Kings vs Clippers 3/1/12
- Thread starter annihilator_33
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I am not talking about wins and losses and who we are playing. I expected a loss. I just don't understand how we continue to keep shooting ourselves in the foot with the same mistakes over and over again, and our coach has now decided to just play everyone except Donte at the strangest times and not a lot is making sense right now. And the defense... I truly wonder if they even talk about it in practice.
Want my totally honest opinion? (Rhetorical question, as I'm going to give it anyway)
Our younger generation suffers from a severe case of instant gratification syndrome. A number of them fully believe there should be no reason why the real breathing athletes cannot perform like their heroes on 2K12 or whatever-the-bleep the latest virtual game of choice happens to be.
Disappointing? Good grief. One can only be disappointed if one set rigid parameters for performance. I swear that very few of these young fans could have survived the early years.
I find myself just sitting back and enjoying the game and not participating in the game threads any longer as it always seems more about finding something to find fault with than seeing good plays and improvement in our incredibly young team. Picking on Keith Smart also drives me nuts. This coach has already worked wonders with the team. If people cannot see that, I believe they need to make an appointment with VSP and get their eyes checked. All one has to do is go back to the early games with Westphal at the helm to remember just how badly this team had deteriorated.
Perhaps we need a refresher course of Basketball 101. It probably wouldn't do much good, however. Some would be looking for the Twitter version and not be able to complete a full course anyway.
VF21 gets off soap box and walks away, shaking her head and muttering something about youth being wasted on the young.
Our younger generation suffers from a severe case of instant gratification syndrome. A number of them fully believe there should be no reason why the real breathing athletes cannot perform like their heroes on 2K12 or whatever-the-bleep the latest virtual game of choice happens to be.
Disappointing? Good grief. One can only be disappointed if one set rigid parameters for performance. I swear that very few of these young fans could have survived the early years.
I find myself just sitting back and enjoying the game and not participating in the game threads any longer as it always seems more about finding something to find fault with than seeing good plays and improvement in our incredibly young team. Picking on Keith Smart also drives me nuts. This coach has already worked wonders with the team. If people cannot see that, I believe they need to make an appointment with VSP and get their eyes checked. All one has to do is go back to the early games with Westphal at the helm to remember just how badly this team had deteriorated.
Perhaps we need a refresher course of Basketball 101. It probably wouldn't do much good, however. Some would be looking for the Twitter version and not be able to complete a full course anyway.
VF21 gets off soap box and walks away, shaking her head and muttering something about youth being wasted on the young.
HOGWASH!
I don't know what Smart has done to incur what seems to be your unending wrath, but you really need to let it go. Keith Smart is the best thing that could have happened to our young players. Your comments about him not caring about defense and rebounding are without substance and totally lacking in basis in fact.
(I'm responding to your comments, of course, and none of this is meant to be a personal attack...)
If you need any proof of the value of Coach Smart, you need look no further than our starting center. Need convincing? Go back to the beginning of the season and compare Boogie's attitude, demeanor, play, etc. with Westphal still at the helm to how he's playing now. If Coach Smart were to never do anything else, he deserves a LOT of slack from me for quite possibly saving Demarcus Cousins.
Smart has a lot of different areas that need to be addressed. That happens with young teams. I know it sounds like a broken record, but people keep bringing it up because it's true.
Bottom line is that the players are learning to trust each other and they have a healthy relationship with the head coach, something that wasn't present at the beginning of the season. Somehow, I think people tend to forget about just how bad it was right before Westphal was fired.
I don't know what Smart has done to incur what seems to be your unending wrath, but you really need to let it go. Keith Smart is the best thing that could have happened to our young players. Your comments about him not caring about defense and rebounding are without substance and totally lacking in basis in fact.
(I'm responding to your comments, of course, and none of this is meant to be a personal attack...)
If you need any proof of the value of Coach Smart, you need look no further than our starting center. Need convincing? Go back to the beginning of the season and compare Boogie's attitude, demeanor, play, etc. with Westphal still at the helm to how he's playing now. If Coach Smart were to never do anything else, he deserves a LOT of slack from me for quite possibly saving Demarcus Cousins.
Smart has a lot of different areas that need to be addressed. That happens with young teams. I know it sounds like a broken record, but people keep bringing it up because it's true.
Bottom line is that the players are learning to trust each other and they have a healthy relationship with the head coach, something that wasn't present at the beginning of the season. Somehow, I think people tend to forget about just how bad it was right before Westphal was fired.
Agree and disagree. He definitely seems to be improving the attitude and drive of the players, especially cousins. But I'm not sure you can claim there aren't facts to support the caim that he isnt focused on defense ad rebounding. His obsession with small ball and the lack of playing time for better defenders like greene is alarming, though I like the improving attitude.
You continue to act like I'm the only one who sees these things. Not coaching defense, not putting lineups on the floor which show any commitment to defense, constant small ball or three guard lineups which not only happened here, but in GS as well, and stats which back up our points allowed consistently rising. Where's your evidence he ever coached defense or even thinks it's a priority?
You are well aware I've pointed out Smart is a good teacher. You're also well aware I've said he's good at forming relationships and what he's done with Cousins is good to see. But because I don't like his lineups and substitutions which others also see, which also happened last year in GS, in your mind everything positive I've said about Smart can't be acknowledged by you? Because he's a good teacher and has been great for Cousins, which I've pointed out before, I shouldn't comment on his substitution patterns or lack of defense, and pretend it isn't a huge concern?
You're free to only look at positives and act like the negatives don't exist. You're also welcome to ignore the history here, and that this happened last year at another organization as well. I do however find it a little ridiculous you don't want me pointing out faulty sub patterns and lack of defense, along with too much small ball because of his positives, which I've also pointed out previously and agree with. Because he has positives I can't point out or talk about negatives? Because he's better than Westy, we can't criticize the man?
He learned under D Nelson. These same criticisms I'm pointing out followed Nelson around his entire career. It's no wonder in two stops Smart is increasingly showing the same positives and negatives Nelson largely showed. But I shouldn't bring it up because you don't like hearing it? Acknowledging it? Prefer to ignore it?
You are well aware I've pointed out Smart is a good teacher. You're also well aware I've said he's good at forming relationships and what he's done with Cousins is good to see. But because I don't like his lineups and substitutions which others also see, which also happened last year in GS, in your mind everything positive I've said about Smart can't be acknowledged by you? Because he's a good teacher and has been great for Cousins, which I've pointed out before, I shouldn't comment on his substitution patterns or lack of defense, and pretend it isn't a huge concern?
You're free to only look at positives and act like the negatives don't exist. You're also welcome to ignore the history here, and that this happened last year at another organization as well. I do however find it a little ridiculous you don't want me pointing out faulty sub patterns and lack of defense, along with too much small ball because of his positives, which I've also pointed out previously and agree with. Because he has positives I can't point out or talk about negatives? Because he's better than Westy, we can't criticize the man?
He learned under D Nelson. These same criticisms I'm pointing out followed Nelson around his entire career. It's no wonder in two stops Smart is increasingly showing the same positives and negatives Nelson largely showed. But I shouldn't bring it up because you don't like hearing it? Acknowledging it? Prefer to ignore it?
Playing small ball as a choice when you have numerous other options can be a problem. Playing small ball because you only have two bigs (not counting Donte who has apparently become invisible) is NOT a matter of choice so much as a matter of necessity. Sorry but I'm not going to agree that Smart has been proven guilty quite yet.
As far as you thinking that I don't want you posting certain things, you're completely wrong. You're free to post them and I'm free to disagree with them.
I think some people - and you seem to be a fair representative of those about whom I'm speaking - are jumping to conclusions about Keith Smart way too quickly.
As far as you thinking that I don't want you posting certain things, you're completely wrong. You're free to post them and I'm free to disagree with them.
I think some people - and you seem to be a fair representative of those about whom I'm speaking - are jumping to conclusions about Keith Smart way too quickly.
