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Kings looking to put it together against the Suns
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 13, 2004
PHOENIX -- If the stumbling Kings are looking for motivation tonight against the invigorated and reshaped Phoenix Suns, maybe they should start with pride.
The last time the Kings played, Wednesday night in Seattle, they were embarrassed 108-78.
The Kings have lost four of their five games this season, with two of the losses by more than 15 points. In 82 games last season, the Kings lost only five games by more than 15 points.
Entering Friday night, only seven teams were shooting worse than Sacramento's 41.4 percent from the field; its 20.9 percent three-point shooting was the worst.
Sacramento will need improved field-goal shooting from Chris Webber (40.4 percent), Peja Stojakovic (34.6 percent overall, 19.4 percent from three-point range) and Bobby Jackson (36.5 percent overall, 7.7 percent from three-point range).
Defensively, only the Atlanta Hawks (104.3) are allowing more than Sacramento's 102.4 points per game.
Kings assistant coach Elston Turner agrees his team will live or die with its core group. He said the Kings have to compensate for their lack of quickness and athleticism.
"Our main group has been through the playoffs, 60-win seasons and Western Conference finals," Turner said, "and knows how hard we have to play, so that is what is puzzling.
"I think sometimes it looks like we're being outworked because we're not the quickest team and not the most athletic team. So we have to do fundamental things to counteract those things.
"And when we get behind, in the past, we've had benches that we went to where we didn't lose a beat and even improved. But now we have some inexperience there. But we'll get it together."
The last time the Kings saw the Suns was during the final preseason game, and it was embarrassment in the form of a 124-96 whipping at Arco Arena. The Suns held an absurd 58-26 rebounding margin that night. Sacramento's best rebounder, Webber, didn't play.
Sacramento's porous defense has been affected by its poor offense. The defense will get a difficult challenge against Phoenix's wide-open offensive style. The Suns lead the league in scoring at 107 points and will come at the Kings with a fast-break attack led by former Dallas point guard Steve Nash.
The free-agent signee is a wizard at breaking down defenses with his uncanny dribbling and ability to see the floor and hit the open man (league-leading 10.2 assists per game).
The Suns have an assortment of offensive stars, including forward Shawn Marion, who excels at running the break and always has been a solid rebounder. Shooting guard Joe Johnson is one of the league's underpublicized players who can make plays for his teammates as well as score inside and outside (56 percent from three-point range).
In addition to Nash, the Suns signed free-agent swingman Quentin Richardson, who brings the ability to score inside with strength and various low-post moves as well as stretch defenses with accurate long-range shooting.
Coach Mike D'Antoni began the season with the league's youngest team. And one of its youngest players, center Amare Stoudamire, leads the squad in scoring at 24 points and is second in rebounding at 9.2 per game. Stoudamire, who'll turn 22 Tuesday, brings the perfect combination of speed, quickness, athleticism and relentlessness than can take advantage of the Kings' often slow and grounded frontcourt. And Phoenix has controlled games from the outset with its offensive production. Even in the Suns' lone defeat, a 114-109 overtime decision Wednesday night in Cleveland, Phoenix led by 18 points with 7:24 left in regulation.
Kings looking to put it together against the Suns
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 13, 2004
PHOENIX -- If the stumbling Kings are looking for motivation tonight against the invigorated and reshaped Phoenix Suns, maybe they should start with pride.
The last time the Kings played, Wednesday night in Seattle, they were embarrassed 108-78.
The Kings have lost four of their five games this season, with two of the losses by more than 15 points. In 82 games last season, the Kings lost only five games by more than 15 points.
Entering Friday night, only seven teams were shooting worse than Sacramento's 41.4 percent from the field; its 20.9 percent three-point shooting was the worst.
Sacramento will need improved field-goal shooting from Chris Webber (40.4 percent), Peja Stojakovic (34.6 percent overall, 19.4 percent from three-point range) and Bobby Jackson (36.5 percent overall, 7.7 percent from three-point range).
Defensively, only the Atlanta Hawks (104.3) are allowing more than Sacramento's 102.4 points per game.
Kings assistant coach Elston Turner agrees his team will live or die with its core group. He said the Kings have to compensate for their lack of quickness and athleticism.
"Our main group has been through the playoffs, 60-win seasons and Western Conference finals," Turner said, "and knows how hard we have to play, so that is what is puzzling.
"I think sometimes it looks like we're being outworked because we're not the quickest team and not the most athletic team. So we have to do fundamental things to counteract those things.
"And when we get behind, in the past, we've had benches that we went to where we didn't lose a beat and even improved. But now we have some inexperience there. But we'll get it together."
The last time the Kings saw the Suns was during the final preseason game, and it was embarrassment in the form of a 124-96 whipping at Arco Arena. The Suns held an absurd 58-26 rebounding margin that night. Sacramento's best rebounder, Webber, didn't play.
Sacramento's porous defense has been affected by its poor offense. The defense will get a difficult challenge against Phoenix's wide-open offensive style. The Suns lead the league in scoring at 107 points and will come at the Kings with a fast-break attack led by former Dallas point guard Steve Nash.
The free-agent signee is a wizard at breaking down defenses with his uncanny dribbling and ability to see the floor and hit the open man (league-leading 10.2 assists per game).
The Suns have an assortment of offensive stars, including forward Shawn Marion, who excels at running the break and always has been a solid rebounder. Shooting guard Joe Johnson is one of the league's underpublicized players who can make plays for his teammates as well as score inside and outside (56 percent from three-point range).
In addition to Nash, the Suns signed free-agent swingman Quentin Richardson, who brings the ability to score inside with strength and various low-post moves as well as stretch defenses with accurate long-range shooting.
Coach Mike D'Antoni began the season with the league's youngest team. And one of its youngest players, center Amare Stoudamire, leads the squad in scoring at 24 points and is second in rebounding at 9.2 per game. Stoudamire, who'll turn 22 Tuesday, brings the perfect combination of speed, quickness, athleticism and relentlessness than can take advantage of the Kings' often slow and grounded frontcourt. And Phoenix has controlled games from the outset with its offensive production. Even in the Suns' lone defeat, a 114-109 overtime decision Wednesday night in Cleveland, Phoenix led by 18 points with 7:24 left in regulation.
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the suns are also fresh off blowing a 19 point 4th quarter lead to the cavs, another title contender. yes i'm sure the kings could also go 4-1 vs those leastern confrence teams. 
