[Grades] Grades v. Bulls 12/29/11

[bloom]

It’s only been 3 games you guys, relax.

Problems:

1. We need to move more without the ball, when we move good things happen when we become stagnant and sit we become our own worst enemy.

2. I’m tired of watching walk the ball up the court. We need to push it, that’s why I love Thomas’s game, he pushes and he gets in there. Tyreke has the power to do that, there’s times he just pushes and he can either get straight to the rim or make a drive and dish. We need to do much more of that.

3. I didn’t understand the use of John Salmons last night. He completely didn’t do anything out there (sorry, he did make a nice 3 to make it close). But man did I want to see Cisco out there instead.

4. Didn’t like John when we had him then and I still don’t like having him here now. But whatever, we have him and I don’t think he’s going anywhere (unfortunately)..I would like to see him evolve into a better passer.

5. I. Thomas, Donte, and JT are great runners. Why aren’t we using their strengths? They really would be a great at pushing the pace. Sometimes we need to run, run and run. We desperately need more fast break points. We need to use them better, especially when they’re running up the court and we can have an easy bucket, we should be getting a easy baskets instead of coming slowly up the court and wasting more energy.

6. Defend. They had way to many transition points.

7. Jimmer needs to get out of the timid phase and quick. You see him drive into the middle and then hesitate to pass or shoot. He’ll have this easy bucket but he thinks about it, gets trapped and then makes a wild pass out to another player, gets the ball stolen, gets fouled but it doesn’t get called (rookie). When he gets in there, he needs to either take his shot or pass out like he intended. His handles are weak and I can’t wait to see that part of his game develop and he does need to put on a little bit more muscle.

8. Why did we have Outlaw out there instead of Donte? I haven’t seen Travis do anything out there in these few games.

9. Also, I have noticed that there is a lack of helping a trapped teammate– when their teammate is trapped and they don’t move to come help him. If they move a second faster they could avoid a possible turnover.

10. Free Throws


Positives:

1. I love what I see from Demarcus. He’s such a quick learner.

2. When we do move without the ball we really are a good team. I don’t know why we become stagnant.

3. I love how we didn’t quit last night and constantly came back. Hopefully the next phase we’ll learn to take the lead and never let it go.

4. We also seem to be learning better than before…the difference between Portland’s game and Chicago’s.

We have a chance to be a good team, a team that makes it to the Playoffs (yes, I believe that). But we need to make improvements and fast. We need to move without the ball (on a more consistent basis), play at a more fast pace, and pass better.

So to all those people who wanted Rick fired, here we are 4 coaches later and people are still unhappy. Man would I have loved to see Rick coach this team. I still think we should have gone after Rick during the break. If only people can put away their pride and apologize and admit that they made a mistake…I don’t see Coach W getting fired this year but if we don’t improve I don’t see him here past this off-season.

 

[ParniValjak]

I'm getting tired of this urban myth.

It did nothing of the sort. Reke won that ROY by being by FAR and away the best player on that team, and getting the minutes and shots that ANY coach would give to a player who was by FAR and away the best player on his team. And BTW, learnign how to be a star and take responsiblity for a team is a critical development too...unless a few years later the team institutes a system which makes that wasted knowledge.

If anything the criticism now being lobbed Reke's way stems from his comparative LACK of ego and selfishness. He's stepped back. WAY back. He's averaging 11.7 shots a game. Brandon Bass averages 12.0 a game. Hedo Turkoglu averages 12.7. Boris Diaw 11.5. I can count on one hand the number of stars around the league who would willingly do the same.

If a mistake has been made, it is in installing an offense that asks your best players to step so far back. But we will just have to see here over the next few weeks if it all comes together with rewards of its own. In the meantime the kid plays it his way, he draws fire for being selfish. He plays it the way the coaches are asking him, he draws fire for being passive or having no heart. At a certain point it says a lot more about the people doing the firing than the player in question.

Well said! Some fans really need to think before they post. With Tyreke, its seems to be a case of damned if he does, damned if he doesn't! Any offence that does not utilise your best players as much as possible has not business being used in a professional league.

 

[SacTownKid]

I'm getting tired of this urban myth.

It did nothing of the sort. Reke won that ROY by being by FAR and away the best player on that team, and getting the minutes and shots that ANY coach would give to a player who was by FAR and away the best player on his team. And BTW, learnign how to be a star and take responsiblity for a team is a critical development too...unless a few years later the team institutes a system which makes that wasted knowledge.

If anything the criticism now being lobbed Reke's way stems from his comparative LACK of ego and selfishness. He's stepped back. WAY back. He's averaging 11.7 shots a game. Brandon Bass averages 12.0 a game. Hedo Turkoglu averages 12.7. Boris Diaw 11.5. I can count on one hand the number of stars around the league who would willingly do the same.

If a mistake has been made, it is in installing an offense that asks your best players to step so far back. But we will just have to see here over the next few weeks if it all comes together with rewards of its own. In the meantime the kid plays it his way, he draws fire for being selfish. He plays it the way the coaches are asking him, he draws fire for being passive or having no heart. At a certain point it says a lot more about the people doing the firing than the player in question.

But it's also true that as the season wore on that team became very easy to defend and was literally shut down numerous times because there was no question what the Kings were going to do offensively.

I like what I heard from Tyreke in the paper about D and not being a ball stopper. Just because you don't take many shots doesn't make you any less of a ball stopper. Many times Tyreke ends up dribbling down the clock he passes it to someone else to bail him out.

All the hammering this team is taking personnel wise is really hitting the point of ridiculousness however. Youngest team in the league with 3 weeks of practice learning a new system! It's a wonder they are even in some of these games people! The next step in the process is all up to Westphal so if it doesn't work it's on him, and if Tyreke can't work in it or fit with the other players on the team certain things will have to be considered, I myself think he can and will. Just wish I could trust Westphal a little more. He did much better last night and stuck to the guys that are going to get him somewhere in the long run, just continue that Paul.

 

[SacTownKid]

Well said! Some fans really need to think before they post. With Tyreke, its seems to be a case of damned if he does, damned if he doesn't! Any offence that does not utilise your best players as much as possible has not business being used in a professional league.

But on the contrary a system that doesn't utilize the other players on the team doesn't work either and even worse in fact. It all comes down to this, can Evans and Cousins work together? I think they can, they just need to get Reke used to using his bigs to get him open looks off of him cutting to the rim. Saw a bright and shining example of it working last night and now Westphal has to build Reke's confidence so he'll do that 2-3 times a game.

The negatives posters are bringing up about Evans are true, anyone that watches the game can clearly see what's going on. The issue is they're letting it taint the entire picture. He's clearly trying and he ran the system effectively at least one time last night. That's a start, in that start there is some hope.