Grades

[HndsmCelt]

It seemed as if Brick was going to do grades but I just can't wait to offer my own so here goes:
Cetlt’s Grades



Sharif Abdur-Rahim A- Really was the over all best and most consistent player tonight… until he ended up out of position at the 5. I would like to see more boards out of him in the future


Mike Bibby C+ played really uninspired ball, hada few moments but just did seem like he really was in the game


Francisco Garcia B Showed he has range (just poor shot selection) and tons of hustle. I liked what I saw but some how the term raw keeps coming up


Jason Hart PG B I am probably being kind but since he played so little it is hard to tell. It is nice to see a PG play some solid D and for that I gave him the B.


23 Kevin Martin A- If I was grading on effort alone they guy would get and A+. His hustle and quickness are great to see. He shoots better, he knows the offense and obviously enjoys playing with Garcia. Some rebounding and a more controlled game would put this kid into the solid A


Brad Miller B- Pre-Season and Brad is already jaw jacking the stripes… Nice shot, good rebounding, a dunk and some nice Indy connections to fellow Hooseir Wells speaks well for Brads game but he did almost noting on D and once again lets bottom feeders like Jop look good.


Ronnie Price INC… just not enough time to grade him



Jamal Sampson INC (He looks like and NBA Center, would love to see him play a little more so we can see what he can do)



Brian Skinner A- Looks like the same guy who came in from Philly and wowed us, and has clearly improved his jumper.


Peja Stojakovic B Yawn… Sleep waking tonight


Kenny Thomas C+ The nice 3rd quarter almost made up for his abysmal start. If he planes on keeping his starting job he better show more.



Bonzi Wells A- I am still so confused at watching a Kings guard post up that I am not sure how to grade him.


Corliss Williamson C Showed up played a few min, was short.



Adelman C- It seems to me that early Pre-Season games have 2 purposes, giving the hopefuls a look and getting the W to build confidence. Ok Getting new additions into the system is a third goal but for now I choose to ignore it. Bottom line is the hopefuls got NO time and the team did not get the W… pretty much failed objectives 1 and 2.

 

[VF21]

Brickie didn't see the game tonight, Celt, so it's a good thing you're filling in...

Peja a B??????? For what? Not tripping anyone wearing the same jersey he was? Sorry, but I couldn't possibly give him anything higher than a mere C, especially if you're going to compare his effort with Hart, who at least tried and showed some involvement. Peja is clearly still rusty. Giving him a B is simply wrong, IMHO.

 

[Kings113]

Yeah I'd say a C for Peja.

 

[kingsfan916]

Finally Brad acts like a big man!

 

[HndsmCelt]

Your probably right about Pedja but his little rally in the 3rd and my over all good mood made me give him the benifit of the doubt.

 

[Bballkingsrock]

Yeah I agree with VF21. I didn't see Peja do didily squat out there. Missed many shots including many 3's and didn'tdo much overall. I would give him a C or a C-.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

Ronnie hit a three... and grabbed an O board, give him credit for that ....

 

[kingsfan916]

We should have let Ronnie in earlier

 

[Kings113]

Agreed. I hope he, Sampson/Paulding/Schenscher/Flores play/play more next game.

 

[KP]

Hmm... Peja was 1 for 7 including some wide open looks that weren't even close. Him and Mike both came out with zero energy... C- for both. The starters did come back out at the start of the 3rd and show some heart cutting the lead down to 7 but overall not an impressive effort. You seemed to like Bonzis game a lot more than me. He looked really out of sorts to me, he was 2 for 7, gambled and got beat a lot on D, and simply came down and jacked up bricks on more than just a couple of sets. I'd give him a C- too. Brad showed a little fire and moved well(missed a couple of shots he usually knocks down) C+. KT hit some open shots but looked sloppy too got torched on D... C+. Reef looked good, 5 for 7 and some great assists... A-. All the youngsters showed some heart and Pharoah too. Corliss was an afterthought but not especially effective. Overall I saw some good things but a lot to work on. We really need to see Reef with the other starting 4 for a stretch I think they could be pretty good. Let's not forget Dallas is a talented team with some experience together. Peja and Mike gotta show more leadership than they did tonight, but hey it's just the 1st preseason game, so we'll see.

 

[funkykingston]

I like Martin, and I'm rooting for him to succeed, but I still have some concerns with him.

He showed some great hustle tonight, is looking more defined physically and has garnered praise from his coaches and teammates so far this preseason.

And yet, he still looks a bit lost offensively. It's almost as if when he catches the ball he looks to drive and if there isn't space, he's not sure what to do next.

I think he'll figure it all out and be an important contributor this season, but I think an A- is a bit high considering tonight's action.

 

[funkykingston]

Agreed. I hope he, Sampson/Paulding/Schenscher/Flores play/play more next game.

I wonder if these guys will see much time at all in the preseason outside of garbage minutes in the 4th quarter.

Adelman has so many possibilities with this roster that I wouldn't be surprised to see him continues to play the top 8 or 9 guys big minutes for the rest of the preseason. The last couple guys fighting for spots may have to make their case during practices.

 

[Bricklayer]

Man, and I thought I was an easy grader.


We got spanked on the glass, sputtered on offense, had a terrible defensive first half and pretty much everybody gets an A or B. Tsk tsk Professor HndsmCelt -- you've probably got students lining up around the block trying to get into your classes.

 

[love_them_kings]

Man, and I thought I was an easy grader.


We got spanked on the glass, sputtered on offense, had a terrible defensive first half and pretty much everybody gets an A or B. Tsk tsk Professor HndsmCelt -- you've probably got students lining up around the block trying to get into your classes.

I think I would have erred in the same direction.. it's just so dang great to be watching basketball again, I'm having trouble being too hard on anyone!

 

[HndsmCelt]

Man, and I thought I was an easy grader.


We got spanked on the glass, sputtered on offense, had a terrible defensive first half and pretty much everybody gets an A or B. Tsk tsk Professor HndsmCelt -- you've probably got students lining up around the block trying to get into your classes.

Well that is true for courses that hve no real baseline for grading like my introduction to public speaking classes. Now American Public adress or Rhetorical criticism are a different story. And You know how mch tougher I can be once the games count.

 

[rhuber]

Well that is true for courses that hve no real baseline for grading like my introduction to public speaking classes. Now American Public adress or Rhetorical criticism are a different story. And You know how mch tougher I can be once the games count.

My wife teaches Rhetoric. A quarter of her students drop her class after glancing at her syllabus… and it’s all uphill from there. She’s been trying to get me to audit one of her classes, but I’m too scared! Her grading policy might be more to brick’s liking.

 

[Bricklayer]

Rheotrical Criticism sounds like it would be a blast actually -- but I'm strange that way.


Still remember how aghast we all were in a European Philosophy course when we realized that the professor was actually SERIOUS about using a C curve -- not that you didn't know ahead of time from previous students, course guides etc., but I think everybody expected he would soften it. He did not (and like most curves in some ways not fair becuase this was an advanced course with a lot of VERY bright people in it, and even the Cs were doing high level work).

 

[HndsmCelt]

Rheotrical Criticism sounds like it would be a blast actually -- but I'm strange that way.


Still remember how aghast we all were in a European Philosophy course when we realized that the professor was actually SERIOUS about using a C curve -- not that you didn't know ahead of time from previous students, course guides etc., but I think everybody expected he would soften it. He did not (and like most curves in some ways not fair becuase this was an advanced course with a lot of VERY bright people in it, and even the Cs were doing high level work).

I never had the guts to curve a calss up, but also never ahd the pitty to curve at all. Straight percentage grader and 89.9% is still a B since we do not give half grades. You would dig Rhet Crit... This year I am focusing on Social movemnts and their rhetoric. Next semseter I may have the students look at terrorisim and rhetoric about it.

 

[Rockin' in the Free World]

Not a big fan of the "C" curve. Professor my freshman year used it in an astronomy class, that was just mean. I would have flipped for European Philosophy though, and sounds like Rhet Crit is awesome too, should check my course catalouge up here. Still, no professor of mine (nowadays in upper Division Land) would have given Peja a B. Wanna come teach at my school? Please? Extra Credit for KingsFans members?

 

[HndsmCelt]

Not a big fan of the "C" curve. Professor my freshman year used it in an astronomy class, that was just mean. I would have flipped for European Philosophy though, and sounds like Rhet Crit is awesome too, should check my course catalouge up here. Still, no professor of mine (nowadays in upper Division Land) would have given Peja a B. Wanna come teach at my school? Please? Extra Credit for KingsFans members?

Chico would be a nice gig... could see me teaching up there ealisy. Unfortunatly duty requires I apply to research one campuses for the phd.

 

[LA King Fan II]

Team Grade C. Dallas is better than us at this point top to bottom.

The scariest thing of the evening is how little Brad Miller looks like a Center. His hustle and offensive game are always there, but he is no threat at all inside defensively to block a shot or take a charge. We seem small and slow.

Peja D watched guys get layups again, missed key open looks
Bibby B - Indifferent but we know what he can do. Some defensive intensity, but horrible fundamentals (he very rarely sees the ball when his man doesn't have it).
Bonzi C+ tried to play team ball, played hard, struggled with new mates
Martin B- aggressive, too nervous on offense (sort of Matt Barnes-ish last night)
Garcia C- Wasted dribble everytime he catches, shot was off, potential on defense
Rahim B- Nice offense inside, under-sized 4 looks vulnerable on defense
Thomas B- shot well, looked to play team ball, too small around basket
Skinner C- made an outside shot somehow, hustled, not the center we need
Hart C - shot looks shakey, didn't notice defense enough to comment

Please let's see if Sampson can play. We desperately need him to be a surprise.

 

[Coach]

Am I the only one who thought Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia were terrible? They both need to learn that they are not the focal point of the offense. They shot a combined 5-14 from the field, and most of those shots were with 14+ seconds left on the shot clock. Enough guys. Look to feed the post before you think about launching a 23 foot jumper.

I did like their hustle on defense though.

 

[piksi]

everybody deserves an A for not getting injured

 

[kgrichwine]

Everyone gets a low C-. No Kings passing game. No assists. No defense. Not much hustle. This team has a looooooong way to go.

 

[CaminoChaos]

The one thing I saw from Brad was at least he was contesting shots. Even though he picked up some fouls doing it at least he was trying. I believe defensively he made a huge improvement. He obviously didn't hit the weights like he said last season.

I liked the way Thomas was playing. Despite his size his hustling and his quickness makes up for it. I love the competition between him and Shareef. Both Shareef and KT were passing which is nice to see.

Garcia and Martin looked good but still need some work. Both never stopped moving. They were all over the place. They both were making rookie mistakes; Bad shot selection, dribbling to much but that will get better in time. They showed tremendous upside.

Peja was terrible no defense and not making shots.

Bibby was at least trying to play defense.

Hart was playing D the whole time and never takes a break. I like the fact he hit a couple mid-range jumpers.

Skinner played very well on both ends of the floor. What, whats that you said. He made a mid-ranger.

I love the low post offense of Shareef and Bonzi. They created alot of open shots for teamates. They both hustled on D and were trying which is a good sign.

Overall the team just needs time to mesh. The defense has good upside and the offense will come with playing and practicing with each other.

 

[Folsom Al]

Not a bad job there HndsmCelt ....

I'll tell you one thing ... IF I EVER NEED FEEDBACK ... throw yourself to the wolves (nice wolves) @KingsFans.com ... alot can be learned about MANY-MANY things.

already been mentioned, so take with a grain of salt .... if KT gets a C+ ... then Peja gets an DNC (DID NOT COMPETE) .... if Peja gets a B ... then KT IS ABOVE THE SCALE AT AN A+++

all-n-all ... it's one game - preseason at that - what'd everyone expect ???

King's came out slower then molasses and the Mav's shot 61% in the 1st quarter (nice D).

 

[bibbinator]

I heard on khtk last night that the team only has two offensive sets at this point. They still have a lot to learn together. The challenge for RA and the team is to take all this talent and get it to gel; talent alone does not a team make.

The vets, Bibby, Miller and Peja, did not impress me but I'll no they'll show up when the time comes.

 

[Diabeticwonder]

Am I the only one who thought Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia were terrible?

No. I was at the game and although there were a few moments when Kevin and Cisco did some nice things, overall they were both very shaky. They both looked lost at times while on the floor, especially Cisco (understandable), but I was expecting to see so much more from Kevin after hearing all of the rave reviews. As an aside, on KHTK while driving to the game Coach T remarked that Kevin might be the most improved player in the NBA this year. Well, if that's going to be the case then he has a long way to go because last night I was not overly impressed by him. However, I will say that he does bring some sorely needed hustle to the floor, but he just needs to play within the flow of the game.

As for KT and Reef. It was also very apparent to me that Reef is a much better overall player than KT. KT is as such a height and size disadvantage that he is relegated most of the time to spotting up 15-17 ft. away or taking his man off the dribble from 15-17 ft. However, Reef can do the same thing as well as post his man up and Reef also showed better than average passing skills and court vision last night than I remember. Reef's length also caused more deflections in passing lanes than what KT's length can do. Additionally, there was one play when Reef went way up over Dirk and snatched the rebound. KT can't do that.

 

[SacTownKid]

Concering the rebounding issue:

You have to understand that we got spanked on the glass b/c the Mavs shot 55%, limiting our defensive rebounding opprotunities, and we shot 43%, maximizing theirs. We actually out-rebounded them on the offensive glass. 2 things need to really happen. 1. our offense needs to gel (big time!) and 2. our defense needs to gel. I saw some promising things overall.

And how about Shareef, man he dominated down low! Peja certainly a C or D grade from me. Jason Hart looked good too.

Man the refs had some quick whistles tonight! They let the Lakers and Warriors go toe to toe pretty well, hopefully they won't be so whistle quick in the next game.

 

[chelle]

I guess that I am just not as worried as many of you. At this point in the season, they are still getting things together. Look at it this way - we help Dallas below 100 points.

I know that we had more overall negatives than positives. The thing is . . . I tend to believe that is the point of the preseason, especially this one for us. It gives us time to gel as a team and work out the kinks.

I would give us a C has a whole. Lots of room for improvement. Good thing we have time to improve.