[Game] Kings @ Thunder - Monday, Jan. 15 - ***5 PM*** PT

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#1
Oh, joy of pure unmitigated joy. Another stupid matinee (and on the road to boot, which means the guys are gonna be on West Coast time.)

After the last Clippers loss, Koz and Doug made a couple of really good points about the Kings attitude at the beginning of a game. Koz remarked and Doug reiterated that our young Kings seem to treat warm-up as some kind of circus event (my term, not theirs) with their attempts at showtime dunks, etc. Doug commented that back in the day, he and the rest of the REAL KINGS (my term, not theirs) actually warmed up, focusing on the game to come. Koz said our team right now just seems to look at warm-ups as playtime. They don't show up (out) on the court in WORK mode.

That, in a nutshell, explains a lot. One of the biggest differences between college ball and the NBA is the intensity. You have to be in full game mode at the tip-off, which means (at least according to Doug - whose opinion in this area I hold in very high regard) you have to get into that mindset when you come out of the tunnel. The layup line isn't the right time to try and impress the crowd with your dunking skills. A dunk in the warmups means less than nothing when your team starts the game by quickly digging themselves into a hole they cannot possibly get out of.

Some of that is immaturity. Some of it is, IMHO, on the coaches. Not just Joerger, but the guys who are out there during warmups. The rest is on the players. They need to really understand why they're there. They could all take a page from Bogdan Bogdanovich.

The Thunder should be at full strength. We're close, with only Mason and Giles currently in the injured list.

As for most of this year, I don't care if the Kings win. I do care, however, with increasing fervor, how they play. They must show the heart, hustle, energy and effort any player in the NBA should be willing to put forth every time they step onto the court.

You know what I'd like to see? The Bighorns play the Kings (just the young ones). I have a feeling our rooks might just get a wake-up call. The Bighorns may be the D-League but they always play with intensity. I wish they could instill it into their big brother team.

It's still a good time to be a Kings fan, even if it is frustrating.

GO KINGS!!!
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
#2
I wonder if anyone's going to call out Vince Carter, who Kings Twitter often shows and hypes him taking (and making) nonsense behind the hoop shots in warmup. I have nothing at all against VC. He's the ONLY vet I want to see around the team. But if you're going to say something, everyone should be held accountable. Especially a dude who's supposed to be showing the young guys how to do things.

Anyways.... My expert analysis says The Kings are a broken mess. It isn't getting better and I have zero hope. Yay.

Hopefully Carmelo decides to serve us another game on a golden platter.
 

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#3
The Kings seem to catch teams that are struggling a bit so who knows with this game. They will either give the Thunder the confidence they need to get back track or finish them off for good. lol.
 
#4
The season has devolved to a stubborn coach who will go down with his vets, to hell be damned (something we were warned about with Joerger). Bogdanovic is clearly the best player on the team and he can't even start or stands in the corner half the time. Our offense 75 percent of the time is either a Zbo ISO or a Koufos/Zbo/Willie high post ran offense when all three are anywhere from average to pee poor decision makers. Frustrating life of a Kings fan. Meanwhile other young teams like the Lakers are playing their future guys heavy minutes and letting them grow. That's cool we'll do the Zbo/Vince turning back the clock sideshow.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#5
I'm cooling off on Joerger.

Still don't want him fired, but it's more of a "who the hell will replace him" than a "I think he's the right coach for the team" kinda not wanting him fired.

Maybe our Brad Stevens is out there, somewhere. ....
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#6
The season has devolved to a stubborn coach who will go down with his vets, to hell be damned (something we were warned about with Joerger). Bogdanovic is clearly the best player on the team and he can't even start or stands in the corner half the time. Our offense 75 percent of the time is either a Zbo ISO or a Koufos/Zbo/Willie high post ran offense when all three are anywhere from average to pee poor decision makers. Frustrating life of a Kings fan. Meanwhile other young teams like the Lakers are playing their future guys heavy minutes and letting them grow. That's cool we'll do the Zbo/Vince turning back the clock sideshow.
I agreed with the Bogdanovich part being our best player.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#7
I'm cooling off on Joerger.

Still don't want him fired, but it's more of a "who the hell will replace him" than a "I think he's the right coach for the team" kinda not wanting him fired.

Maybe our Brad Stevens is out there, somewhere. ....
I thought Joerger was supposed to be our Stevens? maybe this is what Memphis fans were alluding to when he wasn't their head coach anymore.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#8
I thought Joerger was supposed to be our Stevens? maybe this is what Memphis fans were alluding to when he wasn't their head coach anymore.
Joerger is definitely living up to all the smack talk he got on the way out.

Some of the young guns are improving under his watch, so it's not all bad. But his vet love and rotations are whack.

We still got a ways to go in this season though. Maybe the Joerger tough love pays off and Skal rattles off a bunch of double doubles while Buddy averages 20ppg to finish out the season....

... or we just get to see a whoooooole lotta Z-bo!
 
#9
Joerger is definitely living up to all the smack talk he got on the way out.

Some of the young guns are improving under his watch, so it's not all bad. But his vet love and rotations are whack.

We still got a ways to go in this season though. Maybe the Joerger tough love pays off and Skal rattles off a bunch of double doubles while Buddy averages 20ppg to finish out the season....

... or we just get to see a whoooooole lotta Z-bo!
That could happen, and Joerger would still yank them after 4 min the next game once they make a mistake
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#10
I wonder if anyone's going to call out Vince Carter, who Kings Twitter often shows and hypes him taking (and making) nonsense behind the hoop shots in warmup. I have nothing at all against VC. He's the ONLY vet I want to see around the team. But if you're going to say something, everyone should be held accountable. Especially a dude who's supposed to be showing the young guys how to do things.

Anyways.... My expert analysis says The Kings are a broken mess. It isn't getting better and I have zero hope. Yay.

Hopefully Carmelo decides to serve us another game on a golden platter.
Vince Carter has fans all across the NBA who LOVE to see him take those shots. He never steps out on the court anything but 100% committed to the game. Nobody in their right mind would call him out for those nonsense shots in warmup. He's more than earned the right to have a little fun. Our rookies have not.
 
#11
Last game was so boring, so bad. Let's hope good kings will reaper all of sudden. It is good team they play against, it's time for competitive game, maybe even (gulp) a win.
 
#12
Vince Carter has fans all across the NBA who LOVE to see him take those shots. He never steps out on the court anything but 100% committed to the game. Nobody in their right mind would call him out for those nonsense shots in warmup. He's more than earned the right to have a little fun. Our rookies have not.
Yeah, but, here’s the thing, if the “layup line nonsense shots” are part of the problem leading to low intensity to start the game (I don’t necessarily subscribe to that theory), then shouldn’t VC set the right example as a mentor and leader? If that is a problem, then shouldn’t he lead by example rather than “do as I say, not as I do”? Personally, I don’t think that is the problem and from what I can see through my little narrow view through the TV screen, everything I see from Vince Carter just exudes good team mate, mentor, and leader. I believe if the “layup line nonsense shots” were identified as a problem, VC would be the first out there to say, “That’s enough of this ****, let’s get serious”, and he would lead by example.

I have never attended a Kings game, so I don’t really know what goes on before the game, but I hear the analysts say and I have read articles on the web, that young guys show up early to work on drills. I know that during the pregame, you can see in the background some of them working, you can see WCS doing the same ball handling drills over and over and over and over. But, that’s a good thing. I think his ball handling skills have improved (although he does have those spells of falling over his feet, maybe it’s the shoes).

The team also apparently practices a lot more than the average NBA team does because of the youth. Sometimes I wonder if this affects their energy level, extra practices, drill before games. A few years back, when Billy Gillispie was the UK coach, he constantly practiced the teams hard for two hours on game day. They would come out with “dead legs”. He said they would get used to it and it would toughen them up (they didn’t and it didn’t). I really don’t think that is the problem here, as they seem to be able to play with more energy as the game goes on. Even if it is, it may be a compromise we must live with for now, because with this many young players, they need the practice.

I don’t really know what the problem with the slow starts is, if I did I could probably make some money as a basketball consultant. It’s been hard to identify, but you would think it would be something common to all players, young and old because it doesn’t matter what the starting lineup is or what the vet to young guy mix is. The players are aware of this, both Bogs and Willie referenced this in post-game interviews. This issue is frustrating for fans (and players, too), but when it is resolved, it may be one of those “corner turning moments” for the team.

The attitude on the forum has gone to you know where in a hand basket in the last week or two, but I think it has as much to do with “who” they have been playing as how they have been playing. There is a really strong rivalry against the LA teams on the forum. They just don’t like losing to the Lakers and the Clippers. It doesn’t affect me as much, being relatively new as a Kings fan. It’s just another game to me, but I understand rivalries. The Lakers are a rebuilding weaker team the Kings should have a chance to beat (not should beat, just have a chance to beat). The Clippers, even with injuries, are a playoff contender caliber team and the Kings have a lot less chance of beating them. I don’t root for “lins” but the losses don’t bother me that much at this point. I expected a lot of losses, and their record may actually be a little better than I thought it would be at this point.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#13
Oh, joy of pure unmitigated joy. Another stupid matinee (and on the road to boot, which means the guys are gonna be on West Coast time.)

After the last Clippers loss, Koz and Doug made a couple of really good points about the Kings attitude at the beginning of a game. Koz remarked and Doug reiterated that our young Kings seem to treat warm-up as some kind of circus event (my term, not theirs) with their attempts at showtime dunks, etc. Doug commented that back in the day, he and the rest of the REAL KINGS (my term, not theirs) actually warmed up, focusing on the game to come. Koz said our team right now just seems to look at warm-ups as playtime. They don't show up (out) on the court in WORK mode.

That, in a nutshell, explains a lot. One of the biggest differences between college ball and the NBA is the intensity. You have to be in full game mode at the tip-off, which means (at least according to Doug - whose opinion in this area I hold in very high regard) you have to get into that mindset when you come out of the tunnel. The layup line isn't the right time to try and impress the crowd with your dunking skills. A dunk in the warmups means less than nothing when your team starts the game by quickly digging themselves into a hole they cannot possibly get out of.

Some of that is immaturity. Some of it is, IMHO, on the coaches. Not just Joerger, but the guys who are out there during warmups. The rest is on the players. They need to really understand why they're there. They could all take a page from Bogdan Bogdanovich.

The Thunder should be at full strength. We're close, with only Mason and Giles currently in the injured list.

As for most of this year, I don't care if the Kings win. I do care, however, with increasing fervor, how they play. They must show the heart, hustle, energy and effort any player in the NBA should be willing to put forth every time they step onto the court.

You know what I'd like to see? The Bighorns play the Kings (just the young ones). I have a feeling our rooks might just get a wake-up call. The Bighorns may be the D-League but they always play with intensity. I wish they could instill it into their big brother team.

It's still a good time to be a Kings fan, even if it is frustrating.

GO KINGS!!!
I read in the paper it's a 5:00 game......you positive it's at 12?
 
#14
I wonder if anyone's going to call out Vince Carter, who Kings Twitter often shows and hypes him taking (and making) nonsense behind the hoop shots in warmup. I have nothing at all against VC. He's the ONLY vet I want to see around the team. But if you're going to say something, everyone should be held accountable. Especially a dude who's supposed to be showing the young guys how to do things.

Anyways.... My expert analysis says The Kings are a broken mess. It isn't getting better and I have zero hope. Yay.

Hopefully Carmelo decides to serve us another game on a golden platter.
I think you're looking too hard to find problems here. Vince shows up early to work with Giles, Skal and whoever else wants to take the court with him. I don't think a 40 year old doing trick shots in the twilight of his career matters even one bit when there are dozens of more serious concerns with the team.
 
#15
Vince Carter has fans all across the NBA who LOVE to see him take those shots. He never steps out on the court anything but 100% committed to the game. Nobody in their right mind would call him out for those nonsense shots in warmup. He's more than earned the right to have a little fun. Our rookies have not.
Exactly. The man is 40 on a team that is last in the league! He’s not getting the luxury of playing for a ring so he at least should be able to have fun
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
#16
I think you're looking too hard to find problems here. Vince shows up early to work with Giles, Skal and whoever else wants to take the court with him. I don't think a 40 year old doing trick shots in the twilight of his career matters even one bit when there are dozens of more serious concerns with the team.
I personally see absolutely nothing wrong with it. But if DC's going to say what he said, it should apply to everyone. Not just everyone except VC because "he's earned it." It's hypocritical.

Myself? I honestly don't care. Shootaround shenanigans aren't why this team is godawful. There's 1000 more real problems.
 
#18
Cavs and Warriors start at 5 too, wonder how many of you will have TNT on the "last" feature of the remote tonight during this game. If the Kings start out slow I might throw in the towel to check out how that early finals match up is looking like. At this point, with IT and the Cavs still adjusting to the dynamic he adds to the team not sure it is going to be a true indicator of what we will be looking at in June but fun to watch nonetheless.
 
#19
I personally see absolutely nothing wrong with it. But if DC's going to say what he said, it should apply to everyone. Not just everyone except VC because "he's earned it." It's hypocritical.

Myself? I honestly don't care. Shootaround shenanigans aren't why this team is godawful. There's 1000 more real problems.
I agree but we have no idea what the context of a short 5 second clip is. Could be an hour before or after practice. Could be a quick shot on the way to the showers. Who knows? I just doubt that everyone is working hard on their games while Vince is throwing the ball from the second balcony to try and score a viral clip.

I think Vince is the best mentor on the team currently. He's constantly coaching the players, yelling at guys to get in their positions and best of all, he's not stealing a ton of minutes and possessions from anyone. What's best most impressive of all has been his defense. He's been very very good at defending stretch 4's this year. I bet the stats probably have him as our best or 2nd best defender on the year. I wish the rest of our veteran signings were of the Vince Carter variety.
 
#20
Cavs and Warriors start at 5 too, wonder how many of you will have TNT on the "last" feature of the remote tonight during this game. If the Kings start out slow I might throw in the towel to check out how that early finals match up is looking like. At this point, with IT and the Cavs still adjusting to the dynamic he adds to the team not sure it is going to be a true indicator of what we will be looking at in June but fun to watch nonetheless.
This is what I use my DVR for....So I can record multiple things at/around the same time. And, also, so I do not have to sit through all of the boring stuff (commercials, to be exact). Even if I watch the game live, I still like to record it. I enjoy going back and hearing what the commentators/analysts/reporters have to say throughout the game. I actually find myself enjoying that aspect way more than the game itself at times.

Not just basketball games. Football games. Hockey games. Baseball games. College games (Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and even periodically a nice Women's Volleyball match). I record 'em all.

Which reminds me, I am stoked for the Winter Olympics to begin. The Olympics are also one of my favorite times of the year and a time during which my DVR is working overtime...

Not intending to go off on a whole different tangent, so I will leave you all with the following...

It's ALWAYS a good time to be a KINGS fan. ALWAYS.
 
#21
I've got to be honest, well I did want to beat the Lakers, but taking a look at the softer schedule we had coming up with Memphis, Charlotte, Orlando, I've been secretly hoping we'd lose every game by 1 point before our recent games vs the Clippers.

I'm hoping to see Fox hit his outside shots tonight, Skal gain some confidence, WCS fly and Bogdan's command of the game.

In tank mode.
 
#25
Apparently there's a starting lineup change. Fox, Bogi, Temple, Skal, WCS. Now that's more like it.
There was only so long even Joerger could hold out with Z-Bo, who doesn’t have his legs right now and shouldn’t be logging major minutes

The thin towers.. “Is WCS a tweener”? Can he man that middle without beef next to him
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#26
Okay, game time. Sorry about the mistake in the thread title (and thanks to whichever mod fixed it). I get the game times from the PDF schedule I downloaded at the beginning of the season from the Kings. Here's what it looked like:
upload_2018-1-15_16-59-0.jpeg

As you can see, it says the start time for today's game is 12 p.m. I rest my case. :p

I think we may just be surprised. The Kings have thus far made road games interesting. I'd love to see them do it in OKC.

GO KINGS!