Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Grrf...a dreary glorified scrimmage that suddenly morphed into a double OT war of attrition resulting in failure. But on the other hand we finally got to see the kids play, so it wasn't a complete loss.
Francisco Garcia ( C ) -- 42min 12pts (6-13 FG, 0-2 3pt, 0-3FT) 5reb 5ast 0stl 1blk 0TO
With Ron up to his old tricks again, got the surprise start and it seemed like a golden opportunity for him to reestablish some confidence. Didn't do much with it early however, and was largely sleepwalking with the rest of the team. Some low level all around productivity, but no real spark. Appeared to tweak something in the mid 4th, but Reggie refused to pull him, and when he finally did, almost immediately put him back in. Continued to hobble around out there, although like many NBA players all of a sudden the hobble wasn't so noticeable when it came time to get a shot opportunity. Both Cisco and Salmons disappointed tonight. With a perfect opportunity to reprove that starting = production, neither one came up with much of anything playing against an opponent who just screamed out to be beaten.
Mikki Moore ( A- ) -- 40min 20pts (7-9 FG, 0-0 3pt, 6-8 FT) 5reb 4ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Actually a difficult grade given the timing of the production here. Gott off to the hot start, and had 10 first quarter points. And with that FG% you would think the normal cut to the hoop, get hit in the chest with the ball, dunk, game. And there was some of that. But it was also raining Mikki Moore jumpers and it was comical how aghast the Clippers were at being slapped around by Mikki Moore. Finished the first half with 16 as virtually the only player on either side who could really go into the break with his head held high. Continued into the early third as our new goto stud, but then is when the grade got difficult. Got very quiet in the late game, and in the first OT missed 1 of 2 FTs in the final minute to open the door for the Clips to tie it. Along the way it was hard not to notice that while he was scoring like Carlos Boozer, he was still rebounding like Mikki Moore, which is to say he gave us one more than Dan Dickau. Noentheless, as is often the case in Mikki's grades, hey, it was Mikki freakin' Moore doing this. And you get Mikki Moore to be your dominant offensive player for a half, any half, good grades are naturally going to follow.
Brad Miller ( D ) -- 34min 7pts (3-8 FG, 0-2 3pt, 1-2 FT) 6reb 5ast 0stl 1blk 3TO
A game in which Brad gavce us next to nothing...besides trouble late. In the very early going repeatedly set up Mikki to help get off on his nightly dominance, but slwoed dramatically as did the pace of an ugly passionless game. Basically gave way to Spenser for the enitre second quarter as the game unexpectedly took on a training camp play the kids feel. Was back after the break, but gave us nothing in the third, and may have just been going through the motions out there. Had an airball just fall in his hands on the offensive glass with about 4 minutes to go, and finished it. Was mysteriously dubbed our late game gotot guy to disastrous results. Got to take the last shot on a lumbering drive, but for the millionth time this season a King goes in there looking for the foul and at the buzzer rather than just trying to put up a clean shot, and no, they aren't going to call that. And replays show they really shouldn't have anyway -- Brad created the contact and the shot was blocked. Was back again to mysteriously be the intended target for Beno on our final play of the first OT, where somehow one or the other of them had some miscommunication, and Beno drove and kickd the ball to Brad in the corner...except that Brad was no longer in the corner and had charged toward the paint either looking for a pass on the cut or an offensive rebound if Beno missed. Fun was just beginning as Brad and a similarly grumpy and unfocused Kaman starting flailing about and each got called for flagrant fouls (NEITHER of which really should have been called sicne they were plays on the ball. After the one on Kaman Brad responded by only hitting 1 of 2 FTs, and then topping it off by bricking a long jumper. And then of course after Brad's, he then "helped" us in classic Brad fashion by losing his temper, racking up another intentional foul (not called flagrant but easily could have been) and helping give the game away in the the 2nd OT.
John Salmons ( C- ) -- 53min 13pts (4-14 FG, 0-2 3pt, 5-5FT) 6reb 3ast 2stl 0blk 2TO
You would have thought that back as starter = back to competence, but struggled early and by the middle of the 4th was working on a single digit scoring game. Kind of woke up a bit forus at that point, and for about 4 or 5 minutes in the late game pretty much was our offense. But was also into full Ron imitation -- no pass no how and forcing up utter trash just to be able to say he shot. was better than the nothing being offeredd by nearly everybody else, but whether he was truly helping is debatebale. Was not the guy we looked to down the stretch, and was almost completely AWOL in the OTs. Played 53minutes tonight. Hit 4 shots in that time. Gets a little bit of grade push for often being the guy guarding Maggette, who got his points in the end but took a lot of shots to get there.
Francisco Garcia ( C ) -- 42min 12pts (6-13 FG, 0-2 3pt, 0-3FT) 5reb 5ast 0stl 1blk 0TO
With Ron up to his old tricks again, got the surprise start and it seemed like a golden opportunity for him to reestablish some confidence. Didn't do much with it early however, and was largely sleepwalking with the rest of the team. Some low level all around productivity, but no real spark. Appeared to tweak something in the mid 4th, but Reggie refused to pull him, and when he finally did, almost immediately put him back in. Continued to hobble around out there, although like many NBA players all of a sudden the hobble wasn't so noticeable when it came time to get a shot opportunity. Both Cisco and Salmons disappointed tonight. With a perfect opportunity to reprove that starting = production, neither one came up with much of anything playing against an opponent who just screamed out to be beaten.
Mikki Moore ( A- ) -- 40min 20pts (7-9 FG, 0-0 3pt, 6-8 FT) 5reb 4ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Actually a difficult grade given the timing of the production here. Gott off to the hot start, and had 10 first quarter points. And with that FG% you would think the normal cut to the hoop, get hit in the chest with the ball, dunk, game. And there was some of that. But it was also raining Mikki Moore jumpers and it was comical how aghast the Clippers were at being slapped around by Mikki Moore. Finished the first half with 16 as virtually the only player on either side who could really go into the break with his head held high. Continued into the early third as our new goto stud, but then is when the grade got difficult. Got very quiet in the late game, and in the first OT missed 1 of 2 FTs in the final minute to open the door for the Clips to tie it. Along the way it was hard not to notice that while he was scoring like Carlos Boozer, he was still rebounding like Mikki Moore, which is to say he gave us one more than Dan Dickau. Noentheless, as is often the case in Mikki's grades, hey, it was Mikki freakin' Moore doing this. And you get Mikki Moore to be your dominant offensive player for a half, any half, good grades are naturally going to follow.
Brad Miller ( D ) -- 34min 7pts (3-8 FG, 0-2 3pt, 1-2 FT) 6reb 5ast 0stl 1blk 3TO
A game in which Brad gavce us next to nothing...besides trouble late. In the very early going repeatedly set up Mikki to help get off on his nightly dominance, but slwoed dramatically as did the pace of an ugly passionless game. Basically gave way to Spenser for the enitre second quarter as the game unexpectedly took on a training camp play the kids feel. Was back after the break, but gave us nothing in the third, and may have just been going through the motions out there. Had an airball just fall in his hands on the offensive glass with about 4 minutes to go, and finished it. Was mysteriously dubbed our late game gotot guy to disastrous results. Got to take the last shot on a lumbering drive, but for the millionth time this season a King goes in there looking for the foul and at the buzzer rather than just trying to put up a clean shot, and no, they aren't going to call that. And replays show they really shouldn't have anyway -- Brad created the contact and the shot was blocked. Was back again to mysteriously be the intended target for Beno on our final play of the first OT, where somehow one or the other of them had some miscommunication, and Beno drove and kickd the ball to Brad in the corner...except that Brad was no longer in the corner and had charged toward the paint either looking for a pass on the cut or an offensive rebound if Beno missed. Fun was just beginning as Brad and a similarly grumpy and unfocused Kaman starting flailing about and each got called for flagrant fouls (NEITHER of which really should have been called sicne they were plays on the ball. After the one on Kaman Brad responded by only hitting 1 of 2 FTs, and then topping it off by bricking a long jumper. And then of course after Brad's, he then "helped" us in classic Brad fashion by losing his temper, racking up another intentional foul (not called flagrant but easily could have been) and helping give the game away in the the 2nd OT.
John Salmons ( C- ) -- 53min 13pts (4-14 FG, 0-2 3pt, 5-5FT) 6reb 3ast 2stl 0blk 2TO
You would have thought that back as starter = back to competence, but struggled early and by the middle of the 4th was working on a single digit scoring game. Kind of woke up a bit forus at that point, and for about 4 or 5 minutes in the late game pretty much was our offense. But was also into full Ron imitation -- no pass no how and forcing up utter trash just to be able to say he shot. was better than the nothing being offeredd by nearly everybody else, but whether he was truly helping is debatebale. Was not the guy we looked to down the stretch, and was almost completely AWOL in the OTs. Played 53minutes tonight. Hit 4 shots in that time. Gets a little bit of grade push for often being the guy guarding Maggette, who got his points in the end but took a lot of shots to get there.
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