[Game] Kings @ Suns - Dec 13, 2013, 21:00 EST

[KingsCitizen]

And why would anyone trade for Thornton/Fredette?

Jack is turning into an expensive back-up in Cleveland.
Fredette is an expiring and Thornton's contract is much shorter than Jack and he actually have sort of similar style to Waiters has seen an up and down relationship with Kyrie and the kid has been in trade rumors every month now.
So maybe a vet like Thornton is a good insurance.
And pick up someone as a cheaper back up down the road.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

It had nothing to do with the guards?

Things are breaking down at Ben on both sides of the floor. Unfortunately, everyone is having to try to make up for his mistakes

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Jack is turning into an expensive back-up in Cleveland.

What do you mean, turning into? Was someone under the impression that he was going to go there and start?

 

[KingsCitizen]

Jack is turning into an expensive back-up in Cleveland.
Fredette is an expiring and Thornton's contract is much shorter than Jack and he actually have sort of similar style to Waiters has seen an up and down relationship with Kyrie and the kid has been in trade rumors every month now.
So maybe a vet like Thornton is a good insurance.
And pick up someone as a cheaper back up down the road.

BTW, Cavs just recalled 3 players from D-League. Very high possibility for a trade come Dec 15.

 

[dude12]

Most, not all, but most of Plumlee's dunks were as a direct result of Cuz either having to step up to cut off the 100th penetration of the game while Plumlee slipped behind, or on the last one, for some reason it was DeMarcus Cousins having to run out to the corner to challenge the wide open corner three by Tucker I think it was, leaving the rim open again. We really do need a shotblocker, but damn, if anybody could keep their man in front of them for consecutive plays the Kigns should call a company holiday and throw a party compelte with piñata.

Yes, Cuz is the one going to the corner to get a hand up on someone's open guy......but he got out hustled according to some. SMH.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

A LOT of the penetration problems the Kings have are due to poor PnR defense. That's on the bigs and the guards. I'm not making any excuses for Thomas and Ben, but they can't be responsible for both guys up there. Cousins isn't a very good hedger.

Needless to say, they got torched by Dragic and Bledsoe. At the very least Thomas matched Dragic's production. McLemore got torched by Bledsoe and lost his matchup 28 - 4.

 

[dmj]

If we had a decent backcourt, we wouldn't have to worry quite as much about a shot blocker.

A quick guard in the NBA with good handles can get to the rim just about at will (this is what makes IT special on offense), especially if his team is setting screens for him and the defense doesn't properly hedge. To defend that properly, you have to have at least one big man on the team who defend the paint, and we don't. Were next to last in the league in blocks and that is a big part of our defensive struggles.

 

[KingsCitizen]

What do you mean, turning into? Was someone under the impression that he was going to go there and start?

LOL! Don't start putting impressions that I never had. Jack was signed there clearly as back-up but with consideration to Kyrie's minutes, Irving missed 38 of his 148 games the previous seasons. But Irving seems more healthy now and they even got an unexpected good minutes from Bynum. IMO, Cleveland should be able to unload Jack for a cheaper back-up now that there is more certainty on Bynum down low and Irving does not have to shoulder most of load anymore, which is plus to preserve his health.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

No, they absolutely should not. If anything, Cleveland should be in "Win Now" mode: they already have their superstar. Bynum is, slowly but surely, working his way back into being the player that he was, and that Philadelphia hoped he would be. So, they have their #1 guy, they have a strong cast of roleplayers and reserves, and they have their #3 guy. They're only a player away from being the third-best team in the east. Hell, they're only a half game out of the sixth seed, as it is. They'd be better off trying to trade for Gay, and we'd probably be better off in the long run to trade him.

Unfortunately, Cleveland can't make that work under the cap, without giving up Varejao, whom they need, or Bynum, which would defeat the purpose of them trading for Gay in the first place.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Cousins definitely had below par game by his standards but still came up with 15 pts 16 boards 5 steals 5 assists. In some ways Big Cuz was best Kings defender among D-wreck and best facilitator on offense. Probably his worst sin was that momentum changing technical not long after JT's tech which was also momentum downer. I still enjoyed the game because of Gay and Gray very solid contributions. Now onto early Sunday home game against Houston and the Howard and Hardin show, not to mention return of three former Kings in Rockets uni. Kings better be ready because Rockets are another one of those very good WC teams that are loaded with talent and play hard.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

You strange use of the term "in some ways" implies that someone besides Cousins made an effort on defense?

Kings better be ready because Rockets are another one of those very good WC teams that are loaded with talent and play hard.

The funny thing about it is that Thompson's temperament and skillset are both better suited to guarding Dwight Howard than Channing Frye.

 

[JLoss22]

Cleveland should be in "Win Now" mode: they already have their superstar.

News to me

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Were you under the impression that Kyrie Irving is not a superstar? If so, you may want to get your impression-meter recalibrated.

 

[Padrino]

Were you under the impression that Kyrie Irving is not a superstar? If so, you may want to get your impression-meter recalibrated.

well, i'd say "superstar" is certainly debatable right now. 20.5 ppg (40.5% shooting), 3 rpg, 6 apg (against 3 to's per game) on a bad team is good enough for an all-star appearance in the eastern conference, but "superstar?" he may end up earning that tag eventually, but he's not there quite yet...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

"Superstar" is about more than numbers. It's a combination of numbers and Q-rating. And the only guard in the east with a higher Q-rating than Kyrie Irving is Dwyane Wade.

Irving's numbers are at an All-Star level. His numbers + his Q-Score = superstar.

 

[TyFreak Evans]

Currently watching the delayed broadcast, as I missed it live due to Dish being here upgrading our equipment....I better not regret this decision...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The decision to what? Watch the game on delay, or have your equipment upgraded?

 

[TyFreak Evans]

The decision to what? Watch the game on delay, or have your equipment upgraded?

Watch the game...

 

[Padrino]

"Superstar" is about more than numbers. It's a combination of numbers and Q-rating. And the only guard in the east with a higher Q-rating than Kyrie Irving is Dwyane Wade.

q-rating? really? you could have said something like "it's a combination of numbers and killer instinct" and we'd be on the same page. but q-rating? that's the least important feature of the "superstar," as far as impact on the court is concerned. and that's what we're talking about, correct, since you're operating under the assumption that cleveland should be in "win now" mode?

familiarity/marketability are important to perception, of course. it helps the fans feel good about their impact on all-star selections. lebron james doesn't give a crap about his q-rating. neither does kobe bryant. but kyrie irving was making "uncle drew" famous long before he'd accomplished a damn thing on the court. i think he'll get there, but his ascent to superstardom is hardly a sure thing...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

q-rating? really? you could have said something like "it's a combination of numbers and killer instinct" and we'd be on the same page. but q-rating? that's the least important feature of the "superstar," as far as impact on the court is concerned. and that's what we're talking about, correct, since you're operating under the assumption that cleveland should be in "win now" mode?

That's what you're talking about. I consider the question of whether or not Irving is a superstar and whether or not Cleveland is in "win now" mode to be unrelated. As far as "one the court" is concerned, Irving is a guy who can win you basketball games. He's also a guy who can put an ass every eighteen inches, a guy that you can get other talented guys to want to come and play with, and a guy you can sell to advertisers. That makes a superstar.

Cleveland has defensive roleplayers, a guy who can get easy baskets in the paint (Bynum), and a closer (Irving). That's why they should be in "win now" mode: because they're one more scorer away from being able to compete in the eastern conference, right now. They don't need to wait on the draft to get one: if they can trade for another 17-19ppg scorer by Thursday, they'll be the third seed, come April.

 

[Entity]

That's what you're talking about. I consider the question of whether or not Irving is a superstar and whether or not Cleveland is in "win now" mode to be unrelated. As far as "one the court" is concerned, Irving is a guy who can win you basketball games. He's also a guy who can put an ass every eighteen inches, a guy that you can get other talented guys to want to come and play with, and a guy you can sell to advertisers. That makes a superstar.

Cleveland has defensive roleplayers, a guy who can get easy baskets in the paint (Bynum), and a closer (Irving). That's why they should be in "win now" mode: because they're one more scorer away from being able to compete in the eastern conference, right now. They don't need to wait on the draft to get one: if they can trade for another 17-19ppg scorer by Thursday, they'll be the third seed, come April.

Maybe they would like Thornton to be that 17 pt scorer

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Let me amend that statement, then: they need a 17-19ppg scorer who can play the 3.