[Game] Game 8: Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks, 11/11/14 5:30 PST 8:30 EST

Kings record for the season:


  • Total voters
    26

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#1
KingsFans.com Official Game Thread
Game 8
Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks
By Stephen Tetsu, Lead Card Dealer at the Palms


DPOY Candidate Ish Smith
So I guess we aren't winning all the games after all.

Every team wins and every team loses. The main thing is that the good teams win more games than they lose. In the growing process, it's important to learn how to win but just as important to learn how to lose. So yes, the Kings lost the game, just as every other team in the NBA is apt to do every once in a while. The key is to not make losing into a trend.

On the game front, the Kings came out of the gate flatter than a Pepsi left out and open in the sun for a few weeks, with Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore being the only starters who apparently remembered that there was a game scheduled for Sunday. If you have told me before the season that I'd be calling Ben McLemore the best overall player for the Kings in any given game, I'd have asked you if the rest of the Kings roster had perished in a fiery plane crash several hours before tip-off. And yet, two weeks into the season, Ben has not only completely dominated the shooting guard competition on the roster but he's suddenly shown-up as one of the team's best individual defenders and (at times against OKC) the only perimeter shooter as well.

Now, I'm not going to come out and say that Ben's been fixed and is now ready to be the next Ray Allen or something but I'm just hoping that these recent stirrings mean that Ben is finally ready to emerge as, well, something for the Sacramento Kings. And considering how flaccid Nik Stauskas has been to start off his NBA career, any development by Ben will probably be welcomed by the entire Kings kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Thunder were the first team who actually realized that the Sacramento Kings have the three point shooting capabilities of the 7th grade basketball team from a middle school for the blind, pretty much devoting most of their resources to manhandling the interior, giving Demarcus little room to breathe (which is still not an excuse to ignore the big man down low like the Kings did for most of the game). They also played zone, something that cause our offensive scheme to melt like butter because apparently no one on the roster has ever encountered one of the most common defensive schemes in all of basketball before.

All around, an ugly loss against an ugly team (seriously, have you seen Kendrick Perkins' fake beard?). Now all that we can do is forget the crappy game and come out strong against a better team.

Post of the Game

We're All Gonna DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Pessimism of the Game

Awards Time

Tony Delk Memorial Award- Nick "Raef LaFrentz" Collison, who probably hit more three pointers against the Kings in one night than he did in the rest of his entire basketball career.

Jason Hart Memorial Award-
Ramon Sessions. You know why.

Thomas Robinson of the Game- Sebastian Telfair, who is still in the league despite doing things like losing the ball trying to showboat on the break, his behind the back dribble turning into a handoff to a trailing defender. This is probably the stuff that's been keeping Sebastian from sticking in the NBA.

Luke Walton Vacuum Cleaner Award- Nik Stauskas. Having looked at least adequate in Summer League and preseason play, Nik's game seems to have plummeted off the side of Half Dome since the start of the season. Unable to defend just about anyone on the other team's roster, Stauskas is now also having trouble hitting (or even taking) shots. In other words, he's contributing nothing but wasted minutes. Not a good look for a guy drafted immediately before budding defender Elfrid Payton and twenty-something picks before burgeoning talent KJ McDaniels.

The View from the Other Side
Only happens after victories.

Tonight's Game


The Mavericks, the Rolling Stones of the NBA. These dudes were starting to get good back in the midst of our glory days, the dynamic trio of Dirk, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley making Don Nelson seem like a basketball genius. And here, over a decade later, the Mavs still stand, older than ever and yet still churning along with an eye on the playoffs.

Dirk, now approaching 60-something years old, is still an effective scorer (he was never really a great defender even in his prime), the prototypical stretch big man, and thus partly responsible for the scourge of three-pointer chucking "bigs" of the modern NBA. While JT's become a better defender, this will be another challenge for him as the German forward works to draw him away from the paint to the perimeter.

The big offseason move was to trade for a portion of the NBA Finals winning roster several years ago. Unfortunately for the Dallas front office, Tyson Chandler isn't quite the Tyson Chandler of several years ago, a couple steps slower, sometimes fatter, sometimes weaker than he was before. While he's a great team defender, Tyson isn't really built to take on bruisers down low as much as he was before. That's your cue, Boogie.

The second big scorer for the Mavericks is of course heroballer extraordinaire Monta Ellis, who can of course score with the best of them but can also suffer from Kobe syndrome on occasion. Of course, since moving to Dallas, Monta has toned things down a bit, mainly because Dirk's probably stolen his scooter and is holding it for ransom in exchange for good team basketball.

The Mavericks have definitely done their best to accumulate half the point guards in the league with Jameer "Dwight Howard's Former-sidekick" Nelson as their starter, Devin Harris as their sixth man, JJ Barea as their designated short guy, and Raymond Felton as their fat, injured, waste of space. Lots of point guards, all good but none spectacular.

The other big signing for the Mavs was Chandler Parsons, a combination of the name of that dude from Friends and that dude who plays that nerdy guy on CBS. He's a great scorer but Kevin Martin-like on defense.

Matchups
Stephen v. Sleep - It's 1 AM, I only got four hours of sleep last night. If this thread sucks or makes no sense, I blame that.

Demarcus v. Tyson and anyone else- Boogie needs to come out strong. Set the tone Boogie. Crush the corpses of your foes.

Dirk v. Whoever- How many turn-around jumper will Dirk hit today?

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Make no mistakes, this will be a tough game. The Mavericks are experienced, good, and at home. Coming off a tough loss against an "okay?" team, the Kings storm (hopefully) into American Airlines Center looking to right the ship and build a new streak.

And I think they will. Kings somehow win. 102- 97.

Go Kings!
 
#2
What happened to the Rafer Alston And-1 Award? Telfair was practically begging for it.

Ben, Rudy, and JT better be ready to bring the defensive heat. The Mavs offense is a handful and if the defense isn't stout I'm not sure the Kings offense can keep pace.
 
#4
Actually Collison did make two three in a game before, despite never attempting more than twice outside the arc per game before this season. It still hurts though as these were his 9th and 10th threes made in his career and he needed 49 shots to make first 8 (stellar 16,3%).
Barea and Harris as reserve guards? Ramon and Nik will have trouble defending those two. A zone might actually be an answer against their bench, if you can keep an eye on Jae Crowder.
 
#5
Honestly, take away nick Collison hitting 20% of his CAREER 3's in that game, there are entirely different conversations going on here.
 
#6
I wonder who Malone will go with to guard Ellis today. Collison and McLemore are both options considering Ellis is a small SG and their PGs aren't too threatening.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
#8
I wonder who Malone will go with to guard Ellis today. Collison and McLemore are both options considering Ellis is a small SG and their PGs aren't too threatening.
I think you'll see McLemore on Ellis. Collison might be a slightly better option with his quickness and veteran savvy but the Kings need him guarding the opposing PG and also not getting too worn down. But I also think we'll see Ray and Darren out there for long stretches and probably little of Stauskas tonight.

Whoever gets the assignment should keep in mind that Monta Ellis have it all.
 
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#10
Honestly, take away nick Collison hitting 20% of his CAREER 3's in that game, there are entirely different conversations going on here.
We were literally "inches" away from an outstanding comeback. Making up most of that 17 point deficit in about half of the 3rd quarter showed some fortitude.

They had a couple guys play well above their norm and the officials obviously had a horrible night.

What matters now, is our response tonight
 
#12
Lets hope this is RayMac's "break out" game for playing time
I think the time is ripe. Its difficult making rotation changes when the team is losing, but now Malone has a loss on the books to justify one. Sessions wasn't the only reason we lost, but had there been competent backup PG play at the beginning of the fourth quarter, we would have had a better chance to win.
 
#13
The Mavs are really bad at defensive rebounding and that bodes well for the Kings.

Last year, the Mavs bench killed the Kings in some of the games and that's what I'm worried about here.

Monta v Ben will be interesting due to the contrasting styles. Haven't seen Ben take his improved defense against speedy guys like Monta much this season. Will be a tough test. And Monta will kill it by popping shots on the pick n roll.
 
#14
Wow just saw that Collison is doubtful to play. Not only do we lose our floor general and defensive PG stopper, but now we have to somehow survive with Sessions playing PG. NOT GOOD
 
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HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#20
In my book while this may not be a "must win" but it is a MUST SHOW UP game. No giving up 35 point then trying to right the ship with 4th quarter heroics. We should win the inside game, and if we do we have a good chance at taking this one. I can live with Dallas having a great shooting night but Our guys have to able to bouch back and do what they do well. Grind down low, get the rebounds, and leave Dallas to play on the perimeter. In my book this is a character game.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#22
This game feels must win. I don't want us getting back in the losing habit. Losing to OKC sucked.

That said, I expect a loss.

Prove me wrong, Kings!
 

Larry89

Disgruntled Kings Fan
#26
I will go absolutely crazy if Ramon Sessions gets any playing time this game. He will get exposed even more-so on the pick and roll in this game than he has in the past.. he won't be able to guard Harris, Barea, Jameer, and he will not be able to guard Ellis. Carlisle will have a field day if Coach Malone puts Sessions in for any amount of playing time at SG or PG to run the offense.
 
#27
I will go absolutely crazy if Ramon Sessions gets any playing time this game. He will get exposed even more-so on the pick and roll.. he won't be able to guard Harris, he won't be able to guard Jammer, and he will not be able to guard Ellis. Carlisle will have a field day if Coach Malone puts Sessions in for any amount of playing time at SG or PG to run the offense.
Well get ready to go crazy now because he WILL play in this game, alot. He will most likely start too.

At least he won't be able to pass to Reggie Evans on every play
 
#30
So people don't think Ramon is going to go all Wally Pip on Darren Collison here?

Am I reading the room correctly?

If someone would just take a stand on this Sessions guy...

Playing with the starters could end up kick starting him... If one wanted to look at the bright side a bit, once could look at it that way.
 
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