Hadlowe
Starter
I agree with comments above. DMC really showed me something in this game. I hope his workmanlike approach rubs off on others. I would like to see IT in the second quarter as well as the second half, but he is not ready to start yet.IMO. Kings showed signs of some great passing, and pushed the ball much more under Smart. The small-ball zone looked like genius and befuddled the Pacers. Teams with good passing big men in the post like Gasol or Randolph can probably rip it to shreds. It was a blast to watch.
This game proves some points that are not part of conventional basketball wisdom. It is possible to win in the NBA with defense, rebounding and desire alone. The third quarter was hard to watch. Jimmer and Thornton took some really ugly shots last night. If I coached the Kings I would not allow fall-away shots off-balance from 25 feet. I would bench a guy for that crap. The step back jumper is all the rage now and works okay. I am old school and want to see the straight up repeatable type jumpshot to a guy who is open from decent passing. IT can penetrate and kick the ball out on almost anyone. It was interesting to see Tyreke let IT bring the ball up during the small ball line-up in the 4th. That gives the team an extra 4-5 seconds on the shot clock. Garcia had a good game too. I like his mental outlook on the game which helps make up for his lack of athleticism. Hickson did some great rebounding last night. Watchng Reke, IT, and Thornton play defense together was a thing of beauty. It is hard to know what to think of this team, but at least they are entertaining to watch again. Smart is smart.
Also, we were lucky. The pacers make one of those three pointers down the stretch and we lose this game. They had some open looks, but nothing fell for them. No, you cannot win games with defense, rebounding, and desire. You can win game . . . if the other team stops playing . . . and the refs are on your side . . .
You get the picture. The Kings won the game last night and that's not nothing, but they did not play winning basketball. They played scrappy basketball, which is a step up from the recent road trip.
Now, if we play scrappy basketball and manage to shoot 40% from the field?