Kings have a bench, and it's built tough

#1
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11642971p-12532023c.html

Kings have a bench, and it's built tough



By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 6:39 am PST Friday, December 3, 2004



Kings coach Rick Adelman has been happy with the play of reserve forward Matt Barnes, a Sacramento product.


Kings coach Rick Adelman has been trying to find a quantity others say doesn't exist.


Some observers say the Kings don't have a bench.

Not so fast, say the Kings.

Certainly, they don't have the depth of two seasons ago when Bobby and Jimmy Jackson came off the bench with Keon Clark and Hedo Turkoglu. In fact, back then when Turkoglu hurt his hand, Jimmy Jackson snatched his minutes.

In those days, Gerald Wallace, Scot Pollard and Damon Jones couldn't get on the floor other than in a blowout.

Bobby Jackson is the lone returnee among that group, but with Darius Songaila, Greg Ostertag and Matt Barnes comprises a four-man rotation in which Adelman has found some faith. Call them the invisible four.

"I think with Greg and Darius off the bench as the big guys," Adelman said, "I feel good about those two (big) guys and what they can give us. Matt has been real solid. The last few games, he's made shots, he hasn't made mistakes, he makes passes, and he goes to the boards. And then we've got Bobby."

That's the superior Bobby of the past five games and not the inferior Bobby of most of the previous 10.

Bobby Jackson has shot 29 of 54 (53.7 percent) overall and 9 of 19 from three-point range (47.4 percent) during the past five games. Along with 14 of 17 from the free-throw line, Jackson has averaged 16.2 points during this stretch.

His presence has provided juice to a reserve crew that previously was punchless.

The Kings' starting five eventually will determine this team's direction. But any support - offensively, defensively or from a rebounding or energy standpoint - certainly will help.

Adelman says he'd like to add one player to the bench rotation. However, he also would like to get all of Chris Webber's jumping ability back and add 40 percent more to Brad Miller's leaps.

But neither of those will occur, and it's as unlikely that anything other than an injury will change the rotation as it is now.

"I'd like to get one more guy in there," Adelman said, "but it's almost impossible if you're going to get Bobby on the floor for a lot of minutes. So I feel good with those nine guys, and we can play those nine, and when the time is right maybe it's going to open it up for Maurice (Evans) or Kevin (Martin).

"But right now, I think the nine players we are playing are pretty good."

Adelman will continue to keep some of his starters on the floor with the reserves. But Songaila has shown he can score in addition to doing the little things.

Ostertag never will win any beauty or style contests. However, he will clog the middle - or anyplace else he stands, for that matter - and now that his fractured right (shooting) hand has healed, he's capable of a put-back or a hook shot to add to the offense.

Ostertag has watched Adelman go small to match up with other teams and hopes to convince his coach to go big across the frontline.

"I've watched him in the past when (Utah coach) Jerry (Sloan) used him to guard people like (Kevin) Garnett because he is long and smart," Adelman said. "But that's going to take me some time to get comfortable with. Because we got off to such a bad start, I was just trying to find a rhythm with this team."

Part of that rhythm has entailed the usage of Barnes, the hometown free agent, who only needs to minimize turnovers to stay on the floor.

"I knew eventually I'd get in there," Barnes said of the rotation. "I started off earlier in the season playing a lot because we were struggling. But as we've started to hit this roll, coach has started to find more and more confidence in me. First, it was five minutes, and now I'm playing some in the second half. Anytime I'm in there, I'm trying to provide a spark and help this team get on its feet. "I know my role, whether it's nine minutes or 15 minutes: Go out there, rebound, play defense and knock down the open shot."
 
#2
LMM said:
Bobby Jackson is the lone returnee among that group, but with Darius Songaila, Greg Ostertag and Matt Barnes comprises a four-man rotation in which Adelman has found some faith. Call them the invisible four."
Greg Ostertag is about as far from "invisible" as you can get.
 
#3
but I like the term "invisible 4"........from now on when my friends talk trash to my Kings saying we don't have a bench, I'll refer our bench as The "Invisible Four"........:D
 
#4
Matt Barnes said:
"I knew eventually I'd get in there," Barnes said of the rotation. "I started off earlier in the season playing a lot because we were struggling. But as we've started to hit this roll, coach has started to find more and more confidence in me. First, it was five minutes, and now I'm playing some in the second half. Anytime I'm in there, I'm trying to provide a spark and help this team get on its feet. I know my role, whether it's nine minutes or 15 minutes: Go out there, rebound, play defense and knock down the open shot."
I love this guy's attitude, hustle and game. He's not Jimmy Jackson, but he seems to be that type of player...hard-nosed, tough, and aggressive, and the fact that he's willing to do whatever it takes to help this team win says a lot about him, unlike Massenberg, Keon Clark, etc. I hope his game will continue to grow. It's great to have a hometown guy on the roster like him.
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#5
Ostertag never will win any beauty or style contests. However, he will clog the middle - or anyplace else he stands, for that matter - and now that his fractured right (shooting) hand has healed, he's capable of a put-back or a hook shot to add to the offense.
This jsut cracks me up. Love tag but EVERYTHING about that boy is ugly except his heart. And I am not shure if he has a shooing hand.

Not sure how I feal about invisible four... think i prefer "Fantastic Four" Lets face it Greg sort or looks like THING
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#8
Of course that leaves Mat Barnes as the invisible woman... hmmm might have to work on this one a bit...
 
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piksi

Hall of Famer
#10
LMM said:
"I'd like to get one more guy in there," Adelman said, "but it's almost impossible if you're going to get Bobby on the floor for a lot of minutes. So I feel good with those nine guys, and we can play those nine, and when the time is right maybe it's going to open it up for Maurice (Evans) or Kevin (Martin).

"But right now, I think the nine players we are playing are pretty good."
Come on RA - tell the truth. You can not wait for PO so You can cut it to 7.;) man
 
#12
LMM said:
Anytime I'm in there, I'm trying to provide a spark and help this team get on its feet. "I know my role, whether it's nine minutes or 15 minutes: Go out there, rebound, play defense and knock down the open shot."
That's what the team and the coach like to hear!
 
#13
great story thanks for posting

i just love Matt Barnes! AND his attitude towards playing.....if only all players could be like that....::sigh::
 
#16
The invisible 4 does have a nice ring to it......

As for Tag's body structure, (laughing) it looks better than say...Maddog. I can't believe I just said that so now I need a drink. :D
 

Entity

Hall of Famer
#17
I am sick of the media saying we have no bench. I honestly think that with Bobby putting up the numbers that he does some of those same ppl tend to forget is comes off the bench. Look at the playoffs last year. We had Peeler, Songalia, and Brad coming off the bench. We were in game 7 against the team that is the favorite. Now this year we have Bobby back. Brad is much better than Vlade and those will only be quality minutes he takes from what Vlade had. Songalia is still here. Now with Peeler he gave us scoring and a 3pt threat. UHmmmm have you ever seen a Sacramento Kings team in the last 5 years that needs scoring from another guy from the bench??? No we get plenty of scoring what we don't get is a guy that gets that extra rebound that loose ball that save from out of bounds. So now we got Barnes that will hustle and Evans if need be (Martin is still a little to timid). Ostertag will give us that extra rebound or that block or foul we need. So whats the problem?