Keith Smart Still Tinkering with Starting Lineup- Link!

[miltonap]

http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2012/10/11/3488300/sacramento-kings-starting-lineup-keith-smart




Thank God. Hopefully he sticks to his word. Not enough balance in our starting lineup at the moment. Plus Tyreke is not a SF....

 

[HereWeBoogie]

good!

 

[gunks]

JJ starting?

I wonder who goes to the bench? Reke or JT?

Surely not precious Thornton.

 

[pshn80]

Yes, Smart is and will be tinkering with the starting lineup. That was clear before the game, during the game and after the game. We don't know who will start the season at PG, SG, SF. We can assume it will be JT at the 4 amd of course
Cousins at C.

I have my own druthers for opening game starters - PG, whoever Smart picks between Thomas and Brooks, SG, Evans, SF, whoever Smart picks between JJ and Outlaw, PF, Thompson, C, Cousins. Thornton, off the bench if he's in town.

 

[Rookie]

I still don't like the fact that he played Evans at SF for yesterday game. That should of end with the end of last season!

Hopefully I see a more solid line up when the season start. I like Sudoku too and there is really only one way to fill out the blanks. And with one season experience, that sheet should have been mostly completed. Not start from scratch.

 

[The_Jamal]

D.U.H.

It was clearly obvious he wanted to get a look at everyone yesterday and see extended stints from a few guys like Jimmer and Robinson

 

[miltonap]

D.U.H.

It was clearly obvious he wanted to get a look at everyone yesterday and see extended stints from a few guys like Jimmer and Robinson

Well, no crap. Obviously the rotation is going to be different since it's preseason but I was still surprised to see the starting lineup, key word..."starting lineup"... unchanged from last year. Just glad there's an explanation for it.

 

[jcwkings]

I think Johnson should start, and eventually T Rob. JT can play eiter PF or C making him more useful as the first big off the bench. Hayes and Robinson will struggle against bigger front lines if they always come in together.

 

[GoodOldDouwe]

The one big problem with a IT - Evans - JJ - JT - Cuz line-up is the perimeter shooting, both Tyreke and JJ aren't proven perimeter shooters...

 

[KingsCitizen]

I like a lineup of

PG - Brooks
SG - Evans
SF - Johnson
PF - TRob
C - DMC

to eventually emerge and become consistent by mid season. If we can't get some other big to back up DMC, JT should be our first big off the bench. He plays more controlled as Center than a PF.

TRob and JJ can switch between the 2 forward spots easily.

 

[Chupacabra]

This whole scheme of playing Evans at the 3 needs to end immediately. Im so sick of seeing this. Allowing this coach to do this with the wealth of young talent on this team is like giving the keys to a ferrari to a 16 year old that just got his drivers license. Its a shame. Preseason shmeeseason, stop doing things that dont work. Atleast make an attempt to do the right thing. The general concensus on this board about what the starting lineup should be seems to be generally the same thats shared between everyone and its because we're all using common sense.

 

[rexb_kings]

this may sound funny..i played the Lakers with their new line-up in NBA 2K12 and the line-up that finally beat them was:

Fredette
Thornton
JJ
Thompson
Cousins

with Fredette the Jordan player of the game! sorry can't wait for the NBA season to start so playing the game was the next best NBA experience for me.

 

[blackice]

We really could have a solid bench if Smart plays it right. I like IT starting at PG and I'd try James Johnson at SF. A bench of Thornton, Robinson, Brooks can add a nice offensive punch.

 

[CruzDude]

I like the three guard lineup when the matchup favors that. In that lineup there are no absolute position names, just 3 guards and 2 bigs. There is no more "Tyreke at the 3". He is a guard. Sometimes or even many times Tyreke will be bringing the ball up. That doesn't make him a PG. Sometimes his great defense may be on the other teams SF which doesn't make him a SF. Yet other times he will be looking to score on multiple possessions. Doesn't make him a SG. He is an all around player who plays 3 positions.

 

[Bricklayer]

I like the three guard lineup when the matchup favors that. In that lineup there are no absolute position names, just 3 guards and 2 bigs. There is no more "Tyreke at the 3". He is a guard. Sometimes or even many times Tyreke will be bringing the ball up. That doesn't make him a PG. Sometimes his great defense may be on the other teams SF which doesn't make him a SF. Yet other times he will be looking to score on multiple possessions. Doesn't make him a SG. He is an all around player who plays 3 positions.

it doesn't work against any team with a legitimately sized SF, and it doesn't work period on the offensive end. Somebody is frozen out by the simple math of the game. There is one basketball to go around. Smart teams, winning teams, recognize that. There is a reason James Harden comes off the bench.

We saw enough of that garbage last year. It was a dismal failure. There is also a reason that after briefly emerging as a rebounding power in 2011, we collapsed back into one of the league's worst last year. It wasn't because of Cousins, not because of JT. Its because we are idiots and played so many small weak players out of position that we got crushed at the 1/2/3. All that nonsense has to stop. There is enough size and talent and people who can naturally play their positions on this team that screwing around and holding back the entire squad's chemistry and development this way is indefensible. Take your star center and put him out there with your big roleplaying PF, your big defensive stopper/captain SF, your big 2nd weapon/creative triple double threat SG, and the midget PG of your choice. Bring your streaky/explosive SG off the bench as a 6th man next to your wild but energetic lottery pick PF/SF, capped by the other midget PG. Voila, you've got an 8-man rotation that just makes sense and other than some shooting woes matches up every night, against everybody. Doesn't mean that there can't be short stretches of 3-guard, since Reke and Thornton are 2 of your 3 best scorers. But starting that lineup and running it for big minutes is nonsense holding back a team for no reason at all other than Nellieesque ego and experimnetation. Play it straight and there is no reason we can't flat out compete every night. Too young to go and win a title, will need improved shooting at some point. But we can straight up matchup with just about anybody with our normal lineup. There is no need for gimmicks at this point. Its just a distraction.

 

[DesertFox]

I wouldn't mind a "3 guard lineup" if 2 of the 3 weren't undersized. Tyreke will always guard the SF, and the other team will be able to put their best defender on him without giving up size.

Usually teams go 3 guards to exploit multitalented players who are interchangeable on offense, D, or both. With the Kings, they went to it because there was garbage at SF. It clearly wasn't the best use of Tyreke, bu understandable given the alternative.

With Johnson around, and and the PF/C minutes all accounted for, Reke shouldn't have to avg more than 10 min at the 3, and only then because Brooks/IT/Jimmer play well enough to take all the PG minutes.

 

[Agent23]

it doesn't work against any team with a legitimately sized SF, and it doesn't work period on the offensive end. Somebody is frozen out by the simple math of the game. There is one basketball to go around. Smart teams, winning teams, recognize that. There is a reason James Harden comes off the bench.

We saw enough of that garbage last year. It was a dismal failure. There is also a reason that after briefly emerging as a rebounding power in 2011, we collapsed back into one of the league's worst last year. It wasn't because of Cousins, not because of JT. Its because we are idiots and played so many small weak players out of position that we got crushed at the 1/2/3. All that nonsense has to stop. There is enough size and talent and people who can naturally play their positions on this team that screwing around and holding back the entire squad's chemistry and development this way is indefensible. Take your star center and put him out there with your big roleplaying PF, your big defensive stopper/captain SF, your big 2nd weapon/creative triple double threat SG, and the midget PG of your choice. Bring your streaky/explosive SG off the bench as a 6th man next to your wild but energetic lottery pick PF/SF, capped by the other midget PG. Voila, you've got an 8-man rotation that just makes sense and other than some shooting woes matches up every night, against everybody. Doesn't mean that there can't be short stretches of 3-guard, since Reke and Thornton are 2 of your 3 best scorers. But starting that lineup and running it for big minutes is nonsense holding back a team for no reason at all other than Nellieesque ego and experimnetation. Play it straight and there is no reason we can't flat out compete every night. Too young to go and win a title, will need improved shooting at some point. But we can straight up matchup with just about anybody with our normal lineup. There is no need for gimmicks at this point. Its just a distraction.

Preach

 

[Arkitect]

it doesn't work against any team with a legitimately sized SF, and it doesn't work period on the offensive end. Somebody is frozen out by the simple math of the game. There is one basketball to go around. Smart teams, winning teams, recognize that. There is a reason James Harden comes off the bench.

We saw enough of that garbage last year. It was a dismal failure. There is also a reason that after briefly emerging as a rebounding power in 2011, we collapsed back into one of the league's worst last year. It wasn't because of Cousins, not because of JT. Its because we are idiots and played so many small weak players out of position that we got crushed at the 1/2/3. All that nonsense has to stop. There is enough size and talent and people who can naturally play their positions on this team that screwing around and holding back the entire squad's chemistry and development this way is indefensible. Take your star center and put him out there with your big roleplaying PF, your big defensive stopper/captain SF, your big 2nd weapon/creative triple double threat SG, and the midget PG of your choice. Bring your streaky/explosive SG off the bench as a 6th man next to your wild but energetic lottery pick PF/SF, capped by the other midget PG. Voila, you've got an 8-man rotation that just makes sense and other than some shooting woes matches up every night, against everybody. Doesn't mean that there can't be short stretches of 3-guard, since Reke and Thornton are 2 of your 3 best scorers. But starting that lineup and running it for big minutes is nonsense holding back a team for no reason at all other than Nellieesque ego and experimnetation. Play it straight and there is no reason we can't flat out compete every night. Too young to go and win a title, will need improved shooting at some point. But we can straight up matchup with just about anybody with our normal lineup. There is no need for gimmicks at this point. Its just a distraction.

This is not rocket science. I don't understand how most of the informed team fan base understands this and the coaching staff does not. Smart should have spent the summer reading message boards instead of film of the Globetrotters. There was a reason that Adelman ran the same lineups all year with consistent sub patterns. Teams need consistency. We know what the players we have are capable of doing. Just play the IT, Reke, JJ, JT, Cousins starting lineup, commit to it and be done with it. Solid perimeter D, solid rebounding, good size, should punish teams on the inside. Thorton/Brooks/TRob is a damn good bench with high energy and should punish teams from the outside. Those 8 guys should get the most minutes. Then spot minutes for Garcia/Outlaw/Hayes/Salmons/Jimmer.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

idk how much this really means, but according to todays report of the scrimmage squads kieth smart was using, he had Tyreke playing the SG position..............

 

[Bricklayer]

Consider this.

Kings possible lineup:

6'11" 270lb DeMarcus Cousins
6'11" 250lb Jason Thompson
6'9" 248lb James Johnson
6'5" 222lb Tyreke Evans
5'9" 185lb Isaiah Thomas

other than IT, who is tough but tiny, that is a BIG team. And big wiht guys who all use their size too. no 6'9" jumpshooting weenies. Big young athletic guys who attack your interior, reboudn their position etc.

Match that up with various top teams:
Lakers
6'11" 265lb Howard
7'0" 250lb Gasol
6'7" 260lb Artest
6'6" 205lb Bryant
6'3" 178lb Nash

or

6'10" 260lb Perkins
6'10" 245lb Ibaka
6'10" 235lb Durant
6'7" 215lb Sefalosha
6'3" 187lb Westbrook

etc. And we are right there. And obviously that does not mean we are as good as those teams. You don't win by matching height+weight. But it does mean that we can easily, naturally, if we just quit screwing around, field a fullsized team that can matchup with anybody on an equal footing. No excuses, no gimmicks, no smallball, no mismatch problems except occasionally at the PG. And they are all our best players at those positions, and that lineup leaves us with plenty of firepower off the bench.

Let's throw out our best fullsized lineup, and let's go to war and see what happens.

P.S. as usual I am like totally totally shocked the top teams are big physically. Really.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

no 6'9" jumpshooting weenies.

aka Chris Bosh

 

[Agent23]

Consider this.

Kings possible lineup:

6'11" 270lb DeMarcus Cousins
6'11" 250lb Jason Thompson
6'9" 248lb James Johnson
6'5" 222lb Tyreke Evans
5'9" 185lb Isaiah Thomas

other than IT, who is tough but tiny, that is a BIG team. And big wiht guys who all use their size too. no 6'9" jumpshooting weenies. Big young athletic guys who attack your interior, reboudn their position etc.

Match that up with various top teams:
Lakers
6'11" 265lb Howard
7'0" 250lb Gasol
6'7" 260lb Artest
6'6" 205lb Bryant
6'3" 178lb Nash

or

6'10" 260lb Perkins
6'10" 245lb Ibaka
6'10" 235lb Durant
6'7" 215lb Sefalosha
6'3" 187lb Westbrook

etc. And we are right there. And obviously that does not mean we are as good as those teams. You don't win by matching height+weight. But it does mean that we can easily, naturally, if we just quit screwing around, field a fullsized team that can matchup with anybody on an equal footing. No excuses, no gimmicks, no smallball, no mismatch problems except occasionally at the PG. And they are all our best players at those positions, and that lineup leaves us with plenty of firepower off the bench.

Let's throw out our best fullsized lineup, and let's go to war and see what happens.

P.S. as usual I am like totally totally shocked the top teams are big physically. Really.

Wanna know what's hilarious? Look at Golden State's roster. As soon as they got rid of the remnants of Nellie Ball, all of sudden they have put together a squad that has size and guys who fit their positions. Watch them be succesful while Coach Smart fiddles with his cute starting lineups.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

idk if i can live with the Warriors finishing with a better record then the Kings this season. i might give up hope for humanity

 

[rainmaker]

idk if i can live with the Warriors finishing with a better record then the Kings this season. i might give up hope for humanity

They will. Barring injuries, it'll probably be by 8-10 games as well. They ditched gimmick ball, went out and got size and defense, a coach who defines roles, preaches defense and plays guys to their strengths, as well as acquired talent which fits their holes. Their players complement one another.

Notice Jackson didn't go into this year planning on playing Klay as SF, but instead as soon as they had an opportunity to get a legit SF, they drafted Barnes. Instead of the ridiculous non defense, small ball backcourt of Monta/Curry, Jackson quickly scrapped that and fully endorsed the trade of Monta for Bogut last year. If Smart is considering Reke at SF, the why the hell didn't we just draft Barnes?

He gets it. GS's FO gets it. I doubt our FO and head coach get it. And it sucks living in Warrior land and watching them attempt to rebuild the proper way, with a plan you can build on going forward, compared to what we're doing. Reke at SF and Cuz shooting 3's? Two examples of many. But GS knew what Smart was about, which is why they gladly let him walk.

 

[King Baller]

I think I will watch a few more games and then pass judgement

KB

 

[Agent23]

I think I will watch a few more games and then pass judgement

KB

That's not fun. Then what do we talk about before the games?

 

[jcwkings]

They will. Barring injuries, it'll probably be by 8-10 games as well. They ditched gimmick ball, went out and got size and defense, a coach who defines roles, preaches defense and plays guys to their strengths, as well as acquired talent which fits their holes. Their players complement one another.

Notice Jackson didn't go into this year planning on playing Klay as SF, but instead as soon as they had an opportunity to get a legit SF, they drafted Barnes. Instead of the ridiculous non defense, small ball backcourt of Monta/Curry, Jackson quickly scrapped that and fully endorsed the trade of Monta for Bogut last year. If Smart is considering Reke at SF, the why the hell didn't we just draft Barnes?

He gets it. GS's FO gets it. I doubt our FO and head coach get it. And it sucks living in Warrior land and watching them attempt to rebuild the proper way, with a plan you can build on going forward, compared to what we're doing. Reke at SF and Cuz shooting 3's? Two examples of many. But GS knew what Smart was about, which is why they gladly let him walk.

Well Klay Thompson has the skills that an NBA SG has, Barnes has the size and skills of an NBA SF. Tyreke up to this point has some PG skills in a SG body, while Thornton is an NBA SG. I don't really blame Smart, Tyreke is just a unique player that doesn't really have a set position, which can be viewed as a good or bad thing really.

 

[Agent23]

Well Klay Thompson has the skills that an NBA SG has, Barnes has the size and skills of an NBA SF. Tyreke up to this point has some PG skills in a SG body, while Thornton is an NBA SG. I don't really blame Smart, Tyreke is just a unique player that doesn't really have a set position, which can be viewed as a good or bad thing really.

So play Tyreke at Sf then because he has pg skills in a sg body? Makes sense to me.

 

[rainmaker]

Well Klay Thompson has the skills that an NBA SG has, Barnes has the size and skills of an NBA SF. Tyreke up to this point has some PG skills in a SG body, while Thornton is an NBA SG. I don't really blame Smart, Tyreke is just a unique player that doesn't really have a set position, which can be viewed as a good or bad thing really.

Reke has the skills of a guard. Whether a 1, a 2 or both, that's what he is. What he does not have any way you slice it is SF skills. Neither does Klay, hence my example.

Actually, given Klay's slightly taller than Reke, and has the outside shooting, while Reke is much more of a playmaker, it could easily argued if you were going to play either at SF it would be Klay, yet Jackson won't play him there and was hot after Barnes pre-draft, while Smart will happily play Reke at SF.

Hopefully JJ ends up there, but at this point I'm going on what SMart has done, not what I hope he'll change.

 

[Telemachus]

They will. Barring injuries, it'll probably be by 8-10 games as well. They ditched gimmick ball, went out and got size and defense, a coach who defines roles, preaches defense and plays guys to their strengths, as well as acquired talent which fits their holes. Their players complement one another.

Notice Jackson didn't go into this year planning on playing Klay as SF, but instead as soon as they had an opportunity to get a legit SF, they drafted Barnes. Instead of the ridiculous non defense, small ball backcourt of Monta/Curry, Jackson quickly scrapped that and fully endorsed the trade of Monta for Bogut last year. If Smart is considering Reke at SF, the why the hell didn't we just draft Barnes?

He gets it. GS's FO gets it. I doubt our FO and head coach get it. And it sucks living in Warrior land and watching them attempt to rebuild the proper way, with a plan you can build on going forward, compared to what we're doing. Reke at SF and Cuz shooting 3's? Two examples of many. But GS knew what Smart was about, which is why they gladly let him walk.

I think the book is still out on Mark Jackson as a head coach. He says all the right things, but I wasn't very impressed with what he did last season. Overall, I thought the Warriors underacheived most of the season. It will be interesting to see how he does this year with an even better rostor IMO.