Grades v. Sonics 04/26

[Zyphen]

This is what I am talking about. His defense a non factor? It is funny that you talk about some of Pedja funs being over zealous and then you go to the other extreme. It is too bad that we can not get a happy medium for all of our players. It seems to me both sides goes too far when cheering for the players we have. I will not kid myself Pedja is my secound favourite player in the NBA (Kobe being my first) but that does not mean I turn my blind on his weaknesses( rebounds and not aggressive) and blame other players or team for his shortcomings. UI said it numerous times it is up to PEdja to define what type of player his is and will become. This playoffs and next will be it for him to prove to everyone what kind of player he is.

The other extreme is to say his defense is a liability. A non-factor means it's a wash. Or do you think a happy medium is that he's good at defense? I can say he's better than most King players. Put him on a so-so team like Memphis or Washington and he's average. I choose to see the glaring weakness of the other players, not deluding myself into thinking Peja is some kind of defensive force. I don't think Peja boosters have gone as far as to say he's a defensive player of the year candidate.

I'm a fan of Peja too. I'm just not the kind of fan that'll say he doesn't make his own mistakes. He's corrected his mistake off the court. But if he doesn't show up more consistently on the court, I don't think the Kings should want him back even if he does say he wants to stay. Mike Bibby is good, but seriously... Peja can be much better. Now that Webber is out of the equation, there is no reason why Peja can't be the focus of the opponents' defense. Instead, that role has been given to Mike Bibby. He is team leader AND the team's best player.

I'm starting to suspect a lot of Kings players are probably overrated (not just Peja). I think they just look good cause of the system which confuses defenses. But once that system starts slowly crumbling, it exposes everyone's individual games, or lack thereof.

 

[Superman]

A D+ for not getting a meaningless triple double in a loss?

On a "positive" note, that tied him for the 3rd highest scoring Kings player on the night (sarcasm).

Same number of points as Mobley and Songalia. Songaila had a better FG%, but Mobley's was roughly the same. 7 more rebounds than Mobley, 6 more than Songaila. 4 more minutes in the game than Mobley, 6 more than Songaila. I don't expect a SG to get more rebounds than a forward, but I do expect one of our leading scoring SG's to have a few more points, don't you? I guess not since he earned a higher grade. When will it be time to lower Mobley's grade for playing one quarter of offense per game?

How 'bout the rebounding of our bench PF though? Same points, fewer boards, but that's acceptable since he also earned a higher grade, I'll go back and study your analysis so that I can understand why.

I'm fleeing to the lounge as quickly as my teetering high heels and tear blurred eyes will take me there and I'll never leave it again.

By the way, I don't think I claimed that I thought ANY Kings player had a good/great game, I just disagreed with your grades.

It's the playoffs, again.

And Peja's disappearing on offense, again.

The problem is that you can't get a complete game out of Peja, and that's a problem for us if we expect to move on in the postseason. Peja is a good enough player and has the ability to be solid on the boards, score 20+ points and play sound defense all on the same night. He's done it before. It's not absurd to think that he could do it again, or at least develop some kind of consistency.

What grade did Peja deserve for the game he played the other night? I don't happen to think that he should be praised for doing what he's supposed to do on the glass (he's the second biggest player in our starting lineup) but totally mailing it in on offense. That's not a good game.

 

[bozzwell]

I'm a fan of Peja too. I'm just not the kind of fan that'll say he doesn't make his own mistakes. He's corrected his mistake off the court. But if he doesn't show up more consistently on the court, I don't think the Kings should want him back even if he does say he wants to stay. Mike Bibby is good, but seriously... Peja can be much better. Now that Webber is out of the equation, there is no reason why Peja can't be the focus of the opponents' defense. Instead, that role has been given to Mike Bibby. He is team leader AND the team's best player.

And that my fellow Kings fans is "it" in a nutshell. Whether you are Pedja booster or Pedja sceptic, I think everyone agrees that Pedja's talent/potential by far exceeds even the best of his perfromances for Kings so far. You can choose to mitigate for his shortcoming ("boosters") or to dismiss his chances of ever getting "it" (sceptics).

 

[Zyphen]

And that my fellow Kings fans is "it" in a nutshell. Whether you are Pedja booster or Pedja sceptic, I think everyone agrees that Pedja's talent/potential by far exceeds even the best of his perfromances for Kings so far. You can choose to mitigate for his shortcoming ("boosters") or to dismiss his chances of ever getting "it" (sceptics).

Which is all the more infuriating. Even at his best, it was obvious he was thriving off his teammates and the unique circumstances he's been blessed with, called the KINGS. To be truly great, he needs to be his own man. He had some really special teammates the last few years and he can't just expect Petrie to pull off another roster like that.



How many times have people said that Peja has all the potential and talent to expand his game? He can pick up a post game, he can learn how to distribute, he can be a Tayshaun Prince on the defense. He's got the height, length, and ability. Yet, he's comfortable with his 1-faceted offense and satisfied with being solid on defense. That sounds like an under 10 mil. player. And if that's all he's shooting for, then ok. I will get off his back and also forget my admiration for him. Just another wasted talent. There's plenty of those, nothing special. It was all just a tease.



But I don't think that. Not yet, cause there's still some more basketball to be played. If he still can't put together a star performance in the playoffs, who is there left to point to? Bibby? Months ago I would have thought Peja vs. Bibby was too ludicrous even for this board. The fact that Bibby has supplanted Peja isn't Bibby's ego, it's Peja's inability to step up.

 

[KKSloga]

Which is all the more infuriating. Even at his best, it was obvious he was thriving off his teammates and the unique circumstances he's been blessed with, called the KINGS. To be truly great, he needs to be his own man. He had some really special teammates the last few years and he can't just expect Petrie to pull off another roster like that.



How many times have people said that Peja has all the potential and talent to expand his game? He can pick up a post game, he can learn how to distribute, he can be a Tayshaun Prince on the defense. He's got the height, length, and ability. Yet, he's comfortable with his 1-faceted offense and satisfied with being solid on defense. That sounds like an under 10 mil. player. And if that's all he's shooting for, then ok. I will get off his back and also forget my admiration for him. Just another wasted talent. There's plenty of those, nothing special. It was all just a tease.



But I don't think that. Not yet, cause there's still some more basketball to be played. If he still can't put together a star performance in the playoffs, who is there left to point to? Bibby? Months ago I would have thought Peja vs. Bibby was too ludicrous even for this board. The fact that Bibby has supplanted Peja isn't Bibby's ego, it's Peja's inability to step up.

Wasted talent?? The guy has very good numbers and has been an all-star 3 times. If Pedja does not get the ball he cannot score and its as simple as that. Reggie Miller at the ripe age of 150 still gets 2 to 3 screens set for him every play but Pedja rarely ever gets one.

I am also trying to figure out how Bibby is the best player on this team? He can be great on offense at times but plays no defense and that is half the game. Brad Miller might be the most valuable King because of his versatility.

As far as his defense goes we can say this. He is a GOOD man defender but at best a decent help defender.

 

[Team Dime]

Wasted talent?? The guy has very good numbers and has been an all-star 3 times. If Pedja does not get the ball he cannot score and its as simple as that. Reggie Miller at the ripe age of 150 still gets 2 to 3 screens set for him every play but Pedja rarely ever gets one.

I am also trying to figure out how Bibby is the best player on this team? He can be great on offense at times but plays no defense and that is half the game. Brad Miller might be the most valuable King because of his versatility.

As far as his defense goes we can say this. He is a GOOD man defender but at best a decent help defender.

You really don't have a clue. Being an all star means nothing when you can't do anything in the playoffs. Peja has been a no show almost every year in the playoffs. The bottom line is he doesn't want the ball in the 4th quarter. Don't you think if he was upset about not getting enough screens, that he would say something and actually demand the ball??? But that never happens with good old, passive Peja.

He shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as Bibby who's hit numerous big shots for the Kings in the post season. He was the only starter showing much of fight Tuesday night.

Any intelligent Kings fan will say that Bibby is the most valuable player on the team. Of course, you sound more a Peja fan than a Kings fan.

 

[bozzwell]

How many times have people said that Peja has all the potential and talent to expand his game? He can pick up a post game, he can learn how to distribute, he can be a Tayshaun Prince on the defense. He's got the height, length, and ability. Yet, he's comfortable with his 1-faceted offense and satisfied with being solid on defense. That sounds like an under 10 mil. player. And if that's all he's shooting for, then ok. I will get off his back and also forget my admiration for him. Just another wasted talent. There's plenty of those, nothing special. It was all just a tease.

Right there, there is a real problem with Pedja for the Kings as an organization. He's contract is for only 7-8 mil next year. Then, he is a free agent. No matter what you or I believe there will be teams either desperate enough or convinced that they can develop/compliment Pedja's game that he is almost guaranteed big dough. I mean, KVH is still drawing 14mil salary.. Now, combine that with rumours of shorter max deals under new agreements and it will be "cheap" to offer Pedja 12-15 mil a year for some teams.

Meanwhile, getting "rid of" Pedja throut FA foes not help Kings one little bit. We get only 7-8 mil off of our books and still have big money tied up in Brad, Mike and KT. We're still either not under cap or not far enough under cap to bring in real, proven "help" via FA.

All this means (to me) is that either Pedja has a very good PO's this year and lights out contract year with Kings and he is offered 10mil+ deal by the Kings or he has so-so or out right bad reminder of the PO's and Kings must package him with KT in trade this summer.

Either way, I'm not worried as Pedja is never as good as his most ardent boosters would have you believe nor is he nowhere as bad as some sceptics claim. But I don't see the point in even trying to hold onto Pedja unless we're going to rebuild the team in the shape of 2002-2003 Kings. Even if he improves every aspect of his game we still want him to catch and shoot or cut to the basket as his primary offensive weapon and that ain't gonna be happening without another Webber and/or Divac.