Kings @ Suns Game Thread

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piksi

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I am going for a mini vacation to a place where internet is still a thing of a distant future and computers are exclusively used to play solitaire. Thus I will miss the Blazers and the Spurs game so I once again - need replacement. Strangely enough the same place has a dish with league pass courtesy of Pedja, Radman, Darko and & still existing - so I will be able to actually watch the games. I hope all of You have good and safe holidays and a successful mini diet after it;)
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Despite a good effort especially in the last quarter Kings couldn't catch the Suns and dropped to 4-7 for the season, 4-2 at home and had their mini winning streak snapped. Right after the game - both teams sat into a plane and went to Phoenix where they will have a "groundhog" day tonight. After that - Kings go to at home unbeaten Blazers team before a 5 game home stand featuring Spurs, Warriors, Rockets, Jazz and Clippers who all have at least .500 on the road. After those 5 games we will know much more about ourselves before going East which isn't a "record booster" anymore.
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Play young damn it ! There is no excuse whatsoever for Hawes and Douby not to play at least 15 minutes per game per player and not individually like it was last night. They are young and they will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. I want those mistakes to be made NOW because the timing is great for it. If You are trying to win games - try to win them with those players so if You don't - at least You can say is - it was worth it. How hard is this concept ?
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After couple very good games Kenny Thomas was put back on the floor again. Why ? He did alright - sure but what the hell for ? Why would You give him a roster spot before Justin Williams ? I have to admit that even Muss made more sense sometimes and Muss sucked. When I saw him coming in the game it felt like the Broadway musical sequel of "Wizard of Oz" caller - "Tin man strikes back." Next, First, Justin's spot, now Hawes minutes - next who knows - a starting Sacramento Kings "PF." People say that all good things are short. Our lasted 2-3 games and it looked so good.
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Is Kevin turning into Pedja , or is this just the fan's perspective. He needs more shots, he is ignored by teammates, coaches, he is passive, needs to be more assertive etc... Deja Vu - isn't it ? I think that while all those things might be at least partially true - we are overreacting a bit here. Kevin is not MJ and he will never be. He is a very good player who came into the spotlight which he earned. He is going to have bad games, he will be tired and defenses are taking him very seriously now. You can't take shots that aren't there. When someone else other than Kevin is wide open (Mikki) - there is a reason for it. When Your team is not very good - other teams will exploit the weaknesses. In the NBA most of the players take shots that are given to them by opponents defenses. Only a small part of players have a capability to get what they want whenever they want and we just don't have any of those anymore. Those players play somwhere else. We could get one this summer if we play it smart.
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This segment will be basketball related only. Has nothing to do with anything out of basketball. Watching SAR this season, watching Mutombo, Penny Hardewey, Derrel Armstrong, Jerome James and bunch more, but especially Eric Piatkowski - I came to the conclusion that in the NBA a basketball euthanasia should be allowed. there should be guidelines that would regulate when it is enough for the audience to watch someone's sorry *** wasting a young kid's playing time for no logical reason. Now they are veterans in age who still contribute and who can teach kids some good things but then there are others. Give me a break. There should be a rule where someone can go to the player and say - that is it. I am waiting for Kevin Willis to try it again this season. I would also broaden the concept to the officials and executives. I am sure all of us could quickly agree about at least 3 referees right now who shouldn't ever call another game (one of the female - just for VF21;)).
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We did better against the Suns than most of us expected especially in the beginning of the 2nd half where it looked like we were out of it culminating with bringing KT of the deep bench which I consider as WTF moment of the game (maybe a new feature here). Statistically - all parameters are were close. We went back to 17 assists/17 turnover type of ting but Suns didn't do much better. We made it very close at the end but couldn't guard Amare and couldn't come up with anything better than an iso for Ron. Someone should have told someone to drive to the basket but then again it is always questionable how much and what and when someone can tell to O.J. lite to have a right influence.
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AWARD TIME

TDM went to the favorite for the night - the Pharaoh who ruined the phenomenal performance towards the end but did hit his first career three which way way beyond "Pedja" range. Can he go back to back ?

Marion gets the LW-VC award making him very dangerous for tonight.

The SAR - Methuselah award went to Eric Piatkowski who is still for some reason in this league.

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Part 2 is tonight of this back to back home and away set that is always difficult. Logically, they won't allow it to be this close again. They will expect Nash and Marion to have better nights with Amare and Barbosa who will do the same - smells like trouble. We can expect more from Brad and Kevin. We are not in the very good position tonight but we should be able to compete.
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Kevin - now he is being defended and he has to adjust and his team and coach have to adjust also. We need him
O.J. lite - can he do it again ?
Brad - just shut up and play. It isn't funny anymore.
Beno - how bad is he hurt ?
Mikki - honorably fouled out without being able to do anything defensively

Douby - more PT
Hawes -more PT
Cisco & Salmons - solid
KT - WTF - had a decent stint but what the hell for ?
rest - dead weight.
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Suns will take the game more serious tonight and they probably won't miss that many shots. They are huge favorite but they only played 7 man and a corpse last night so they might get tired. Expect Nash and Marion to play better. Barbosa will go off again. Pharaoh will go back to back again winning the TDM LW-VC tonight might go to Hill because he is old made out of spare parts and might not have legs. It will be hard to avoid losing streak.
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Douby - more PT
Hawes -more PT

You forgot:
Williams -more PT

KT has already gotten 66 times more PT than Justin this season. Any more of that and I think Reggie should face a class action suit from fans for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
 
A ritual suggested for tonight's game...

...put on SPF 20+ sunblock. Indoors. Visualize the Kings miraculously blocking the Suns from their home-court victory, just like they did with ours.


20+ sunblock represents 20+ points for each of our top shooters.

If the Kings shift the bulk of the PT to the younger players away from the players who got ineffectual PT last night--Martin excepted--then the Kings stand a better chance to pull off a win with an emphasis on defense and assists on offense.
 
Artest is in...

Wonder why Artest is out?

Maybe he's being traded *crosses fingers* :p


...the game, according to the Bee, the Kings website and the NBA site. Has there been a radio report of him being out?


And why trade him? He's a very valuable player and can contribute a lot this season...if Coach T can control Artest's tendencies to dominate the ball to the detriment of the team.
 
Trade because he'll opt out this season and get the value while you can...just my opinion.

Grant said on the radio that he is out for personal reasons and he couldn't say why just that he's not in trouble or anything.
 
Artest has left the team for personal reasons. Grant said he found this out right as he was entering the arena to do his show. He knows why he is gone from the team, but would not say why. He did say though I dont want anyone starting rumors and it is not because he did anything wrong or because he is in trouble or anything like that.
 
Just heard interview with Coach Reggie and Assistant Randy Brown on Sports 1140 and they didn't add anything to the report of Ron and Beno being out tonight other than family situation and injury respectively. Reggie said in film session today he stopped the recorder to point out that the Kings fans at Arco last night were on their feet roaring in the 3rd and 4th quarter. He said he told the players their maximum effort and never say die attitude which Kings fans expect kept them in the game - the only way they're going to win their share of games.
 
Artest has left the team for personal reasons. Grant said he found this out right as he was entering the arena to do his show. He knows why he is gone from the team, but would not say why. He did say though I dont want anyone starting rumors and it is not because he did anything wrong or because he is in trouble or anything like that.

Great... so now instead of speculating about Artest getting into mischief, everybody will be yelling about Artest + Bibby = Starbury + Lee...
 
HPL confirmed that Artest is out. n/m

n/m = "no message" use this when you don't have anything in the text field; obviously, this one is the exception.
 
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On a lighter note, I was just wondering when I changed from expecting us to win every game (no matter who is out) to just hoping we keep it close.


Are Bibby and Beno traveling with the team?
 
I'd wish that this one wasn't going to be a blowout, but I'm saving up my wishes for the 2012 playoffs.

Just the same, I'd enjoy seeing them keep it within 15.
 
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