[Grades] Grades v. Bobhornets 1/4/2014

[Glenn]

I don't believe it's a coincidence that Malone erupted during a postgame interview, his far and away most heated post game interview, minutes after Reke got done tearing this team a new one and leading NO to a win.

Malone wants defense and commitment on that end. He spoke highly of Reke before we declined to match. I think he was pretty aggravated after watching what Reke did and that he would have been the player best suited to accomplish what Malone asks/requires his guards to do and our FO thought otherwise, handicapping Malone, his defensive philosophy and ability to do his job. I'd have been pissed too if I wanted much better defense from my guards and my GM let the one guy on the roster who can play above average defense walk over 3M and I had the opportunity to work with him if all we did was commit another 3M to him, while we end up get slaughtered on the perimeter night after night. IMO part of Malone's reason for exploding was the though that, "hey, I could easily have had that guy on my roster and now look at the guards I'm left with".

As an aside, this is a tough position for Cuz. He's got the max contract which comes along with the idea you'll carry us to wins. He's got Shaq in his ear telling him to get 24/10 every night and be the best center in the league. He's got Malone wanting to win now and focus's everything around Cuz. Then our FO frankly surrounds him with talent which has little chance of winning or defending. It's mixed messages. His coach wanting and expecting to win games and Cuz leading us to victories while the FO preaches patience and gives Malone/Cuz little to work with outside of Rudy. And that's where the disconnect likely comes from. Cuz wants to win now, is expected to win now and is ready to win now after improving across the board, yet this team isn't nearly built well enough to have a chance. It's tough to put the pressure on Cuz to win now while at the same time throwing this season away as we trade away/move all our defenders and gut the roster. If our biggest issue is defense, which it is, and Cuz wants to win now and his coach keeps talking about us not being able to defend(rightly so), then naturally Cuz is going to have problems with those who aren't defending well enough as that's what is preventing him and us from winning. I maintain that if we had the same roster we did at the end of last year, with Reke/Douglas/Aldrich, we'd have a better record than we do now. I want Rudy here and am happy we have him, but Malone likely would have had more to work with and a few players who can actually execute what he demands.

Nobody in the FO has said that there was an expectation of winning this year.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I don't think Coach will stop teaching D. I think the plan is to constantly drill defense into these guys, eventually the players will learn and implement this into the actual game.

Some of these guys just may not be able to get better at D, no mater how much I drill my beagle on algebra he just can't learn it.

 

[Glenn]

Some of these guys just may not be able to get better at D, no mater how much I drill my beagle on algebra he just can't learn it.

Get a new beagle.

 

[rainmaker]

Nobody in the FO has said that there was an expectation of winning this year.

I didn't say it did. Malone wants to win now, our FO doesn't. Malone/Cuz want to win now, our FO however is in "gut the roster and rebuild" mode. That's the disconnect. That's the cause of some friction from my viewpoint.

 

[Glenn]

I didn't say it did. Malone wants to win now, our FO doesn't. Malone/Cuz want to win now, our FO however is in "gut the roster and rebuild" mode. That's the disconnect. That's the cause of some friction from my viewpoint.

Probably. I think there also is a battle over who is the team leader, the guy the FO installed as team leader and the other one who says he is the team leader at almost every media opportunity he gets. This could get messy.

 

[Uncia03]

Probably. I think there also is a battle over who is the team leader, the guy the FO installed as team leader and the other one who says he is the team leader at almost every media opportunity he gets. This could get messy.

Well it doesn't help when Grant and Jerry start off the broadcast with an homage to IT and then talk specifically about him being the leader....which is exactly what happened at the start of this last game against the Bobcats.

 

[SacKings2002NBAChampions]

IT would be delusional if he thought he was the leader of the team.
Maybe the leader of the bench....

 

[Glenn]

Well it doesn't help when Grant and Jerry start off the broadcast with an homage to IT and then talk specifically about him being the leader....which is exactly what happened at the start of this last game against the Bobcats.

And that was following a game where if you projected Cousins' stats out to 36 minutes was one of the greatest accomplishments this franchise if not the NBA has seen. It perplexes me very much. It angers me. Grant and Jerry are not helping the team. Have they been told who to talk about for trade reasons?

That makes a certain amount of sense.

 

[rainmaker]

Probably. I think there also is a battle over who is the team leader, the guy the FO installed as team leader and the other one who says he is the team leader at almost every media opportunity he gets. This could get messy.

Yes, I don't think our media department and Grant/Jerry building IT up into something he's not has helped. Good player, but you'd think Cuz and Gay play second fiddle and are just along for the ride given how IT is talked about. Can't tell me some of that hasn't gone to his head and he thinks he's literally as important and on the same level as Gay/Cuz, which is a problem.

 

[John Galt]

...he thinks he's literally as important and on the same level as Gay/Cuz, which is a problem.

huge problem. huge.

 

[Spike]

Ah, I see. A lightbulb has finally gone off. I must be getting old.

Any coincidence I thought might exist since you chose "I-true" as your username has been dispelled.

So, let me get this straight. Demarcus is a headcase, a loser, a Bynum-like failure.

IT is ... well, there simply are no words.

Am I close?

Do I get points for figuring it out before you did?

 

[LPKingsFan]

I didn't say it did. Malone wants to win now, our FO doesn't. Malone/Cuz want to win now, our FO however is in "gut the roster and rebuild" mode. That's the disconnect. That's the cause of some friction from my viewpoint.

Our FO just traded for Rudy Gay and is apparently "swinging for the fences" in continuing to make major moves. I have a hard time believing that Malone came here thinking this team would be ready from day 1. I don't see a disconnect or friction at all.

I also don't think there are any magical moves that would make this team an instant playoff contender. None realistic, at least.

 

[LPKingsFan]

And that was following a game where if you projected Cousins' stats out to 36 minutes was one of the greatest accomplishments this franchise if not the NBA has seen. It perplexes me very much. It angers me. Grant and Jerry are not helping the team. Have they been told who to talk about for trade reasons?

That makes a certain amount of sense.

Are we assuming that the players watch the broadcasts after the games, and thus are exposed to Grant and Jerry's PR efforts? Or do we think that Grant/Jerry are simply reflecting a greater organizational mindset re: IT?

The former seems unlikely, and while the latter may have been the case with the previous regime, I haven't seen any indication that Grant/Jerry are as close with management anymore. I just don't see anything Grant and Jerry saying affecting the locker room/team dynamic one way or another. It's all just PR for the fans.

 

[Glenn]

Are we assuming that the players watch the broadcasts after the games, and thus are exposed to Grant and Jerry's PR efforts? Or do we think that Grant/Jerry are simply reflecting a greater organizational mindset re: IT?

The former seems unlikely, and while the latter may have been the case with the previous regime, I haven't seen any indication that Grant/Jerry are as close with management anymore. I just don't see anything Grant and Jerry saying affecting the locker room/team dynamic one way or another. It's all just PR for the fans.

I suggested somewhere that I thought the Grant and Jerry's man love was directed at other teams to hype his trade potential. I don't know if the players watch what is said about them but I would be surprised if they didn't.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

annoys me a little Shannon Brown is still out there, with us so desperately in need of a guard who can play defense.

What annoys me even more is we had a guy last year named Toney Douglas that had several nice defensive performances against Steph Curry and Chris Paul but our new brain trust decided he wasn't worth keeping.

 

[VF21]

Well it doesn't help when Grant and Jerry start off the broadcast with an homage to IT and then talk specifically about him being the leader....which is exactly what happened at the start of this last game against the Bobcats.

THIS!!!!

 

[VF21]

Do I get points for figuring it out before you did?

No.

 

[VF21]

I suggested somewhere that I thought the Grant and Jerry's man love was directed at other teams to hype his trade potential. I don't know if the players watch what is said about them but I would be surprised if they didn't.

Not sure about the watching part (although I suspect there are some who follow everything that is said about them), but I do know at least one player who is very active on Twitter:

Isaiah Thomas ‏@Isaiah_Thomas2 1h

Say a prayer for ya haters and keep ballin

Isaiah Thomas ‏@Isaiah_Thomas2 1h

Sad lol don't make a story out of NOTHING. Now Back to watching breaking bad

Isaiah Thomas ‏@Isaiah_Thomas2 18h

We have to stay positive and keep grinding #NoExcuses

 

[I~true]

Maybe, they are shooting at cows trying make this team play defense. This team can't and won't do it every night. Maybe they should go straight Loyola Marymount on us.

I haven't seen a team yell at each other like that in a long time. I was just disgusting.

 

[VF21]

Maybe, they are shooting at cows trying make this team play defense. This team can't and won't do it every night. Maybe they should go straight Loyola Marymount on us.

I haven't seen a team yell at each other like that in a long time. I was just disgusting.

Proof-reading is your friend.

 

[Entity]

Maybe, they are shooting at cows trying make this team play defense. This team can't and won't do it every night. Maybe they should go straight Loyola Marymount on us.

I haven't seen a team yell at each other like that in a long time. I was just disgusting.

Did you miss out on the the world champion Miami heat and the 3 time MVP having to be restrained from attacking his starting pg over a single turnover

 

[I~true]

That was emotions. With apology.
This was immature bickering.

 

[mac]

coach malone made those comments before the kings' new front office decided to trade the kings' best individual defender for a defensively-inept pass-first PG, who himself was traded before having the opportunity to build chemistry with the team's franchise cornerstone. that said, i don't miss vasquez's matador defense, but it was "upgraded" with isaiah thomas' matador defense. personally, i'm giving coach malone a pass until next season, when the picture should be clear enough for him to actually have an impact as the kings' head coach...

i mean, i liked the game that malone was talking out of the gate, and i can appreciate his frustration to this point in the season, but i've always seen his goals as unattainable, given the make-up of his roster. a rock solid team philosophy is important to sustained success, but personnel matters in the nba. it really does. let me list off some names for you: jimmer fredette, marcus thornton, travis outlaw, quincy acy, aaron gray. they're all rotation players on this team. it's a problem. beyond that, the kings have got a sixth man starting at PG, a hopelessly lost rookie starting at SG, and a utility big starting at PF. the rudy gay trade is panning out better than i expected as far as gay's individual performance is concerned, but i said it then and i still believe it now: that trade wasn't likely to improve team play in the short term, particularly on defense...

I don't blame coach Malone. I believe that he's a legit coach with the right philosophies. That said, it also means that his goals for the team should be/ have been shared with the rest of the FO. It's up to them as a unit to provide us with the team they said they would, and so far they have failed to do so. They stated the goals, not us. So it's up to them to make the changes needed to deliver as promised.

 

[New Era]

What incident? What antics and what incident did I apparently miss last night that?

I probably should have phrased it differently. There wasn't a specific "incident" last night other than a bunch of teammates not getting along on the floor. All I was suggesting, for discussion purposes, is if there is a chance that maybe, just maybe, Cousins is not the type of guy that will ever be respected among his teammates, which would make it harder to win because I don't think if your best player isn't respected that you're going to get the most out of all the other players on the team. It's nothing more than speculation, like every other thing on this site. No, I don't know him personally like baja said I needed to in order to have an opinion. Hell, none of us KNOW anything. We are all just giving our opinions about the team and the players. I just don't understand why he is so defended on this site. The guy obviously has some flaws and I think it's a reasonable question to ask if maybe he's not the kind of guy that you can build around and win championships or even go deep in playoffs.

 

[Entity]

I know this.. I have seen a huge improvement in Demarcus's attitude and demeanor this year vs. last 2 years. I don't think for one second that he has reached his peak in maturity. So to say he is not the type of guy that will ever be respected by his teammates isn't just opinion. A faulty one at that.

 

[Glenn]

I probably should have phrased it differently. There wasn't a specific "incident" last night other than a bunch of teammates not getting along on the floor. All I was suggesting, for discussion purposes, is if there is a chance that maybe, just maybe, Cousins is not the type of guy that will ever be respected among his teammates, which would make it harder to win because I don't think if your best player isn't respected that you're going to get the most out of all the other players on the team. It's nothing more than speculation, like every other thing on this site. No, I don't know him personally like baja said I needed to in order to have an opinion. Hell, none of us KNOW anything. We are all just giving our opinions about the team and the players. I just don't understand why he is so defended on this site. The guy obviously has some flaws and I think it's a reasonable question to ask if maybe he's not the kind of guy that you can build around and win championships or even go deep in playoffs.

Grant, Jerry, and IT seem to think IT is the leader of this team. If that is true, all this discussion about Cousins being a leader is just so much air. It has no meaning.

Any discussion has to have some basis in truth or it is meaningless. Bringing up a discussion just because it suits you and that you have no evidence of is a waste of time for many of us. For a fact and not an opinion, it is a waste of my time.

 

[New Era]

Grant, Jerry, and IT seem to think IT is the leader of this team. If that is true, all this discussion about Cousins being a leader is just so much air. It has no meaning.

Any discussion has to have some basis in truth or it is meaningless. Bringing up a discussion just because it suits you and that you have no evidence of is a waste of time for many of us. For a fact and not an opinion, it is a waste of my time.

I think you just don't like the topic that I bring up. We all want to believe that Boogie is the savior of our franchise, and God do I hope he is. I think there may be some denial going on about his character, leadership, etc. Sure he's putting up monster numbers but he's not good enough to make his team a winning team. I don't know why that is. Sure, we have a bunch of garbage outside of our "Big 3" but I just feel like our Big 3 should be good enough to be close to a .500 team, at least. Maybe it's not his fault. Maybe it's the coaching. Maybe it's IT's fault. I don't know. I just think there is a big time chemistry issue on this team and there has to be somebody at the heart of it.

 

[VF21]

I probably should have phrased it differently. There wasn't a specific "incident" last night other than a bunch of teammates not getting along on the floor. All I was suggesting, for discussion purposes, is if there is a chance that maybe, just maybe, Cousins is not the type of guy that will ever be respected among his teammates, which would make it harder to win because I don't think if your best player isn't respected that you're going to get the most out of all the other players on the team. It's nothing more than speculation, like every other thing on this site. No, I don't know him personally like baja said I needed to in order to have an opinion. Hell, none of us KNOW anything. We are all just giving our opinions about the team and the players. I just don't understand why he is so defended on this site. The guy obviously has some flaws and I think it's a reasonable question to ask if maybe he's not the kind of guy that you can build around and win championships or even go deep in playoffs.

The problem with "speculation" like this is it creates a false impression. For people who have watched Demarcus' career closely, there's a big difference between saying "the guy obviously has some flaws" and "Cousins is not the type of guy that will ever be respected among his teammates."

Do you honestly think Vivek Ranadive is so dumb that he okayed making Demarcus Cousins the cornerstone of his franchise going forward without being pretty sure it was the right thing to do? It's not just fans saying DFC is the real deal and something to defend against unwarranted comments. Vivek Ranadive and Shaquille O'Neal both support the kid. Even the U.S. Olympic Team coach remarked repeatedly that he's impressed with the changes in DMC.

I'm willing to give him every chance in the world and all the support I possibly can. Why? Because he's a human being worthy of it AND he's possibly the best big man in the game today, a game I have loved and followed for well over 40 years. I know people who have dealt with him in off-the-court situations who have nothing but praise for his heart, his generosity, and his dedication to this community. I think he's earned the right to at least be judged fairly.

 

[Glenn]

I think you just don't like the topic that I bring up. We all want to believe that Boogie is the savior of our franchise, and God do I hope he is. I think there may be some denial going on about his character, leadership, etc. Sure he's putting up monster numbers but he's not good enough to make his team a winning team. I don't know why that is. Sure, we have a bunch of garbage outside of our "Big 3" but I just feel like our Big 3 should be good enough to be close to a .500 team, at least. Maybe it's not his fault. Maybe it's the coaching. Maybe it's IT's fault. I don't know. I just think there is a big time chemistry issue on this team and there has to be somebody at the heart of it.

You are pretty analytical but I suspect not terribly experienced with life. If that sounds like a criticism, it is. You want to discuss a "what if" about Cousins yet at the same time have no idea if it is worth the discussion. You say the problem may be elsewhere. How can we discuss your issue when even you have no faith in it?

 

[New Era]

You are pretty analytical but I suspect not terribly experienced with life. If that sounds like a criticism, it is. You want to discuss a "what if" about Cousins yet at the same time have no idea if it is worth the discussion. You say the problem may be elsewhere. How can we discuss your issue when even you have no faith in it?

Because I don't know for sure. It was something I thought would be interesting for discussion. I guess most around here don't want to discuss that. That's fine. No big deal. Plus, if I was really pushy about it I'd probably be banned from this site. Others have for coming down hard on DMC.

No need for you to get personal with me. I didn't get personal with you. You don't know anything about me or my life. It's just basketball. None of this really matters all that much in the big scheme of things in most of our lives.