[Grades] Grades v. Pelicans 1/13/2016

Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Because of my profession I have actually had the opportunity to speak to a few legitimately insane people. It can be frustrating in the extreme. Its so obvious things are not working right up there that you feel like you can't even establish a common frame of reference. Logic frequently is of no use. They are in their own world.

Watching this team is like that.

I'm not even going to pretend to put up full grades tonight with an earlier game tomorrow. I'll put up stats, summaries, and then Girls. Because at least Pretty Girls make sense.


Boxscore

Stats: 33min 12pts (5-9, 0-2, 2-2) 6reb 0ast 1stl 0blk 3TO
Summary:began the game completely asleep defensively at the arc and did not wake up offensively until nearly halftime.
Gay ( D ) --
maxresdefault.jpg

Sara Sampaio

Stats: 9min 0pts (0-1, 0-0, 0-0) 2reb 1ast 0stl 1blk 0TO
Summary: had one big block on A.D., nothing else, then got lost in what suddenly is a frontcourt shuffle
Acy ( INC ) --
jennifer-hill.jpg

Jennifer Hill

Stats: 37min 32pts (13-30, 3-8, 3-4) 12reb 1ast 1stl 0blk 4TO
Summary: jumper was off from the beginning, getting outworked, then suddenly exploded and led a big quixotic charge in 4th
Cousins ( C ) --
572023b8afbddb8fd80103fcf6406c35.jpg

Emilia Clarke

Stats: 7min 2pts (1-1, 0-0, 0-0) 0reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 1TO
Summary: started off fumbling the ball, was quickly replaced, and never returned
McLemore ( INC ) --
600full-georgia-salpa.jpg

Georgia Salpa

Stats: 30min 17pts (7-11, 1-1, 2-4) 5reb 10ast 1stl 1blk 3TO
Summary: seemed our best player through 3/4, scored, rebounded, but defense was awful, and sat for the 4th charge
Rondo ( B ) --
april_scott30_38865-1152x864.jpg

April Scott
 
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Bench

Stats: 19min 2pts (1-6, 0-2, 0-0) 0reb 1ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Belinelli ( F ) --

Stats: 19min 9pts (4-6, 0-0, 1-2) 10reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 2TO
Koufos ( B ) --

Stats: 28min 7pts (3-8, 1-6, 0-0) 6reb 3ast 0stl 2blk 0TO
Casspi ( C- ) --

Stats: 29min 10pts (4-9, 1-4, 1-2) 3reb 4ast 1stl 0blk 3TO
Collison ( C- ) --

Stats: 16min 2pts (1-1, 0-0, 0-0) 5reb 0ast 0stl 3blk 1TO
Cauley Stein ( A- ) --

Stats: 14min 4pts (2-2, 0-0, 0-0) 3reb 1ast 0stl 0blk 1TO
Curry ( B ) --

placeholder 2...
 
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Anyone got the clip (or a transcript) of George Karl's postgame conference?

You'd have to edit out the absurd deep breathing exercises that pose for thought with him, but his abject refusal to admit his direct culpability in this team's inability to defend the 3ball is stupifyingly clear evidence of delusion, clinical levels of arrogance, dementia, or all 3.
 
IfAt1st said:
Anyone got the clip (or a transcript) of George Karl's postgame conference?

You'd have to edit out the absurd deep breathing exercises that pose for thought with him, but his abject refusal to admit his direct culpability in this team's inability to defend the 3ball is stupifyingly clear evidence of delusion, clinical levels of arrogance, dementia, or all 3.
Click to expand...

But hey, we're gonna move towards a defensive-minded starting five eventually.

:eek: :mad: :eek: :mad: :eek:
 
8 3pt attempts by Cuz tonight.... Only 4 FT attempts.

There was a lot more going on in the L. But Karl's approach to the usage of our star player is beyond idiotic.

And before people come with the "But Cuz LIKES playing that way!" ..... Back in the Malone days there were NUMEROUS quotes where Cuz stated he relished being the post bully. He LIKED playing inside. Now with the PACE crap.....He just doesnt have the energy to battle, hence the crappy game from the perimeter, which is Karl ball.

Also...The defense. Holy hell.

This roster is solid (besides our SGs)..... But Karl is done as a good coach. The dude is a delusional, stubborn has-been.


It isn't all on the coach of course. Rondo is sloppy. Rudy gives a **** about defense 1 out of 10 games.... But the system Karl is implementing is fundamentally crap for this roster. His leadership is crap.

I hope Karl ball is exciting enough for you Vivek. I hope it's JAZZY enough for you.
 
This was a make-or-break game for George Karl.
We had three days of after really encouraging 5 games. During those 5 games, we showed signs of an improving defense and a more creative inside-out half court-offense and accordingly going 3-2 while nearly winning against Dallas and hanging with the Warriors until the end.
And then we come out against the Pelicans and go back to Karl's middle-penetration-and-switching-therefore-allowing-open-3's-defense and Cuz-and-Rudy-need-to-shoot-3s-offense. On defense, we allow them to drive middle, Cuz has to help on the drive and Asik gets the putback because no one is there to box him out. On pick and rolls against Davis we first hedge and then double team the ball handler (what the hell?) so that Davis is open, Cousins has to step up and they swing the ball around for an open 3. On another Davis 1-1 post up we double team the post and they again get an open 3. On offense, we try to score by having Cuz and Rudy shooting from the outside. Well Coach, we have Rudy on Cunningham and Cuz on Asik, but why would we go inside? As Wahlberg said to bbalbreakdown in a recent interview, they think that Cuz is better on the perimeter than the post, so, yeah.

I haven't heard the post game interviews, but look for Karl blaming the lack of effort and perimeter defenders (again). But as I said in the game thread, would you give 100% as a player after you again got burned by your matchup because of the scheme? Even worse, after that, your Coach takes you out and you don't ever come back. And then post game, he blames you in the media and says you can't play defense. Wow. This team is so bad coached. On offense/defense or on the mental/motivational side, it doesn't matter. Even if we somehow make the playoffs, with this style of play we will be a first-round exit every time.

But we may see some change now. Slowly, the media is catching up and wondering why the Kings are again underperforming even when Cousins puts up all-star numbers. Aaron Bruski is publicly blasting Karl's scheme for months now and was really clear after tonights game on Twitter.

Aaron Bruski @aaronbruski
We’re about 25 games past any cute experiment that could be justified with the spread. It’s now just coaching malpractice.
Click to expand...

Aaron Bruski @aaronbruski
You’re going to hear Karl’s camp push out the effort card, too. And there will be folks that push it for him. Craziness.
Click to expand...

Aaron Bruski ‏@aaronbruski
At some point it’s on Vlade for green lighting the experiment. We’re probably well past the point, actually. It clearly doesn’t work.
Click to expand...

And Brooklyn apparently talked with Thibodeau about coaching their team. All this may forces Vlades hand and we can end the Karl drama for good.
 
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My feelings about this team are traversing a wide range of oscillation. And yes, that is abnormal. For about 5-7 years I was in full on tank mode. At times more aggressively than others. Then KJ saved the team, Malone was hired, had new (what I thought at the time) intelligent ownership. Things were bright. Then the catastrophic Malone firing. THEN the renewed hope and willingness to give Karl a chance. Then this season. We're nowhere near where I feel we should be based on talent, including coaching talent.

We have stretches where we give good and very good teams tough battles. We win a few of those. We beat who we should beat. THEN, we lose to the Sixers. Then we turn it around and have a good stretch against good teams. Overall, our record leaves us within hoping and spitting distance of the playoffs, kind of like a lot of our games, trailing by single digits heading into the fourth.

And then there's a game like this. I don't consider myself and overly emotional fan. While still a passionate fan, I fancy myself a bit of a thinker, a knower, a perceiver of the game. More than a casual fan. I played as a youth. I know what I'm watching. And watching this Karl coached team (unlike the Malone teams), I'm seriously at a loss. I mean, I'm not an idiot. But damn if I don't feel like I'm trying to figure out just what the **** Karl is doing with this team.

It's hard being an intelligent fan at times. You see too much. You have too many opinions. You see what could be. And that's what hurts the most right now... and that is also what, I think, is the cause of this gut feeling that Karl JUST NEEDS TO GO.

It's not so much that he's an abject failure of a coach with this team. It's that... how can I say this... a coach.. OF HIS CALIBER, with THIS roster, after a third of last season, with a full training camp, CANNOT LOST TO THE SIXERS, PERIOD, and cannot, a couple weeks later, get blown out by the Pels, on your home court, the third worst team in the league, record wise.

This is hard for me to quantify. Brick, or another stats guy, maybe... but I'm left sitting here, with all my basketball knowledge and experience (which, hey, it's not nothing), leaves me to just think there's something off. But god damn I have a hard time putting my finger on it. But at the same time, for the life of me, something is not right. We are so close, SO CLOSE. I say NO to a full rebuild, absolutely no. Which leaves me with only one way to account for this: our HOF Coach, with all due respect, while MAYBE capable of getting this team to sneak into the playoffs, and MAYBE getting (or letting?) this team to figure it out by three quarters of the way through the season... is far from what we need, and is much closer to completely incapable.

Somebody talk me down.
 
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First thing is the treatment of WCS is embarrassing and someone in the organisation needs to step in and do something about it. The fact a kid with this much talent who plays non stop hard should not be fighting for scraps with playing time amongst our big men. Vlade needs to do something this is our future and a guy who can be a game changer in the present.

2nd a I hope I don't see a single one of the current guards we have on the roster moving forward in the next year. Rondo put but a nice stat line but was the biggest reason why we were down he made Gordon and Cole look like gods. The rest can't defend and give zero consistancy.

Props to 2k he's the only King to play well when the game was still there to be won.
 
gunks said:
8 3pt attempts by Cuz tonight.... Only 4 FT attempts.

There was a lot more going on in the L. But Karl's approach to the usage of our star player is beyond idiotic.

And before people come with the "But Cuz LIKES playing that way!" ..... Back in the Malone days there were NUMEROUS quotes where Cuz stated he relished being the post bully. He LIKED playing inside. Now with the PACE crap.....He just doesnt have the energy to battle, hence the crappy game from the perimeter, which is Karl ball.

Also...The defense. Holy hell.

This roster is solid (besides our SGs)..... But Karl is done as a good coach. The dude is a delusional, stubborn has-been.


It isn't all on the coach of course. Rondo is sloppy. Rudy gives a **** about defense 1 out of 10 games.... But the system Karl is implementing is fundamentally crap for this roster. His leadership is crap.

I hope Karl ball is exciting enough for you Vivek. I hope it's JAZZY enough for you.
Click to expand...

Please... Karl's usage of Cousins this particular game and the last 5 have been perfectly fine. We were getting Cousins the ball in the post, and it was his 2 3s in the 3rd that even made it closer for a while. A lot the other 6 attempts came after that where he was looking to take the 3 to close the gap more. I highly doubt those were plays called by Karl.
 
We came out flat after several days off. That's never happened before.... You would think they would have mandatory practice to get ready or something. The defense was horrible all game and nothing changed until it was way too late. The worst was all the stupid talk about we are going to the playoffs. Your mouth doesn't get you to the playoffs. It's not looking like the playoffs are in the cards this year. We are still only two games out. Getting hard to see how this works out though. I'm not giving up yet. but............................
 
The Hammer said:
My feelings about this team are traversing a wide range of oscillation. And yes, that is abnormal. For about 5-7 years I was in full on tank mode. At times more aggressively than others. Then KJ saved the team, Malone was hired, had new (what I thought at the time) intelligent ownership. Things were bright. Then the catastrophic Malone firing. THEN the renewed hope and willingness to give Karl a chance. Then this season. We're nowhere near where I feel we should be based on talent, including coaching talent.

We have stretches where we give good and very good teams tough battles. We win a few of those. We beat who we should beat. THEN, we lose to the Sixers. Then we turn it around and have a good stretch against good teams. Overall, our record leaves us within hoping and spitting distance of the playoffs, kind of like a lot of our games, trailing by single digits heading into the fourth.

And then there's a game like this. I don't consider myself and overly emotional fan. While still a passionate fan, I fancy myself a bit of a thinker, a knower, a perceiver of the game. More than a casual fan. I played as a youth. I know what I'm watching. And watching this Karl coached team (unlike the Malone teams), I'm seriously at a loss. I mean, I'm not an idiot. But damn if I don't feel like I'm trying to figure out just what the **** Karl is doing with this team.

It's hard being an intelligent fan at times. You see too much. You have too many opinions. You see what could be. And that's what hurts the most right now... and that is also what, I think, is the cause of this gut feeling that Karl JUST NEEDS TO GO.

It's not so much that he's an abject failure of a coach with this team. It's that... how can I say this... a coach.. OF HIS CALIBER, with THIS roster, after a third of last season, with a full training camp, CANNOT LOST TO THE SIXERS, PERIOD, and cannot, a couple weeks later, get blown out by the Pels, on your home court, the third worst team in the league, record wise.

This is hard for me to quantify. Brick, or another stats guy, maybe... but I'm left sitting here, with all my basketball knowledge and experience (which, hey, it's not nothing), leaves me to just think there's something off. But god damn I have a hard time putting my finger on it. But at the same time, for the life of me, something is not right. We are so close, SO CLOSE. I say NO to a full rebuild, absolutely no. Which leaves me with only one way to account for this: our HOF Coach, with all due respect, while MAYBE capable of getting this team to sneak into the playoffs, and MAYBE getting (or letting?) this team to figure it out by three quarters of the way through the season... is far from what we need, and is much closer to completely incapable.

Somebody talk me down.
Click to expand...

Thanks for speaking for me. I quit watching this game which is a first since 1985. I have had it. Yes, sometimes the team is fun to watch but it can be so much better and predictable. I don't have any answers except I would like certain tall people to play more. I don't think that concept is in Karl's DNA. He doesn't know what to do. My only control is over which way I set my remote. I can choose to go to games or not. I assure you I will attend no games this year. I cannot spend money and then see something like this. It crushes the soul or at least mine.

In scanning the box score I can some things I would like better. Maybe I would be wrong. Makes no difference. I don't want Karl here.

And Brick, I have seen more crazy people than you and they aren't as baffling as being a fan of this team and being able to predict what might happen in any given game. All I know is that the ultimate solution is not Boogie's to bring about. It is not to play faster or moan that your team should play better defense. The solution is in Vlade's hands. This experiment is over.
 
biltalent said:
This was a make-or-break game for George Karl.
And Brooklyn apparently talked with Thibodeau about coaching their team. All this may forces Vlades hand and we can end the Karl drama for good.
Click to expand...

if Karl is a goona then there is no point waiting till the offseason to make the move. The season is still salvageable with a new coach appointed mid season.

The squad is solid in its own right. We dont want to be in a situation where we are sitting on our hands waiting till the offseason to appoint a new coach. Thibs will be in demand. The time to act is now. We cant miss out on Thibs he is everything we need. A rich mans Malone in every sense of the word.
 
I wonder if all the GM duties are being fulfilled. Who decides when practices are held? You would think someone would notice some of the problems that keep repeating and do something about them.
 
Hdhut.blogspot.com+%284%29.jpg



I hate to say it but I was in my office at home working late and I checked the score around halftime and made the conscience decision NOT to turn the game on. I knew what direction that jet was headed. Right to the crater. I didn't want to watch the carnage.

There is a myriad of problems with this team. First and foremost the defense is a TRAVISHAMOCKERY. That is the only word that aptly describes the situation. It starts with the perimeter defense, which is non existent. I just don't CARE anymore if it is the scheme or the players. FIX IT !

So when discussing the problems with the Perimeter defense, you have to point out the guards. None of our guards could even be considered bad defenders. They are all HORRIBLE defenders. We have no starting NBA caliber shooting guard. We do not have a guard who can actually GUARD his position against even the worst offensive players in the league. We make scrubs look like allstars, highlighted by the many scrubs who have scored their career highs against our backcourt. Make a trade to bring in guards who can GUARD SOMEONE and make open jumpers.

We have the most dominant big in the league. He is dominant in the post. He should ALWAYS be in the post. No more 3 pointers. No more period ! Every offensive set that doesn't have our most dominant post player in the post is a wasted offensive set. Stop the fast pace "Ludicrous Speed" offense. Slow down and work the ball into the post for GAWD's SAKE ! Have the other 4 players play off of the double teams created by the most dominant post player in the league.

We need to stop settling for a team who's goal is to back into an 8th seed and becomes a 1st round casualty. That should not be the goal. They need to make changes to this team in order to make it competitive. When the status quo is TRAVISHAMOCKERY, the only viable alternative is CHANGE.
 
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It's funny how bi-polar Kings fans have become. After a loss, everybody is screaming for Karl to be fired, Cuz to be traded, etc (myself included at times) and after a win we are all gleeful, thinking that we've finally turned the corner and are going to rattle off 6 of 7 or something....
 
New Era said:
It's funny how bi-polar Kings fans have become. After a loss, everybody is screaming for Karl to be fired, Cuz to be traded, etc (myself included at times) and after a win we are all gleeful, thinking that we've finally turned the corner and are going to rattle off 6 of 7 or something....
Click to expand...


How could we not be? I can't think of more than a week, maybe week and a half of good play we have had in a row. And we just had it last week.

This team is bipolar, and not on their meds. Meaning more downs than ups. But those ups are pretty damn good, which makes the lows even that much harder.
 
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