[Grades] Grades v. Sixers 3/24/2015

[Bricklayer]

um...

er....

Where to start?

We allowed the league's lowest scoring team (avg 91) to score 70 in the first half? Our center goes for 33-17 and his big impact, in fact game winning impact, is on D? We almost allowed a team on a 15 game road losing streak to come back in the 4th and beat us? Video evidence of the NBA's first quintuple team, used against Cuz in the 4th?

Three in a row baby, and aren't we impressive. Better hide the women and children Phoenix! Our epicness is epic.



Boxscore

Stats: 41min 21pts (6-19, 1-4, 8-9) 8reb 3ast 1stl 2blk 3TO
Gay ( ) --

Stats: 25min 5pts (2-6, 1-3, 0-0) 5reb 1ast 1stl 0blk 1TO
Casspi ( ) --

Stats: 36min 33pts (8-27, 0-1, 17-19) 17reb 3ast 4stl 4blk 3TO
Cousins ( B+ ) -- Just like in the game with Philly eleven days ago, Cousins put up some really big numbers tonight. I can't possibly go through all of the things that he did out there, but I figured maybe I'd highlight some of the memorable moments from his numbers. Boogie had only three assists tonight, and the best one came early in the fourth quarter when he grabbed an offensive rebound and dumped a prescient pass down to a cutting Derrick Williams for an easy dunk. Cousins had four blocks tonight, and none was better (or more important) than the stuff of a driving Ish Smith late in the fourth, who apparently thought that he was going to be able to continue his uncontested drives from the first half in a period when we were actually trying on defense. Perhaps even better than that defensive standout came a few plays before when Boogie broke up a half-court lob attempt to get the Kings going the other way. And as for his four steals? Well, I'm not certain if he got credit for a steal on the play, but the obvious standout was the final play of the game, when Cousins stepped into the lane to turn away Hollis Thompson's last second drive and knocked out the ball to seal the win. Huge play. And if I can highlight a turnover, after a bad pass in the third quarter, Cousins stepped in front of a fast-breaking Sixer and drew a charge - about 70 feet from the basket. I don't think I've ever seen a charge taken that far in the backcourt - in fact it's pretty rare to see a charge taken in the backcourt at all. But as long as we're talking the numbers, we ought to acknowledge one that won't show up directly in the boxscore - 36 shots. Yes, Cousins did drop 33 points tonight, but he took 36 shots to do it - and it wasn't for missing free throws as Cousins went a fantastic 17-19 from the line. The vast majority of Boogie's shots tonight, however, came under duress in the paint. The Sixers were consistently double-teaming him, frequently triple-teaming him, and on at least one occasion threw a quadruple-team at our beast in the low post. As a result he found a way to miss 14 shots in the paint tonight, many of those not particularly high-percentage shots. In the end, he did a lot of great work out there and we would never have won without his efforts on the boards and defense. But his offensive efficiency was not good, and he ought to have looked to switch things up - e.g. get Rudy a few more shots, get Ben involved - in an attempt to take better advantage of the clogged paint rather than doggedly going up against it over and over. --Capt.

Stats: 34min 9pts (4-8, 1-1, 0-0) 2reb 1ast 1stl 0blk 1TO
McLemore ( ) --

Stats: 32min 11pts (5-17, 1-6, 0-2) 6reb 2ast 2stl 1blk 0TO
McCallum ( ) --

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Bench

Stats: 19min 8pts (4-6, 0-0, 0-2) 4reb 2ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Thompson ( D+ ) -- Apparently Jason Thompson played 19 minutes in this game. You wouldn't have really known it from watching most of it. He managed four whole rebounds, but two of those were consecutive tip-ins on one play. He did a good job from the floor, going 4-6, but he didn't score at all in the second half, getting blocked once and blowing two free throws. He had trouble containing Thomas Robinson, whom the Sixers sent at him three plays in a row to start out the second quarter, giving up five points (and one foul) on three shots before the Sixers decided that was enough picking on him and went to other options. The bottom line is that he didn't do much on either offense or defense tonight and that negates his decent shooting percentage for the night. --Capt.

Stats: 20min 6pts (2-6, 2-3, 0-0) 2reb 3ast 0stl 2blk 0TO
Stauskas ( ) --

Stats: 16min 4pts (1-1, 0-0, 2-2) 0reb 6ast 1stl 0blk 2TO
Miller ( ) --

Stats: 14min 8pts (2-5, 1-2, 3-4) 4reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Williams ( ) --

Stats: 4min 2pts (1-2, 0-0, 0-0) 2reb 0ast 0stl 0blk 0TO
Evans ( ) --


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[9x1x6]

http://streamable.com/ie1i

Andre crossin' over DPOY/Rookie of the year candidate, no biggie.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Whatever Boogie's grade is Dre should get same grade honor. His setting up the offense masterfully as usual might have been critical edge that got the one point win.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

we gon' make the playoffs guys. watch out!

 

[VF21]

DMC has to get an A- at the least. His shots weren't falling but he still was a dominant presence on the court. You can't ask for much more from any player.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

Its a B+ game for Boogie. He was very good but he never hit that final gear, and those are Boogie's A-games. He plateaus higher than this

 

[9x1x6]

The 21 to 10 Ast/TO ratio is what I'm happiest about.

 

[KingMilz]

While DMC was great 2night if once he gets his body into defenders instead of trying to ALWAYS power up through them if he just used a hook he would literally never shoot below 50% from the floor, it's such a simply shot and I don't understand why he doesn't have it. It would make the game so much easier on him. His defense and passing 2night was at an elite level which was great to see some of his kick out's were Miller like.

Surprisingly good defense from Rudy and Derrick imo they were the difference on D in the 4th.


Good job to play bad and win the game by the team.

 

[rainmaker]

Chris Palmer ‏@ChrisPalmerNBA
Boogie Cousins had 33 pts, 17 rebs, 4 blks, 4 stls & 3 asts. Only Hakeem has done this last 30 years.

Ya, probably deserves something in the "A" range for that.

Also

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo
DeMarcus Cousins: NBA-best 6th game this season with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds (nobody else has more than three)

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I'm in the results business. Cousins beasted, and the team won. A.

 

[twslam07]

While DMC was great 2night if once he gets his body into defenders instead of trying to ALWAYS power up through them if he just used a hook he would literally never shoot below 50% from the floor, it's such a simply shot and I don't understand why he doesn't have it. It would make the game so much easier on him. His defense and passing 2night was at an elite level which was great to see some of his kick out's were Miller like.

I agree. His only moves right now are to the basket. He doesn't seem to have an effective "right before the rim" move. If he is able to work on his half hook, he's not going to miss as many shots. He's going to avoid the defense collapsing on him right at the rim or he's going to be able to quickly put his body into someone, create a little space, and put up an uncontested/lightly contested half hook. With this weapon added to his arsenal, he won't be in the nitty gritty in terms of contact. I would expect less lashing out at refs during the game since he'll be changing a lot of his shots from highly contested rim shots to medium/lightly contested 3 footers. I would think this would keep Cousins more levelheaded during the game (thus giving us a more effective Cousins).

Now I definitely don't want him to abandon attacking the rim and drawing fouls because he is very good at that, but he needs to develop something of this nature to be able to counter how players are defending him at times. If he becomes reliable with this type of shot, he'll find a lot more success with his close-to-the-basket pump fakes and going up and under for an easy bucket.

Just watching guys like the Gasol brothers post-up can be so refreshing. For as many moves as they have going to the rim, they have just as many going away from the rim. If Cousins were to work on his half hook and a fadeaway post shot like the one Marc Gasol uses, he's only going to be that much more unpredictable and that much more difficult to guard.

 

[John Galt]

That 5 on 1 under the basket - 5 white shirts on DMC - that was hilarious... had to rewind and watch that a few times.

A

 

[gunks]

Cuz is a monster. I mentioned early on in the game thread that Noel could stuff him all he wants, Cuz is still going to end up steamrolling.

His fg % was crap tonight, but with him it really doesnt matter. When he misses, there is a good chance he is going to get the rebound and either score or go to the line.

Gotta go with the A. Dominant stat line. Boogie was all over the place on both ends of the court tonight.

 

[VF21]

Hey Big Cuz 15? Care to elaborate on why you gave Cousins an F?

...

Yeah, I'm calling you on it.

 

[pshn80]

I agree. His only moves right now are to the basket. He doesn't seem to have an effective "right before the rim" move. If he is able to work on his half hook, he's not going to miss as many shots. He's going to avoid the defense collapsing on him right at the rim or he's going to be able to quickly put his body into someone, create a little space, and put up an uncontested/lightly contested half hook. With this weapon added to his arsenal, he won't be in the nitty gritty in terms of contact. I would expect less lashing out at refs during the game since he'll be changing a lot of his shots from highly contested rim shots to medium/lightly contested 3 footers. I would think this would keep Cousins more levelheaded during the game (thus giving us a more effective Cousins).

Now I definitely don't want him to abandon attacking the rim and drawing fouls because he is very good at that, but he needs to develop something of this nature to be able to counter how players are defending him at times. If he becomes reliable with this type of shot, he'll find a lot more success with his close-to-the-basket pump fakes and going up and under for an easy bucket.

Just watching guys like the Gasol brothers post-up can be so refreshing. For as many moves as they have going to the rim, they have just as many going away from the rim. If Cousins were to work on his half hook and a fadeaway post shot like the one Marc Gasol uses, he's only going to be that much more unpredictable and that much more difficult to guard.

All very true but this way he is fouled more often and gets needed rest while shooting them AND he usually makes them.

 

[Gliesian]

Cuz A- he is still complaining after every possession, it drives me nuts! Amazing game though. Gotta admit fast paced ball is fun to watch when we win!

 

[twslam07]

All very true but this way he is fouled more often and gets needed rest while shooting them AND he usually makes them.

It's very true that when Cousins gets fouled, he gets some more rest, but guess what? So does everyone else on the floor. Now you can argue that the break is a little more valuable to Cousins than others since he is after all 270+ lbs which I would tend to agree with. However, you have to consider that if he's scoring at a higher FG% that means the opposing team doesn't have as many opportunities to push the ball up the floor quickly. If the opposing team isn't pushing the ball up the floor as quickly, it gives Cousins more time to get back on defense to where he doesn't have to worry about sprinting back to defend an easy bucket and expending extra energy.

Part of the Cousins issue is just staying on the floor due to foul trouble. Rarely does he get subbed because of conditioning concerns. Even when he is gassed he is still a very effective player and it's competitors like Cousins who often push through fatigue to get the job done. He wants to win too badly.

 

[captain bill]

Stauskas had an interesting game.

6 points on 2/6 shooting (2/3 from 3), 2 Rebs 3 asts 2 blocks(!!) 0 turnovers in 19 minutes. Impressive show of toughness and athleticism from him tonight

 

[KingMilz]

Next 3 games are crazy we play the Suns and we always have cliffhangers with them, than the Pels with Davis vs Cousins and than my new personal favorite......smackdown 2.0 vs Memphis I can't wait.

 

[206Fan]

I agree. His only moves right now are to the basket. He doesn't seem to have an effective "right before the rim" move. If he is able to work on his half hook, he's not going to miss as many shots. He's going to avoid the defense collapsing on him right at the rim or he's going to be able to quickly put his body into someone, create a little space, and put up an uncontested/lightly contested half hook. With this weapon added to his arsenal, he won't be in the nitty gritty in terms of contact. I would expect less lashing out at refs during the game since he'll be changing a lot of his shots from highly contested rim shots to medium/lightly contested 3 footers. I would think this would keep Cousins more levelheaded during the game (thus giving us a more effective Cousins).

Now I definitely don't want him to abandon attacking the rim and drawing fouls because he is very good at that, but he needs to develop something of this nature to be able to counter how players are defending him at times. If he becomes reliable with this type of shot, he'll find a lot more success with his close-to-the-basket pump fakes and going up and under for an easy bucket.

Just watching guys like the Gasol brothers post-up can be so refreshing. For as many moves as they have going to the rim, they have just as many going away from the rim. If Cousins were to work on his half hook and a fadeaway post shot like the one Marc Gasol uses, he's only going to be that much more unpredictable and that much more difficult to guard.

I said this in another thread, but this year it seems like Cuz is shying away from his post moves. We RARELY see him posting up with his back to the basket now. What happened to his hook shot? This year, (aside from jump shots) it seems like a lot of his offense is trying to over power his opponents to the basket. While that's ok, I don't think he's the efficient scorer as he once was. Teams have size against Cuz. Maybe he changed his offense because of how defenses were approaching him? Or maybe this is Shaq's influence? Shaq was just a huge bully because he was bigger than everyone else. It's just an interesting note

 

[spok22s]

-Hopefully we will see a return in composure from Cousins once the games matter again.
-Stauskus is showing improvement.
-Not a fan of Rudy Gay at the 4 so far.
-It's nice that we're stringing wins again. Kings need to finish the season strong.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

DMC has to get an A- at the least. His shots weren't falling but he still was a dominant presence on the court. You can't ask for much more from any player.

he should have AT LEAST 50 and 20 against d league scrubs.

 

[FaStRmAn]

Gotta give Cuz an A. He is ballin on a team that is playing for nothing other than honor. In a season where we had high hopes and now only look for a less cruel fate in the rigged carnival game that IS the NBA Lottery, Cuz has excelled and improved in all phases of his game. You cant ask for more other than a few areas like trying to be a point guard and dumb frustration fouls.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Stauskas ( ) --

You misspelled "Sauce Castillo."

 

[Big Cuz 15]

i'd be excited if he was playing against some real competition and putting up those kind of #s but we playing a team that wants to lose to get the highest draft pick possible.

 

[VF21]

i'd be excited if he was playing against some real competition and putting up those kind of #s but we playing a team that wants to lose to get the highest draft pick possible.

I can only guess that you didn't watch the game for the simple reason that if you had, it would have been obvious to you that the Sixers desperately wanted to win last night.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

I can only guess that you didn't watch the game for the simple reason that if you had, it would have been obvious to you that the Sixers desperately wanted to win last night.

i don't care to watch a stripped down team that is built currently to lose.

 

[pshn80]

i don't care to watch a stripped down team that is built currently to lose.

That's a shame because you missed something. Not only a win by the Kings but a very good effort by the 76ers. The game was right here in Sacramento and it was televised.

 

[twslam07]

i'd be excited if he was playing against some real competition and putting up those kind of #s but we playing a team that wants to lose to get the highest draft pick possible.

I have to agree with VF21 on this one. We just played a team that wants to win every time they are on the floor. They compete hard for the full 48 minutes.

There is a difference between a team wanting to lose and a FO wanting to lose...

 

[Gilles]

You misspelled "Sauce Castillo."

So it's official? Should Bill Simmons change that video to "Sauce Castillo?"