[Game] Kings vs. Clippers, 29 Nov 2013, 22:00 EST

[Bricklayer]

This may be the first year where Jason Thompson has EVER deserved the criticism, because this is the first year where he could be said to be failing realistic expectations. And even there, expectations need to be tempered because its a new coach and new system that clearly have Jason on a different pace than his normal 10 and 8 type stuff.

Jason is, and has always been, exactly what you would expect a third big to be. People who criticize that just don't have a good feel for who third bigs are around the league, and how they look most nights. Sometimes he plays like a good third big, sometimes like a mediocre third big, but he has never significantly varied from that productivity. Always been better than just about anybody's fourth big. Rarely been better than a handful of 2nd bigs. Right now he'd likely start in New Orleans next to Davis, in Houston next Howard, possible for the New York teams, if they weren't tanking he'd have a shot in Boston and Orlando etc. He's nobody's perfect answer. But getting pissed at and blaming a completely average player who does completely average stuff in a role asking for no more is just silly. Its manufacturing a crisis in the same way that saying that Cousins should block 3 shots a night before I can respect him is.

This year there has been a little extra shakiness. Actually much as I like Malone, I blame him a little for some of it. Jason's been in the league too long to suddenly not know what he's about. That has to be system and coach's instructions. Being asked to do something he is not comfortable with. And yet still Jason's general numbers aren't that far off per 36. he's missed a few more shots, gotten a few less shots with the Cousins attack. but generally:

Per 36
08-09 14.2pts (.497 .692) 9.5reb 1.5ast 0.7stl 0.9blk 2.3TO
09-10 14.3pts (.472 .715) 9.7reb 1.9ast 0.6stl 1.1blk 2.1TO
10-11 13.7pts (.507 .605) 9.4reb 1.8ast 0.6stl 0.9blk 2.0TO
11-12 12.7pts (.535 .602) 9.6reb 1.7ast 0.9stl 1.0blk 1.5TO
12-13 14.0pts (.502 .694) 8.6reb 1.3ast 0.8stl 1.0blk 1.6TO
13-14 11.3pts (.465 .571) 9.4reb 1.5ast 0.4stl 0.9blk 2.4TO

the numbers this year have all trended a little toward shaky/inefficient, but its still the same steady as she goes player just having a bad month. Manufacturing outrage over it after six years as one of the steadiest producers in the league is just kind of silly.

Hell, you know Miles Plumlee has become the flavor of the month and he's doing this per 36:

12.4pts (.503 .425) 10.5reb 0.6ast 0.7stl 2.3blk 1.7TO

 

[mac]

I'm a pedant, mac, and you've been around here long enough that you oughta know that. I don't much care how bad posters dog the players, as long as they "get their nomenclatures correct," so to speak. Don't bash the guy for fumbling the ball off his hands all game long, when he only has one turnover, is all I'm saying. Don't say that he's getting "bullied" by the other guy, when the other guy's shot chart is pretty clear evidence that that's not true.

I feel as though I would "defend" any player (in the rotation; end of the bench guys are on their own) that was getting bashed for invalid reasons. It just so happens, for whatever reason, that the player on the Kings roster who is most likely to get criticized for stuff that he's not actually doing wrong is Jason Thompson.

Fair enough Slim, and perhaps my impression was indeed formed because as you say JT tends to be the most popular object of inaccurate criticism. Maybe some of that falls on JT as well.. He's the longest tenured King and him making certain minor or mental mistakes over and over again throughout the years gives fans a certain impression - that he's always fumbling balls, fouling for no good reason etc. But for the price we're paying he can be a solid 3rd big for us... now we just have to wait for the FO to bring in a reliable 2nd big.