[Game] Kings v. Rockets - 4-8-12

[Kingster]

He had the most minutes with 6 pts and 5 assts. Remarkable.

But at least he was putting the effort in, playing D. There were others out there that didn't want to play, and Smart obliged them. I have no issue with that. I applaude it, in fact.

 

[Npliam]

Shaq was a nightmare match-up the moment he entered the league. Love was all-star level last year and missed the playoffs. Please come back when you know what you're talking about.

I don't think you really want to compare Shaq to Cousins. Love still isn't a dominate big man.

 

[rainmaker]

Shaq was a nightmare match-up the moment he entered the league. Love was all-star level last year and missed the playoffs. Please come back when you know what you're talking about.

Both Love and Aldridge, All Stars, will probably miss the playoffs this year. Guess Blake Griffin wasn't good last year either.

 

[Arkitect]

They weren't dominate big men when they missed the playoffs.

Shaq put up 24/13/3.5 blocks per game his rookie year and missed the playoffs. Love is putting up 26/13. That isn't dominant? Not sure what is meant by dominant then.

 

[spudfan]

Shaq put up 24/13/3.5 blocks per game his rookie year and missed the playoffs. Love is putting up 26/13. That isn't dominant? Not sure what is meant by dominant then.

It really isn't worth responding to him.

 

[ParniValjak]

I see problems building off the court if our top two players aren't giving a max effort for Smart, and his response is to simply bench them almost the entire half in favor of non defensive chuckers. Don't see it going anywhere positive.

It's not going to be pretty I can see that much!

The players have pretty much quit on Smart and his basketball philosophy. We had a glimpse of life there for a while there but it was a classic honeymoon period stuff. As soon as the "newness" wears off what we are seeing is an incompetent coach and the players known it too and have quit on him.

The ever recognizable premature ejaculation by the Kings owners and front office is ever so present again and we have once again screwed up picking up Smart's option for next year. It is a major mistake made by owners who cannot afford real coach and a GM that is obsessed with pretty, high tempo, run and gun offence.

This team will not go anywhere as long as Maloofs remain the owners. To win, you have to spend on quality people that can get you there. Whether that is coaches, basketball operations staff, players...whatever. To be a good team you have to spend the money and if you can't then you are in the wrong business.

Give this team to a good to very good coach and see the team develop into a play off team. Keep giving the keys to cheap cast offs and what you will end up with is the perennial losers who keept drafting well only to see those players leave and go somewhere else where they blow up into stars.

I am this close to quitting on this team until the Maloofs are given the *** for good.

 

[Arkitect]

It really isn't worth responding to him.

I know. But...

 

[Kings Faithful]

For those who say we are using Reke wrong, how do you want to use him? I've seen him as a pg, a sf, an now a sg and he's failed to do all three at this point. As a pg there isn't enough ball movement on the court, regardless of how many assists he would pick up. At sf all his advantages such as size and strength are lost to his matchups...at sg he's just been a ghost and has done nothing. He's looked his best at the pg position because it allows him to dominate the ball every possesion which is his game. When he isn't doing that he is worthless on the offensive end up to this point in his career. Unless he develops a capable outside game and the ability to play without the ball I don't see this working.

 

[Npliam]

Shaq put up 24/13/3.5 blocks per game his rookie year and missed the playoffs. Love is putting up 26/13. That isn't dominant? Not sure what is meant by dominant then.

Shaq his rookie year might be the only exception. Love and Aldridge are really good players but they aren't dominate in the low post and they both don't command the double team like a dominate big man. Both are jump shooters and neither are dominate defensively.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Shaq was a nightmare match-up the moment he entered the league. Love was all-star level last year and missed the playoffs. Please come back when you know what you're talking about.

But not against very best on the planet at the time. Hakeem Olajuwan dominated Shaq in everyway including sweeping his Magic team 4-0 in NBA championship series. But for Hakeem it was peanuts as he did virtually same against Patrick Ewing in beating them for another Rockets championship. His most competitive and best battles were probably against David Robinson but in the end The Dream put him away too.

 

[Goo]

Cousins had a far worse situation? He was given a green light to shoot, and ball go to him every single time down the court and Cuz can do whatever he want to do w/ it. There wasn't a single play call for Reke the whole game. You're right about he looks checked out, waiting to be coming free agent.

 

[spudfan]

For those who say we are using Reke wrong, how do you want to use him? I've seen him as a pg, a sf, an now a sg and he's failed to do all three at this point. As a pg there isn't enough ball movement on the court, regardless of how many assists he would pick up. At sf all his advantages such as size and strength are lost to his matchups...at sg he's just been a ghost and has done nothing. He's looked his best at the pg position because it allows him to dominate the ball every possesion which is his game. When he isn't doing that he is worthless on the offensive end up to this point in his career. Unless he develops a capable outside game and the ability to play without the ball I don't see this working.

I would like to see him have a James Harden type of role. Coming off the bench and just lighting everyone up with solid defense and running the second unit.

 

[SacTownKid]

Shaq put up 24/13/3.5 blocks per game his rookie year and missed the playoffs. Love is putting up 26/13. That isn't dominant? Not sure what is meant by dominant then.

There can be a difference between dominance and production. Just because you're productive doesn't necessarily mean you're dominant and vice versa.

 

[Npliam]

I would like to see him have a James Harden type of role. Coming off the bench and just lighting everyone up with solid defense and running the second unit.

Harden can really shoot. Hard to find a role like that for a player that can't hit a consistent jumper.

 

[The_Jamal]

Someone give me the lowlights of another blowout.

 

[Goo]

From my limited access to Kings game the last 3 years my answer is PG, he was getting better until the smart guy throw him at SF in favor of Cuz's buddy. Smart really doing everything possible to ride on Cuz.

 

[spudfan]

Harden can really shoot. Hard to find a role like that for a player that can't hit a consistent jumper.

Yep. So as everyone knows, he will have to keep working on his jumper. I still see it as the best kind of role for him on any team.

 

[Section 101]

I see problems building off the court if our top two players aren't giving a max effort for Smart, and his response is to simply bench them almost the entire half in favor of non defensive chuckers. Don't see it going anywhere positive.

Cuz was just flat out tired. The rejected by the rim in the 3rd showed he had no legs. After that was when Smart took him out for good. Evans went out early. Dunno why, but Smart sat next to him for a few mins and was explaining something. Could have been the toe. I was more disappointed Honeycutt didn't get in sooner.

 

[swisshh]

Cousins had a far worse situation? He was given a green light to shoot, and ball go to him every single time down the court and Cuz can do whatever he want to do w/ it. There wasn't a single play call for Reke the whole game. You're right about he looks checked out, waiting to be coming free agent.

I believe we were speaking of the season as a whole and not just this game.

 

[Section 101]

For those who say we are using Reke wrong, how do you want to use him? I've seen him as a pg, a sf, an now a sg and he's failed to do all three at this point. As a pg there isn't enough ball movement on the court, regardless of how many assists he would pick up. At sf all his advantages such as size and strength are lost to his matchups...at sg he's just been a ghost and has done nothing. He's looked his best at the pg position because it allows him to dominate the ball every possesion which is his game. When he isn't doing that he is worthless on the offensive end up to this point in his career. Unless he develops a capable outside game and the ability to play without the ball I don't see this working.

March at SF was his best month since Feb of his rookie year.

 

[Arkitect]

I would like to see him have a James Harden type of role. Coming off the bench and just lighting everyone up with solid defense and running the second unit.

The only way I see Tyreke accepting that role is if we get a 2nd guy that is at Westbrook's level. Right now, even with Reke playing poorly he is still clearly the 2nd best player on the team. Are any of the SFs in this draft 2nd best player on a contender level players?

 

[Arkitect]

There can be a difference between dominance and production. Just because you're productive doesn't necessarily mean you're dominant and vice versa.

Well unfortunately domination factor is not a statistic in basketball Best I could come up with is the basic statistics. Subjectively, I would argue that DMC is currently the most dominant offensive center in the league but the number's don't really go along with that.

 

[spudfan]

The only way I see Tyreke accepting that role is if we get a 2nd guy that is at Westbrook's level. Right now, even with Reke playing poorly he is still clearly the 2nd best player on the team. Are any of the SFs in this draft 2nd best player on a contender level players?

That's the main problem behind it, Tyreke would have to be willing to come off the bench. Earlier in the season when he told coach to leave Salmons in for the start demonstrated that he may be willing to accept it. Having Cousins and Thornton be the main two options in the starting lineup with someone like Gilchrist or Barnes at the SF. IT could play PG... although I still don't really feel like he is big enough to be the starting PG, he is the best option we have in my opinion. Bringing Tyreke off the bench solves some of the issues we have with having a goto guy in the second unit. If Jimmer gains some confidence he could also be in that second unit with Tyreke and be used as the kickout.

edit: Just noticed this was my 666 post, so all of this is probably a bad idea =P

 

[rainmaker]

I would like to see him have a James Harden type of role. Coming off the bench and just lighting everyone up with solid defense and running the second unit.

But we don't have a lockdown SG who doesn't look to shoot ahead of him as Harden does with Sefalosha. You can't have Reke come off the bench with the complete non defensive IT/MT back court pairing starting. A Harden or Ginobili play on very good, if not great defensive teams, while here we'd be putting our best or 2nd best perimeter defender on the bench.

Even then, it's not a long term solution. Short term on a playoff team? Sure. But indefinitely on a cellar dweller? no way. Get a coach who can utilize him first.

 

[VF21]

That's the main problem behind it, Tyreke would have to be willing to come off the bench. Earlier in the season when he told coach to leave Salmons in for the start demonstrated that he may be willing to accept it. Having Cousins and Thornton be the main two options in the starting lineup with someone like Gilchrist or Barnes at the SF. IT could play PG... although I still don't really feel like he is big enough to be the starting PG, he is the best option we have in my opinion. Bringing Tyreke off the bench solves some of the issues we have with having a goto guy in the second unit. If Jimmer gains some confidence he could also be in that second unit with Tyreke and be used as the kickout.

edit: Just noticed this was my 666 post, so all of this is probably a bad idea =P

Yeah, um...about that? Evans was willing to come off the bench at that point in time because he was returning from an injury AND the team actually had strung together a couple of wins. He's not gonna want to come off the bench on a regular basis. Not gonna happen. No way.

 

[Bricklayer]

That's the main problem behind it, Tyreke would have to be willing to come off the bench. Earlier in the season when he told coach to leave Salmons in for the start demonstrated that he may be willing to accept it. Having Cousins and Thornton be the main two options in the starting lineup with someone like Gilchrist or Barnes at the SF. IT could play PG... although I still don't really feel like he is big enough to be the starting PG, he is the best option we have in my opinion. Bringing Tyreke off the bench solves some of the issues we have with having a goto guy in the second unit. If Jimmer gains some confidence he could also be in that second unit with Tyreke and be used as the kickout.

edit: Just noticed this was my 666 post, so all of this is probably a bad idea =P

Mentioned this a month ago, will again: you guys are going to lose Tyreke. Once that is done, time is going to tell whether that becomes one of those franchise level mistakes that 20 years from now people are still pointing at, but given the right situation, the right coach, and an advancing jumper, it could be.

 

[VF21]

Mentioned this a month ago, will again: you guys are going to lose Tyreke. Once that is done, time is going to tell whether that becomes one of those franchise level mistakes that 20 years from now peole are still pointing at, but given the right situation, the right coach, and an advancing jumper, it could be.

Keep preaching, Brickie. Hopefully it will eventually penetrate.

 

[Arkitect]

That's the main problem behind it, Tyreke would have to be willing to come off the bench. Earlier in the season when he told coach to leave Salmons in for the start demonstrated that he may be willing to accept it. Having Cousins and Thornton be the main two options in the starting lineup with someone like Gilchrist or Barnes at the SF. IT could play PG... although I still don't really feel like he is big enough to be the starting PG, he is the best option we have in my opinion. Bringing Tyreke off the bench solves some of the issues we have with having a goto guy in the second unit. If Jimmer gains some confidence he could also be in that second unit with Tyreke and be used as the kickout.

edit: Just noticed this was my 666 post, so all of this is probably a bad idea =P

The fact of the matter is that what we have right now does not work. IMO this team has underachieved for a variety of reasons but mostly due to a poorly constructed team, a coach who is not creative/good enough to come up with an effective offensive and defensive scheme for the players we currently have. This team will not get anywhere with 4 scoring guards and no SF. Everyone has to sacrifice something to play together. If we are going to succeed as a team it is absolutely essential that we get a 3 who can shoot and defend. Also, we need a guard who plays best off the ball and ideally also defends. TWill may be able to do that and the TWill/Reke pairing has been effective so far. Then Reke/DMC can dominate the ball. Eventually I really think it is going to come down to Reke vs. MT. I don't think those two can coexist on the same team. I hope we trade MT, but I can see us moving Reke. Of course I also think we would regret it if we did. I will say this though; if Reke really has no problem coming off the bench, he is never going to be the player we need him to be.

 

[spudfan]

But we don't have a lockdown SG who doesn't look to shoot ahead of him as Harden does with Sefalosha. You can't have Reke come off the bench with the complete non defensive IT/MT back court pairing starting. A Harden or Ginobili play on very good, if not great defensive teams, while here we'd be putting our best or 2nd best perimeter defender on the bench.

That's where a lockdown defender like Gilchrist would have to come in at SF. Let's say IT Thornton Gilchrist Cousins JT. That defense should be workable. I would still expect Tyreke (34mpg this season) to play around 30 minutes like Harden does.

 

[spudfan]

Mentioned this a month ago, will again: you guys are going to lose Tyreke. Once that is done, time is going to tell whether that becomes one of those franchise level mistakes that 20 years from now people are still pointing at, but given the right situation, the right coach, and an advancing jumper, it could be.

I've noticed you say things like "you guys" a few times. Do you not consider yourself a part of the group?