[Grades] Grades v. Celtics 02/08/17

[Suicide King]

This is when a coach like DJ shows what he's all about. For all of those "he's an average coach" folks, well he just clearly isn't. He's a scrappy fighter type of coach and now his team is too. I feel like he doesn't get enough credit for completely changing this teams culture in half a season. That comes from the coach and the rest of the coaching staff. That alone is a major accomplishment. We are the team that can beat anybody anytime and that counts for something, playoffs or no playoffs.

Imagine what this coaching staff might accomplish given more time and roster upgrades. You don't travel the coaching path Joerger has and not know what your doing.

"Prior to entering the NBA ranks, Joerger won accolades as one of the most successful minor league coaches in history, piloting five teams to championships in three different basketball leagues in seven seasons from 2000-07. Demonstrating strong player development skills, Joerger sent 18 of his players to the NBA during his time in the minor leagues. By the time he was hired by the Grizzlies as an assistant coach in 2007, Joerger had collected titles in the NBA Development League, CBA (Continental Basketball Association) and IBL (International Basketball League)."

http://www.nba.com/kings/roster/dave_joerger/#

 

[andjel]

Imagine what this coaching staff might accomplish given more time and roster upgrades. You don't travel the coaching path Joerger has and not know what your doing.

"Prior to entering the NBA ranks, Joerger won accolades as one of the most successful minor league coaches in history, piloting five teams to championships in three different basketball leagues in seven seasons from 2000-07. Demonstrating strong player development skills, Joerger sent 18 of his players to the NBA during his time in the minor leagues. By the time he was hired by the Grizzlies as an assistant coach in 2007, Joerger had collected titles in the NBA Development League, CBA (Continental Basketball Association) and IBL (International Basketball League)."

http://www.nba.com/kings/roster/dave_joerger/#

No need to imagine, we will see it next season.

 

[Tetsujin]

No need to imagine, we will see it next season.

Not if Vivek has a chance to do something crazy again.

 

[andjel]

Not if Vivek has a chance to do something crazy again.

I chose to believe that he is smart person and that his financial savvy and humiliation from couple of years ago taught him a lesson.
Combined with Vlade not being a "yes man" and that Vlade/Joerger/Cuz are unified, do not see another Vivek caused disaster.

 

[Larry89]

I chose to believe that he is smart person and that his financial savvy and humiliation from couple of years ago taught him a lesson.
Combined with Vlade not being a "yes man" and that Vlade/Joerger/Cuz are unified, do not see another Vivek caused disaster.

Vivek is a very smart man, he did not get into his position from sheer luck. Maybe his Hubris and Ego humiliated himself a few years ago, but now I also believe he has learned his lesson.

 

[NewArena]

Watching the game now, really refreshing to see no arguing and yelling. If only the Kings can maintain their composure every game.. maybe we'd be a better team than we are now? Negative energy is really understated. Of course, when we're winning, everyone's happy. When we're losing, everyone's frustrated, but when you unnecessarily add more onto that frustration, it brings the entire team to the deeper depths of lows.

I really hope this suspension can light a fire under Cousins. The team won tonight, but we all know we're a sub 20W team without him. Cousins is probably the only thing stopping Cousins from being great. I hope we can build on from tonight. Continue the positive energy. Don't recall a single Cousins game where he didn't get upset and do something dumb. I know we've all been saying it for the last 7 years, but I really hope Cousins can start trending in a positive direction soon.

there have been plenty of those games, he just doesn't get the credit. When Reggie Evans challenged him not to pick up a single technical (under mike Malone) he went weeks without doing so.

 

[206Fan]

Vivek is a very smart man, he did not get into his position from sheer luck. Maybe his Hubris and Ego humiliated himself a few years ago, but now I also believe he has learned his lesson.

I don't know about this. ESPN, with a very credible source, said that Vivek didn't want Rudy traded. People hate ESPN around here because they feel like the media is always against the Kings (they're really not). But...when reports like that are coming out, it's hard to say that Vivek is stepping back.

 

[VF21]

I don't know about this. ESPN, with a very credible source, said that Vivek didn't want Rudy traded. People hate ESPN around here because they feel like the media is always against the Kings (they're really not). But...when reports like that are coming out, it's hard to say that Vivek is stepping back.

One report does not a fact make. What makes you so sure it was a "very credible source" and not PDA or George Karl, both of whom have questionable past bad acts when it comes to leaks about the Kings.

 

[The Hammer]

Btw it just dawned on me... Isaiah Thomas is going to end up in the Hall of Fame. That is crazy. And good for him.

He's in a perfect situation for himself. The entire team is geared around him offensively.

It never would have worked with Cuz though.

 

[The Hammer]

One report does not a fact make. What makes you so sure it was a "very credible source" and not PDA or George Karl, both of whom have questionable past bad acts when it comes to leaks about the Kings.

... vs. a full 18 mos. of near dead silence since he publicly pledged ceding all basketball decisions to Vlade, and a record that matches it.

 

[Tetsujin]

Btw it just dawned on me... Isaiah Thomas is going to end up in the Hall of Fame. That is crazy. And good for him.

He's in a perfect situation for himself. The entire team is geared around him offensively.

It never would have worked with Cuz though.

Is he though?

He's having a fantastic season, no doubt about it. But he's also got a great supporting cast and coach and a system that pretty much just allows him to go full bore heroball all game with no consequences. Playing next to an entire lineup of above average defenders has also helped mask the fact he'll never be a good defender.

He's on pace for it, yes but he's still got a half decade to go.

 

[The Hammer]

Is he though?

He's having a fantastic season, no doubt about it. But he's also got a great supporting cast and coach and a system that pretty much just allows him to go full bore heroball all game with no consequences. Playing next to an entire lineup of above average defenders has also helped mask the fact he'll never be a good defender.

He's on pace for it, yes but he's still got a half decade to go.

Agree with all that. He's perfectly positioned to execute it though, with full org backing. I'm watching Celtics vs blazers right now... he is dominant. Absolutely dominant. At his size, that is phenomenal.

They have a very well constructed team and great chemistry. Thomas just go s off whenever he wants. It's amazing.

Great game happening over there btw.

 

[VF21]

Watching Portland battle the Celtics just makes me realize how great the Kings-Celtics game was.

EDIT: As good as IT is doing tonight, I think the main reason he wasn't as good last night was akin to stage fright. The Kings "didn't want him" and it's clear he was really emotionally invested in our game - a little too much for his own good.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Watching Portland battle the Celtics just makes me realize how great the Kings-Celtics game was.

Watching it too. How cool would it be for the Celts to turn around 24 hrs later and help the Kings by taking down Portland?

 

[The Hammer]

Watching Portland battle the Celtics just makes me realize how great the Kings-Celtics game was.

Fully agree. Sometimes us Kings fans get tunnel vision and we don't see that we do have a team that shows flashes of very, very good basketball.

GO CELTICS

 

[jcwkings]

Watching Portland battle the Celtics just makes me realize how great the Kings-Celtics game was.

EDIT: As good as IT is doing tonight, I think the main reason he wasn't as good last night was akin to stage fright. The Kings "didn't want him" and it's clear he was really emotionally invested in our game - a little too much for his own good.

I think Collison, Lawson, WCS, Koufos and Tolliver deserve credit. The guards did a trememndous job pressuring him and the bigs(WCS in particlular) snuffed the pick and roll.

 

[jcwkings]

Man I would have loved to have drafted Marcus Smart, taken one pick before Stauskas. Dude is an old school competitor.

 

[Tetsujin]

Man, the Blazers are a bad defensive team. Stotts is a good coach but jeez.

 

[The Hammer]

Watching it too. How cool would it be for the Celts to turn around 24 hrs later and help the Kings by taking down Portland?

I'd call that a pretty good west coast swing for the C's.

 

[VF21]

Man I would have loved to have drafted Marcus Smart, taken one pick before Stauskas. Dude is an old school competitor.

Wasn't he the one a number of posters here were hoping we'd get?

 

[swisshh]

I was a fan of Smart, but he's actually become a very different NBA player than I expected him to be.

 

[Larry89]

Just want to point out the fact that Amir Johnson fouled WCS by pushing him

 

[Bricklayer]

Btw it just dawned on me... Isaiah Thomas is going to end up in the Hall of Fame. That is crazy. And good for him.

He's in a perfect situation for himself. The entire team is geared around him offensively.

It never would have worked with Cuz though.

That's rather unlikely unless he has near unprecedented longetivity for a guy his size. Got started too late, and guys his size depend on the first athletic traits to go. Even if he can continue to avoid injury, he'd have to make an All NBA team this year and continue putting up numbers at that level well into his 30s.

 

[The Hammer]

That's rather unlikely unless he has near unprecedented longetivity for a guy his size. Got started too late, and guys his size depend on the first athletic traits to go. Even if he can continue to avoid injury, he'd have to make an All NBA team this year and continue putting up numbers at that level well into his 30s.

I feel like they'd make it a special thing given his size, if he a) won a scoring title or b) won a championship. And of course produced at or near this level for 5 ish more years. But if he finds a way to go til 34/35 and is up around 25-28 most of that time.... I think he gets in.

What I've seen from him in his trajectory, and the org backing he has, I feel one of those scenarios is highly likely.

This is not a fluke season at all, and the league cannot figure him out. It really is just pure talent. It's remarkable. I didn't think he'd get to this level when we cut him loose. And, he keeps getting better. He could easily overtake Westbrook for the scoring title this year.

 

[ESP47]

I feel like they'd make it a special thing given his size, if he a) won a scoring title or b) won a championship. And of course produced at or near this level for 5 ish more years. But if he finds a way to go til 34/35 and is up around 25-28 most of that time.... I think he gets in.

What I've seen from him in his trajectory, and the org backing he has, I feel one of those scenarios is highly likely.

This is not a fluke season at all, and the league cannot figure him out. It really is just pure talent. It's remarkable. I didn't think he'd get to this level when we cut him loose. And, he keeps getting better. He could easily overtake Westbrook for the scoring title this year.

There's nothing to figure out. He's extremely quick and has excellent finishing abilities despite his size (which we knew). His game has been taken to another level by the leagues officiating rules that allow offensive players to just jump into defenders for fouls. James Harden has made a career of it. Drive into the lane, jump right into the center and then throw the ball in the air. I don't know why more players don't do it.

 

[Suicide King]

There's nothing to figure out. He's extremely quick and has excellent finishing abilities despite his size (which we knew). His game has been taken to another level by the leagues officiating rules that allow offensive players to just jump into defenders for fouls. James Harden has made a career of it. Drive into the lane, jump right into the center and then throw the ball in the air. I don't know why more players don't do it.

This is the sad but true state of the game. It is a guard's league by far. You can even see it outside the paint. A big shooting a 3 can get hit where as a whisper of contact to a smaller player shooting is a foul, and likely a review to see if it was a flagrant.