Entity
Hall of Famer
Which is why Teague had 15 assist
[Game] Kings @ Hawks - 12/18/13 - 4 p.m. PST
- Thread starter VF21
- Start date
On a micro scale, this is true. We had better defenders at one point this season and traded them. But Salmons is not a part of the long-term plans. Mbah A Moute maybe could have been, but Derrick Williams has been playing pretty well for us too. A couple of solid defenders off the bench aren't going to change the personality of the team. We need defense and toughness in the starting lineup, to set the tone early on. We need guys who lead by example. I think Cousins has shown that he's going to be fine defensively. Ben is coming along slower than any of us would like, but he is coming along. He played a pretty well-rounded game today and looked less like a deer in the headlights and more like an NBA player. There isn't an easy fix for this, but we've just got to be patient. It's going to take some time. I still think we'll see a good defensive team in Sacramento in a few years. Getting there is painful, especially on nights like this, but trading Luc and Salmons was about the long-term goal more than this season.
theclash4u5
Starter
It's sad, really. IT is a great player, but he puts up hollow stats and just can't stop opposing players. He's the perfect Bobby Jackson off the bench. With B-Mac in the starting lineup, the Kings desperately need someone like a Toney Douglas to play some kind of D. Honestly if we had a Doug Christie type player, he would be perfect with IT2.0 right now.
T
Tom Bays
Guest
I don't think IT should play more than 30 minutes a game on most nights. He has to be well rested to compensate for his disadvantages in size. We don't have a lot of choices other than mixing Jimmer in with the starters earlier. That way IT can still play some pseudo second unit minutes.
theclash4u5
Starter
Wait really? Honestly the coach can't be blamed for a game like this. Yes, the Hawks were on fire but it's easy to keep making shots when you are wide open all night.
HereWeBoogie
Hall of Famer
the destruction of the defense all starts with Isaiah.
Chubbs
Starter
It had to have happened at least 20 times.
Whoever is grading IT must tell me.
I don't really think the loss can be put on the coach, but I respect him taking the bullet.
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
Pretty much, possession after possession our guys are scrambling to cover after the initial breakdown or are sagging off their man with the expectation of a breakdown and needing to help.
And I agree with your previous post in JT. If DWill is having a great game I can understand giving him more run at the 4 but when he's not offering much on either end? Gotta bring JT in for his defense/rebounding.
Oh I agree. You don't need a coach to tell you to stick close to a record-setting three point shooter when he's camped out at the three point line (ie the whole game). His threes were huge for them in securing the win. But that doesn't matter. Malone played this the right way. The players know already where they've screwed up. They watch the tape. No reason for Malone to throw guys under the bus. It's just as important for the players to trust him as it is for them to trust each other.
No, just no. His energy level isn't the problem.
HereWeBoogie
Hall of Famer
Aaron Bruski hasn't tweeted about how Isaiah is the next hall of fame PG in a few games......
T
Tom Bays
Guest
Yes, it is...He is a spark plug and fast so it is harder to tell. His margin for error is smaller.
Harder to tell what? He doesn't defend at the beginning of games, when his energy level is highest so how would him getting fewer minutes have an impact? And saying as you did in a previous post that we need to get Jimmer with the starters earlier to correct the situation is just plain wrong.
T
Tom Bays
Guest
I doubt it but...ok.
Sac.Kings
All-Star
Our defense is softer than that pizza. I think in order to get the team pumped up for playing defense during games, IT puts on his favorite DVD of cute cuddly bears frolicking about on a basketball court while simultaneously chanting "let thy sole focus be on offense; defend only while being on offense." How frustrating to watch the same act day in and day out. I feel sorry for Cousins. Teague hasn't had a double digit assist game in over a month I think, and tonight he was Steve Nash in his prime.I wonder why that is...
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
Then why can't he defend the first 9 mins of the game or first 9 mins of the 2nd half?
If you think stamina is the issue, he'd be a good defender to start the game, to start the 3rd quarter, and tailor off as he gets tired. Yet, that's not the case. Can't defend against a screen whether it's 2 mins in or 36 mins in.
chief bromden
Starter
At this point, I would love to see Jimmer and IT play at the same time. If we can give up 124 to the Hawks, I bet we could give up 150 to the Heat this week.
In all seriousness, pick and roll all night long. Cousins is getting visibly frustrated because he's damned if he sags, and he's damned if he jumps out. You gotta give credit to Horford for hitting all those shots in the 4th. It's tough to watch, but things will improve once we get a starting PG that has some tenaciousness and cares on the defensive end. It's pretty easy to tell that IT doesn't care at all about defense ... it's one thing to be bad.. but damn tonight was sad.
Thornton benched for 2 games, Jimmer's turn on the bench for the next 2? Is JT losing his grip on playing time?
On a positive note, Gay with a nice shooting numbers again and Cousins beasting (and passing nicely out of doubles). At least the Kings are still more entertaining than watching the Bulls. Their offense is unwatchable.
In all seriousness, pick and roll all night long. Cousins is getting visibly frustrated because he's damned if he sags, and he's damned if he jumps out. You gotta give credit to Horford for hitting all those shots in the 4th. It's tough to watch, but things will improve once we get a starting PG that has some tenaciousness and cares on the defensive end. It's pretty easy to tell that IT doesn't care at all about defense ... it's one thing to be bad.. but damn tonight was sad.
Thornton benched for 2 games, Jimmer's turn on the bench for the next 2? Is JT losing his grip on playing time?
On a positive note, Gay with a nice shooting numbers again and Cousins beasting (and passing nicely out of doubles). At least the Kings are still more entertaining than watching the Bulls. Their offense is unwatchable.
Hadlowe
Starter
I didn't get a chance to watch the game, but I know IT gets caught in screens far too often for his quickness. Was that the case tonight? I wonder if we just don't talk on defense at all.
HereWeBoogie
Hall of Famer
Pizza Guy with that Pizza dough soft defense
Entity
Hall of Famer
No they go around him
The new guys do, but they quickly shut up when they realize nobody else is doing it.
Hadlowe
Starter
Well, that just makes it worse. IT is quick enough and agile enough that only Westbrook, Parker and Rose should be beating him off the dribble. Teague is quick, but he's not thaaat quick.
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
It's not just an issue of getting caught on screens but yes that did happen tonight.
What's just as much an issue is he repeatedly fails to track either the ball handler or screener. He just stops. He'll go below a screen and have an opportunity to track the ball handler and block his path or at least contest, but just stands there. Or he goes over the screen and stops trailing the ball handler all together. Or hits the screen and stops. And he literally never tracks the screener when he rolls or pops for a jumper. Actually, some of the time he prevents Cuz or JT from contesting the screener as he just stands and blocks the path.
It's poor individual effort where he seems to just give up but it's also a poor team defensive effort as he gets in the way of our big who's making a split second decision to track the ball handler or recover to the screener.
What compounds all that is sometimes the ball handler gets by him and runs into traffic and kicks to a shooter, then we have little IT trying to close out the shooter which rarely works. They don't even see him. It's not just an individual defensive issue it's also a team defense issue as when he rotates onto anyone really, we're at a disadvantage due to his height.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Unfortunately in the last 6 months we've traded Mbah a Moute, Salmons, Tyreke, Robin Lopez and let Toney Douglas, Cole Aldrich and James Johnson all walk. Sya what you will about the merits of all those players, but they are largely better defenders than all the guys we've replaced them with.
Entity
Hall of Famer
Well with his size he has to play up on them or they just shoot over him (ala kemba walker). So when he plays up on them it is easier to get the first step and get around. Quickness means nothing when you're behind them.
Entity
Hall of Famer
Yeah it's a shame teams aren't trading players that are good on defense and offense all while having good character. Lol
