Well, they took us out behind the woodshed. Great defensive teams can be fun to watch...unless you are playing them. Cousins was the ultimate one man gang, the only guy on the entire team who looked like his talent allowed him to be himself in the face of that defense. Not nearly enough though, and any chance it would be was squirreled away by the genius coach who shortened the rotations all the way down to only 13 guys tonight, and didn't play the only guy on the team doing jack at all in the final 5 minutes with the Grizz lead hovering at a remotely doable 10-12.
16 is only borderline girls territory, but it was certainly ugly and frustrating enough to be 30, and tommorow its a back to back and I need something quick.
Grading Consortium is still
Bricklayer
Bajaden
Capt. Factorial
Boxscore
Stats: 31min 6pts (3-6, 0-1, 0-0) 4reb 2ast 2stl 3blk 2TO
Salmons ( D+ ) -- I tried hard to talk myself into a C -, but in good concience, I just can't. He didn't score a point in the first half. He played good defense on Gay, who did score a couple of baskets, but they were well contested. He also turned the ball over a couple of times. He blocked a shot, but all in all, it was a very unproductive half. He started off the second half right where he left off the first, by missing a 3 pt shot. Finally, at the 4:55 mark of the 3rd, he scored a basket. He followed that with a pullup on the right side of the key for two points. He finished by making a tough drive to the basket through traffic for a layup. So he gave us zero in the first, and helped the team stay close for a while in the 2nd half. And thats about it. John had a lot of company, but that doesn't help his grade. --Baja
Stats: 21min 3pts (1-6, 0-0, 1-2) 4reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Thompson ( D ) -- his start was more invisible than terrible, but still the struggle continues. Just a night and day snap where his whole game abruptly got out of rhtyhm, and if up until two weeks ago he was always in the right place at the right time, suddenly he has mastered the art of always being in the wrong place. Shot over by Speights a few times early, threw up a wild post attempt, and still no glasswork, which is just an ongoing theme with him right now --its been 7 games since our starting PF grabbed more than 4 rebounds. Ponder that for a moment. Did come up with a real good hustle board late in the half eventually leading to a score, but then missed the wide open jumper we needed as part of the theme of the night -- his attempts were rarely as easy as they looked like they were going to be, and even when they were, he missed them.--Brick
Stats: 38min 22pts (9-19, 0-0, 4-6) 12reb 1ast 2stl 1blk 3TO
Cousins ( B+ ) -- somebody in this thread suggested Cousins should get a lone point of light bonus for this one, and that's exactly what I did with this grade He might literally have been the only reason we scored more than 50 so distressingly awful was just about everyone else, but after some early wobbles looking awkward going at Gasol, he began to find ways to be productive, and by the second half he was the one and only King who was in control of his matchup and game. Repeatedly showed those great hands on the boards, and swiped away a great steal in the final minute of the half to start a break (that IT managed to blow with a selfish play). Began the third with a flurry of scores again with a spinning move in the open court, a long jumper and a tip follow on a missed Chuck FT, and deserves a lot of credit for basically being a one man gang out there as we made our only real push. Picked up his 5th foulon a charge call with 6 minutes to go in the game, and Smart took advantage of the opportunity to throw the match. Cousins scores 22pts on a night when nobody else got more than 9 (and even that nine was accomplished in garbagetime). He grabbed 12 rebounds on a night when nobody else other than Reke (also benched) grabbed more than 4. He absolutely carried us to any remote chance we could possibly have in this one. So of course he never returned as we went down with scarcely a wimper. We may need a new phrase for these events. Traditionally you could be outsmarted. We however keep on just being Smarted. --Brick
Stats: 28min 8pts (3-10, 0-0, 2-2) 7reb 0ast 0stl 1blk 4TO
Evans ( D ) -- basically got his butt kicked tonight by an inspired Tony Allen (who was extremely impressive) and a swarming Memphis defense. Got smothered early, and driven out of rhythm. Threw a terrible turnover with a pass 5 feet over his target's head, and a random pullup airballed jumper to help us set our feeble offensive tone. First score was off the ball when Cousins found him. Returned and forced a tough tough high rainbow jumper over an outstretched Allen that fell. Tried to force a drive just to get a hoop before the Grizz got the halfcourt defense set, but their defense was everywhere and Allen was constantly on his hip even when he got half a step. In the early third jumped in the air to hit Cousins on a pick and roll -- one of the plays that has worked very well for us for weeks -- but Memphis smothered it again and picked off the pass. At least found a way to help a little as he started wading back on the defensive glass as the only King to give Big Cuz any support back there. Thought he was just starting to play a little more smootly, to figure out what he could and could not do against the Grizz, in the late third as we showed a faint pulse, but was replaced for the 4th and never returned. Will say this -- of all of our various fails tonight I think Reke had the biggest excuse. Memphis sicced Tony Allen on him all night long, and Allen was every bit the All Defense Team Member this time out. Not sure Reke had one good look or one open lane all night long. --Brick
Stats: 29min 9pts (4-12, 0-2, 1-2) 0reb 5ast 2stl 0blk 1TO
Thomas ( D ) -- On a night when the Kings' guards were downright terrible, Isaiah Thomas had two things going for him. For one, he made a few nice passes. He ended up with 5 assists, including a few nice ones in transition and a beautiful wrap-around to JJ on a drive. Even so, he was getting into a habit early in the first quarter of forcing the ball upcourt to Salmons as if John was going to go one-on-four, and a couple of times it was nearly picked off. The second thing IT had going for him was his drive. In addition to the wraparound to JJ, Thomas was able to get to the rack and convert four times and his game (and the Kings' offense) looked better on his drives than at any other time. But IT's jumper was way off tonight, and when he passed the ball around the perimeter the offense simply stalled out. On the defensive end, he couldn't stay in front of anybody. Conley? Kept blowing by him. Bayless? Kept blowing by him. Allen? Left him open for an uncontested jumper literally 10 seconds after coming off the bench. The Grizz scored 10 points on 11 shots against IT, but that's only because Conley kept missing layups and open shots. Passes after guys broke free from IT resulted in who knows how many more points. And the saddest thing of all? Thomas was by far the best player I had the privilege of grading tonight. --Capt.
16 is only borderline girls territory, but it was certainly ugly and frustrating enough to be 30, and tommorow its a back to back and I need something quick.
Grading Consortium is still
Bricklayer
Bajaden
Capt. Factorial
Boxscore
Stats: 31min 6pts (3-6, 0-1, 0-0) 4reb 2ast 2stl 3blk 2TO
Salmons ( D+ ) -- I tried hard to talk myself into a C -, but in good concience, I just can't. He didn't score a point in the first half. He played good defense on Gay, who did score a couple of baskets, but they were well contested. He also turned the ball over a couple of times. He blocked a shot, but all in all, it was a very unproductive half. He started off the second half right where he left off the first, by missing a 3 pt shot. Finally, at the 4:55 mark of the 3rd, he scored a basket. He followed that with a pullup on the right side of the key for two points. He finished by making a tough drive to the basket through traffic for a layup. So he gave us zero in the first, and helped the team stay close for a while in the 2nd half. And thats about it. John had a lot of company, but that doesn't help his grade. --Baja
Stats: 21min 3pts (1-6, 0-0, 1-2) 4reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Thompson ( D ) -- his start was more invisible than terrible, but still the struggle continues. Just a night and day snap where his whole game abruptly got out of rhtyhm, and if up until two weeks ago he was always in the right place at the right time, suddenly he has mastered the art of always being in the wrong place. Shot over by Speights a few times early, threw up a wild post attempt, and still no glasswork, which is just an ongoing theme with him right now --its been 7 games since our starting PF grabbed more than 4 rebounds. Ponder that for a moment. Did come up with a real good hustle board late in the half eventually leading to a score, but then missed the wide open jumper we needed as part of the theme of the night -- his attempts were rarely as easy as they looked like they were going to be, and even when they were, he missed them.--Brick
Stats: 38min 22pts (9-19, 0-0, 4-6) 12reb 1ast 2stl 1blk 3TO
Cousins ( B+ ) -- somebody in this thread suggested Cousins should get a lone point of light bonus for this one, and that's exactly what I did with this grade He might literally have been the only reason we scored more than 50 so distressingly awful was just about everyone else, but after some early wobbles looking awkward going at Gasol, he began to find ways to be productive, and by the second half he was the one and only King who was in control of his matchup and game. Repeatedly showed those great hands on the boards, and swiped away a great steal in the final minute of the half to start a break (that IT managed to blow with a selfish play). Began the third with a flurry of scores again with a spinning move in the open court, a long jumper and a tip follow on a missed Chuck FT, and deserves a lot of credit for basically being a one man gang out there as we made our only real push. Picked up his 5th foulon a charge call with 6 minutes to go in the game, and Smart took advantage of the opportunity to throw the match. Cousins scores 22pts on a night when nobody else got more than 9 (and even that nine was accomplished in garbagetime). He grabbed 12 rebounds on a night when nobody else other than Reke (also benched) grabbed more than 4. He absolutely carried us to any remote chance we could possibly have in this one. So of course he never returned as we went down with scarcely a wimper. We may need a new phrase for these events. Traditionally you could be outsmarted. We however keep on just being Smarted. --Brick
Stats: 28min 8pts (3-10, 0-0, 2-2) 7reb 0ast 0stl 1blk 4TO
Evans ( D ) -- basically got his butt kicked tonight by an inspired Tony Allen (who was extremely impressive) and a swarming Memphis defense. Got smothered early, and driven out of rhythm. Threw a terrible turnover with a pass 5 feet over his target's head, and a random pullup airballed jumper to help us set our feeble offensive tone. First score was off the ball when Cousins found him. Returned and forced a tough tough high rainbow jumper over an outstretched Allen that fell. Tried to force a drive just to get a hoop before the Grizz got the halfcourt defense set, but their defense was everywhere and Allen was constantly on his hip even when he got half a step. In the early third jumped in the air to hit Cousins on a pick and roll -- one of the plays that has worked very well for us for weeks -- but Memphis smothered it again and picked off the pass. At least found a way to help a little as he started wading back on the defensive glass as the only King to give Big Cuz any support back there. Thought he was just starting to play a little more smootly, to figure out what he could and could not do against the Grizz, in the late third as we showed a faint pulse, but was replaced for the 4th and never returned. Will say this -- of all of our various fails tonight I think Reke had the biggest excuse. Memphis sicced Tony Allen on him all night long, and Allen was every bit the All Defense Team Member this time out. Not sure Reke had one good look or one open lane all night long. --Brick
Stats: 29min 9pts (4-12, 0-2, 1-2) 0reb 5ast 2stl 0blk 1TO
Thomas ( D ) -- On a night when the Kings' guards were downright terrible, Isaiah Thomas had two things going for him. For one, he made a few nice passes. He ended up with 5 assists, including a few nice ones in transition and a beautiful wrap-around to JJ on a drive. Even so, he was getting into a habit early in the first quarter of forcing the ball upcourt to Salmons as if John was going to go one-on-four, and a couple of times it was nearly picked off. The second thing IT had going for him was his drive. In addition to the wraparound to JJ, Thomas was able to get to the rack and convert four times and his game (and the Kings' offense) looked better on his drives than at any other time. But IT's jumper was way off tonight, and when he passed the ball around the perimeter the offense simply stalled out. On the defensive end, he couldn't stay in front of anybody. Conley? Kept blowing by him. Bayless? Kept blowing by him. Allen? Left him open for an uncontested jumper literally 10 seconds after coming off the bench. The Grizz scored 10 points on 11 shots against IT, but that's only because Conley kept missing layups and open shots. Passes after guys broke free from IT resulted in who knows how many more points. And the saddest thing of all? Thomas was by far the best player I had the privilege of grading tonight. --Capt.
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but still...
