[Grades] Grades v. Clippers 11/29/2013

[KingMilz]

1) backcourt defender

2) frontcourt defender/shotblocker up front

Shumpter and Udoh imo are both tradeable for us might have to be a 3 way deal but

 

[mac]

1) backcourt defender

2) frontcourt defender/shotblocker up front

I feel like I've seen these needs before ... maybe the past 3-4 seasons?

 

[chief bromden]

Awesome game to watch in person, and Vivek & Co. are doing a great job filling the place up to near capacity... the ref review seemingly took the energy out of the game - I don't think the Kings scored after that. Their offensive sets were terrible during that stretch though, and I am sure that contributed to the lacking finish.

The fastbreaks that included Derrick Williams were very fun to watch. Cousins is on a different planet this year. IT didn't play much, was that just matchups? He was the only one to shake hands after the game. Vazquez loves getting caught in screens, but made some nice passes too.

Marcus Thornton is terrible, maybe 2 passes on the night. IT vehemently sent his pouty lip across the court on an offensive set in the 1st quarter. I enjoyed that. I am not sure if one teammate said a word to him the whole game aside from that.

Anxious for more trades.

 

[pshn80]

They seem to be the primary ticket sellers for the franchise. They overhype the whole team.

All right with me. You can have your Debbie Downers. Our pair is great.

 

[Rug King]

That was a fun game to watch last night. D. Williams had a better game than I expected to see, especially since it was his first game and was unfamiliar with our plays and players. He should fit in great with this group of young players. I saw progress out there last night and there's no doubt we're getting better.
I'm liking it!

 

[Kingster]

I thought Derrick Williams was very, very good tonight. His athleticism is off the charts, and he was putting in great effort. His shot looks broken - doesn't remotely resemble the stroke he had in Arizona - but I have to believe that is fixable. Maybe even a bit of that can be chalked up to butterflies (which aren't going to affect dunks nearly so much).

And that one-handed lob that he threw down that got called off because of the foul on the floor? I think I woke the neighbors. Wow.

Our shooting coach is going to have some work to do. And I sure hope he's more successful than he's been with Patterson and Thornton so far.

 

[sactownfan]

Our shooting coach is going to have some work to do. And I sure hope he's more successful than he's been with Patterson and Thornton so far.

Well chris jent was lebrons shooting coach. That worked out ok. Haha

 

[John Galt]

holy … efffing … crap! Last night was the best regular season loss I have EVER seen. I had seats under the visitors basket (not my normal ones) and the back to back jams by Derrick Williams were like nothing I'd seen in Arco by a King. I told my wife before half time "I have never seen so many Kings lobs in one game" .. and that was long before Ben and Derrick were done. It was absolutely electric. I nearly shed a tear - Vivek and Co have brought back the old days in terms of energy and atmosphere. And we damn near won. Even in the loss we kept the rivalry simmering… nice and chippy between these two teams. Only IT wanted to hug and kiss with the enemy after this one was over (frankly pissed me off a little… or a lot… he needs to pick a side and if he's trade bait I'll get over it fast)

If you're puzzling over "what is wrong with this team" on a W/L scale I think you are missing the forest for the trees. This team suddenly has a very exciting core with DMC Ben and Williams. Three guys who are absolutely and undeniably fun to watch, working hard every night - everything the regime promised.

God that was just so freaking fantastic last night! We have not one but TWO slam dunk contest type dudes now. It's fun.

 

[pshn80]

holy … efffing … crap! Last night was the best regular season loss I have EVER seen. I had seats under the visitors basket (not my normal ones) and the back to back jams by Derrick Williams were like nothing I'd seen in Arco by a King. I told my wife before half time "I have never seen so many Kings lobs in one game" .. and that was long before Ben and Derrick were done. It was absolutely electric. I nearly shed a tear - Vivek and Co have brought back the old days in terms of energy and atmosphere. And we damn near won. Even in the loss we kept the rivalry simmering… nice and chippy between these two teams. Only IT wanted to hug and kiss with the enemy after this one was over (frankly pissed me off a little… or a lot… he needs to pick a side and if he's trade bait I'll get over it fast)

If you're puzzling over "what is wrong with this team" on a W/L scale I think you are missing the forest for the trees. This team suddenly has a very exciting core with DMC Ben and Williams. Three guys who are absolutely and undeniably fun to watch, working hard every night - everything the regime promised.

God that was just so freaking fantastic last night! We have not one but TWO slam dunk contest type dudes now. It's fun.

I'm pleased that with this first DW game they have set a high standard. Now, if they can keep it up until Christmas I'll be happy.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I thought Derrick Williams was very, very good tonight. His athleticism is off the charts, and he was putting in great effort. His shot looks broken - doesn't remotely resemble the stroke he had in Arizona - but I have to believe that is fixable. Maybe even a bit of that can be chalked up to butterflies (which aren't going to affect dunks nearly so much).

And that one-handed lob that he threw down that got called off because of the foul on the floor? I think I woke the neighbors. Wow.

If you watch it again, one of the most impressive aspects of that play, is how quickly he stopped on a dime and went back the opposite way up to the rim. He was cutting across the floor at near full speed, saw Dudley getting hung up in the pick, threw on the brakes and went right back the other way to the rim and up for the hammer.

Speed, agility, and power

 

[Section 101]

love how none of those amazing dunks were on the SC top 10, yet the boring Lakers ally-oop to Wes Johnson was

Downside of being on the west coast. Most of east coast is asleep before the game is over.

 

[CruzDude]

DWill was amazing for a new player on a new team only 2-days. Loved that athleticism and he and MLM quickly became "The WOW Boys" of our new Kings. When he gets his shot corrected he can be the new "3" for sure with a notch up on defense. And he gave us 12 pts, 6 reb and 4 ast to boot!!!

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

If Williams can continue to gel with the team and get used to his teammates, he will definitely improve (not saying he was bad last night, he was really good!). Solid numbers from him last night. He definitely looks determined to prove the naysayers wrong.

Oh, and this DMC, BMac, DWill core is super fun to watch!

 

[Fear the Putin]

We need to start a McLemore for the dunk contest rally

 

[Glenn]

DWill was amazing for a new player on a new team only 2-days. Loved that athleticism and he and MLM quickly became "The WOW Boys" of our new Kings. When he gets his shot corrected he can be the new "3" for sure with a notch up on defense. And he gave us 12 pts, 6 reb and 4 ast to boot!!!

Fortunately the jump shot is probably the easiest weakness to correct. You can't teach hops and size.

 

[ppine]

The Kings' are now probably one of the most talented losing teams in existence. They were definitely fun to watch. I was surprised that DWil got the start, but it is easy to see why he could convince a coach in a couple of days. The team is downright intimidating on the break. The dunk is always looming now when the Kings play.

Kingster beat me to it though. Would the game have been different with M aM blanketing Crawford?

Cousins continues to be impressive. Last night was his first time at point-center. Not a term you hear much. He did a credible job leading the break several times. There was a play where I think JT made a rebound and Cousins took off with the pass to lead the break. DMC got what 7 assists? He got some blocks and steals. His inside moves on Jordan were a thing of beauty. Cousins has figured how to control himself and the Clippers are always a good test.

Williams taught as all we need to know in one game. The guy has an amazing amount of speed, power and grace. He can handle and is a really good passer. The shot will come back. His presence in the starting lineup seems to fire up Salmons which is hard to do.

BMac will continue to improve. Watching him and DW fly above the rim is very entertaining and impressive. The Kings' will be in some highlight reels.

JT deserves some recognition for his willingness to bang on Griffin last night. He is sore today getting out of bed. JT's offense was tentative but he was anticipating contact which is understandable.

The Kings' need to improve on defense about 5-8 points a game. Just a couple more rebounds and steals. Just a few more well defended shots.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Fortunately the jump shot is probably the easiest weakness to correct. You can't teach hops and size.

Especially when he has already shown the ability to have a good stroke. He was a very good shooter in college..and it didn't appear to be just a lucky hot streak. It's not like he never had the talent to do so...and now we're gonna see if we can develop an outside shot from 'scratch'

 

[Chupacabra]

The stat of the night was free throw attempts. We attempted 10 free throws while they attempted 37. Why so lopsided?

 

[Trueblood]

The stat of the night was free throw attempts. We attempted 10 free throws while they attempted 37. Why so lopsided?

Good question although a lot of it has to do with how much you drive to the hole. While Williams and McLemore are great athletes, they aren't adept at drawing fouls via putting the ball on the floor and taking it to the rack. IT can obviously do that but for a PG, Vasquez isn't lightning quick either and usually settles for a lot of jumpers.

 

[bajaden]

I thought Derrick Williams was very, very good tonight. His athleticism is off the charts, and he was putting in great effort. His shot looks broken - doesn't remotely resemble the stroke he had in Arizona - but I have to believe that is fixable. Maybe even a bit of that can be chalked up to butterflies (which aren't going to affect dunks nearly so much).

And that one-handed lob that he threw down that got called off because of the foul on the floor? I think I woke the neighbors. Wow.

I think it was a combined effort, because I let a very loud Holy S--T that woke up most of Ensenada. That should have been on ESPN highlights, but wasn't. I agree on Williams shot. He was a very good shooter at Arizona, and his shot looks entirely different. Hopefully Jent or Gent, I forget, can help fix it. This is a guy that shot over 50% from the three in college. So I know he's capable. Right now I think its a matter of fixing the mechanic's and rebuilding confidence.

 

[rainmaker]

The stat of the night was free throw attempts. We attempted 10 free throws while they attempted 37. Why so lopsided?

We have a real lack of penetration. IT/Vasquez/MLM/MT/Salmons/Outlaw/PP all prefer settling for jumpers for the most part with MLM being the only one in that bunch who actually attacked the rim a time or two. Those were more in transition that the halfcourt though.

IT/Vasquez don't use screens to attack the paint. When our two main ballhandlers have an inability to attack the paint and even show a great reluctance to do so, the FT attempts will plummet, especially when combined with our two SG's, MLM/MT who don't have the handle necessary to attack the paint off the dribble in the halfcourt. Then we have Salmons/Outlaw who pullup up instead of attack the rim at every opportunity.

I thought Cuz didn't get enough opportunities on the block or 10-12 ft out iso'd against DA where he was effective. Likely would have gotten a few more FT's if he had.

As an aside, quite a debut for Williams. He won't get those lob opportunities every night but his all around game surprised me. Jumper is broken but he did great on the glass, was a presence defensively, had a real impact in the open court in transition and his size/athleticism was clearly an asset. Whether or not he gets those dunks in the future, if he can contribute across the board as he did last night that will benefit this team. I thought his most promising play was not any of the dunks but rather when Cuz was posted up and Williams came slashing hard from the weak side, took one dribble, sought contact and got an +1. That's a dimension we sorely need. An athletic slasher who seeks contact. Cleaning up the glass and pushing it in transition as a willing passer was also a dynamic we need as none of our guards do that.

 

[The_Jamal]

Just watched the game. A lot to be encouraged about with Williams. He had a few problems(his shot mostly), but I don't think you could expect much of a better performance for being with the team for 2 days. What I saw from him was a very willing (and effective) passer, extremely potent in the open court with Ben, a solid defensive effort, and willing to defer to Cousins. He took good shots, just wasn't hitting them tonight (nerves?)

 

[bajaden]

The stat of the night was free throw attempts. We attempted 10 free throws while they attempted 37. Why so lopsided?

Excellent question since we scored a lot of our points in the paint, and they scored most of their points on the perimeter. A wee bit of bias I think.

 

[bajaden]

We have a real lack of penetration. IT/Vasquez/MLM/MT/Salmons/Outlaw/PP all prefer settling for jumpers for the most part with MLM being the only one in that bunch who actually attacked the rim a time or two. Those were more in transition that the halfcourt though.

IT/Vasquez don't use screens to attack the paint. When our two main ballhandlers have an inability to attack the paint and even show a great reluctance to do so, the FT attempts will plummet, especially when combined with our two SG's, MLM/MT who don't have the handle necessary to attack the paint off the dribble in the halfcourt. Then we have Salmons/Outlaw who pullup up instead of attack the rim at every opportunity.

I thought Cuz didn't get enough opportunities on the block or 10-12 ft out iso'd against DA where he was effective. Likely would have gotten a few more FT's if he had.

As an aside, quite a debut for Williams. He won't get those lob opportunities every night but his all around game surprised me. Jumper is broken but he did great on the glass, was a presence defensively, had a real impact in the open court in transition and his size/athleticism was clearly an asset. Whether or not he gets those dunks in the future, if he can contribute across the board as he did last night that will benefit this team. I thought his most promising play was not any of the dunks but rather when Cuz was posted up and Williams came slashing hard from the weak side, took one dribble, sought contact and got an +1. That's a dimension we sorely need. An athletic slasher who seeks contact. Cleaning up the glass and pushing it in transition as a willing passer was also a dynamic we need as none of our guards do that.

While in general, I agree with you. We do tend to settle for jumpers far too often. However, last night we scored a bunch of points in the paint, and didn't get many calls. There were several occasions when Cuz just got hammered, and no call. But then, its Cousins. They on the other hand, scored a lot of points on the perimeter, mostly thanks to Reddic and Crawford, both of whom seem to have some sort of target laser device on their ball, which keeps them from missing a shot. Sometimes I think the beginning of a game can set the tone for the Ref's, and Collison was constantly attacking the basket at the beginning, while Vasquez played matador defense.

Not sure what was going on with IT last night. He looked downright lethargic. He displayed no energy at all.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Just watched the game. A lot to be encouraged about with Williams. He had a few problems(his shot mostly), but I don't think you could expect much of a better performance for being with the team for 2 days. What I saw from him was a very willing (and effective) passer, extremely potent in the open court with Ben, a solid defensive effort, and willing to defer to Cousins. He took good shots, just wasn't hitting them tonight (nerves?)

Good point. He was pumped up to the max for his new start. Not usually a recipe for a good shooting night, but on other hand, can be a recipe for being a monster against the glass, which he was

 

[bajaden]

If you watch it again, one of the most impressive aspects of that play, is how quickly he stopped on a dime and went back the opposite way up to the rim. He was cutting across the floor at near full speed, saw Dudley getting hung up in the pick, threw on the brakes and went right back the other way to the rim and up for the hammer.

Speed, agility, and power

Yep, that was on the repeat of the dunk. That alone showed of his incredible athleticism. Dudley had zero answer for Williams, and I noticed that Dudley didn't do much offensively with Williams on him either. Yeah, I know, Dudley isn't Melo. Just saying...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

All right with me. You can have your Debbie Downers. Our pair is great.

I didn't realize that there was no middle ground between "unrepentant corporate shill" and "Debbie Downer." G-Man sure as hell somehow manages to be one of the best in the business without washing these guys' feet every game; I wonder what his secret is?

 

[The_Jamal]

Yep, that was on the repeat of the dunk. That alone showed of his incredible athleticism. Dudley had zero answer for Williams, and I noticed that Dudley didn't do much offensively with Williams on him either. Yeah, I know, Dudley isn't Melo. Just saying...

That's the thing with the SF position. If you can close out on the shooter, the SF position does not have many people who can hurt you, outside of the top 3 or 4 guys. And they destroy everyone. Thought Williams did a great job at doing that against Dudley as he only had 5pts on 2-5 shooting

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Downside of being on the west coast. Most of east coast is asleep before the game is over.

I'm not going to sit here and join the "I hate the east coast" train but, seriously, what's the point of having a 24-hour sports network if they don't want to cover any games that start after nine o'clock?

 

[pshn80]

I didn't realize that there was no middle ground between "unrepentant corporate shill" and "Debbie Downer." G-Man sure as hell somehow manages to be one of the best in the business without washing these guys' feet every game; I wonder what his secret is?

I love the Jerry Reynolds Schlick even though it embarasses me a bit from time to time. I have a great deal of respect for anything he has to say. Is that clearer?