Kings Notes: Dallas Again?, Millers Health

[EmKingsFan4]

Dallas again? - The Kings' first-round playoff opponent is yet to be determined, but should they retain the fifth spot in the Western Conference, they would meet the Dallas Mavericks in the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.

The Kings will have to handle back-to-back road games Friday and Saturday nights against the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns, as well as Monday's road finale against the Utah Jazz.

After that, only the regular-season closer at Arco Arena against the Suns will remain. But the results of games involving the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies will also factor into the equation.

"It's amazing," Kings coach Rick Adelman said Wednesday after his team's first practice since blowing out the Lakers on Sunday at Arco. "We're not probably going to know until after the Utah game how the dust clears, unless someone gets upset."

And if the Kings are matched up against Dallas again?

"(The Mavericks) are a better team," Adelman said. "From 1 to 12, I don't know if there is a deeper roster in the league."

Miller's health - Adelman said he doesn't believe center Brad Miller will be ready for the start of the playoffs on the weekend of April 23-24. Miller fractured his left fibula March 12, but Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said Tuesday the injury was judged clinically healed.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12723685p-13575687c.html

 

[N.U.F.A.N.]

Millers conditioning might have gone down, but i think his contribution will work out even if it's just a little bit.

 

[piksi]

"(The Mavericks) are a better team," Adelman said. "From 1 to 12, I don't know if there is a deeper roster in the league."

always good to see that coach is full of confidence


1-12 does not matter since we only play 8-9 players. Talent level does not matter much either. Our starting 5 is more talented than theirs. If we are healthy - chances are 50 - 50

 

[LjuboDaMan]

always good to see that coach is full of confidence


1-12 does not matter since we only play 8-9 players. Talent level does not matter much either. Our starting 5 is more talented than theirs. If we are healthy - chances are 50 - 50

70-30 kingssssss

 

[Evilmav2]

Man, for the last two months I've looked forward to a possible Mavs v. Kings part IV, but recently I've begun to change my mind about that, and now I'm honestly wishing that your Kings would have dropped to the 6 or 7 seed. I don't say this because I believe that the Mavs are really in danger of losing to y'all in the first round, but more because the extensive past rivalry that has existed between our two franchises has gradually, grudgingly made me something of a fan of your team, and I honestly wouldn't mind being able to watch a series or two where I could root for your team as underdogs against teams that I dislike (Seattle, Suns), or truly despise (San Antonio).

If Dallas and Sacramento do meet yet again in the first round I imagine it should be a heckuva series and I will certainly enjoy being able to watch Dallas be given the opportunity to even up our total playoff series record at 2-2, but I honestly just don't know how well your team will fare against my Mavs (and I hope many of y'all know me well enough to know that I am not saying that in any kind of 'smack talking' way), and as I said, I will regret not being able to root for y'all's team in another series, and will actually feel pretty bad for y'all if our renewed contest leads to an early end to your 04-05 playoff campaign (obviously, not as bad as I would feel if y'all dispatched my Mavs, but as I said, this year, I don't think that is very likely potentiality)...

Good luck tomorrow against the decrepit, fallen Lakers, and good luck against Utah and Phoenix too!

 

[N.U.F.A.N.]

^ If we ever do face you guys... It'll be interresting to see how our team will compete with all our injured players back, along with the new players we aquired through trades. It's definitely a surprise. Will they be able to adapt to each others game? We'll never know...

 

[uolj]

always good to see that coach is full of confidence

I think maybe he means "they are a better team (than last year)," not "they are a better team (than us)."

 

[HndsmCelt]

Im not sure Dallas IS a better team this year than last. They are palying well despeit the loss of Nash but with out Najara there really is no defense there at all and in the paly offs that will be fatal. Are they a better team 1-12 than the Kings? Oh yeah. Better 1-9 Id say so, but adding up tallent is not enough despite what fantasy basketball fans and Mark Cuban say. Last year there was no question who had the most tallent 1-5 and fat good it did the Lakers. This year most of us agreed that Minny had one of the most tallented teams and many thought they were THE most tallented team in the NBA... and now they are a loss away from the lottery. My point is that the rag-tag thrown together on the fly Kings team does show flashes of the trade mark King play that brings out the best in every player, and they also show flashes of defense. Belive me i have no illusions about this teams play off chances, I'll enjoy the post season one game at a time, but I do think that many people are selling them short and could be very surprised by a shortish no name roaster full of heart playing team ball.

 

[iheartBrad]

^yeah thats how I read it too

Well I could careless who we meet in the POs I'm just ready for us to start them...if that means we are playing Dallas bring them on, if it means we are playing Seatle let do it, if it means we are playing San Antonio than lets roll...I'm ready...I just want to be spoiler...I've said this over and over...

The last sentence about Brad is very discouraging but then again its RA and he rarely looks on the bright side and I'm not really surprised he would say what he said...

GO KINGS!!

 

[iheartBrad]

Dallas swears that they are a much better defensive team with guys like Damp and Josh Howard plus the addition of Avery as their head coach who has been much more defensive minded....

Personally I'm not completley sold on that but I think they are better defensively than last year

I do think that many people are selling them short and could be very surprised by a shortish no name roaster full of heart playing team ball.

I agree

 

[HndsmCelt]

Dallas swears that they are a much better defensive team with guys like Damp and Josh Howard plus the addition of Avery as their head coach who has been much more defensive minded....

Personally I'm not completley sold on that but I think they are better defensively than last year



I agree

Yeah I HEAR people claiming that Dallas is a better defensive team, but I don't really see in their play. They DO hold opponets to 97 points a game but I jsut don't see any clamp down comming.

Interesting side note acording espn the Kings are second in the NBA in team to tam match ups even if you look only at match ups with in the West they are still #2 while Dallas is about 5If you look at April the Kings move up to number one. Funy how a team leading at least one well know set of stastical comparinos is considered "the weakest"

 

[iheartBrad]

What does that mean exactly..."team to team matchups" ?

 

[HndsmCelt]

comparon of stats of all team. they just call it team by team and they organize it by favoring points scored but various permutations can be played with so you have to be carefull about conclusions you draw, but it dies give you a statistical "birds eye view" of the leage. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/statistics?stat=tmcompare&season=2005&seasontype=2


Interestingly it claims Sac is the 4th best match up for Dallas after Washington, Pheonix and Toronto!

 

[Bricklayer]

??

Looks like their standard team stats page. Did you just discover that place? Get many of my best stats off that page/site.

 

[HndsmCelt]

??

Looks like their standard team stats page. Did you just discover that place? Get many of my best stats off that page/site.

Oh no been mining it for years... was just supprised as the Kings numbers for april (small sample) and our over all comparison to Dallas.

ESPN may have bunk announcers, but their statisticians are tp notch! Realy must use site if one bets on sports.

 

[kennadog]

I'm curious as to what you looked at for your conclusions? (Inviting explanation, not disagreeing or criticizing.)

Mavs overall do seem much better in defensive categories. They are actually #1 in the league right now in FG% against (Remember when the Kings were #1 in this! *sigh*. And pretty much rank of above the Kings in certain other defensive categories. Kings opponent's turn the ball over more than Mavs opponent's, tho.

The Kings are #1 in FT% against and Dallas is 12th. What do you suppose is the reason for that? (The Kings FT% has slipped since the Webber trade, but they are still 4th, Mavs 5th.) Maybe its harder to hit a free throw in Arco Arena, LOL?

I like NBA.com's statistical pages too.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/ (If there's anyone that hasn't been there.)

 

[Kajun]

Well, regardless of whether you think Dallas is better defensively or not, the stats speak in their favour.

2004/2005
Offensive Efficiency (average #points scored per 100 possessions): 107.1 (5th)
Defensive Efficiency (average #points given up per 100 possessions): 100.8 (9th)

2003/2004
Offensive Efficiency (average #points scored per 100 possessions): 110.1
Defensive Efficiency (average #points given up per 100 possessions): 105.2

The efficiency numbers make for better comparison, because the numbers are based on 100 ball possessions.

As you can see, the offense has declined a bit (not surprising, when you consider Nash left), but at the same time, their defense gave up less points. The differential is larger for the defense, though.

I don't know how well they compared with the competition in 2003/2004 as far as defensive efficiency goes, but 105.2 was probably not good for 9th place (Defense seemed to be better last year amongst most teams, as well).

comparon of stats of all team. they just call it team by team and they organize it by favoring points scored but various permutations can be played with so you have to be carefull about conclusions you draw, but it dies give you a statistical "birds eye view" of the leage. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/statistics?stat=tmcompare&season=2005&seasontype=2


Interestingly it claims Sac is the 4th best match up for Dallas after Washington, Pheonix and Toronto!

Does it really claim that? If so, based on what criterium? I don't see it in that table (or did they sort that on Wins/Loss?).

 

[sloter]

I'll make this easier on Dallas fans ... DON'T EVEN HOPE!!!

 

[kennadog]

No Mavs fan here. Just talking statistics. You know....

There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics. ~Benjamin Disraeli

 

[mikebibby1034]

^yeah thats how I read it too

Well I could careless who we meet in the POs I'm just ready for us to start them...if that means we are playing Dallas bring them on, if it means we are playing Seatle let do it, if it means we are playing San Antonio than lets roll...I'm ready...I just want to be spoiler...I've said this over and over...

The last sentence about Brad is very discouraging but then again its RA and he rarely looks on the bright side and I'm not really surprised he would say what he said...

GO KINGS!!

wow couldnt have said it better myself!

 

[Twix]

No Mavs fan here. Just talking statistics. You know....

That used to be a quote in my signature!

 

[kennadog]

^

 

[VF21]

Man, for the last two months I've looked forward to a possible Mavs v. Kings part IV, but recently I've begun to change my mind about that, and now I'm honestly wishing that your Kings would have dropped to the 6 or 7 seed. I don't say this because I believe that the Mavs are really in danger of losing to y'all in the first round, but more because the extensive past rivalry that has existed between our two franchises has gradually, grudgingly made me something of a fan of your team, and I honestly wouldn't mind being able to watch a series or two where I could root for your team as underdogs against teams that I dislike (Seattle, Suns), or truly despise (San Antonio).

If Dallas and Sacramento do meet yet again in the first round I imagine it should be a heckuva series and I will certainly enjoy being able to watch Dallas be given the opportunity to even up our total playoff series record at 2-2, but I honestly just don't know how well your team will fare against my Mavs (and I hope many of y'all know me well enough to know that I am not saying that in any kind of 'smack talking' way), and as I said, I will regret not being able to root for y'all's team in another series, and will actually feel pretty bad for y'all if our renewed contest leads to an early end to your 04-05 playoff campaign (obviously, not as bad as I would feel if y'all dispatched my Mavs, but as I said, this year, I don't think that is very likely potentiality)...

Good luck tomorrow against the decrepit, fallen Lakers, and good luck against Utah and Phoenix too!

Nice to see you posting, EM2. Tell your brother I said "Hey!"

Regardless of how it all irons out, I know one thing for sure - IF the Kings and the Mavs play each other it will be an exciting series, and possibly the most fun to watch of all the match-ups.

I hate Mark Cuban. I have to admit to hating more than a few Mavs fans (you, of course, know you're not included in that statement).

I love the style of ball we play whenever we take the court against the Mavericks, however, because it's certainly never boring...

Let's check back on this once the placements are final. I would like to see the Kings face your Mavs further into the playoffs, but I'll settle for the first round. Then you can make your early vacation plans.