Kings_of_California
Starter
Which lineup was on the floor? I know Bjelica went out with illness.
[Game] Kings @ Pelicans - Thursday, March 28 - 5:00PT/8:00ET
- Thread starter jcassio
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Which lineup was on the floor? I know Bjelica went out with illness.
OldSchoolKingsFan
G-League
I’ve been to some Stockton games this year...not much there
Ozymandias
All-Star
Monster game by Willie. 7/9 from the field 0 turnovers, 12 boards 4 assists 2 blocks.Made all his FT's.
Ozymandias
All-Star
Willie is shooting 65% from the field in March.... The best part about the willie complaints here are they are completely uncorrelated with his actual play on the floor. LOL. The worst part is just the tunnel vision/lack of perspective ppl try to justify cuz like I read some of these comments and think this person should be spending their time gaining perspective not complaining about their limited perspective... What i see is masturbatory behavior, not intelligent basketball conversation....
They were in contention with 20 or so games left, so they had the playoffs still to play for and went 7-12 - going from 4 games above .500 to 1 game below. If they didn't have the fire then, how will it be any different next year. They have slumped off the end of the season, not elevated their play while the playoffs were still possible. Had they continued just at .500 they'd be around 2.5 off the Spurs with a Head-to-head matchup. FT and Defense in that order.....
Tizzy Flip
Starter
Are you Willie’s agent or just a Willie apologist? And did you watch the game? He made Jahil Okafor look like the player everyone knew he wasn’t, including the last 4 teams that kicked him to the curb
SLAB
Hall of Famer
Just like when Willie doesn’t go after guys driving to the paint it will be everyone else’s fault except for Willie who played it expertly.
I have been a fan of Kosta, but I agree. His best days are gone. The Kings are playing at an elevated level compared to the past. Kosta probably needs to go. He might be getting near retirement age. The game has changed a lot and does not have room for many guys that have a shooting range of 7 feet.
Would we play him at C?
SLAB
Hall of Famer
Either/or PF.... Whatever position is needed with whoever he’s next to between Giles and Bagley.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
To underscore your point, at the end of the 2nd quarter here is the exchange between Grant (G) and Doug (D) about Okafor:
G: Don't you think you're going to have to start to double Okafor? He's killing Willie.
D: Well, if you've got to double Okafor, well then, ugh, the Kings might not win this ball game.
G: Well, but I mean he's scoring every time he touches the ball on the block!
D: Well, I will say this also, on that particular shot, Willie can contest it. He just has to jump up into the air.
G: He's five of six, Okafor.
burekijogurt
Starter
Proud Willie apologist here! Okafor scored a blistering 12 points let us see how he scored some if it and what WCS did wrong! Lets me roll the film.
Here is the first 2 points. WCS is contesting the shot. The shot ends up bouncing off the rim and rolling in.
Here is the second 2 points. WCS leaves Okafor to protect the rim from one of the guards who waltzed through our perimeter defense. The guard is going to drop it off to Okafor for a dunk. You can see Fox guarding Air here and offering emotional support to WCS as he tries guarding 2 guys. Barnes is running to cover for rotating WCS though.. but too slow.
Here is another contested shot by Okafor that rolled in. Not sure what else WCS needs to do?
And another:
John Galt
Starter
How did the other Center do?
burekijogurt
Starter
The one WCS made look like a superstar with his 12 points or the one playing PF and raining threes and scoring 34? and how about the C Wood (he is listed as PF but who cares). WCS let him score 25. So by my tally WCS, by failing to guard these bigs, has given up 12 + 34 + 25 = 71. Giving up 71 points is too much for the rest of the team to overcome.
Tizzy Flip
Starter
Wow, that’s a lot of work to show Willie couldn’t guard one of the biggest busts in recent history. And oh by the way Okafor almost had a double double in 18 mins. Again, we’re talking about a guy who got drafted in the same draft as WCS but is on his 3rd or 4th team.
burekijogurt
Starter
I thought he guarded him just fine, contested his shots, but the ball went in. I mean, Okafor got an almost identical line against Steven Adams and OKC. I'm sure OKC fans are not throwing Adams off the boat.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
Okafor is legit in the post. I don't know why some team with little future pieces currently doesn't build him up and flip him. The problem with Willie is his inability to deny position. It has been since he was drafted. As a switch specialist he has unreal tools, I mean prime Tyson Chandler level stuff, but the reason people are so critical of someone like Willie is that it sometimes appears as if a lack of motor is his downfall and a players effort and energy is the answer for those who routinely get beasted on the boards and in the post.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
I think Bagley might have those tools that Willie doesn't. For instance, last night DC talked about Willie challenging more shots vertically in man to man, and you can see where someone like Bagley's unique second jump ability comes into play as a shot changer down low. I don't think Bagley is as good a switch defender but his shotblocking instincts might make up for some of that. Last night was another example of Bagley and Willie simply not providing the spacing necessary for the Kings to compete effectively outside of Buddy bailing them out from distance.
burekijogurt
Starter
I agree on his struggles to deny position (Okafor did move him pretty easily), but that was strength related not motor related. And at least in this game, he did not get bested on the boards, he was the high man for both teams at 12. The next best was 10.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
Yes, and the answer to overcoming that strength disadvantage is motor. Fronting the post. Using lateral movement and your hands to deny entry passes. In rebounding it's to box out aggressively, to dive for loose balls, to attempt to tap balls back out. Willie isn't consistent in any area. One game he'll get 16 boards, the next 2. I'm sure for a lot of fans it's the tease of awesomeness every so often that makes it even worse when he comes crashing back down to earth.
burekijogurt
Starter
all valid points, but you don't start fronting and denying ball to Okafor from the get go (they did this to Embiid as a plan and it worked well in Sacramento). Okafor hit some contested, well defended shots, so then maybe you change the approach.
but besides this game, I wonder who this consistent rebounder, rim defender, scorer, high motor person the King's fans will get instead of WCS is? Not only that but his inconsistency is overblown. For example in the last 15 games these are his rebounding totals: 9, 12, 7, 7, 12, 8, 13, 7, 7, 9, 18, 0, 9, 7, 12. There was one game below 7 rebounds in this entire stretch, the 0 rebounds game. Another data point, WCS had 12 games the whole season where he had 5 rebounds or less. Stephen Adams by comparison had 8 such games. my guess is whoever gets in here instead of WCS will be crucified just as much by this board.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
The inconsistency isn't in any one area, it's literally spread all over and differentiates moment to moment within a single game. I agree that his statistical inconsistencies are overblown but I can certainly see why it "looks" as bad as it does to some of his most ardent critics. Most of that has little to with Willie in truth and more for what the team lacks. My argument is in time that person might just be Bagley. They are similar in many of the same ways but Bagley is obviously a much more prolific talent. I think getting someone that is more of a high energy type or a big bruiser would be a better way for the team to go when considering better front court fits next to Bagley and Giles. I think defensively Bagley and Willie do some interesting things as a combo but I'm almost sold on them being a terrible combo for the team and with that being the case I think they have to seriously consider moving on this summer. Vlade can't forget the bind a re-signed Jason Thompson put the team in. He was also clearly a bad fit next to the Kings franchise big at the time.
KingsSelecao
Bench
Wow, you are the definition of homer.
Kings should have won by double digits.
Gimme a break.
AD and Holiday out.
Luck is BS. Kings played poorly period.
I was just pointing out at all the luck breaks the Pels seem to get. Never once said the Kings played well or deserved to win.
Its all about Cap-Space and Value. Is Stein willing to take mid-level salary ie $10-13M per year. He's not top tier talent, but he's a good starter, and has superior mobility for his size. His rebounding and defense comes and goes, but his horrible FT shooting is why doesn't deserve $15M+/yr . For the record Barnes will be at least moderately overpaid next year; for his salary, he needs to average 20+pts/game with good shooting percentages on all three levels. He's going to have to produce efficiently.
burekijogurt
Starter
I can see the argument that Bagley in the future will be everything WCS is, plus much more, which makes WCS somewhat redundant and we should get other complementary pieces that fit around Bagley better. That I understand. I don't understand the total dismissal of WCS as horrible since the production shows otherwise. I would keep WCS to back up Bagley. Get a younger bruiser to replace Kosta. And who knows, maybe WCS develops that jump-stop baby hook that Bagley is very adept at already.
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