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

[pshn80]

Can we just trade everybody not named Demarcus?

Why be exclusive?

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Can we just trade everybody not named Demarcus?

im hoping you just forgot that we have Rudy Gay since he's only been here a couple months or something.

 

[Glenn]

How about 'he's good but they don't like him?

The suggestion is that people don't like him for a personal reason. Can't be 'cause he's black. He's not white. What else could there be that is obvious to us all? Maybe people don't like him 'cause he is hurting the team. That's my reason.

I note that it has hit the media that the team wants to trade him for a more traditional pg. Maybe that's why he was angry yesterday. You reap what you sew. If you chose to be selfish on a team that wants to change it's culture to be team oriented, you have to know that you either change your attitude or pack your bags. I wonder if Jerry and Grant agree with the FO.

 

[FaStRmAn]

How about he'll do until they can get someone to start via trade or draft and have him come in as a super sub off the bench. Id rather see his "push the tempo" game coming off the bench. The Kings are building a half court team with Cousins and Gay, and they need to keep building on that. They need a 3 & D pass first PG with assist skills. Hard to come by but I'm sure they are looking hard. T - Minus 10 days and counting before the deadline.

 

[bajaden]

Mclemore only had 1 turnover? It seemed like more than that.

Sometimes we only see our expectations...

 

[LPKingsFan]

I was at game last night ten rows from the floor and near the Kings bench and noticed some issues:

The Kings went through the most un-professional "professional" warm-up I have ever witnessed. Grab-ass, indifference and boredom. To say they were going at it half speed would be giving them a "half" they didn't deserve. Lots of check collecting at this point. After tip-off, Outlaw and Landry were reclined so far down the bench they'd have to be paged to enter the game (Gay slumped in whenever taking his occasional sick leave exits to the bench throughout)

The amount of squawking and finger pointing regarding defense was constant. IMO serious chemistry issues. Isaiah is fighting and definitely the only scorer last night, but absolutely self obsessed with chip on his shoulder ever present and 100% pissed off about something even after making a shot. Isaiah is good, but not Iverson. Cousins was at his most immature last night, squawking at everyone and anyone while being ground-bound maybe by the ankle. He was no match for Gortat, Nene and whoever he tried to fake off their feet in the first half. He loafed up and down half the time. His childish berating of teammates was universally greeted with eye-rolls by teammates. It was nice of Thornton to play after the nasty fall, but it is just too hard to ignore the dreary facial and body language that connects entirely with most of his performances this year.

McElmore may have left some 3 pointers open, but in person he was very impressive. He plays occasional tough defense, and works his butt off. Couple of shots looked pure, and visually he belongs on the court with an NBA athleticism. Gray worked hard and so did Acey, and it was nice to see them get the deficit down to 4 points. News flash, Jimmer struggles with ball pressure. It's such an easy fix to have Gay take over ball handling dudes when paired together it makes me wonder if Coach really wants to get anything out of Jimmer at all.

I was hopeful a few weeks ago that these guys played well together, but after last night I really got the impression that some guys from the current group will not enjoy playing with each other again. I'm hoping they reshuffle again. In the Washington papers, one of the players commented they were playing a team that was very "disconnected" and had a lot of issues. He went on to say they should have been the Kings by thirty. I saw the same thing.

That's a very concerning report, but thanks for sharing

 

[Capt. Factorial]

The suggestion is that people don't like him for a personal reason.

I don't want to speak for anybody else, but from my point of view, I would say that what has frustrated me greatly about a large number of the last two months' worth of posts is that people dislike him to a magnitude greatly out of proportion to his basketball skills (or lack thereof). Not that there's anything personal there, just that it's so disproportionate. Why? I don't know. Is it an overreaction to the few die-hard IT fans (most of whom seem to have wandered off, for some bizarre reason)? Maybe. Is it backlash against Jerry, who is paid to say nice things about him (and the rest of the team)? For some, apparently. Has it spiraled out of control? In my opinion, yes.

 

[The_Jamal]

The suggestion is that people don't like him for a personal reason. Can't be 'cause he's black. He's not white. What else could there be that is obvious to us all? Maybe people don't like him 'cause he is hurting the team. That's my reason.

I note that it has hit the media that the team wants to trade him for a more traditional pg. Maybe that's why he was angry yesterday. You reap what you sew. If you chose to be selfish on a team that wants to change it's culture to be team oriented, you have to know that you either change your attitude or pack your bags. I wonder if Jerry and Grant agree with the FO.

Q: Any chance the Kings would be interested in trading for Jeremy Lin? I know they’re looking to upgrade at the point. Steve Kyler: I have not heard anything about JLin to the Kings. I continue to hear they like Andre Miller. Basketball Insiders

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Trade, Andre Miller
- See more at: http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/sacramento_kings#sthash.wLQHuaLb.dpuf



The Kings still like Isaiah Thomas, but they are also interested in acquiring a true point guard as the trade deadline approaches, a source said. Yahoo! Sports

Sacramento Kings, Trade, Isaiah Thomas
- See more at: http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/sacramento_kings#sthash.wLQHuaLb.dpuf



Uh no. This is a distortion of what has been reported. It says we still like IT, but want a more traditional PG and presumably move IT back to the 6th man. Been no reports of us shopping him, or us unhappy with him, or him unhappy with the team and wanting to be moved. Perhaps sticking to facts would be helpful in the future?

 

[bajaden]

I am sure that there will be plenty of IT talk as usual. However, may I try and sway the conversation to our most glaring weakness. We have terrible #2 guards. Like the worst in the league terrible. They can't shoot with any type of consistency (this is bad for a SG). They don't pass the ball well at all. Their defense stinks worse than fresh dog poop. And BMac can't dribble.

We need to get some #2 guards here above all other needs IMHO.

In general, I agree with you on the play of our SG's. But I think you have to give credit when its due, and last night McLemore played pretty good defense. I think everyone is so intent on his being terrible, that they just make assumptions and don't even watch what he's doing on the court. He made a couple of mistakes, but he was far better than Thornton, who was downright terrible on defense. Offensively, he scored almost all of his points in the second half, and the majority of those came in the fourth quarter, when no one else seemed to be able to score.

 

[Bricklayer]

Gay and Williams grades up

 

[Glenn]

I don't want to speak for anybody else, but from my point of view, I would say that what has frustrated me greatly about a large number of the last two months' worth of posts is that people dislike him to a magnitude greatly out of proportion to his basketball skills (or lack thereof). Not that there's anything personal there, just that it's so disproportionate. Why? I don't know. Is it an overreaction to the few die-hard IT fans (most of whom seem to have wandered off, for some bizarre reason)? Maybe. Is it backlash against Jerry, who is paid to say nice things about him (and the rest of the team)? For some, apparently. Has it spiraled out of control? In my opinion, yes.

I think it is a response to Jerry and his comments that us fans don't know what we see. He implies we don't know basketball. I wonder how he feels about the Kings FO wanting to trade IT.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

I was at game last night ten rows from the floor and near the Kings bench and noticed some issues:

The Kings went through the most un-professional "professional" warm-up I have ever witnessed. Grab-ass, indifference and boredom. To say they were going at it half speed would be giving them a "half" they didn't deserve. Lots of check collecting at this point. After tip-off, Outlaw and Landry were reclined so far down the bench they'd have to be paged to enter the game (Gay slumped in whenever taking his occasional sick leave exits to the bench throughout)

The amount of squawking and finger pointing regarding defense was constant. IMO serious chemistry issues. Isaiah is fighting and definitely the only scorer last night, but absolutely self obsessed with chip on his shoulder ever present and 100% pissed off about something even after making a shot. Isaiah is good, but not Iverson. Cousins was at his most immature last night, squawking at everyone and anyone while being ground-bound maybe by the ankle. He was no match for Gortat, Nene and whoever he tried to fake off their feet in the first half. He loafed up and down half the time. His childish berating of teammates was universally greeted with eye-rolls by teammates. It was nice of Thornton to play after the nasty fall, but it is just too hard to ignore the dreary facial and body language that connects entirely with most of his performances this year.

McElmore may have left some 3 pointers open, but in person he was very impressive. He plays occasional tough defense, and works his butt off. Couple of shots looked pure, and visually he belongs on the court with an NBA athleticism. Gray worked hard and so did Acey, and it was nice to see them get the deficit down to 4 points. News flash, Jimmer struggles with ball pressure. It's such an easy fix to have Gay take over ball handling dudes when paired together it makes me wonder if Coach really wants to get anything out of Jimmer at all.

I was hopeful a few weeks ago that these guys played well together, but after last night I really got the impression that some guys from the current group will not enjoy playing with each other again. I'm hoping they reshuffle again. In the Washington papers, one of the players commented they were playing a team that was very "disconnected" and had a lot of issues. He went on to say they should have been the Kings by thirty. I saw the same thing.

Hooray for Kings Basketball

 

[fanop]

I was at game last night ten rows from the floor and near the Kings bench and noticed some issues:

The Kings went through the most un-professional "professional" warm-up I have ever witnessed. Grab-ass, indifference and boredom. To say they were going at it half speed would be giving them a "half" they didn't deserve. Lots of check collecting at this point. After tip-off, Outlaw and Landry were reclined so far down the bench they'd have to be paged to enter the game (Gay slumped in whenever taking his occasional sick leave exits to the bench throughout)

The amount of squawking and finger pointing regarding defense was constant. IMO serious chemistry issues. Isaiah is fighting and definitely the only scorer last night, but absolutely self obsessed with chip on his shoulder ever present and 100% pissed off about something even after making a shot. Isaiah is good, but not Iverson. Cousins was at his most immature last night, squawking at everyone and anyone while being ground-bound maybe by the ankle. He was no match for Gortat, Nene and whoever he tried to fake off their feet in the first half. He loafed up and down half the time. His childish berating of teammates was universally greeted with eye-rolls by teammates. It was nice of Thornton to play after the nasty fall, but it is just too hard to ignore the dreary facial and body language that connects entirely with most of his performances this year.

McElmore may have left some 3 pointers open, but in person he was very impressive. He plays occasional tough defense, and works his butt off. Couple of shots looked pure, and visually he belongs on the court with an NBA athleticism. Gray worked hard and so did Acey, and it was nice to see them get the deficit down to 4 points. News flash, Jimmer struggles with ball pressure. It's such an easy fix to have Gay take over ball handling dudes when paired together it makes me wonder if Coach really wants to get anything out of Jimmer at all.

I was hopeful a few weeks ago that these guys played well together, but after last night I really got the impression that some guys from the current group will not enjoy playing with each other again. I'm hoping they reshuffle again. In the Washington papers, one of the players commented they were playing a team that was very "disconnected" and had a lot of issues. He went on to say they should have been the Kings by thirty. I saw the same thing.

That's great. I saw a lot of kings fans in the audience. I don't think any of guys play with chemistry. It hurt so bad to see the Wizards sharing the ball and playing team ball. That's what the kings should be doing. I think we go into too much iso with Gay and Cuz. Gay has always had a bad shot selection, but this time they're just not falling. I think Jimmer needs to play with either Cuz or Gay. If he doesn't play with them, I'd rather have him just shoot the ball vs trying to set up Gray and Acy which always comes short.

 

[fanop]

The positive is Ben... he's looking very very good. I'm excited for him and I see his potential

 

[bajaden]

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.

They did run the pick and roll, especially at the beginning of the game, but the Wiz were defending the roll part very well. It appeared to me that their game plan was to make IT beat them and to try and shut down Cousins and Gay. Both were doubled the moment they touched the ball, and Gortat, who is the anti-Cousins, did a remarkable job of fronting Cousins all night long. The result was a lot of open looks for IT, and he made the majority of those open looks, especially the mid-range one's. The Wiz seemed fine with that as long as they held Cousins and Gay down.

Wall ran the pick and roll down our throats, and he should have had 6 or 7 assists in the first half alone, if Gortat or Nene had been able to make a layup. And he did shoot over IT. Fortunately, he missed more than he made. But Wall went anywhere he pleased whenever he wanted. Wall is a very tough match up for IT. Not only is Wall bigger and taller, but he's also quicker. And last night, despite his reputation for being a shoot first PG, he looked like a pass first PG compared to IT.

 

[Hadlowe]

I don't want to speak for anybody else, but from my point of view, I would say that what has frustrated me greatly about a large number of the last two months' worth of posts is that people dislike him to a magnitude greatly out of proportion to his basketball skills (or lack thereof). Not that there's anything personal there, just that it's so disproportionate. Why? I don't know. Is it an overreaction to the few die-hard IT fans (most of whom seem to have wandered off, for some bizarre reason)? Maybe. Is it backlash against Jerry, who is paid to say nice things about him (and the rest of the team)? For some, apparently. Has it spiraled out of control? In my opinion, yes.

Game threads are a bad place to get people's rational opinion about a player. Every time IT dribbles 20 seconds off the shot clock and hoists a contested jumper, he's the worst player in the world. Any time Jimmer turns the ball over, he's the worst player in the world.

The majority of the non-game thread posts I see are railing against the fit and demeanor of IT as starting point guard, and not his overall skillset. IT is one of the few guards in the league who can score from anywhere on the court and he is a decent if not exceptional guard at creating for his teammates. What he is not is deferential, savvy about breaking down opposing teams' defense, clock management, or individual or team defense. That skillset and mentality is fantastic in a sixth man, 20 minutes per game gunner, and just death to team chemistry for a starting point guard.

Look at Kyrie in Cleveland. He is a very skilled scorer and a pretty good distributor. Yet, the entire team is breaking down because he and Dion Waiters just do not share the ball. Those two take turns pounding the ball looking for a seam to the interior or jacking up shots instead of getting their teammates involved. What was supposed to be a playoff push has turned into yet another lottery year because the guy handling the ball is playing for the guy handling the ball.

I don't want that to be the future of the Kings. We already had a minor version of that in the Tyreke 1-4 flat/Thornton chucks a three years. With a very good passing big man in Cousins and a decent passer in Gay, we need crisp ball movement to pressure the opposing defense. That isn't happening right now and the first breakdown is in the guy bringing the ball up the court 9 times out of 10.

 

[fanop]

They did run the pick and roll, especially at the beginning of the game, but the Wiz were defending the roll part very well. It appeared to me that their game plan was to make IT beat them and to try and shut down Cousins and Gay. Both were doubled the moment they touched the ball, and Gortat, who is the anti-Cousins, did a remarkable job of fronting Cousins all night long. The result was a lot of open looks for IT, and he made the majority of those open looks, especially the mid-range one's. The Wiz seemed fine with that as long as they held Cousins and Gay down.

Wall ran the pick and roll down our throats, and he should have had 6 or 7 assists in the first half alone, if Gortat or Nene had been able to make a layup. And he did shoot over IT. Fortunately, he missed more than he made. But Wall went anywhere he pleased whenever he wanted. Wall is a very tough match up for IT. Not only is Wall bigger and taller, but he's also quicker. And last night, despite his reputation for being a shoot first PG, he looked like a pass first PG compared to IT.

I always saw Wall as a pass first pg, but I think ITs defense had something to do with his off night. He didn't have a bad night, but he kept Wall from scoring and put a lot of pressure on him...However even with only 4ats and 5tos he was still very efficient and effective last night. His numbers don't have to be huge. He was able to get his teammates the ball and set up good plays to where everyone had touches. Wall is the type of player/pg the kings need. He's a very smart player, but IT got the best of him last night. However, I think the Wizards were more focused on shutting down DMC and Gay than they were IT. They were ok with giving him easy shots just as long as Gay and Cuz didn't get any.

I just don't think IT and our bigs are very good in PnRs. I think the team might need a european pg. I'm not sure why but these european and foreign pgs pass a lot better than american pgs. I honestly would not mind at all if we brought back Vasquez as long as we have a defensive 2. I think Ben can be our starter next year. Ben is very good at guarding pgs because he's quick enough and has the size to keep up. I wouldn't mind Vasquez guarding SGs.

 

[Npliam]

Yes, but on the other end is a foul being called on him? I'm biased but it seems he can't defend others like they are defending him. I think Malone agrees (he may be biased also) 'cause he went just as far as he possibly could in the post conference without drawing a fine in being critical of the no-calls.

I am sure that there are times when he isn't allowed to guard guys like he is being guarded. I am sure he feels like he got fouled and then did the same thing that they just got away with and it is called a foul on him. I am sure this has happened and I am sure that he has been screwed on more than a few calls. Just like EVERY PLAYER IN THE NBA (except of course Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki) especially post players. Refs miss stuff, they just do.

The problem is that he will complain no matter what. If there is any contact at all, even a little bit , even if he caused it he will turn to the official and want the foul. He then carries this angst over to the defensive end.

 

[Kingster]

"he wasn't horribly inefficient at 46.8%"????????? referring to IT. That is just stupid. IT was the only bright spot last night, but many people are too blind to see it.
Any team in the NBA, especially one with a lot of losses will take that shooting percentage anytime they can get it.
This game is a good example of why every team needs scorers, at least 3, and 4 or 5 are even better.
The Kings get nothing from their SHOOTING Guards.
Gortat knows how to play defense on Cousins. He fronted him, he leaned on him and he got help in the double team. He was very physical which is Cousins game. Great job by Washington, not bad game by Cousins. You watched the weak part of Cousins mental game last night. When he gets frustrated he is like a little kid.
A finesse player like Gay will have some off games. It is a long season.

It's hilarious, really. Cousins is an F; Gay is a no-show. The only guy that kept it afloat in this game with the possibility of winning the game was IT. Yet some brilliant bulbs want to point out the weaknesses of IT. Sigh..........

 

[mac]

It's hilarious, really. Cousins is an F; Gay is a no-show. The only guy that kept it afloat in this game with the possibility of winning the game was IT. Yet some brilliant bulbs want to point out the weaknesses of IT. Sigh..........

Because IT's style of play is the recurring issue. Cousins and Gay had bad games. That's it. Everyone has said it. What more is there to analyse or say about it? On the other hand there's plenty that can be said about IT's trend of shot attempts, of not getting others easy looks (Uncia did a fantastic write up), of yet another instance of him killing momentum with some dumb shots or not making the right plays.

 

[Glenn]

It's hilarious, really. Cousins is an F; Gay is a no-show. The only guy that kept it afloat in this game with the possibility of winning the game was IT. Yet some brilliant bulbs want to point out the weaknesses of IT. Sigh..........

Apparently there are brilliant bulbs in the FO as a media report said that the Kings are trying to trade IT for a more traditional pg. Don't have a clue why, do you? Must be a mistake on the team's part to not see the skills IT brings to the Kings.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

It's hilarious, really. Cousins is an F; Gay is a no-show. The only guy that kept it afloat in this game with the possibility of winning the game was IT. Yet some brilliant bulbs want to point out the weaknesses of IT. Sigh..........

Whats up Isaiah, how was your Birthday?

 

[HereWeBoogie]

i think i figured out why the team was so sluggish!

Isaiah Thomas ‏@Isaiah_Thomas2 3h
Thanks @bellabrucafe for the 40lbs birthday cake.... pic.twitter.com/E67FqHIdcx

 

[whozit]

Forty Pounds?????????????????

 

[jcwkings]

Apparently there are brilliant bulbs in the FO as a media report said that the Kings are trying to trade IT for a more traditional pg. Don't have a clue why, do you? Must be a mistake on the team's part to not see the skills IT brings to the Kings.

That is false, the only reports are that the Kings are high on IT but want a pass first PG to go along with him, reports are we keep inquiring about Andre Miller. The only PG's that are remotely available that you consider trading IT for are Rondo and Lowry. Rondo trade wouldn't happen until the draft most likely. I expect a move, but only something minor like bringing a backup PG or starting roleplayer SG.

The summer is huge for us, re-signing IT, convincing Gay to sign long term, lottery pick, we come into next season expecting to compete for a low playoff spot.

 

[Glenn]

http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/isaiah_thomas

You are right. It doesn't say they will trade IT. It doesn't include all the other stuff you said. It was dated today. Perhaps they aren't happy with him a a starter but we can go with your idea if you wish.

http://fansided.com/2014/02/10/nba-trade-rumors-sacramento-kings-looking-trade-true-point-guard/

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I think it is a response to Jerry and his comments that us fans don't know what we see. He implies we don't know basketball. I wonder how he feels about the Kings FO wanting to trade IT.

It will be "interesting" to see what kind of spin they put on their commentary, if that trade does happen

 

[Chubbs]

Sometimes we only see our expectations...

I think his lack of ball handling has been pushed so hard on here people see things that aren't really there.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Isaiah Thomas ‏@Isaiah_Thomas2 3h
Thanks @bellabrucafe for the 40lbs birthday cake.... pic.twitter.com/E67FqHIdcx

There you go LillyAnnFrazier.....Softball right over the plate.

 

[jcwkings]

http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/isaiah_thomas

You are right. It doesn't say they will trade IT. It doesn't include all the other stuff you said. It was dated today. Perhaps they aren't happy with him a a starter but we can go with your idea if you wish.

http://fansided.com/2014/02/10/nba-trade-rumors-sacramento-kings-looking-trade-true-point-guard/

The rest of the stuff was just my personal assesment, the report itself from Spears of Yahoo! never states we are looking to trade IT. Just correcting your attempt "Fox News" that report, aka spin the crap out of it.