http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11251159p-12166502c.html
Kings' starting five stalls in listless preseason loss
Both teams began slowly, but coach Rick Adelman had seen plenty after just 7:53 had passed.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, October 29, 2004
DALLAS - The Kings started a solid portion of the team's core group in Brad Miller, Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Generally speaking, that should have afforded Kings head coach Rick Adelman a bit of comfort, especially alongside the group of starters Mavs coach Don Nelson trotted out that included veteran Alan Henderson and rookie point guard Devin Harris.
However, after the Mavs handed the Kings their lunch, dinner and a little dessert in the form of a 112-93 preseason victory at the American Airlines Center, Adelman may have felt more comfortable with his second unit that included veterans Bobby Jackson and Darius Songaila, and also featured free agents Matt Barnes, Maurice Evans and Alton Ford.
The Kings' starting five that also included first-round draft choice Kevin Martin looked as if it flew in from China on Thursday afternoon, walked off the plane and pretended to play basketball.
Unfortunately for Adelman, that version of hoops hardly included anything that approached defense.
When Adelman decided he couldn't take anymore and called a timeout with 7:53 left in the first quarter, the Mavericks were up 11-6.
It wasn't just the 11 points, it was how the Mavs scored them: a Harris layup; an Erick Dampier dunk; a Dirk Nowitzki finger roll; a Dampier tip off two missed layup attempts; a made Henderson free throw in two attempts followed by another Dampier dunk. Nowitzki led all scorers with 30 points.
It was a pathetic stretch for the Kings. Granted, it was just 4:07 of a preseason game against an opponent they'll meet Tuesday night on the same floor, but that is not the way a team with title aspirations should start any game.
Any player can get beat on any possession, but a team is not supposed to allow that type of offensive aggression without a response. A team is supposed to try to score on the other end. A team has to help, even take a hard foul before allowing layups and dunks as if they were treats at a Halloween party.
"There's not much to say," Adelman said after the game. "The first group came out with no energy, no nothing."
He wasn't grammatical, but he was accurate.
The effort looked similar to the way the Kings started last week's game in Fresno. Against the Los Angeles Lakers, they had the excuse of having recently returned from China. This wasn't the same scenario.
Kings forward Chris Webber had a first half to forget, as did the entire first unit, primarily because this was a night when it collectively didn't come to work. Martin had an excuse because he is new to the game. And rookies are expected to have some nights when they are invisible.
"We really didn't execute at all," said Webber, who finished 1 of 7 from the field with eight points and six rebounds in 29 minutes. "We can't be proud of our performance. There is no excuse at all. We have to hold ourselves accountable and make some mental changes."
The game - which saw the Kings outscored 52-28 in the paint - was televised in Sacramento, and also on NBA-TV. Any player happening to catch the first few minutes of the contest might have missed the rest because they went out to sharpen their finger rolls and dunks in preparation for their next Kings game.
However, what they might have missed was the energy brought by Jackson, Barnes, Songaila, Evans and Ford. Quickly, they helped the Kings erase a 16-point deficit and helped force the Mavericks' defense into a state of holiday generosity.
Jackson (a team-high 15 points), who had shot poorly in his two most recent games, was aggressive and sharp, as were Barnes (13 points, three assists) and Evans (13 points). Songaila did what he usually does (11 points and four rebounds), and the Kings trailed 56-54 at the half.
But the third quarter was just a little better than the first for the Kings, who were playing against a Mavs team without Marquis Daniels, Michael Finley, Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry. Said Bibby, knowing his team plays at Arco Arena tonight against the Phoenix Suns, "You have nights like this even though you don't want to. We have to bounce back."
Kings' starting five stalls in listless preseason loss
Both teams began slowly, but coach Rick Adelman had seen plenty after just 7:53 had passed.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, October 29, 2004
DALLAS - The Kings started a solid portion of the team's core group in Brad Miller, Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Generally speaking, that should have afforded Kings head coach Rick Adelman a bit of comfort, especially alongside the group of starters Mavs coach Don Nelson trotted out that included veteran Alan Henderson and rookie point guard Devin Harris.
However, after the Mavs handed the Kings their lunch, dinner and a little dessert in the form of a 112-93 preseason victory at the American Airlines Center, Adelman may have felt more comfortable with his second unit that included veterans Bobby Jackson and Darius Songaila, and also featured free agents Matt Barnes, Maurice Evans and Alton Ford.
The Kings' starting five that also included first-round draft choice Kevin Martin looked as if it flew in from China on Thursday afternoon, walked off the plane and pretended to play basketball.
Unfortunately for Adelman, that version of hoops hardly included anything that approached defense.
When Adelman decided he couldn't take anymore and called a timeout with 7:53 left in the first quarter, the Mavericks were up 11-6.
It wasn't just the 11 points, it was how the Mavs scored them: a Harris layup; an Erick Dampier dunk; a Dirk Nowitzki finger roll; a Dampier tip off two missed layup attempts; a made Henderson free throw in two attempts followed by another Dampier dunk. Nowitzki led all scorers with 30 points.
It was a pathetic stretch for the Kings. Granted, it was just 4:07 of a preseason game against an opponent they'll meet Tuesday night on the same floor, but that is not the way a team with title aspirations should start any game.
Any player can get beat on any possession, but a team is not supposed to allow that type of offensive aggression without a response. A team is supposed to try to score on the other end. A team has to help, even take a hard foul before allowing layups and dunks as if they were treats at a Halloween party.
"There's not much to say," Adelman said after the game. "The first group came out with no energy, no nothing."
He wasn't grammatical, but he was accurate.
The effort looked similar to the way the Kings started last week's game in Fresno. Against the Los Angeles Lakers, they had the excuse of having recently returned from China. This wasn't the same scenario.
Kings forward Chris Webber had a first half to forget, as did the entire first unit, primarily because this was a night when it collectively didn't come to work. Martin had an excuse because he is new to the game. And rookies are expected to have some nights when they are invisible.
"We really didn't execute at all," said Webber, who finished 1 of 7 from the field with eight points and six rebounds in 29 minutes. "We can't be proud of our performance. There is no excuse at all. We have to hold ourselves accountable and make some mental changes."
The game - which saw the Kings outscored 52-28 in the paint - was televised in Sacramento, and also on NBA-TV. Any player happening to catch the first few minutes of the contest might have missed the rest because they went out to sharpen their finger rolls and dunks in preparation for their next Kings game.
However, what they might have missed was the energy brought by Jackson, Barnes, Songaila, Evans and Ford. Quickly, they helped the Kings erase a 16-point deficit and helped force the Mavericks' defense into a state of holiday generosity.
Jackson (a team-high 15 points), who had shot poorly in his two most recent games, was aggressive and sharp, as were Barnes (13 points, three assists) and Evans (13 points). Songaila did what he usually does (11 points and four rebounds), and the Kings trailed 56-54 at the half.
But the third quarter was just a little better than the first for the Kings, who were playing against a Mavs team without Marquis Daniels, Michael Finley, Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry. Said Bibby, knowing his team plays at Arco Arena tonight against the Phoenix Suns, "You have nights like this even though you don't want to. We have to bounce back."
