The point guard determines if a team game happens or not.
This is simply not true, especially for us. Cousins and Gay are the main determinants (is that a word?) as to whether others gets involved, simply because they handle most of the possesions
The point guard determines if a team game happens or not.
This is simply not true, especially for us. Cousins and Gay are the main determinants (is that a word?) as to whether others gets involved, simply because they handle most of the possesions
Problem is Kings have less than a month before a tough decision comes up, and early results are not promising. He's doing the same thing over and over again. Does Malone draws such plays, or IT knows there's no alternative for him and deviates from the plan? Against Minnesota Malone had no problem reducing Thomas to bystander.Which player do you think has a limited ability to be coached.
Yea, Thomas got tunnel vision last night, but he's still learning how to be a real point guard in crunch time under a real coach. I highly doubt he got any valuable coaching advice from prior regimes. I think as time goes on, he will eventually learn to defer to other players.
I completely agree. That was our only chance. A lot of people pre game said someone would have to get a career high to compete. Well, it happened.Don't blame IT and Thornton. This is what they are good at. If we had played a great "team" game (which
I lobby for each and every game) we would have lost by 10 to 30 points. We will play again.
Which player do you think has a limited ability to be coached.
Yea, Thomas got tunnel vision last night, but he's still learning how to be a real point guard in crunch time under a real coach. I highly doubt he got any valuable coaching advice from prior regimes. I think as time goes on, he will eventually learn to defer to other players.
People forget that Isaiah is 24 years old and has been a full time starter and sole primary ball handler in his career for approximately 2 months. Not to mention this is the first time in his pro career he has played in a system with structure under Malone. The main gripe on IT is game management and situational decision making, those are things that get better with time as he becomes an NBA veteran. He came into this training camp under the assumption his role was going to be a spark plug scorer off the bench, he did that extremely well pre-Gay trade, and then mid season he is finally thrust as a full time starter and is asked to change his mentality and learn the tendencies of a big scorer in Gay.
At the start of the Houston game I saw an IT determined to get his big 2 their touches early, and as the season progresses and maybe next season as he goes into training camp knowing he is the starting PG, I think you will see a big change from IT, as far as knowing when to look for his offense, how and when to get his big 2 their touches in their spots, and getting others involved as well. You can't ask for perfection right away, especially when his role has changed so much overnight. You don't just give up on a guy as talented, dedicated and young as IT now unless there is a clear upgrade you can trade him for, or if you get a better "fit" PG packaged with other guys that can produce for you.
I never mentioned Cuz or Gay in my post, so I am not sure what your point is there.....
I suspect that if he hasn't learned that part of being a PG is passing the ball by now, he'll never learn! Please!
Learning how to distribute to two other ball dominant players isn't an easy thing to do.
Why? It doesn't seem difficult at all unless you are worried more about your own stats.
How log has IT been playing with Gay and Cousins. You would think it would take time for him to learn where each player wants the ball and get it to them at the right time. Chemistry is something that is built over tike. Crazy. I know.
He's been playing with Cuz for 2 1/2 years. He started 66 games last year...
It takes all of about 5 mins, if that, in a pickup game with guys you've never played with before to recognize who the top 1-2 players are and then feed them the ball.How log has IT been playing with Gay and Cousins. You would think it would take time for him to learn where each player wants the ball and get it to them at the right time. Chemistry is something that is built over tike. Crazy. I know.
He's been playing with Cuz for 2 1/2 years. He started 66 games last year. If he can't find a 6'11" man, he has a problem.
I still don't understand. Actually I don't agree with your premise. What we saw yesterday was a guy who had little interest in sharing the ball with anyone when the game was on the line. He had a guy who couldn't miss, MT, who was not hard to find yet still didn't pass him the ball. I think he has an inherent disinterest in anyone's stats but his own. I doubt very much that Malone told IT to not let anyone else touch the ball in the last 8 minutes. It is almost literally true that no one touched the ball except MT who made the one shot he was allowed to take. That's one shot in 8 minutes. MT was not hiding.
It takes all of about 5 mins, if that, in a pickup game with guys you've never played with before to recognize who the top 1-2 players are and then feed them the ball.
A perfectly timed back-cut or in transition when you think a guy may stop at the 3pt line and cuts to the basket instead would require improved chemistry. Looking off a Gay in transition, wide open next to you or looking off a Cuz in a pick & pop situation when you take both defenders with you and Boogie is wide open and forcing a jumper over both defenders, are not chemistry issues. They're mindset issues.
BTW, if no chemistry makes getting Rudy the ball an impossible task, then why, please tell me, did Rudy score 24 and 26 pts in his first two games ever next to IT on a combined 18-32 shooting? And please tell me why, chemistry was not an issue in IT finding MT for the first 3 quarters last night but it's implied as an issue in the 4th and OT? And why is it that two guys in Rudy/Cuz who've played together the exact same amount of time as IT has with Rudy, appear to have much superior chemistry between the two and regularly set each other up when playing the two man game?
Cousins has always had trouble finishing anywhere from 3-9 feet. I won't dispute that Thomas likely contributes to Cousins' low percentage 3-9 feet from the rim, but so as every other point guard (Evans, Udrih and Vasquez). I agree that Thomas played hero ball yesterday, but with Cousins and Gay on the floor I doubt he does it.
So you don't think a player who has been torching opposing teams as efficiently as Isaiah Thomas is won't have trouble recognizing who the other top dogs are and deferring to them?
Absolutely although I may be lacking an understanding of what you are trying to say. IT will ignore anyone but IT.
Quoted for truth.
The notion that IT has only started for a little bit is an absolute farce of an argument. Can IT improve? Probably, but to buy the idea that he will completely redesign himself around Gay and Cousins is a fool's errand.
IT is a great scorer who is limited defensively. He showed exactly who he was last night, at both extremes.
My point is that the poster's comment that Isaiah should recognize the top dogs as soon as he sets foot on the court is unrealistic. Thomas is killing opposing point guards right now, so it's going to take him time to realize he isn't the top dog.
Your guess was incorrect. I woulda predicted a blowout with Cuz and Rudy in the lineup as well...You said that most probably saw us getting dominated (and I'm guessing in part because we were shorthanded). My point was that it's possible that we actually fared better (for the first few quarters) precisely because we were so short handed.
Your guess was incorrect. I woulda predicted a blowout with Cuz and Rudy in the lineup as well...
My point is that the poster's comment that Isaiah should recognize the top dogs as soon as he sets foot on the court is unrealistic. Thomas is killing opposing point guards right now, so it's going to take him time to realize he isn't the top dog.
They are also killing him on the other end of the floor. and his selfish me first mentality is killing some of the guys on our own team.Thomas is killing opposing point guards right now, so it's going to take him time to realize he isn't the top dog.
Problem is that IT isn't killing the opposing PG. They're letting him score, because it's easier to defend the Kings that way. It's by design.My point is that the poster's comment that Isaiah should recognize the top dogs as soon as he sets foot on the court is unrealistic. Thomas is killing opposing point guards right now, so it's going to take him time to realize he isn't the top dog.