[Grades] Grades v. Pacers 11/30/10

[bloom]

I like Landry and all but I really wish he’d pass the ball more. It’s getting really frustrating when I just see him shoot (and that's all I'm seeing right now) – especially when he’s tied up. Come on Carl.

 

[IfAt1st]

Thompson ( B- ) -- and again, another member of our defensive unit who started the game off well, played his role in the first half, then fell down coming out of halftime, and was largely relegated to the bench therafter. Makes grading hard. Was being aggressive isnide and drawing fouls on the Pacers' scrubby PFs in the early going, and had several really aggressive finishes off of Reke pentration in the mid second. Things were going long swimmingly, and then halftime came along again, and that I have to say has to be one of the most frustrating things about this young season -- we have played a LOT of good halves of basketball, but never together. Its easier to say you suck when you just don't do anything ever, but here we're going along, Jason is banging in the middle, its a well played tied game at half, and boom, what the hell happened? Very little after half for JT, and was repalced and pinned ot the bench by Landry as we went to the all offense crew to try to make up the ground and close the gap that blew up in the first 6 minutes of the third.

Anybody know what a Rube Goldberg machine is?

Great theme and work again, Brick, unfortunately your grades missed some important details about JT's game again.
Really, these are relatively small nitpicks to your overall good grades.

It wasn't several finishes - it was 2 finishes. And they were good finishes - better than normal for him. Of course, Reke was setting him up well, as you pointed out in Reke's grade.

JT only got 1 time at the FT line, and it wasn't because he was aggressive inside - it was a gift pair of FT's at 4:25 in the 1st on a ticky-tack non-contact play (and he missed one of them almost airballed it again).

Speaking of airballs, he airballed his only shot more than 5 ft away.

And things weren't exactly going swimmingly in the 1st to earn such a high grade.
Here's some of what you didn't mention:
(I can't tell if it's because you don't see them, or don't think to write them down, or don't want to mention them, or just instantly forgive him.)

(1st qtr)
* JT's 1st drive (where he tried to create his own play) was blocked badly. You've mentioned it almost every time Landry's drives have been blocked.
* JT didn't box out Hibbert , giving him an ORBD and JT fouled him.
* JT missed a switch on a pick-and-roll giving up penetration (and basket?).
* JT's only ORBD and bucket was because Cisco was in position and tipped the ball to JT.
(2nd qtr)
* JT misplayed his boxout on Tyler Hansbrough, allowing him to sneak around the opposite side of the basket and get the rebound. JT fouled him - 2 points lost.
(3rd qtr)
* JT missed an easy ORBD he should have got at 7:25.
In fact, he failed to capitalize on any other ORBD opportunities, and when he was pulled with 7:25 left in the 3rd qtr, the Kings were down 69-54.

What I'm not seeing, that you apparently are, is how JT is earning (relatively) high grades when he simply doesn't create anything by himself. All he has to do to get a B is finish twice when set up by Tyreke, get a few contested rebounds and an uncontested putback?
While missing rebounds, and giving up at least 5 points just on the few plays I detailed - I'm kind of pondering how little JT has to do with his game to satisfy KF's?

BTW - I don't think Landry deserved a B this game, either.
As you noted, it wasn't that hot - but at least he took advantage of some of his ORBD opportunities and made plays/scores with them.

All in all, your scores were probably only high by 1 for both of em (should been C's) - my issue is solely that you don't detail JT's flubs the way you do other Kings (Landry, Beno, Omri, Cisco, etc).
So I feel an obligation to add a bit of detail here and there to your grade threads. Ignore at your leisure (you're way ahead of me on that, I know).

And thanks a ton for posting the OK Go video - it was amazing!