Game -3: Sacramento Kings vs. Maccabi Haifa 10/18/14 7:30 PM PST, 10:30 EST

[Albatros]

I'm only looking at the box score/highlights but another rough shooting night for Ben, and not exactly a great night shooting for Nik either.

looks like Sessions had a very solid game.

 

[jdbraver]

This was a tough one to watch. Nobody really excelled...the refs sure had practice with the whistle. The scary thing is that we played down to our opponent. If this does not change I'll have to revise my win total to 20 games.

 

[jdbraver]

I'm only looking at the box score/highlights but another rough shooting night for Ben, and not exactly a great night shooting for Nik either.

looks like Sessions had a very solid game.

Ben had a terrible game. He had too many unforced turnovers and he can't hit a shot unless he is completely set.

 

[KingaholicTE13]

I'm only looking at the box score/highlights but another rough shooting night for Ben, and not exactly a great night shooting for Nik either.

looks like Sessions had a very solid game.

In Nik's defense he took a couple (maybe three) of his shots when the ball was passed to him with 1 or 2 seconds on the shot clock... not much he could've done in those situations except throw up a bad shot. At least he was aware of the clock situation.

 

[206Fan]

Maccabi Haifa is so-o-o bad team this year... They lost this summer their best player, coach, starting PG and then one of top rotation players got injured. And replacements of those who leaved are just no good. They can't win any game against average team (and I'm not speaking about NBA or even Euroleague level, I'm speaking about Eurocup or even Israeli league teams) without their 3pt shooter Dagan Yavzuri got hot and scoring at least 5 3pt shots on good clip... And he wasn't even playing (as much as I understand - got injured in previous game after 9 min.)...
It's just pathetic to go for this US trip with such team...

That really sucks for your team. I think fouling rules are different in the NBA and Euroleague. A lot of fouls that occurred in the NBA, wouldn't have in the Eurloeague. I think your team missed a lot of 3 pts yesterday because they weren't used to it being longer? Don't worry.. hopefully your team will win a lot of games this year.


Am I the only one who's disappointed not to see NBA teams play against Alba Berlin more? They're one of the best teams in the Euroleague and could probably beat a lot of NBA teams.. I think they're a good team. Would've liked to see them challenge the Kings

 

[JB_kings]

In Nik's defense he took a couple (maybe three) of his shots when the ball was passed to him with 1 or 2 seconds on the shot clock... not much he could've done in those situations except throw up a bad shot. At least he was aware of the clock situation.

I made the same comments to myself during the game. I recalled 3 situations. Two were badly thrown passes and one was literally thrown to him with about a second or two on the shot clock and he was covered pretty tightly. One pass was over his head and outstretched arms and he had to run it down.

 

[Glenn]

That Mateen Cleaves jersey retirement ceremony is going to be one to remember

I thought they were retiring his towel.

 

[randymoss1881]

In Nik's defense he took a couple (maybe three) of his shots when the ball was passed to him with 1 or 2 seconds on the shot clock... not much he could've done in those situations except throw up a bad shot. At least he was aware of the clock situation.

Exactly why stats are 1/2 true 1/2 lies.

 

[Albatros]

I thought they were retiring his towel.

The Arena in a couple of years

 

[jcwkings]

The thing that bothers me about how our stars are playing is that because they are just phoning it in, we can't see how well rotations work, who plays well off them etc. It's one thing if we are a veteran playoff experienced team that can flip a switch once the real games start. We are far from that, we have a bunch of new players with little chemistry, this pres season should have been used for more imo. If you look at Golden State, Curry and Thompson have been playing shorter minutes also, but they have been playing hard in those minutes and putting up great stats. The Elephant in the room is that Cuz and Gay were on vacation since May and yes they did the USA thing, but they also didn't play huge minutes, both came off the bench in roleplayer roles. The way they are being treated it would seem we went to the NBA finals and then both went on to start and play huge minutes for Team USA. I really hope they both bring it starting with the game vs Spurs. Our first five games are vs the Warriors, Blazers, Clippers and twice with Denver. I would not be surprised to go 1-4 or even have an 0-5 start unless Cuz and Gay wake up.

 

[Albatros]

I wouldn't be surprised if we are 1-4 or 0-5 even if they wake up.

 

[Chubbs]

You guys crack me up.

It's the preseason. Keep repeating that, breathe, repeat. Meaningless preseason game against joke competition.

Just be glad no one got hurt and move on.

 

[jcwkings]

I wouldn't be surprised if we are 1-4 or 0-5 even if they wake up.

Really if you look at our first 17 games, I could totally see use only winning 3 or 4 of those games.

vs Golden State
vs Portland
@ LAC
@Denver
vs Denver
@Phoenix
@OKC
@Dallas
@Memphis
vs San Antonio
vs New Orleans
vs Chicago
@Minnesota
@New Orleans
@Houston
@San Antonio
vs Memphis

Thats our schedule through November, yikes. We would be lucky to be 6-9.

 

[jcwkings]

You guys crack me up.

It's the preseason. Keep repeating that, breathe, repeat. Meaningless preseason game against joke competition.

Just be glad no one got hurt and move on.

Dude our team has been plagued by losing culture for a decade now, you stars loafing around in the pre season does nothing to help. We aren't good enough to just flip a switch. This team will struggle with that brutal schedule and things could get ugly very quickly. For all our sakes lets hope Gay and Cousins do bring it come opening night, because even if they do we will be lucky to be within striking distance of .500.

 

[Chubbs]

Dude our team has been plagued by losing culture for a decade now, you stars loafing around in the pre season does nothing to help. We aren't good enough to just flip a switch. This team will struggle with that brutal schedule and things could get ugly very quickly. For all our sakes lets hope Gay and Cousins do bring it come opening night, because even if they do we will be lucky to be within striking distance of .500.

Of course, that's true no matter what they do in the preseason. They could be 5-0 and it still wouldn't mean anything though. I don't expect .500. That'd be a heck of a leap in the tough west.

The last thing I'd worry about is cousins and Gay though, but that's just me I guess. If they were going all out I'd wonder if they'd lost their minds. Same goes for collison, sessions, and all the other vets. Cousins is at about 25/11 per 36 despite loafing. Ben is shooting 50% from 3 too. But see what you want. And Ben is doing that without Rudy or cuz getting normal minutes.

We can revisit this after the first month I guess. Right now? Just a tad overreaction. But carry on.

Seriously, some people just shouldn't watch preseason. It's still TDOS. These games don't count and conclusions just shouldn't be made from them.

 

[jdbraver]

Of course, that's true no matter what they do in the preseason. They could be 5-0 and it still wouldn't mean anything though. I don't expect .500. That'd be a heck of a leap in the tough west.

The last thing I'd worry about is cousins and Gay though, but that's just me I guess. If they were going all out I'd wonder if they'd lost their minds. Same goes for collison, sessions, and all the other vets. Cousins is at about 25/11 per 36 despite loafing. Ben is shooting 50% from 3 too. But see what you want. And Ben is doing that without Rudy or cuz getting normal minutes.

We can revisit this after the first month I guess. Right now? Just a tad overreaction. But carry on.

Seriously, some people just shouldn't watch preseason. It's still TDOS. These games don't count and conclusions just shouldn't be made from them.

And That is the type of thinkng that keeps us losing. Every game is important to play your best whether it counts or not. Look at Reggie Evans. Whether you are working to get better as a unit or going for the W.

 

[pshn80]

You guys crack me up.

It's the preseason. Keep repeating that, breathe, repeat. Meaningless preseason game against joke competition.

Just be glad no one got hurt and move on.

Thanks but somehow you words sound hollow. The "chemistry" cannot be there except through sheer luck because the group and particularly our stars have hardly played game minutes together. But don't worry, they will in the first half dozen games of the season, maybe.

 

[jcwkings]

Of course, that's true no matter what they do in the preseason. They could be 5-0 and it still wouldn't mean anything though. I don't expect .500. That'd be a heck of a leap in the tough west.

The last thing I'd worry about is cousins and Gay though, but that's just me I guess. If they were going all out I'd wonder if they'd lost their minds. Same goes for collison, sessions, and all the other vets. Cousins is at about 25/11 per 36 despite loafing. Ben is shooting 50% from 3 too. But see what you want. And Ben is doing that without Rudy or cuz getting normal minutes.

We can revisit this after the first month I guess. Right now? Just a tad overreaction. But carry on.

Seriously, some people just shouldn't watch preseason. It's still TDOS. These games don't count and conclusions just shouldn't be made from them.

Wins and Losses don't matter in the presseason but the way players play as units and individually does matter. The point is Cousins and Gay loafing around out there means we can't see how our rotations will really work together until the games actually start mattering. For a team that won 28 games last year, brought in a bunch of new players and has a homicidal first month of the season, this could spell disaster. According to you, you don't expect much from this team, but Vivek said this year wins and losses do matter as opposed to last season, so we as fans should expect full effort every night from our players. You can't stress culture change and a winning mentality and then have your 2 stars sleepwalk through the games, pre season or not, if they are only going to play 20 minutes they should give it all in a safe way(being aware that is pre season). That doesn't mean looking like you don't care out there, it means playing hard but not doing anything stupid that will risk unnecessary injury.

 

[Chubbs]

And That is the type of thinkng that keeps us losing. Every game is important to play your best whether it counts or not. Look at Reggie Evans. Whether you are working to get better as a unit or going for the W.

I guess it's a good thing I'm not on the team then.

You guys are too much sometimes.

 

[Chubbs]

Wins and Losses don't matter in the presseason but the way players play as units and individually does matter. The point is Cousins and Gay loafing around out there means we can't see how our rotations will really work together until the games actually start mattering. For a team that won 28 games last year, brought in a bunch of new players and has a homicidal first month of the season, this could spell disaster. According to you, you don't expect much from this team, but Vivek said this year wins and losses do matter as opposed to last season, so we as fans should expect full effort every night from our players. You can't stress culture change and a winning mentality and then have your 2 stars sleepwalk through the games, pre season or not, if they are only going to play 20 minutes they should give it all in a safe way(being aware that is pre season). That doesn't mean looking like you don't care out there, it means playing hard but not doing anything stupid that will risk unnecessary injury.

Like I said, cousins is sleep walking to a 25/11 pace. Is that really a problem? I'm sorry he doesn't look like you want him to look, but his numbers are absolutely dominant.

 

[kingsnation]

You guys crack me up.

It's the preseason. Keep repeating that, breathe, repeat. Meaningless preseason game against joke competition.

Just be glad no one got hurt and move on.

That's the wrong way to go about the preseason, especially for a franchise with so much up in the air besides it's starting center. I pray our front office and players don't view the preseason the same as you do.

 

[Chubbs]

That's the wrong way to go about the preseason, especially for a franchise with so much up in the air besides it's starting center. I pray our front office and players don't view the preseason the same as you do.

Not sure if serious.

 

[Glenn]

Of course, that's true no matter what they do in the preseason. They could be 5-0 and it still wouldn't mean anything though. I don't expect .500. That'd be a heck of a leap in the tough west.

The last thing I'd worry about is cousins and Gay though, but that's just me I guess. If they were going all out I'd wonder if they'd lost their minds. Same goes for collison, sessions, and all the other vets. Cousins is at about 25/11 per 36 despite loafing. Ben is shooting 50% from 3 too. But see what you want. And Ben is doing that without Rudy or cuz getting normal minutes.

We can revisit this after the first month I guess. Right now? Just a tad overreaction. But carry on.

Seriously, some people just shouldn't watch preseason. It's still TDOS. These games don't count and conclusions just shouldn't be made from them.

This even tempered logic just does not qualify you as a real fan. And, yes, I think kingsnation is serious.

 

[Chubbs]

This even tempered logic just does not qualify you as a real fan. And, yes, I think kingsnation is serious.

I figure we have 82 games coming up that do matter. Plenty of time to freak out. Gotta pace yourself. Personally I'm giving them till the first timeout of the first game.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Wins and Losses don't matter in the presseason but the way players play as units and individually does matter. The point is Cousins and Gay loafing around out there means we can't see how our rotations will really work together until the games actually start mattering. For a team that won 28 games last year, brought in a bunch of new players and has a homicidal first month of the season, this could spell disaster. According to you, you don't expect much from this team, but Vivek said this year wins and losses do matter as opposed to last season, so we as fans should expect full effort every night from our players. You can't stress culture change and a winning mentality and then have your 2 stars sleepwalk through the games, pre season or not, if they are only going to play 20 minutes they should give it all in a safe way(being aware that is pre season). That doesn't mean looking like you don't care out there, it means playing hard but not doing anything stupid that will risk unnecessary injury.

This is pretty much it; I wouldn't necessarily be worried about Cousins and Gay, either, because they didn't really have the benefit of rest during the offseason. What you have to be worried about, though, is what's happening on the court during these games.

Five games into preseason, Malone should have already figured out that playing the Twin Duplexes at the same time does not work. An ostensibly defensive-minded coach should have already started making adjustments for that playing under the screen problem our guards always seem to have; it's concerning that we keep exhibiting the same poor habits defensively, no matter whether it's Evans and Udrih back there, or Evans and Thomas, or Thomas and McLemore, or Collison and McLemore, or Collison and Sessions, or Sessions and Stauskas. We keep doing the same thing, all the time, and it's distressing.

It's distressing that after over a year, Malone still hasn't seemed to have figured out how to consistently get Cousins the ball in good positions on the court, early in the shot clock. I feel like we should be seeing a rotation at the end of quarters that more closely resembles what we're going to be doing in games that matter. There's a week to go before the season starts, and we're still guessing who's going to be on the court down the stretch of a close game. And, frankly, it looks like Malone is, too; I don't think he knows who his best five is. And, with real games happening in ten days, that's a problem.

Our franchise player is entering his fifth season. His lieutenant is going to be an unrestricted free agent. We've surrounded them with playoff-tested vets. We're not rebuilding anymore; every step that's not forward is a step backward. If it's not progress, it's essentially regression. It's not about wins and losses in the preseason, it's about seeing that good habits are being formed, that good teamwork is being developed, that attention to detail is being paid. This is where it starts.

When you're Popovich and the Spurs, you can get away with dicking around for three weeks in the preseason, because you know what's going to work in the regular season, and you know that everybody on your roster is on board with your system, from the franchise on down. We don't have that luxury.

 

[Tetsujin]

Last season, we pretty much won the preseason. Didn't help us in the regular season at al.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Last season, we pretty much won the preseason. Didn't help us in the regular season at al.

Not the point. The point is not to "win" the preseason. The point is to develop patterns/habits/systems in the preseason that will serve us during the regular season. We failed to do that last year, despite "winning" the preseason, and it was reflected in our record. So far, it looks like we're failing to do that again this year, too.

 

[King Baller]

I think the starters will be Cousins, ______, Gay, McLemore and Collison. With _____, Casspi, Sessions, Landry and Staukas coming off the bench. DWill and Hollins are out of the regular rotation but will get minutes on specific nights. I'm unsure of what Malone decides to do with JT and Reggie.

I'm expecting a rocky start to this season. The team coming together and perhaps a trade is our hope of a strong second half.

 

[kingsnation]

Not sure if serious.

Of course I am. Wins and losses do not matter. Our opponents do not matter. But the players attitudes towards the game do as does the development of a true system and rotation. We could be using this time to play smart and develop, no matter the stakes of the game or the level of competition, but unfortunately we just don't seem to be approaching it that way - and if we are, it's not translating in their play.

 

[kingsnation]

This is pretty much it; I wouldn't necessarily be worried about Cousins and Gay, either, because they didn't really have the benefit of rest during the offseason. What you have to be worried about, though, is what's happening on the court during these games.

Five games into preseason, Malone should have already figured out that playing the Twin Duplexes at the same time does not work. An ostensibly defensive-minded coach should have already started making adjustments for that playing under the screen problem our guards always seem to have; it's concerning that we keep exhibiting the same poor habits defensively, no matter whether it's Evans and Udrih back there, or Evans and Thomas, or Thomas and McLemore, or Collison and McLemore, or Collison and Sessions, or Sessions and Stauskas. We keep doing the same thing, all the time, and it's distressing.

It's distressing that after over a year, Malone still hasn't seemed to have figured out how to consistently get Cousins the ball in good positions on the court, early in the shot clock. I feel like we should be seeing a rotation at the end of quarters that more closely resembles what we're going to be doing in games that matter. There's a week to go before the season starts, and we're still guessing who's going to be on the court down the stretch of a close game. And, frankly, it looks like Malone is, too; I don't think he knows who his best five is. And, with real games happening in ten days, that's a problem.

Our franchise player is entering his fifth season. His lieutenant is going to be an unrestricted free agent. We've surrounded them with playoff-tested vets. We're not rebuilding anymore; every step that's not forward is a step backward. If it's not progress, it's essentially regression. It's not about wins and losses in the preseason, it's about seeing that good habits are being formed, that good teamwork is being developed, that attention to detail is being paid. This is where it starts.

When you're Popovich and the Spurs, you can get away with dicking around for three weeks in the preseason, because you know what's going to work in the regular season, and you know that everybody on your roster is on board with your system, from the franchise on down. We don't have that luxury.

You're right.

And even with the luxury, the Spurs don't waste time or games.