[Game] Kings vs. Suns, 12/26/2020, 7PM PST, 10PM EST
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Hey... I heard some nifty wing defender in Philly lost his position in the rotation... I think they call him Matisse the Thief... 
The misunderstanding about our reining in of "Luka talk" is incredibly persistent. "He who shall not be named", etc. The point is, and always has been, that we are not going to let this board be continually polluted with complaints that Luka is not on our team. And this season, so far, people have done a good job of that, but when it morphs into "hyper-analyze Bagley" mode, and it's clear that that's what it is, then, again, that's basically the same thing. That's breaking the spirit of the rule if not the letter, whatever the letter really is. Like a famous Supreme Court decision, "I know it when I see it". And using the four letters "L-U-K-A" to call it out is decidedly NOT violating the rule, as much as some might want it to be.
I went back and watched the last 4 minutes. Bagley cheered every point the Kings made including free throws. The bench really isn’t the same with the current set up and no fans as far as camaraderie goes. I think players take a bit more liberty now to stand up or move around. After what I’ve seen, I agree this was a non issue.
The Kings finally play the kind of defense I was hoping them to play for the last few years. What is that defense? Switching man defense!! This is the type of defense that Warriors employed throughout their dominant run and I am so used to seeing that type of defense. So when I watched the Kings that last few years seeing them play the basic one on one defense and getting killed in simple play call like pick n roll....i was like they're not going to survive especially when they have players that don't even play defense like Buddy Hield. So I was like why don't they just play switching defense. I rather see mismatch and disruptions than getting kills in simple one on one defense.
So glad that they're playing switching defense. Switching man and communication is the key. A majority of team doing a lot of pick n roll. So by playing switching, they're not going to be able to exploit simple pick and pop and you're going to make them work to get any bucket. And that's the key to success imo. It gives you a chance to win game for playing great D. Tonight is an example of it, they're missing so many shots but they're still neck to neck with the other team because they're making the Suns missed shots too.
So glad that they're playing switching defense. Switching man and communication is the key. A majority of team doing a lot of pick n roll. So by playing switching, they're not going to be able to exploit simple pick and pop and you're going to make them work to get any bucket. And that's the key to success imo. It gives you a chance to win game for playing great D. Tonight is an example of it, they're missing so many shots but they're still neck to neck with the other team because they're making the Suns missed shots too.
Holmes, Barnes and Bjeli and all built for playoff basketball. Cojo too with his defense and savvy game management. If we are trying to get to the playoffs and do well in the playoffs, I don't see why you'd trade any of those guys and upset the chemistry on the first real playoff run in years. What would be the point? Shoring up your roster for the future? Makes no sense to me. None of those guys gets you a game changing talent, but losing them can definitely set you back a bit. Also, each of those guys know their role.
There was more grousing about Bagley than I thought there'd be considering I thought he played better than his first showing.
He made a living tonight using DOUBLE BOUNCETM but the rest of his offensive game is U-G-L-Y. There's a reason his minutes are always in the low-mid twenties and it's not because of Fluke Walton being Fluke Walton. At the end of the day, he's still a non-shooting, non-defending tweener big.
I guess at this point a few more wins and I'll have to hope they rattle off nine straight or something. Because then otherwise tank dreams are dead and we're looking at a .400-.500 team and the musty treadmill of NBA mediocrity, which some will no doubt take pride in... again.
He made a living tonight using DOUBLE BOUNCETM but the rest of his offensive game is U-G-L-Y. There's a reason his minutes are always in the low-mid twenties and it's not because of Fluke Walton being Fluke Walton. At the end of the day, he's still a non-shooting, non-defending tweener big.
I guess at this point a few more wins and I'll have to hope they rattle off nine straight or something. Because then otherwise tank dreams are dead and we're looking at a .400-.500 team and the musty treadmill of NBA mediocrity, which some will no doubt take pride in... again.
I thought Bagley played really good, besides his shot being off. Not playing at NBA game speed for a year might have something to do with that. His form is good and he didn't struggle this much in the past. He hustled, played much better defense on the perimeter, was aggressive and he's starting to hold his screens a little bit longer. Really, I'm impressed with Bagley's adjustments after just one game. But as @kb02 pointed out earlier, his free throw shooting could have cost him minutes in crunch time.
There was a contingent of us who thought this team would be better than last years squad. The addition of Whiteside and return of Bagley is a big upgrade. Based on today's game alone, GRIII is a good Bazemore replacement. Kings definitely need one more veteran guard who fits this style of play. I don't think CoJo is bad, he's just not right for this team.
There was a contingent of us who thought this team would be better than last years squad. The addition of Whiteside and return of Bagley is a big upgrade. Based on today's game alone, GRIII is a good Bazemore replacement. Kings definitely need one more veteran guard who fits this style of play. I don't think CoJo is bad, he's just not right for this team.
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