Grades/post-game discussion v. Pelicans - 12/8
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Gentry got the message, the Kings compete for 48 minutes. You can see the frustration in his voice because his team with all-stars were outplayed by the Kings. Then Gentry takes notice of the Kings games against Clev and GS. This is maybe the best evidence of the Kings improvement and higher level of confidence is that they are no longer taken lightly by opposing coaches.
The level of effort is definitely up. The Kings are starting to play like a team that likes each other. There are no dissenting voices or whining at the refs. I hope people can see that the Kings are using the D League, G League to help their players get some confidence. Coach J is good at working with the young guys because they are improving rapidly.
The level of effort is definitely up. The Kings are starting to play like a team that likes each other. There are no dissenting voices or whining at the refs. I hope people can see that the Kings are using the D League, G League to help their players get some confidence. Coach J is good at working with the young guys because they are improving rapidly.
Oh please, what I've said is far less offensive than the attitude he used to carry around here, or the potshots some here take towards writers, media people etc with regards to their attitude towards the Kings. I don't see how it's any different. Numerous posters left the board because it just became a Cousins love fest, so I'm going to take every opportunity to stand for those to whom the Kings have always been more important to than one single player.
While I loved to watch Cousins play when he was in a Kings uniform seeing him in a Pels jersey makes some things apparent. I had become conditioned to accepting all the complaining he does on the court. He also attempts to intimidate some other players. After watching this last game with the Pels I realize I don't miss that. I do enjoy watching a physical game of basketball especially on the defensive end. But the complaining and overtly negative emotional behavior I don't miss. When Mason hit the 3 late you could see the Big Fella sag. When Cousins started raging at Hield ZBO stepped in. We all know Cousins wants to crush the Kings when he plays them. It did not happen this time
So then when I think about Big Cuz it is easy to take the leap to wonder what Brick is up to. Brick was/is fiercely loyal to the Big Fella and one of his most staunch defenders. Loyalty is an admirable trait and it is displayed in different ways by different people. My point is that to each her/his own
So then when I think about Big Cuz it is easy to take the leap to wonder what Brick is up to. Brick was/is fiercely loyal to the Big Fella and one of his most staunch defenders. Loyalty is an admirable trait and it is displayed in different ways by different people. My point is that to each her/his own
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What is happening to this place? We come here to talk about our team and player development and the game with familiar faces.. not to have some ego bashing competition... Anyways
The Kings can and will compete in every game this year regardless of their talent level because they now PLAY HARD and with effort. Joeger has done a great job coaching up some players low confidence levels and found some patterns and lineups that work. Now if he could only coach up George Hill a bit..
Buddy has become quite a decent defender and hustles hard ever since he got moved to the bench, he is also playing with more confidence. Nice to see Papa G have a bit of an impact.
The Kings can and will compete in every game this year regardless of their talent level because they now PLAY HARD and with effort. Joeger has done a great job coaching up some players low confidence levels and found some patterns and lineups that work. Now if he could only coach up George Hill a bit..
Buddy has become quite a decent defender and hustles hard ever since he got moved to the bench, he is also playing with more confidence. Nice to see Papa G have a bit of an impact.
I can't see it. The only teams that might be willing to take a half-season rental on Cousins don't have anything that they'd be willing to give up that New Orleans would/should be willing to take back in a trade. Dude's going to be an unrestricted free agent in seven months; the only reason to give up assets for him now is if you think that you're a DeMarcus Cousins away from a championship in 2018. That narrows the pool of viable trade partners down to, like, three, and one of them has said they don't want him, and the other two don't have anything to give up.
The chemistry between Davis and Cousins appears to be great. One of the biggest problems with New Orleans, aside from coaching, is that their role players don't fit: half their role players (specifically Nelson and Cunningham) play better with just Davis, half their role players (specifically Moore and Miller) play better with just Cousins, and their third-best player plays his best when he's out there by himself. The only two guys they have who play well with both Davis and Cousins on the court at the same time are Rondo and Allen, and neither of those guys are threats to score.
The chemistry between Davis and Cousins appears to be great. One of the biggest problems with New Orleans, aside from coaching, is that their role players don't fit: half their role players (specifically Nelson and Cunningham) play better with just Davis, half their role players (specifically Moore and Miller) play better with just Cousins, and their third-best player plays his best when he's out there by himself. The only two guys they have who play well with both Davis and Cousins on the court at the same time are Rondo and Allen, and neither of those guys are threats to score.
Well, as I said, it is going to be a difficult task to trade him at this point. I think the only reason a team might trade for him would be to acquire his Bird rights where they could offer him more than anyone else. But unless that team is a contender, and Cuz wants to play for them, it would be an extremely risking gamble. I doubt it happens. When I mentioned chemistry, I wasn't referring to just how a couple of players got along, or liked one another. I meant how they meshed talent wise on the court. I do agree however, that without a better supporting cast, it may not matter how well Davis and Cousins play together. Especially with a head coach that has his head up you know where.
I would suggest that it's more than just "a couple of players"; I don't think that there's anybody on the Pelicans that doesn't get along with him. There are, however, a fair amount of their role players whose games don't mesh with his, most notably Jameer Nelson, who is most effective as a pick-and-roll point guard, whereas the pick and roll continues to be a weakness in Cousins' game on both ends. The other vets (Rondo and Allen), whose games don't require them to feed off the energy of the stars, mesh with both guys just fine, but Allen is such a non-factor on offense, that you can't afford to play him when both those guys are out there, because he provides no spacing at all. They need to play Rondo, because he's the only guy who makes sure that the ball keeps moving, but you can't play Rondo and Allen, when you're led by two bigs.
Holiday continues to be a big problem for them, as well: I don't think that a team that's on the tier that the Pelicans are on can afford for their third-best player to be most productive when the two best players are on the bench, but that's where they are. I am interested to see what they look like when Hill is healthy, and whether he turns out to be anything close to what they need him to be (basically a poor man's Ariza).
Holiday continues to be a big problem for them, as well: I don't think that a team that's on the tier that the Pelicans are on can afford for their third-best player to be most productive when the two best players are on the bench, but that's where they are. I am interested to see what they look like when Hill is healthy, and whether he turns out to be anything close to what they need him to be (basically a poor man's Ariza).