[Game] Kings @ Mavericks, 10/31/21 12:30pm Pacific, 3:30pm Eastern

KingsFan.com Excitement-o-meter (How excited are you about this team?)


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We had loads of chances to turn the tide in this game and blew them all.

Kinda amazing we were even close when you consider buddy didn't hit a bucket until the 4th and Fox couldn't get anything going.

Don't get the criticism of Hali he was a big part of the spell where we got close in the 4th. Can't do much about a half court heave that goes in.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
So what’s up with Fox? I feel like we’re trying to use him off ball too much, but his shooting has been so whack this season… too buff?
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
Fox took 16 shots for 14 points. 60% from the free throw line. Four assists. How many fast breaks did he lead in this game? When did he show he's the fastest player in the league? When did the Kings make the Mavs play *their* fast pace? Fox looks to do be a shell of himself. I still say that if we had the old good Fox this team would be undefeated.
 
So what’s up with Fox? I feel like we’re trying to use him off ball too much, but his shooting has been so whack this season… too buff?
I think they are using him exactly the same way as the year before last and the start of last year. Off the ball and mostly in side pick and roll or iso. If there is a plan it's that they don't want to become too dependent on the middle. Bad idea short term even if wise long term. They have them starting from scratch yet again this year. They already learned to crawl. Start there and learn to walk rather than switching immediately to cartwheels.

Fox last year was able to get into a rhythm as the true go to. Once that happened he gained way more confidence in his shot. This is why year after year Buddy is so valuable. Buddy is the only player that can bail out the bad basketball from 3. This is year 3, it's not a coincidence at this point.
 
What took you so long?
I try not to turn on guys after only a few games early in the season since chances are it will make for some poorly aged takes. I’ve already seen some takes that I suspect will sour soon.

I’m only saying I’m worried now. Mostly because he hasn’t played under control at any point in the first 6 games and of most concern, he isnt getting past defenders consistently. Even on slower wing players. He seems slower and with Fox that is cause for concern.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
I try not to turn on guys after only a few games early in the season since chances are it will make for some poorly aged takes. I’ve already seen some takes that I suspect will sour soon.

I’m only saying I’m worried now. Mostly because he hasn’t played under control at any point in the first 6 games and of most concern, he isnt at getting past defenders consistently. Even on slower wing players. He seems slower. I’m worried
Our offense in general isn't emphasizing attacking the rim as much as we did last year. Most of our drives seem to stop around seven or eight feet from the basket so we can take a bad mid-range shot or try to throw the lob to Holmes.
 
Guys, Ben Simmons wouldn't have helped this team make more threes or score more in the third quarter.
True. The only difference is this. Under Luke, Luke would finally have his post option passer to work out of. IF Simmons actually was willing to do it full time of course. With some of the things we've heard from him out of people associated with him it sounds like he's ready for legit clear out LeBron ball to come his way. That ain't happening here with Fox so why would it with him? haha.
 
Yeah, and a lot of them were tough bail out shots. They aren't going to go in every game. 3-2 came on the back of Barnes playing like LeBron and players hitting some tough shots. It's all about percentages and over the long haul we know how they work out.

I'd bag on missing the open looks but honestly, how many EASY 3's did the Mavs miss? Their 3's were so much better in this game. Percentages say they were taking much better shots.
If the Kings hit the same weak percentage the Mavs hit, Kings win.
 
Our offense in general isn't emphasizing attacking the rim as much as we did last year. Most of our drives seem to stop around seven or eight feet from the basket so we can take a bad mid-range shot or try to throw the lob to Holmes.
It’s concerning especially that we’ve added another player in Davion who can do the same. Offense needs to be built around that when it opens up things like the Holmes p&r and collapsing defenses for a Buddy 3
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
It’s concerning especially that we’ve added another player in Davion who can do the same. Offense needs to be built around that when it opens up things like the Holmes p&r and collapsing defenses for a Buddy 3
It's like Luke watched a highlight package of guards making passes to Holmes on drives last season and decided to devote his entire offense to recreating that regardless of the general circumstances to make those plays happen. If you're driving and looking to stop at ten feet, it just puts the entire offense in no-mans-land.
 
I try not to turn on guys after only a few games early in the season since chances are it will make for some poorly aged takes. I’ve already seen some takes that I suspect will sour soon.

I’m only saying I’m worried now. Mostly because he hasn’t played under control at any point in the first 6 games and of most concern, he isnt getting past defenders consistently. Even on slower wing players. He seems slower and with Fox that is cause for concern.
When almost every guard (other than when Buddy goes off on his own) is struggling from game to game and you're a guard team, it's likely spacing and timing issues. Davion has struggled, Haliburton has, TD has all but disappeared. Barnes doing what he has been is great, but it still speaks to the fact that this is supposedly a GUARD team. You live and die by what those GUARDS do. This is the bed they made construction wise. They have to accept that and deal with it. Harkless isn't going to allow him to avoid that reality, haha.
 
We were down 17-5. Kings outscored Mavs 94-88 after the poor start even though they couldnt make a three to save their lives. Shocked me too from what I saw but the math says Walton is right.
What you do early in games, or late, creates the math you end up with. Simple as that. On the flipside, if the Mavs hit those easy shots from 3 they should have? This isn't even close, or is only close if the Kings go absolutely nuts from downtown. The Kings busting their humps to get back in, or having someone explode isn't new or impossible. It just shouldn't be necessary because we've seen it come up short in the end before. Or where players wear down in game or during the season.
 
I'd like to see some lineup tinkering. As good as Buddy has been off the bench (aside from today) maybe it's time to have him start again. Start Davion alongside Fox. Keep the ball in Fox's hands. Stop giving him the Tyreke treatment. Let Hali run the second unit with TD. Whatever we do, it's going to be hard to find something that works when none of our rotation guards can consistently hit a three. That's gotta change eventually, right?

Also, can someone call Joerger and have him teach Walton how to use Buddy?
 
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