[Grades] Grades v. Hawks 11/05/2013
- Thread starter Bricklayer
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Got to go to the game tonight. Here are my quick thoughts: First quarter defense was better than I'd seen in a few years. BUT Kings seemed to have forgotten how to do it for two quarters and kinda did it again for a little bit in the the fourth. For awhile it seemed like they couldn't buy a shot and the rim seemed to have shrank. I love lower level seats, wish I had season tickets. Vasquez was doing good but seemed to think he was the only one on the team at times. IT is quicker than most of the team and it leads to issues sometimes. McLemore was the high scorer in the first. Time outs were used well by the coach.
K
This is the softest team I have seen in a long time, outside of IT zero toughness, Cousins after 4 years still taking shots he has zero chance of making, the PF's can't defend, neither can anyone really I mean Teague was playing against ghosts. Other than Mclemore it's not looking good, the lack of mental toughness is a major concern that's a team we should beat. It seems like similar to last year good preseason and terrible regular season.
There is right and wrong way to play if you don't want to play to your strengths and take care of the ball I don't care who you are I don't want to watch you. Atlanta while they lack size and talent simply compete and play smart while playing to there strengths it's something the Kings could learn.
We can't defend team's we don't have the personal to do it and the majority of them don't even put all that much effort into it. Can't believe I got my hopes up again smh. I can accept losing when you play and give your all but that tonight outside IT was not the case. Horford tonight showed why he's a elite big man rather than one with just potential that teases you.
There is right and wrong way to play if you don't want to play to your strengths and take care of the ball I don't care who you are I don't want to watch you. Atlanta while they lack size and talent simply compete and play smart while playing to there strengths it's something the Kings could learn.
We can't defend team's we don't have the personal to do it and the majority of them don't even put all that much effort into it. Can't believe I got my hopes up again smh. I can accept losing when you play and give your all but that tonight outside IT was not the case. Horford tonight showed why he's a elite big man rather than one with just potential that teases you.
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C
McLemore played great on both ends of the floor, and was the only one playing composed and produced in that dreaded 2nd and 3rd quarter. He was consistent all night before bumping his knee in the 4th and had to sit. IT was good in the 4th, but he was dreadful earlier on, played with a tunnel vision 3/4 of the game.
S
Im 100% over this Grevis is the PG of the future or now talk. He is just killing this whole team with his total lack of ability to defend. IM GONNA SAY IT!!! JIMMER IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER DEFENDER THAN GREVIS AT THIS POINT! I don't want to see him on this team next year. I don't wanna see anyone that defends like that on this team next year. just terrible.
This is what happens when you declare a mental midget (DMC) as your "leader" and the player you're going to build around. I guess they had no choice really other than to trade him since he is the best player on the team. I'm just not seeing much different from him this year. It's painfully obvious his teammates don't like playing with him. He's just not a leader.
I feel really bad for Coach Malone. He's a heck of a coach. I know he knew the of the mess he inherited but it must be so frustrating when 4 of your 5 starters would be bench players on most NBA teams. Thank God for McLemore. He's fun to watch. Other than that, they might be the most uninspiring and boring team in the league to watch.
I feel really bad for Coach Malone. He's a heck of a coach. I know he knew the of the mess he inherited but it must be so frustrating when 4 of your 5 starters would be bench players on most NBA teams. Thank God for McLemore. He's fun to watch. Other than that, they might be the most uninspiring and boring team in the league to watch.
I suppose I can only say this because I'm not watching the games right now, but I think the results so far are more positive than negative. Cousins has had two great games and two mediocre ones (one of which was a back-to-back road game). IT is most definitely a real asset, whether it's going to be as a long-term rotation player for us or as a trade chip. And McLemore is off to a very good start. Nobody should really be shocked that Vasquez is terrible defensively or that Salmons plays more empty minutes than any player in the league. There were huge samples of data already to support those conclusions. If, as they in movies, directing is 90% casting then the basketball season is 90% done when you've assembled your roster and chosen your coaching staff. The rest is injuries and luck. Most of this present roster is a short-term rental anyway. Why worry about players not playing well who are going to be someone else's problem in a couple years, maybe even a couple months?
man, it's good to see the knee-jerk effect is still a kf.com staple. after a stellar home opener and a very solid second game, DMC can do no wrong. after a couple of tough matchups, he's now a "mental midget" again, and "a second option," to boot...
anybody expecting demarcus to play and behave at superstar levels consistently has been fooling themselves. he plays one of the toughest positions in the nba, and he was never going to shake every stigma ever associated with him overnight. it's a process. and while it's crucial that he takes the next step, that he inches much closer to stardom, it's still going to be an up-and-down season for demarcus with little help on a losing team...
one of the greatest problems currently plaguing these kings is greivis vasquez. they brought in the vaunted "pass-first PG" to help set DMC up for success, to make his life easier on offense, but vasquez's defense has been so matador-level atrocious that his relief off the bench, the defensively-challenged isaiah thomas, is logging more minutes than vasquez on a regular basis...
thomas, while a super-sixth man as a scorer and energizer bunny, is not a natural playmaker. he was not terribly effective last season at getting the ball to demarcus, and that doesn't appear to have changed much. why would it? IT is inclined to score. he's a capable passer, but his style of play is geared towards creating for himself. he clashes with our plans for DMC in the starting lineup, rather than complementing DMC in the starting lineup, though coach malone may feel he has no choice past a certain point, and eventually elects to give thomas the starting nod in favor of vasquez...
i've been positive on vasquez thus far, seeing the potential impact of his play on demarcus cousins' success. he has exceptional size for a PG, and superior court vision. he knows how to find his teammates where they want the ball, and appears to have a mastery of the mid-range floater, something the kings haven't seen much of since mike bibby's prime. BUT his defense presents a very serious problem. his lack of athleticism and inability to use his size to his advantage on the more important side of the ball are greater hindrances than even i could have foreseen. i'm not sure if it's just that he hasn't fully recovered from his injury yet, but he may very well be the worst defender on the team, and that's quite the accomplishment, considering how poor the kings' defensive acumen is across the board...
i'm only casually familiar with the quality of the upcoming draft class, but it would appear that andrew wiggins and jabari parker have impact player potential as "SF's of the future," and it would appear that marcus smart and dante exum have impact player potential as "PG's of the future." the SF position in sacramento has been a major vacancy for nearly a decade, so wiggins/parker make a great deal of sense for a team that may lose enough games to draft one of them. however, if vasquez does not find a way to play at least halfway-competent defense against a league that's getting quicker and more versatile at the PG position, then smart/exum also make a great deal of sense for a team that may lose enough games to draft one of them. either way, while i'm not quite so prone to the knee-jerk effect, it's as clear as day that this roster is going nowhere as constructed, and i've never been more certain that the kings should tastefully "tank" this season (as in, not playing to lose, but creating lineups that favor development over competitiveness)...
thornton, salmons, patterson, hayes, outlaw, fredette... these names represent the collective mediocrity of the sacramento kings, names who may very well no longer be associated with this team come june. step back from it for a moment: that's a lotta names; that's HALF the roster. these players could be traded tomorrow and it would more than likely result in addition-by-subtraction, if not a direct impact to the kings' win total. even if they're not traded tomorrow, vasquez, salmons, patterson, and fredette are all on expiring deals. thornton, hayes, and outlaw are free agents the offseason after next. jimmerfans aside, how many here at kf.com would be sad to see any of them leave? vasquez, maybe, if he picks up his effort on defense. other than that, i don't see a future in sacramento for these mediocre talents, so why pretend like they should be leading the kings to win-after-win-after-win? this season is about demarcus cousins' potential for sustained dominance, isaiah thomas' rise up the sixth man ranks, ben mclemore's development, and team-wide competency on the defensive side of the ball. it's not about wins. in fact, as it turns out, every loss is useful, particularly the close ones...
anybody expecting demarcus to play and behave at superstar levels consistently has been fooling themselves. he plays one of the toughest positions in the nba, and he was never going to shake every stigma ever associated with him overnight. it's a process. and while it's crucial that he takes the next step, that he inches much closer to stardom, it's still going to be an up-and-down season for demarcus with little help on a losing team...
one of the greatest problems currently plaguing these kings is greivis vasquez. they brought in the vaunted "pass-first PG" to help set DMC up for success, to make his life easier on offense, but vasquez's defense has been so matador-level atrocious that his relief off the bench, the defensively-challenged isaiah thomas, is logging more minutes than vasquez on a regular basis...
thomas, while a super-sixth man as a scorer and energizer bunny, is not a natural playmaker. he was not terribly effective last season at getting the ball to demarcus, and that doesn't appear to have changed much. why would it? IT is inclined to score. he's a capable passer, but his style of play is geared towards creating for himself. he clashes with our plans for DMC in the starting lineup, rather than complementing DMC in the starting lineup, though coach malone may feel he has no choice past a certain point, and eventually elects to give thomas the starting nod in favor of vasquez...
i've been positive on vasquez thus far, seeing the potential impact of his play on demarcus cousins' success. he has exceptional size for a PG, and superior court vision. he knows how to find his teammates where they want the ball, and appears to have a mastery of the mid-range floater, something the kings haven't seen much of since mike bibby's prime. BUT his defense presents a very serious problem. his lack of athleticism and inability to use his size to his advantage on the more important side of the ball are greater hindrances than even i could have foreseen. i'm not sure if it's just that he hasn't fully recovered from his injury yet, but he may very well be the worst defender on the team, and that's quite the accomplishment, considering how poor the kings' defensive acumen is across the board...
i'm only casually familiar with the quality of the upcoming draft class, but it would appear that andrew wiggins and jabari parker have impact player potential as "SF's of the future," and it would appear that marcus smart and dante exum have impact player potential as "PG's of the future." the SF position in sacramento has been a major vacancy for nearly a decade, so wiggins/parker make a great deal of sense for a team that may lose enough games to draft one of them. however, if vasquez does not find a way to play at least halfway-competent defense against a league that's getting quicker and more versatile at the PG position, then smart/exum also make a great deal of sense for a team that may lose enough games to draft one of them. either way, while i'm not quite so prone to the knee-jerk effect, it's as clear as day that this roster is going nowhere as constructed, and i've never been more certain that the kings should tastefully "tank" this season (as in, not playing to lose, but creating lineups that favor development over competitiveness)...
thornton, salmons, patterson, hayes, outlaw, fredette... these names represent the collective mediocrity of the sacramento kings, names who may very well no longer be associated with this team come june. step back from it for a moment: that's a lotta names; that's HALF the roster. these players could be traded tomorrow and it would more than likely result in addition-by-subtraction, if not a direct impact to the kings' win total. even if they're not traded tomorrow, vasquez, salmons, patterson, and fredette are all on expiring deals. thornton, hayes, and outlaw are free agents the offseason after next. jimmerfans aside, how many here at kf.com would be sad to see any of them leave? vasquez, maybe, if he picks up his effort on defense. other than that, i don't see a future in sacramento for these mediocre talents, so why pretend like they should be leading the kings to win-after-win-after-win? this season is about demarcus cousins' potential for sustained dominance, isaiah thomas' rise up the sixth man ranks, ben mclemore's development, and team-wide competency on the defensive side of the ball. it's not about wins. in fact, as it turns out, every loss is useful, particularly the close ones...
1. McLemore looks to be a real talent. Size. Speed and burst. Great looking jumpshot. I think the comparison to a Ray Allen type is apt. He has the potential to be an excellent shooting guard. And it looks like he isn't a head-case. So he has that going for him as well. Best player on the Kings.
2. The Cousins makeover has officially been exposed as nothing of the sort. He was back to his usual tricks last night. Moping, crying, lazy. This isn't about maturity so much as it is about character. He's not a high-character player. He's not a winner. When things don't go his way he becomes a real detriment to his team. Hard to build an unselfish hustling team when you have this guy as your franchise cornerstone. Can he learn character? We'll see. But increasingly there has to be the sense that he is what he is. The other night in the broadcast they said that Cousins is the 3rd worst shooter in the NBA outside of 15 feet, and he took something like 6 shots from that distance per game last year. (!!!!!). Want to end the hucking and chucking ways of the Kings? Look to your leader. Also, while Cousins has a lot of strength, explosive athleticism is not one of them. And we saw last night how Horford, though undersized, could actually blocks Cousins shot and alter other shots. Bad matchup for him. He has to know what his strengths and weaknesses are, and adjust accordingly with the matchup.
3. Vasquez was awful. And you could tell from his hang-dog look that he knew last night was an awful performance. About his defense, let's be fair about one thing. Teague might be the fastest PG in the NBA. We all knew going in this was a terrible matchup for Vasquez. But even in offense Vasquez looked lost. Some careless turnovers. I'd never seen Vasquez play before this season, so I had nothing to go on. But I just look at his arms and shoulders. The guy has no definition. He looks like he just walked onto the floor after working his shift at Best Buy. I wonder if he has really put the work into his body that he needs to. But again, let's be fair to Vasquez. He's being asked to run a team of broken parts. He's the conductor of an orchestra that is more tin cans and old tires than it is violins and cellos and trumpets. What exactly is this offense, and what is he supposed to do? Just feed it into Cousins and watch him act like he's never seen a double-team before?
4. As I alluded to in my IT thread, there is no one on the Kings that is a real force multiplier. No one that is so good that he makes everyone else better by extension. I think you'll see some of these spare parts do better when they go to other teams. Just like many of them did better before they arrived here. Right now there is not demonstrably an actual team in the classic sense of the word.
2. The Cousins makeover has officially been exposed as nothing of the sort. He was back to his usual tricks last night. Moping, crying, lazy. This isn't about maturity so much as it is about character. He's not a high-character player. He's not a winner. When things don't go his way he becomes a real detriment to his team. Hard to build an unselfish hustling team when you have this guy as your franchise cornerstone. Can he learn character? We'll see. But increasingly there has to be the sense that he is what he is. The other night in the broadcast they said that Cousins is the 3rd worst shooter in the NBA outside of 15 feet, and he took something like 6 shots from that distance per game last year. (!!!!!). Want to end the hucking and chucking ways of the Kings? Look to your leader. Also, while Cousins has a lot of strength, explosive athleticism is not one of them. And we saw last night how Horford, though undersized, could actually blocks Cousins shot and alter other shots. Bad matchup for him. He has to know what his strengths and weaknesses are, and adjust accordingly with the matchup.
3. Vasquez was awful. And you could tell from his hang-dog look that he knew last night was an awful performance. About his defense, let's be fair about one thing. Teague might be the fastest PG in the NBA. We all knew going in this was a terrible matchup for Vasquez. But even in offense Vasquez looked lost. Some careless turnovers. I'd never seen Vasquez play before this season, so I had nothing to go on. But I just look at his arms and shoulders. The guy has no definition. He looks like he just walked onto the floor after working his shift at Best Buy. I wonder if he has really put the work into his body that he needs to. But again, let's be fair to Vasquez. He's being asked to run a team of broken parts. He's the conductor of an orchestra that is more tin cans and old tires than it is violins and cellos and trumpets. What exactly is this offense, and what is he supposed to do? Just feed it into Cousins and watch him act like he's never seen a double-team before?
4. As I alluded to in my IT thread, there is no one on the Kings that is a real force multiplier. No one that is so good that he makes everyone else better by extension. I think you'll see some of these spare parts do better when they go to other teams. Just like many of them did better before they arrived here. Right now there is not demonstrably an actual team in the classic sense of the word.
The Kings are a crummy team at this point. They looked pretty good in the first. Second and third quarters were painful to watch. Fourth quarter the intensity completely changed and IT ran the show. The team has a certain Jekyll and Hyde quality.
Of course it takes time to change the culture, and make people play defense. It is very early. Even a quality coach like Malone will take some time to get his points across. Watching the Kings is a little bit like the first part of the movie "Hoosiers." There is probably a lot of discontent in the locker room, lots of finger pointing, and pissed off people. It will continue to get worse before it gets better. Now is the time when the fans separate the sheep from the goats.
Of course it takes time to change the culture, and make people play defense. It is very early. Even a quality coach like Malone will take some time to get his points across. Watching the Kings is a little bit like the first part of the movie "Hoosiers." There is probably a lot of discontent in the locker room, lots of finger pointing, and pissed off people. It will continue to get worse before it gets better. Now is the time when the fans separate the sheep from the goats.
Cousins gets a D for Demeanor. You can't have your "leader", your "star," act like a baby. He got frustrated, he acted out, he didn't get back on D when he got frustrated and Horton got a layup; then Malone rightly yanked him for it; then he pushes Horton in plain view of the world; then he got yanked for the rest of the game and sat at the end of the bench. It's only four games into the season and already this is happening? I thought at least it would take 10-20 games to test his mettle, but the old Cousins showed himself last night. I sure hope that he bottles up Dr. Hyde for the upcoming games.
I can't say for sure that's what he was doing, because he looked flat out slow.
But in earlier games I saw him doing it and looking at his teammates when there was no one there, so that 's what I assume.
That's why I will give some time to GV and his D, as he is a slow but heady player and will rely on his teammates more for D.
But in earlier games I saw him doing it and looking at his teammates when there was no one there, so that 's what I assume.
That's why I will give some time to GV and his D, as he is a slow but heady player and will rely on his teammates more for D.
I don't know about a million times, but I'm not the only one thinking that you can't do any worse than Vasquez on defense, and with Jimmer you do get better ability to score and probably similar passing ability and BBIQ. The question with Jimmer is: Does he have the ballhandling necessary to break pressure?
Vasquez doesn't really have that ballhandling either. He has size, which makes it hard for the 6'1" guards to get at the ball when Vasquez is in ball-protect mode. Vasquez doesn't get double-teamed often, but usually can just straight pass over the top of the double-team. Jimmer can't do either one of those.
I don't see the point of playing Jimmer, though. He isn't going to be around after this year while Vasquez MIGHT be around. I'd be much more interested to see whether Vasquez can develop into a reliable sidekick for Cousins than whether Jimmer can dribble out of a trap.
I don't see the point of playing Jimmer, though. He isn't going to be around after this year while Vasquez MIGHT be around. I'd be much more interested to see whether Vasquez can develop into a reliable sidekick for Cousins than whether Jimmer can dribble out of a trap.
If we tank and limit Cousins' minutes, he must be in on the plan or we will lose him mentally. I don't think he would mind a tank if it got us another high quality player. It seems Ben will be a scorer but we need a major league pg, a big defender, or a good iso scorer. Then we have three great players with a spark plug off the bench. That's not bad!!