better, and that should help, but even if he fully recovers and finds a fountain of youth, I'm not sure we can win it all with Peja shooting sub-40% in the playoffs. So that might very well be the story -- Peja DOES need to get those big W's. Not by going from playoff wilter to playoff legend in one season, but just by not shrinking when the games get big. But now the question -- can he? He spent the summer away from bball. Should be better rested. That's good. But that also means he didn't spend it working on his game. No post game work. So, when the games start getting serious in the playoffs and he's being checked by Bowen or Hassel, has anything changed? Has he added anything to his game that will let him escape those defenders when they get in his shirt? The final resolution of this season may depend on those rather shaky questions.
 
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HndsmCelt

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#27
#27
Not so sure about the team "getting older" OK two of the starting 5 may be at or past their prime (Webber/DC) but last year was probably the best season DC has ever ahd, and Webber could back from the knee injury in better shape than he has been in for years. Miller just had the best season of his career and is a young man, Bibby also young is playing better and smarter than ever, and last season Pedja put up the best numbers of his young career. So I am not buying the closed windo or old age stories. As for the bench not being as deep... maybe, certainly it looks bad past 8 (as if Adelman ever played his 9th man) But I'd say Tag is at least as good as Pollard ever was, Same for Darius, and it's not like Bobby's game is deteroriating yet.
 
KA_2

KA_2

Bench
#28
#28
Peja doesn't have the mentality to dominate or lead, he just doesn't, look at his playoff stats. As gifted a shooter as he is, he doesn't do anything else particularly well, and he doesn't create his own shot off the dribble. He creates his own shot by moving off the ball very well, but so did Reggie Miller, and he's not exactly a champion or HOF lock (though a good player). Every team needs a player that leads by example that can create for themselves, and do it when the going gets tough (which often happens in the playoffs). Webber can create in his sleep, rebound, pass, and ultimately lead the Kings to a title this season. For all the times the guy is called a choker, liar, and even a softy, a healthy Webber is a top 10 player in the NBA (and was top 5 in 2001) and is good enough to lead the Kings to a title (maybe only one) with the supporting cast he has now.

You guys just need a little luck. But how's that different from any title team in history, save for the 80's Lakers/Celtics and 90's Bulls? Exactly.
 
LPKingsFan

LPKingsFan

All-Star
#29
#29
HndsmCelt said:
Not so sure about the team "getting older" OK two of the starting 5 may be at or past their prime (Webber/DC) but last year was probably the best season DC has ever ahd, and Webber could back from the knee injury in better shape than he has been in for years. Miller just had the best season of his career and is a young man, Bibby also young is playing better and smarter than ever, and last season Pedja put up the best numbers of his young career. So I am not buying the closed windo or old age stories. As for the bench not being as deep... maybe, certainly it looks bad past 8 (as if Adelman ever played his 9th man) But I'd say Tag is at least as good as Pollard ever was, Same for Darius, and it's not like Bobby's game is deteroriating yet.
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The thing is about the top 8 is that while Darius is good for an 8th player still, the gap is at the swing/backup small forward. The Hedo/Jimmy Jackson role. I don't think Darius really fits in there. I think Adelman had hoped to use him there, but uses him now more as a 4th big man (or 3rd until Tag is back). Until someone emerges as a solid 8th man in the Hedo/JJ mold I'll still be slightly concerned about depth issues.
 
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