Game -4: Sacramento Kings vs. Brooklyn Nets 10/15/14 4:30 AM PST, 7:30 AM EST, 7:30 PM China Time

[bajaden]

NBA does not want teams to play defense. Casual fans like offense. More scoring means more $$$.

Your absolutely right. Stern believed that fans came to games to see players score, not defend. But it goes beyond that. Stern was the man that believed in the star system. Therefore he loved the Michael Jordan's and Kobe Bryant's of the world, and he wanted the game to highlight their abilities. It was no secret that the team he disliked the most was the Spurs. He thought that their brand of basketball was boring. And his on going feud with Pop's didn't help either. He thought Kobe going one on one and scoring 50 points was what people wanted to see. Of course I disagree with him, but he never consulted me. I'm sure that the old bad boys Detriot Pistons team must have kept Stern up all night with indigestion.

 

[randymoss1881]

Your absolutely right. Stern believed that fans came to games to see players score, not defend. But it goes beyond that. Stern was the man that believed in the star system. Therefore he loved the Michael Jordan's and Kobe Bryant's of the world, and he wanted the game to highlight their abilities. It was no secret that the team he disliked the most was the Spurs. He thought that their brand of basketball was boring. And his on going feud with Pop's didn't help either. He thought Kobe going one on one and scoring 50 points was what people wanted to see. Of course I disagree with him, but he never consulted me. I'm sure that the old bad boys Detriot Pistons team must have kept Stern up all night with indigestion.

PREACH
That Spur team was the most entertaining basketball since the early 00s kings and Mavs. Whoever didn't enjoy that shouldn't be allowed to watch basketball.

 

[The_Jamal]

He has such a pretty shot just slow down and more of these results will come.

What's fantastic about this video is just how he's moving on the floor. Nothing's rushed. He's moving around screens and cutting with purpose. When he dribbles, he actually has an idea where and what hes going to do with the ball. At this time last year, he couldn't take two dribbles without it going off his left foot. Now he's takin dudes to the hole.

 

[VF21]

He's learned that you can play at something other than pedal to the metal.

 

[The Hammer]

What's fantastic about this video is just how he's moving on the floor. Nothing's rushed. He's moving around screens and cutting with purpose. When he dribbles, he actually has an idea where and what hes going to do with the ball. At this time last year, he couldn't take two dribbles without it going off his left foot. Now he's takin dudes to the hole.

My confidence in Ben is back up after seeing him in preseason. I like predicting things so I'll predict this: he's going to be very, very good.

 

[biltalent]

Because it's not posted yet

He really seems to be good at corner threes and is shot chart from last year backs that up.
41,67% on 20/48 shots from the left and unreal 64,29% on 18/28 shots from the right corner.
Looks like the kings know this and try to get him open there

 

[jdbraver]

My confidence in Ben is back up after seeing him in preseason. I like predicting things so I'll predict this: he's going to be very, very good.

After one good game? Based on SL and last season I predict he will be a mid-level backup. Which is fine and the team needs a few of those.

 

[KingMilz]

After one good game? Based on SL and last season I predict he will be a mid-level backup. Which is fine and the team needs a few of those.

I see him eventually as Jodie Meeks with better defense/athletic ability which is not bad, every team could use one of those guys. When you take into account how beyond garbage that draft has been 1/2 years in Jodie Meeks with more athletic ability is a near steal.

 

[Chupacabra]

I would like to revisit this game and more specifically the play of Eric Moreland. During the summer league my main concerns with him were that he looked thin and might have difficulty maintaining his position around the basket and whether or not he can be efficient on offense. What this game showed me was that Moreland looks like he's added a few pounds and wasn't getting muscled around. What this game did not show me is whether or not Moreland can make a midrange shot during a game and if he has the presence of mind to simply take what the defense gives him. I have no question about his defensive skill. He had two blocks; one straight up against Plumlee and one off of help defense. Sure he committed goal tending twice, that happens to shotblockers. If this game was any scale for future success I'd say Moreland looked a little better than I thought he'd be.

 

[Albatros]

After one good game? Based on SL and last season I predict he will be a mid-level backup. Which is fine and the team needs a few of those.

He backed up that one good game with a stinker.

that has generally been the pattern.

 

[Bricklayer]

Ben is still performing very much like a slightly improved rookie/kid with the ups and downs and who knows from night to night. I have no idea what he'll do tonight, nor does anyone. Could be 17pts on 6-12 shooting. Could be 5pts on 2-7 shooting, who knows. And that again goes back to something you just cannot afford in your starting lineup if you are trying to win games. He has been hitting his threes, this preseason, he looks more settled. But the overall result is still a preseason of 26.6min 10.8pts .409 shooting. And that's an improvement. But it reminds me a bit of Jimmer's second preseason when he went for 9.3pts on .400 shooting in 18min a game and some were oh, he's turned the corner and whatnot. Well...no, not in that case. Ben is younger, has better physical tools, he's got more chance to be something than Jimmer did. But he's still incredibly unreliable at this point, and having unreliable kids manning one of your 5 positions does not mesh well with trying to compete on a nightly basis and actually start winning. Management can play the we luv us some Ben game if they want, but then turning around and saying we're going to be judging this season on Ws and Ls at the same time is inconsistent and setting yourself up for failure. You have to make up your mind what you are doing.

 

[bajaden]

Ben is still performing very much like a slightly improved rookie/kid with the ups and downs and who knows from night to night. I have no idea what he'll do tonight, nor does anyone. Could be 17pts on 6-12 shooting. Could be 5pts on 2-7 shooting, who knows. And that again goes back to something you just cannot afford in your starting lineup if you are trying to win games. He has been hitting his threes, this preseason, he looks more settled. But the overall result is still a preseason of 26.6min 10.8pts .409 shooting. And that's an improvement. But it reminds me a bit of Jimmer's second preseason when he went for 9.3pts on .400 shooting in 18min a game and some were oh, he's turned the corner and whatnot. Well...no, not in that case. Ben is younger, has better physical tools, he's got more chance to be something than Jimmer did. But he's still incredibly unreliable at this point, and having unreliable kids manning one of your 5 positions does not mesh well with trying to compete on a nightly basis and actually start winning. Management can play the we luv us some Ben game if they want, but then turning around and saying we're going to be judging this season on Ws and Ls at the same time is inconsistent and setting yourself up for failure. You have to make up your mind what you are doing.

Consistency, consistency, and consistency, is what a coach wants from his players. Nothing drives a coach to drink more than a player that looks like an all star in one game, and a scrub in the next two. What I'm looking for is for Ben to put together a string of games where he puts up consistent numbers night after night. We can all see the potential, and I still feel confident that he'll eventually put it together. Ben's problem is that if he's not hitting his shots, he doesn't really bring much else to the table. He's better, but he still has a long way to go. Now if that's enough to start him, is anyone's guess. I have my opinion which I'll keep to myself. Not sure what Malone's priority's are.