[Grades] Grades v. Bulls 3/21/2016

[Bricklayer]

Nos venit, nos conatus, nos non.

(bastardized we came, we tried, we failed)

Ok, anybody running into this thread to say we weren't trying again, or trying for the last two, is basically full of it. We made a real effort yesterday, and a better one today until we once again collapsed. And these collapses may end up being the real story this year. Like clockwork. We have been as good as many teams for 40 minutes, but then for the final 8 suddenly we are half the team they are.

But we tried. It wasn't embarrassing until the final minutes when...its so nebulous, and has been all season long, that you don't even know how to start. It was an honest loss, but we did flat get beat in the final 4-5 minutes after we had come back to tie the game. And ain't that an old story this year.

P.S. you can see why some of us were interested in Taj Gibson a few years ago. He was an extremely active menace all game long on defense.



Boxscore

Stats: 33min 18pts (7-11, 3-4, 1-1) 5reb 1ast 0stl 0blk 1TO
Summary: through three quarters had scored well, and Jimmy Butler had done squat the other way, but few shots, and basically never showed up in the 4th
Gay ( ) --

Stats: 11min 2pts (1-2, 0-1, 0-0) 1reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Summary: I suppose started to match up with Gibson, but got nothing done at all on glass and too small for Pau
Acy ( ) --

Stats: 35min 19pts (6-14, 0-1, 7-7) 18reb 3ast 1stl 2blk 8TO
Summary: fought on the glass again, but Bulls sent quick doubles his way on the baseline, and timed his moves for steals. Tired late.
Cousins ( ) --

Stats: 16min 2pts (1-6, 0-4, 0-0) 2reb 2ast 0stl 0blk 2TO
Summary:the season long 4 on 5 struggle continues as Anderson was invisible, then in the 3rd flat awful, and Karl let him go too long.
Anderson ( ) --

Stats: 31min 14pts (7-13, 0-1, 0-0) 4reb 5ast 0stl 0blk 6TO
Summary: did a good job of scooting inside for hoops, and tried to poke balls away, but again no impact as a passer and assists way down
Rondo ( ) --


Bench

Stats: 5min 0pts (0-2, 0-0, 0-0) 1reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 1TO
Summary: think Karl is straight trolling Vlade now. Oh, you gonna fire ME?!? Well watch me trash your rook and make YOU look like a fool!
Cauley Stein ( ) --

Stats: 32min 19pt (6-10, 4-5, 3-3) 4reb 4ast 0stl 0blk 1TO
Summary: Bulls weren't going to let Cuz beat them, and so Darren became best offensive player. Last three was just padding at the buzzer though.
Collison( ) --

Stats: 22min 7pts (2-6, 1-3, 2-4) 8reb 3ast 1stl 0blk 0TO
Summary:was needed to help combat the Knicks twin towers, did solid work on both ends
Casspi ( ) --

Stats: 21min 10pts (5-11, 0-5, 0-0) 2reb 1ast 3stl 0blk 0TO
Summary:his midrange J's were money all night, if we just hadn't tried to use him as a 3pt shooter would have been a good night
Butler ( ) --

Stats: 22min 9pts (4-10, 1-5, 0-1) 2reb 4ast 1stl 0blk 0TO
Summary:did his hit the tiumely shot thing to distract from general struggles, but missed the and+1 at the 2min mark to help keep us from closing.
Belinelli ( ) --

Stats: 12min 2pts (1-3, 0-0, 0-0) 3reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Summary: was the biggest guy on the court for many of his minutes, but didn't play like it.
Koufos ( ) --



placeholder...

 

[steelevt]

The more we lose, the more I'm dreading the draft lottery. We are just increasing our chances to give the sixers the #1 pick, because you know the year the kings win the draft is the year we have to switch it. I mean we've already drafted a bust with it and lost out on the pick with the worst record. How else can the kings get heart broken with that forsaken #1 draft pick?

 

[VF21]

Nos venit, nos conatus, nos non.

(bastardized we came, we tried, we failed)

Ok, anybody running into this thread to say we weren't trying again, or trying for the last two, is basically full of it. We made a real effort yesterday, and a better one today until we once again collapsed. And these collapses may end up being the real story this year. Like clockwork. We have been as good as many teams for 40 minutes, but then for the final 8 suddenly we are half the team they are.

But we tried. It wasn't embarrassing until the final minutes when...its so nebulous, and has been all season long, that you don't even know how to start. It was an honest loss, but we did flat get beat in the final 4-5 minutes after we had come back to tie the game. And ain't that an old story this year.

P.S. you can see why some of us were interested in Taj Gibson s a few years ago. He was an extremely active menace all game long on defense.

It's our own fault.

Sam Smith Verified account ‏@SamSmithHoops
Sad to watch George Karl not allowed to coach. Barely recall him sitting in previous 25 years coaching; can't recall seeing him stand since

 

[kingsboi]

I like these type of losses. Keep it close and compete and fall short in typical fashion.

 

[Sac.1989]

hows that draft pick looking ?

 

[Capt. Factorial]

It's our own fault.

Sam Smith Verified account ‏@SamSmithHoops
Sad to watch George Karl not allowed to coach. Barely recall him sitting in previous 25 years coaching; can't recall seeing him stand since

Given the context in the tweet, it sounds like he means "not able" rather than "not allowed". "Not allowed" by his body, as it were.

 

[VF21]

Given the context in the tweet, it sounds like he means "not able" rather than "not allowed". "Not allowed" by his body, as it were.

Will you quit trying to be the voice of reason?

 

[King Baller]

The more we lose, the more I'm dreading the draft lottery. We are just increasing our chances to give the sixers the #1 pick, because you know the year the kings win the draft is the year we have to switch it. I mean we've already drafted a bust with it and lost out on the pick with the worst record. How else can the kings get heart broken with that forsaken #1 draft pick?

I'm resigned to it. So no matter what the Kings get a good draft pick. The worst Philly can get is like the 4th pick? So if by chance the swap happens the Kings get the 4th pick and that is not that bad.

 

[KingMilz]

Final 5 minutes of nearly every close game this year consists of Cousins/Rondo/Gay bricks and turnovers it's amazing how history just repeats itself time and time again.

Also Vlade has to get some balls and force whoever is coaching the team to DEVELOP AND PLAY WCS, this is getting ****ing ridiculous wtf is the front office doing. We are done we can't make the playoffs and you play him 3 mins?

 

[steelevt]

I'm resigned to it. So no matter what the Kings get a good draft pick. The worst Philly can get is like the 4th pick? So if by chance the swap happens the Kings get the 4th pick and that is not that bad.

I haven't really been keeping up with the prospects but keep hearing it's a 2 player draft then there's a big drop off. So 4th ain't that bad but it's not that good either.

 

[Siranthony]

It was nice to see a team play again. A nice game and we had the lead in the 4th. The bulls stepped up the defense at the and we had no answer. If we could just defend the three and have less turn overs, these games wouldn't even be close.

 

[KingsFanGER]

It was nice to see a team play again. A nice game and we had the lead in the 4th. The bulls stepped up the defense at the and we had no answer. If we could just defend the three and have less turn overs, these games wouldn't even be close.

So it's basically the same like all season.
What bothers me is, that it looks like we never tried to adjust to our weaknesses.

 

[Siranthony]

So it's basically the same like all season.
What bothers me is, that it looks like we never tried to adjust to our weaknesses.

Yes, like all season. But why? Is it coaching or the players? We just might need a piece or two to be winners. What bothers me more is all the other drama and the team quitting the last two months.

 

[KingsFanGER]

Yes, like all season. But why? Is it coaching or the players? We just might need a piece or two to be winners. What bothers me more is all the other drama and the team quitting the last two months.

Most likely it's coaching and players. Therefore I'm certainly not convinced, that we are a piece or two away from being winners. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[Flopi]

In my opinion, it's clearly a coaching problem.
Once Boogie came back in the game with 6 minutes to play :

1) The only offensive "set" was : "give the ball to Cousins and watch him play"
2) Karl went small : small ball with no movement will give you offensive AND defensive problems
3) As someone mentioned on Twitter, when Cousins is double teamed he clearly doesn't know what to do because there is no designed play. Constant improvisation.

Kings defensive deficiency is always (and correctly) blamed. But make no mistake: Karl's offense is also very poor with this roster. I can't stand listenning about the "freedom" he gives to players. That's not freedom, that's "improvise and do your thing".
The poor offense is masked by Boogie's talent and by this fast pace insanity.
When Kings are forced to play halfcourt offense, typically in close end games, it often results in bad choices and turnovers.

And, by the way, "run fast and play the fastbreak because we don't play well on halfcourt" is instruction we give to 10 years old players.

 

[Livinthedream]

Yes. Kings don't have a problem scoring points until the end of games when the pace slows and the opponent tightens up the D. They consistently fall apart. When there should be MORE ball movement, the Kings freeze up. It's lack of coaching. Lack of knowing what is expected in those last few minutes. So we play one on one ball, instead of trying to create the easiest shot possible with ball movement. This is why Karl teams fall on their face in the playoffs. They are unable to play situational basketball.

 

[Chubbs]

There just aren't any plays.

It's just hopeless at the end of games. Give ball to boogie and pray.

There isn't a player in the NBA that works with. Defenses are too smart.

And our "offense" is painfully dumb.

 

[pshn80]

Yes. Kings don't have a problem scoring points until the end of games when the pace slows and the opponent tightens up the D. They consistently fall apart. When there should be MORE ball movement, the Kings freeze up. It's lack of coaching. Lack of knowing what is expected in those last few minutes. So we play one on one ball, instead of trying to create the easiest shot possible with ball movement. This is why Karl teams fall on their face in the playoffs. They are unable to play situational basketball.

Kimgs don't have a problem scoring points until the end of games when the pace slows and the opponent tightens up the D and Cuz is the only offense and forces too much aganst double and triple teams. Using our best offensive player should be a good idea but is totally predictable and therefore too easy to defend.

 

[bajaden]

Given the context in the tweet, it sounds like he means "not able" rather than "not allowed". "Not allowed" by his body, as it were.

What, you didn't see that strap across his waist holding him down in his seat? Buckle up George or you could end up on the floor!

 

[IfAt1st]

Kimgs don't have a problem scoring points until the end of games when the pace slows and the opponent tightens up the D and Cuz is the only offense and forces too much aganst double and triple teams. Using our best offensive player should be a good idea but is totally predictable and therefore too easy to defend.

The Kings only used their best player 1 time in the last 3 minutes against the Bulls, and they got blown out over that strecth.

IIRC, the only scoring they got was the Collison 3 and the Marco circus-shot drive And-1.

While you could argue that not going to Cousins in the post is less predictable, I would doubt if there's a good case to conclude that the Kings are more successful/efficient when not going to Cousins in the post.

 

[pshn80]

The Kings only used their best player 1 time in the last 3 minutes against the Bulls, and they got blown out over that strecth.

IIRC, the only scoring they got was the Collison 3 and the Marco circus-shot drive And-1.

While you could argue that not going to Cousins in the post is less predictable, I would doubt if there's a good case to conclude that the Kings are more successful/efficient when not going to Cousins in the post.

And they often are unsuccessful in going to him for the reasons I stated. It doesn't just happen at the end of games. At the end of games where they have faded offensively they have changed there offensive approach to their disadvantage - Cuz forcing it against good double and triple coverage, poor shot selection, poor passes, turn overs of various kinds, poor shot selection, apparent lack of ability to set a teammate up for a good shot. Describe it as you will but at too many important times their offensive effort not only doesn't work, it is often pathetic. Responsibility: the coaches and the players in a coordination one would hope was used for a much more successful effort. It is hard to understand.

 

[IfAt1st]

I agree - they are unsuccessful going to ANYONE on offense at the end of close games - it's ridiculous to point to Cousins' ineffectiveness, when the team is just as ineffective without going to him.
If there was ANY effective option (I would argue that historically this year, the most successful play has been Rondo attacking the hoop when they are focusing on everyone else) then we could use that as a baseline and start a plan.

But I think the crucial incriminating evidence is that NONE of us can recognize any kind of consistent offensive plan at the end of close games - their offense is all over the place and doesn't reveal any vision or command of the personnel whatsoever.
That's flat out a coaching flaw.
Unless you believe that the players are simply blowing off the coach's play-calls (and not even Karl has thrown them under the bus for doing that this year, so we can assume they are running what the coaches draw up).