[Grades] Grades v. Wizards 2/9/2014

[HereWeBoogie]

Still no comments from the players after the game? i was thinking we were going to hear some interesting comments from DeMarcus and others after this one

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Jason Jones ‏@mr_jasonjones
I asked Isaiah Thomas about the play on the break in the 4Q and if he saw McLemore, he said he didn't see him until he was already shooting.

I didn't record the game to go back and check, but I'm fairly certain I saw him look right at Ben and then decide to take his own shot

 

[Agent23]

The epitome of why I rarely if ever come on here anymore.

Because people don't agree with your undying love for the little cutie?

 

[fanop]

The epitome of why I rarely if ever come on here anymore.

The dislike of IT on this site is growing.. I'm not even sure why..especially after tonight. People are complaining he shot more than Gay and Cuz when they were both terrible from the floor. I guess we keep feeding them the ball until they get they finally tally to 6 shots made??? Combined they were 5-25...it makes no sense that you would rather have them shoot vs IT who was 11-24. IT and Ben were the only consistent scorers. You might be able to add JT into it. I don't understand the consistent downing of IT after every single game... maybe he shot a lot because the players around him couldn't get anything going..

It's like telling Damian Lillard not to take more shots than Aldridge even with Aldridge struggling and shooting at 3-16 and Batum at 2-11. Even though Lillard is shooting good, he shouldn't shoot anymore because he's a pg. PGs don't do that even with their main guys struggling. Don't pick up their inefficent shooting nights.. just keep feeding them the ball until they eventually make it.

I honestly think there's just a lot of biased against IT here.. and NO I'm not an IT fan. I'm a Tyreke fan. I still hate the Maloofs for messing up Tyreke's career. Cousins is my favorite current king, but he struggled tonight. No excuse for that. Gortat is a player who averages 12pg scored 17pts tonight.

 

[Hadlowe]

The dislike of IT on this site is growing.. I'm not even sure why..especially after tonight. People are complaining he shot more than Gay and Cuz when they were both terrible from the floor. I guess we keep feeding them the ball until they get they finally tally to 6 shots made??? Combined they were 5-25...it makes no sense that you would rather have them shoot vs IT who was 11-24. IT and Ben were the only consistent scorers. You might be able to add JT into it. I don't understand the consistent downing of IT after every single game... maybe he shot a lot because the players around him couldn't get anything going..

It's like telling Damian Lillard not to take more shots that Aldridge even though Aldridge is 3-16 and Batum is 2-11. Even though Lillard is shooting good, he shouldn't shoot anymore because he's a pg. PGs don't do that even with their main guys struggling. Don't pick up their inefficent shooting nights.. just keep feeding them the ball until they eventually make it.

I honestly think there's just a lot of biased against IT here.. and NO I'm not an IT fan. I'm a Tyreke fan. I still hate the Maloofs for messing up Tyreke's career. Cousins is my favorite current king, but he struggled tonight. No excuse for that. Gortat is a player who averages 12pg scored 17pts tonight.

I can't speak for anyone else, but my problem with IT has to do with his decision-making and the general lack of defensive effort and stopping power. I have always maintained that he is a very good offensive player, but his inability to run the offense is coming into stark relief.

Cousins and Gay were off tonight. That and the team's poor defense are the primary reason for the loss. But we still don't run crisp offensive sets to get our players clean looks at the basket. That's at least partially on Thomas as he looks off open shooters in favor of his own shots most nights. It still baffles me that a crafty ballhandler like Thomas and a big body like Cousins can't be more effective in the pick and roll.

 

[fanop]

I can't speak for anyone else, but my problem with IT has to do with his decision-making and the general lack of defensive effort and stopping power. I have always maintained that he is a very good offensive player, but his inability to run the offense is coming into stark relief.

Cousins and Gay were off tonight. That and the team's poor defense are the primary reason for the loss. But we still don't run crisp offensive sets to get our players clean looks at the basket. That's at least partially on Thomas as he looks off open shooters in favor of his own shots most nights. It still baffles me that a crafty ballhandler like Thomas and a big body like Cousins can't be more effective in the pick and roll.

I agree with some of this.
I think this game and the game against the Pacers shows Thomas stepping up because of the absence of offensive production. The only thing that ruins and overshadows his performance are his poor decisions in the 4th quarter. I think IT has a low bball iq for a pg. He should definitely do more PnRs with Cuz, but for some reason they don't run those types of plays.

I'm actually fine with ITs performance tonight. He was the only consistent player on the team and on top of that, Wall didn't explode on him. Our stars were having a bad game and IT stepped up.

 

[enigma99a]

I miss TEAM basketball. I miss our 2002 team. Everybody used to be involved in the play. They used to move with such beautiful motion. They knew what everybody was going to do even if they were all blindfolded…..A Team that would fight for each other, defend each other. I can only hope that our new ownership knows how to get to that place.

Yes, this is our #1 issue right now. We've some got talent and the record should be a lot better than it is currently.

But we do not have a team, we have players. These guys gel like oil and vinegar... and I think more than the losses, this for me is the hardest thing about the team. They lack a common focus, dislike each other, don't trust each other, and some players actually prefer different playing styles. I hope we can unload the cancers off the team, and get some players who can really like each other. Boogie needs to grow up too. I want to see a team win together and lose together. A team that the entire bench jumps up and roots for their teammates, who is visibly happy when they are in the lead like the old Kings, who is always looking to make the extra pass and get everyone involved, etc.

This team doesn't care of they win or not because they are not a team. Their idea of winning is to see how many shots they can jack up so they can improve their stats. Instead of hating to lose, they are thinking, wow I got my 30 points tonight. I was badass.

Not even Malone can fix the issues we have currently. We need to trade players and hope for a good 2014 draft.

 

[mac]

This is one game that I can’t blame I.T for his effort but he did make some mistakes that irritate me. I’m just wondering, does our coaching staff not show him the things that he should improve upon?

Anyway, most of our team wasn’t playing. We came out flat until we found a unit that brought something in the 4th and then our coach made a huge mistake and went back to something that clearly wasn’t working in the first 3 quarters. I didn’t understand what he was trying to do there.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I want Derrick and Ben to go back to that tag team that they used to play like before - easy lobs to one another, nice drives. I don’t know what happened to that.

I miss TEAM basketball. I miss our 2002 team. Everybody used to be involved in the play. They used to move with such beautiful motion. They knew what everybody was going to do even if they were all blindfolded…..A Team that would fight for each other, defend each other. I can only hope that our new ownership knows how to get to that place.

A little disappointed that Jimmer didn’t get another opportunity to play & Ray again didn’t see the floor. He might be raw but these are the type of games that he should get, it will give him a chance to improve.

Nice to see Ben improving, defending a tad better, being more confident, his ball handling has improved and his shots are hit and miss but it’s better than the beginning of the season.

Hopefully Demarcus isn’t sick & Rudy fully gets better. Both had off games.

On a final note…..

Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo

I feel your frustration... but I don't think we're ever going to be a very good passing team. Not under Malone. He simply does not have the offensive creativity that it takes to have a team that shares the ball beautifully and plays what you refer to as team ball. How am I so sure? Because I look at the offensive sets that he runs and there is simply no effort/ brilliance Now he's a step up from Keith Smart, but that doesn't say a lot. Maybe, just maybe, there might be a slim chance that we can get decent ball movement if we manage to get someone like Rondo, but I still don't think we'll see the kind of ball movement that the Spurs display on a regular basis, or that the Wizards did in the first half, and of course, nothing close to what we were accustomed to back in the good days.

Now that said, that doesn't mean that I don't think Malone is a good coach. I'm simply saying his strengths don't lie on the offensive end of the floor, and that's perfectly fine with me. The Pacers really don't move the ball very well. Nor do the Thunder. But they play good defense and have a clear hierarchy on offense that accompanies the star talents that they do have, and that's far more than enough to make them perennial championship contenders.

(In case you've forgotten) These were some of the plays that Westphal ran with some success:

I can't find a clip of the play we used to run with Cousins and Udrih/Evans.. but we got open backdoor layups almost every game on those plays

 

[VF21]

The dislike of IT on this site is growing.. I'm not even sure why..especially after tonight. People are complaining he shot more than Gay and Cuz when they were both terrible from the floor. I guess we keep feeding them the ball until they get they finally tally to 6 shots made??? Combined they were 5-25...it makes no sense that you would rather have them shoot vs IT who was 11-24. IT and Ben were the only consistent scorers. You might be able to add JT into it. I don't understand the consistent downing of IT after every single game... maybe he shot a lot because the players around him couldn't get anything going...

Because, for the 64,250th time, we do not think he's a PG, we hate seeing him played as a PG, we detest listening to Grant and Jerry sing his praises, and - at least for me - I'm beyond sick and tired of people telling me I'm either a hater or stupid because I refuse to buy into the IT hype.

As for the rest, I think Hadlowe has already covered the other issues.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

The dislike of IT on this site is growing.. I'm not even sure why..especially after tonight. People are complaining he shot more than Gay and Cuz when they were both terrible from the floor. I guess we keep feeding them the ball until they get they finally tally to 6 shots made??? Combined they were 5-25

It's not like they were being set up with great looks and missing them. Most of their shots were forced contested shots. Now i do partially blame them for taking bad shots, but i think its also pretty fair to blame the "Point Guard" for not getting them good looks, it seems like forced shots are pretty much their only option most of the time. He doesn't know how to run an offense it's pretty obvious....

 

[Bricklayer]

It's not like they were being set up with great looks and missing them. Most of their shots were forced contested shots. Now i do partially blame them for taking bad shots, but i think its also pretty fair to blame the "Point Guard" for not getting them good looks, it seems like forced shots are pretty much their only option most of the time. He doesn't know how to run an offense it's pretty obvious....

Same PG it was the other night in Boston when Cuz dropped 32 and 16.

He wasn't the factor that was different tonight.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Same PG it was the other night in Boston when Cuz dropped 32 and 16.

He wasn't the factor that was different tonight.

Being guarded by Sullinger and Olynik was the factor there.

Every night the factor is that DeMarcus can simply destroy the person he is guarding (most of the time). very very very very rarely is he given easy buckets by his PG

 

[Npliam]

Being guarded by Sullinger and Olynik was the factor there.

Every night the factor is that DeMarcus can simply destroy the person he is guarding (most of the time). very very very very rarely is he given easy buckets by his PG

He didn't destroy anything. He played bad.

 

[Entity]

Demarcus played like a guy who will miss the next game with the flu. He looked pissed as if everything just got on his nerves. I get like that right before I get sick

 

[Npliam]

Demarcus played like a guy who will miss the next game with the flu. He looked pissed as if everything just got on his nerves. I get like that right before I get sick

He played bad, he always plays angry.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

He didn't destroy anything. He played bad.

i was referring to the Boston game had just brought up....
go back and look at the comment i quoted

 

[Bricklayer]

Cousins grade up.

 

[Bricklayer]

We have a 5'7 shooting guard.

That's not being fair.








He's 5'8".

 

[Bricklayer]

Gray up.

 

[Bricklayer]

Thomas and Fredette up.

 

[enigma99a]

I think it might be cool to have one additional grade for how well the Kings played together as a team.

 

[King-Da-Yah]

I can't speak for anyone else, but my problem with IT has to do with his decision-making and the general lack of defensive effort and stopping power. I have always maintained that he is a very good offensive player, but his inability to run the offense is coming into stark relief.

Cousins and Gay were off tonight. That and the team's poor defense are the primary reason for the loss. But we still don't run crisp offensive sets to get our players clean looks at the basket. That's at least partially on Thomas as he looks off open shooters in favor of his own shots most nights. It still baffles me that a crafty ballhandler like Thomas and a big body like Cousins can't be more effective in the pick and roll.

Great post, and I am right there with you. He can literally dribble circles around the defense, you would think that would translate into more open looks for his teammates. So then it seems like it is a decision making problem as you alluded to. I guess this just comes with the territory of starting a back up pg.

The dislike of IT on this site is growing.. I'm not even sure why..especially after tonight. People are complaining he shot more than Gay and Cuz when they were both terrible from the floor. I guess we keep feeding them the ball until they get they finally tally to 6 shots made??? Combined they were 5-25...it makes no sense that you would rather have them shoot vs IT who was 11-24. IT and Ben were the only consistent scorers. You might be able to add JT into it. I don't understand the consistent downing of IT after every single game... maybe he shot a lot because the players around him couldn't get anything going..

It's like telling Damian Lillard not to take more shots than Aldridge even with Aldridge struggling and shooting at 3-16 and Batum at 2-11. Even though Lillard is shooting good, he shouldn't shoot anymore because he's a pg. PGs don't do that even with their main guys struggling. Don't pick up their inefficent shooting nights.. just keep feeding them the ball until they eventually make it.

I honestly think there's just a lot of biased against IT here.. and NO I'm not an IT fan. I'm a Tyreke fan. I still hate the Maloofs for messing up Tyreke's career. Cousins is my favorite current king, but he struggled tonight. No excuse for that. Gortat is a player who averages 12pg scored 17pts tonight.[/quote

You sound an awful lot like a troll. Saying the owners suck? WTF dude? EDIT: Sorry fanop! My mistake!

 

[Uncia03]

I think it might be cool to have one additional grade for how well the Kings played together as a team.

Last season I always wanted to see a grade for the Coach, just to see how many consecutive F grades coach Smart could rack up.

But yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing both overall team grades as well as a coaching grade for each game, even if there isn't a write-up to describe the reason for the grade.

 

[Bricklayer]

Acy up.

 

[fanop]

Great post, and I am right there with you. He can literally dribble circles around the defense, you would think that would translate into more open looks for his teammates. So then it seems like it is a decision making problem as you alluded to. I guess this just comes with the territory of starting a back up pg.




You sound an awful lot like a troll. Saying the owners suck? WTF dude?

uhh..I never said the owners suck..

 

[Revenge]

I love how not playing that well - even if only for a few minutes - automatically puts Jimmer onto the bench. Why aren't any of the other players on such a short leash?

 

[theclash4u5]

Did anyone else catch Martell Webster calling our team out by saying that we're not connected?

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/09/6142859/kings-cant-overcome-offensive.html

 

[KingMilz]

Did anyone else catch Martell Webster calling our team out by saying that we're not connected?

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/09/6142859/kings-cant-overcome-offensive.html

“I don’t think we played a great game. That’s a team, we should’ve won by 30 points. No offense, but they’re just going through a lot of stuff over there.

That's his quote and he's 100% on the money it's sad someone from another team has to say it rather than someone from within the team. Like I always say I get playing badly but I don't get not giving effort, the team is crap and all these guys have something to play for. Which is why I can't get why they are not all fighting from start to end.

 

[Bricklayer]

I love how not playing that well - even if only for a few minutes - automatically puts Jimmer onto the bench. Why aren't any of the other players on such a short leash?

Didn't notice many who weren't tonight, and Jimmer happened to be playing behind virtually the only King to give us a game.

 

[Gilles]

Roster is still in flux. Even with promise of recent games no one on this roster is a 100% certainty to be in Sacramento past next season, besides Cousins. Guys have different goals, whether that's trying to (re-)establish himself as a major player, finally getting paid, fighting for NBA future, finding his niche in this League or just playing out this season with no urgency at all. This team have few players, skillful on defensive end or effective in limited offensive roles. So, yeah, this is just a roster, not a team.