[Game] Kings @ Rockets - Saturday, March 30 - 3PT/6ET

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#97
You like to see them play tough but it was yet another game where the Kings forced it inside to a fault towards the end on their way to scoring 15 points in the quarter. That's been a huge problem and probably the sole reason why they've fallen off in the back half of the year. The future is bright but that has to be addressed strategically before they ever take that next step. That first 3 quarters looked closer to the gunner we saw hope from this year and the 4th went back to the grind.
 
You like to see them play tough but it was yet another game where the Kings forced it inside to a fault towards the end on their way to scoring 15 points in the quarter. That's been a huge problem and probably the sole reason why they've fallen off in the back half of the year. The future is bright but that has to be addressed strategically before they ever take that next step. That first 3 quarters looked closer to the gunner we saw hope from this year and the 4th went back to the grind.
This is worth pointing out, for sure. Our hot stretch of the season saw us running and moving the ball until the open shot was found. I don't know why we ever went away from that.
 
Again, the KINGS lost another game because they can’t stretch together enough defensive stops. Although admittedly that is tougher to do when the NBA won’t allow defense to be played on their ‘stars’. Several times De’Aaon Fox played great pressure defense on Harden but he gets bailed out by a bogus foul. It’s the one thing that has always soured me on this league.

Regarding Harden, people can argue with me all they want but he continues to be among the most overrated (and unwatchable) players in the league IMO. ESPN and NBATV are undoubtedly raving about his 50/11/10 today because it looks and sounds extraordinary. But is it really?

How hard is it to score 50 when hoisting up 23 three point attempts and 31 shots over all? Oh, and being gifted most of the 18 FT attempts he had?? 13/31 and 7/23 is by no means ‘extraordinary’. I often believe he hurts his team with all those misses and the likes of Eric Gordon, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela help overcome with their better efficiency. I’d argue that’s what happened today. That, and the BS foul calls they gift to him.

Say what you want, but 7/23 from three is ridiculous. And he has games like that a lot. His career and season average of 36% from three is by no means elite. He’s purely a volume shooter and scorer — one that’s taken that tactic to a new level.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, take away the completely bogus 3rd and 4th steps he consistently gets away with to get to his spots not only on the perimeter but going to the basket AND the largely bogus foul call he draws and he’s nowhere close to a special player.

The NBA has always featured ‘star’ treatment, but the level of it has ramped up in the past decade. Even Kobe Bryant didn’t get the level of calls Harden does. Not even close, and he was babied by the league too. By far, Harden gets away with extra steps more than any player I’ve ever seen play in the league the past 35 years.

In the end, Harden and his team are successful in the regular season, but when they face other star studded teams in the playoffs — that’s where the shooting inefficiency really costs Houston. CP3 really helps to balance things out for them, but will it ever be enough? I guess we’ll see if CP3 can stay healthy.

Regardless, I’ll never be a believer in Harden’s game or a fan of watching it. I want my teams to win as much as the next fan. But not at the expense of watching a player like a Harden. That’s just not for me. And, w/o the bailout star treatment, I firmly believe it’s not a championship brand of basketball. It still might not be with it.

<end rant>
 
Have to disagree about Harden. He’s one of the greatest ISO players ever.
Using the refs as an excuse is sad.
Harden has been putting up these numbers all year and for years. So, you’re telling me every game and ever ref and every team that has played the Rockets get the short end?
That’s some hyperbole.

Kings defense Stinks and has for a long time. That’s reality not fiction. Another reason Harden went off with his typical numbers.
Harden’s IQ is off the charts.
You take away one part of his game and try to expose a weakeness. He spends the next game and the whole Summer improving that weakness.

Fox is a decent on ball defender. But, he’s not Patrick Beverly, either on the defensive end. I’ve seen him get tore up by Pg’s that don’t have half his talent.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
It really was a valiant effort. This was one of those valiant efforts that actually left me feeling pretty darned good, unlike some of the other defeats that left me wanting more. I am so proud of Fox, Bagley and Hield. They all have showed tremendous growth during the season, and they exemplified it in this game.

Fox looks like a point guard savant out there at age 21. His 3 point shooting, his decision making, his running the team, his defense - they all have gotten demonstrable better over the course of the season. He's working on his weakness - going to the right and scoring with his right hand. Several times he went right in this game. Many of those attempts were unsuccessful; others ended up (finally) in some foul calls. You watch, next year he's going to fake left, go right and finish with his right at the basket with regularity. I see superstar written all over this guy. Not multi-All Star. Superstar. An unstoppable force. I couldn't love a young player more than Fox. When the refs finally see how incredibly good he is , he'll be smothering these guys on defense without getting these idiot foul calls.

Then there's Bagley. He just continues to learn. You could see in this game that at times he went a little too fast. And then you could see where he purposefully slowed down, relaxed, and attempted his shot in rhythm. I don't think he missed one shot in this game where he had some rhythm to it. He makes these 10-12 footers on the run look positively easy. They aren't. Other big men don't even attempt those shots. The guy is still in freaking first gear. He's got four more to go.

And then there's Hield. He was throwing great cross court passes in this game that you'd never see him do before. His ball handling and his decision making continue to get better. He's just entering his prime, and his prime is going to be pretty damned good.

I think I remember hearing somewhere this phrase about the Kings: "I love this team!" I couldn't say it any better than that.
 
Regarding Harden, people can argue with me all they want but he continues to be among the most overrated (and unwatchable) players in the league IMO. ESPN and NBATV are undoubtedly raving about his 50/11/10 today because it looks and sounds extraordinary. But is it really?
<end rant>
I'm with you on Harden, he is consistently bailed out by the refs and it's disgusting.

And no, I don't think complaining about Harden is the same as complaining about refs every game, etc etc. The calls he gets are stupid and everyone around the league knows it.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
what does morality have to do with anything? is this another English thing I don't understand or a cry baby thing I don't understand?

Good game. We'll get them in Sacramento.
If you say that someone has won a moral victory, you mean that although they have officially lost a contest or dispute, they have succeeded in showing they are right about something...

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/moral-victory

In this instance, although the Kings lost the game they gained some respect as they fought hard and at no point gave up.
 
Look at the stats. Kings boarded, passed the ball and played pretty solid defense. One team shot 27 free throws, the Kings shot 15. Thats the difference in the game. It gets frustrating but the Nuggets went through this for 3 years with their current core till their breakthrough this year.
I dont give a rats behind about the Nuggets, and "frustrating" was a month ago.....no excuses - they're not playing "pretty solid defense" if they're giving up nearly 30 pts a quarter. The matador defense must improve by -2 oppg average at least,
 
next season, this will look much better than this one, for sure...

our young core (fox, giles, bagley) needs to gain some more experience and to improve some particular things.
all 3 of them needs to improve defence and reduce fouls.

fox must reduce turnovers and work on decision making, finding the right type of play for each situation
bagley is definitely testing his possibilities in this league, sometimes he's making some WTF moves, so decision making on a first place
giles - foul trouble issues, add toughness and... 3pt shooting maybe

with fox in 3rd season and two young bigs in sophomore season, this is going be a symphony... you cannot allow bagley all that crazy shots and expect to end up in playoffs... in a western conference...
 
Fox is a great talent. We are lucky to have him. He has a decent handle, but his one weakness is lazy passes. He can reduce his turnovers, and even increase his assist totals with better passing.
 
Have to disagree about Harden. He’s one of the greatest ISO players ever.
Using the refs as an excuse is sad.
Harden has been putting up these numbers all year and for years. So, you’re telling me every game and ever ref and every team that has played the Rockets get the short end?
That’s some hyperbole.

Kings defense Stinks and has for a long time. That’s reality not fiction. Another reason Harden went off with his typical numbers.
Harden’s IQ is off the charts.
You take away one part of his game and try to expose a weakeness. He spends the next game and the whole Summer improving that weakness.

Fox is a decent on ball defender. But, he’s not Patrick Beverly, either on the defensive end. I’ve seen him get tore up by Pg’s that don’t have half his talent.
Harden is a league manufactured star. You don't think that Harden gets special treatment from the refs? Eric Gordon was able to literally just reach in and rip Fox's arm away from the ball and there was no whistle which led to 2 technicals on the Kings. If you so much as make any sort of contact with Harden, it's a trip to the free throw line. 90% of the contact made with Harden is done by Harden himself. If he crosses you up and drives by you, he doesn't try and create space and finish. He simply runs into the side of the player the entire time and then lays the ball in while using his posture to fake contact. Everyone in the world knows that most of Harden's fouls are not actually fouls on the defense. They are fouls on Harden because he is the one constantly initiating contact with the defenders.

Harden is a genius for playing this way. He uses angles to create contact so it's not enough contact to knock the defender out of whack but it's just enough to where he can fake like he's being fouled while in the act of shooting every other time down the court. I blame the NBA for not reacting to it because they don't want to take away one of their star players and just make him a very good player instead of elite. The league has had every chance to coach the referees into not allowing this but it just seems to get worse and worse every year to the point where it's more acting and less basketball. You don't have to flop on the ground like Vlade for it to be a flop.
 
Harden is a league manufactured star. You don't think that Harden gets special treatment from the refs? Eric Gordon was able to literally just reach in and rip Fox's arm away from the ball and there was no whistle which led to 2 technicals on the Kings. If you so much as make any sort of contact with Harden, it's a trip to the free throw line. 90% of the contact made with Harden is done by Harden himself. If he crosses you up and drives by you, he doesn't try and create space and finish. He simply runs into the side of the player the entire time and then lays the ball in while using his posture to fake contact. Everyone in the world knows that most of Harden's fouls are not actually fouls on the defense. They are fouls on Harden because he is the one constantly initiating contact with the defenders.

Harden is a genius for playing this way. He uses angles to create contact so it's not enough contact to knock the defender out of whack but it's just enough to where he can fake like he's being fouled while in the act of shooting every other time down the court. I blame the NBA for not reacting to it because they don't want to take away one of their star players and just make him a very good player instead of elite. The league has had every chance to coach the referees into not allowing this but it just seems to get worse and worse every year to the point where it's more acting and less basketball. You don't have to flop on the ground like Vlade for it to be a flop.
My opinion of Harden took a dump when he disappeared in the Finals for the Thunder, losing to the Heat. He can wilt when he has to carry a team against strong competition.
 
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