[Game] Kings vs. Thunder, 11/10/2023 7pm Pacific 10pm Eastern
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Murray continues to improve in the non 3-point shooting aspects of the game - steals, blocks, rebounding. He keeps getting better and better.
Loved the fact that Keon started and ended this game. His defense was excellent, as was the Kings' defense overall. I want him to continue to get time when Fox comes back.
Nice to see Heurter totally released from bondage.
(It almost goes without saying that Sabonis played very well).
Great, great win without Fox and Lyles.
Loved the fact that Keon started and ended this game. His defense was excellent, as was the Kings' defense overall. I want him to continue to get time when Fox comes back.
Nice to see Heurter totally released from bondage.
(It almost goes without saying that Sabonis played very well).
Great, great win without Fox and Lyles.
Sloppyi win with turnovers, but good rebounding and defense to counterbalance. Huerter's best game since before last season's playoffs.
Ellis with 3 blocks - impressive defense. I like Brown using additional players. Vezenkov made some key big shots to buoy the Kings. Kings have to work on their FTs more.
I'm in the "can't stand Kayte" campl......likes nails on chalkboard.
Ellis with 3 blocks - impressive defense. I like Brown using additional players. Vezenkov made some key big shots to buoy the Kings. Kings have to work on their FTs more.
I'm in the "can't stand Kayte" campl......likes nails on chalkboard.
As I said before, Davion's game is ineffective most of the time as a PG. I don't like him doing pick n roll...like even if the pick is effective and he's wide open, he wouldn't shoot or attack the bucket to draw foul...like what is the point of doing pick n roll with him? It is only effective if he can shoot those 15-footer effectively, attack to draw foul OR doing drop shots like D FOX....but he does none of that. So, he's been reduced to just a defender and this year, his defense isn't that great (not a guaranteed shut down defender like we expect of him of years past) ...he lets guy drove by and he's not getting calls even though it looks like the offensive player initiate all the contact.
Keon is just flat out a more versatile and effective defender than Davion. I think he really needs to be the backup point guard when fox returns. He doesn’t have Davion’s handle with the ball, but I think that’s a good thing. Less time spent with Davion aimlessly dribbling back and forth on the perimeter the better.
It's absolutely essential for smaller point guards to be able to make floaters. A guy like Mitchell can't rely upon beating his man and getting layups to get baskets; he will just get swallowed up by the big guys. He has to beat his man and then in the intermediate zone hit floaters over the big guys. I love Mitchell's one-on-one defense on smaller guards, but he doesn't mesh very well with the other players on the floor on the offensive end.
I think one of the problems we have is Monk is really the back up point guard. Davion brings the ball up sometimes but he really doesn’t initiate much and then he gets stuck off ball. It’s a tough situation because Davion is not a perfect fit for our team or offense and would be more valuable elsewhere but I don’t think he has much trade value ( just me speculating). I’ve said it before but I see him thriving on his second or third team down the road.
Random thoughts on the game
Team played very well defensively, offensively they looked more fluid but threes were just not falling at all until some timely ones in the 4th but Keegan and Kvon. Tempo and pace were great to begin, DHO action and PnR were working very well vs the Thunders and Sabonis looked more aggressive. First time I've seen the kings really get into the paint without Fox. Sabonis, he was flat out dominant tonight. Turnovers seemed to be a problem still but thats what happens when you lose a guy averaging 30ppg a game at your PG position that creates something out of nothing everytime he has the ball lol.
OKC looks young and raw but they have a ton of talent, it just seems they are still trying to figure out how to play with each other.. sometimes it seems like there isn't enough basketballs for them to play with. I respect Chet for going for every block when he has an opportunity. Their team has all the tools they just need to now put it together.
Huerter - Kvon is back, look engaged and actually also played well defensively. When Huerter is playing well the entire team just looks better because of his off ball moving and the space he creates for others. That 3PT shot coming off the DHO with defenders trailing is just SWEET. When he is making his 3pt shot he is a more effective PnR creator which is just what this team needs while Fox is out.
Keon Ellis - Surprise minutes for Keon but for good reason, looked incredibly competent as not only a primary defender but also a help defender, good communication and good scrambling, if you watch him closely he definitely has the mind to play, his positioning was good, angles were good, he seemed to be involved in almost every defensive play. Hands are VERY fast, good size and a great defender. Made some nice assists as well. The block on Dort in transition was a combination of physical tools and timing, he made life hell on earth for SGA, he was hunting mismatches and begging for calls all night. Also, Keon doesn't seem to slow down the offense, he tries to fit in, he seems to know his limitations on that end.
Keegan - Struggling until this game, 3pt shot seemed like it wasn't there but it was a blessing in disguise, started to impact the game in other ways, rebounding, defense..and then finally Playing in between the lines.. Look like he was finally fed up of people calling him soft and asking what was wrong, because he absolutely had a YAM on Chet Holmgren. His aggressiveness going towards the basket would eventually lead to his confidence coming back in his 3pt shot. Keegan seemed to didn't really have his best game but he still had 24/11, which is crazy. We have got a good one on our team. Just made game winning plays the entire game and was in the right spots at the right times.
Barnes - Looks slow and uninterested at times, I expect some of his minutes to dwindle as we give it to more hungrier players, better defenders, plus offensive players that stretch the floor. He looks a step slow and unable to use some of his physical tools he used to have. It's hard to integrate him at times because sometimes he just doesn't excel at anything most of the time.
Davion - Davion stays being an enigma but I think we have finally figured him out.. good individual defender but sometimes lacks size.. but when his shot isnt falling he isnt making really making his team better. The shot clock seems to run low on time everytime he handles the ball or tries to create. We really need him to make his open threes.. seems like he prefers and shoots more often off the dribble creating his own shot.
Team seems to be learning how to play without Fox and this is good, we'll have more balance and confidence when he returns.. and lets just say he returns and is a bit rusty.. we'll be good. Don't forget we have Trey Lyles waiting to play as well, one of our best bench players and gives a dynamic to our team that is different, which is stretch the court onto the perimeter even further with more space, forcing big men to guard the 3pt line while we have Monk and Fox cut up individual defenders off the dribble.
Team played very well defensively, offensively they looked more fluid but threes were just not falling at all until some timely ones in the 4th but Keegan and Kvon. Tempo and pace were great to begin, DHO action and PnR were working very well vs the Thunders and Sabonis looked more aggressive. First time I've seen the kings really get into the paint without Fox. Sabonis, he was flat out dominant tonight. Turnovers seemed to be a problem still but thats what happens when you lose a guy averaging 30ppg a game at your PG position that creates something out of nothing everytime he has the ball lol.
OKC looks young and raw but they have a ton of talent, it just seems they are still trying to figure out how to play with each other.. sometimes it seems like there isn't enough basketballs for them to play with. I respect Chet for going for every block when he has an opportunity. Their team has all the tools they just need to now put it together.
Huerter - Kvon is back, look engaged and actually also played well defensively. When Huerter is playing well the entire team just looks better because of his off ball moving and the space he creates for others. That 3PT shot coming off the DHO with defenders trailing is just SWEET. When he is making his 3pt shot he is a more effective PnR creator which is just what this team needs while Fox is out.
Keon Ellis - Surprise minutes for Keon but for good reason, looked incredibly competent as not only a primary defender but also a help defender, good communication and good scrambling, if you watch him closely he definitely has the mind to play, his positioning was good, angles were good, he seemed to be involved in almost every defensive play. Hands are VERY fast, good size and a great defender. Made some nice assists as well. The block on Dort in transition was a combination of physical tools and timing, he made life hell on earth for SGA, he was hunting mismatches and begging for calls all night. Also, Keon doesn't seem to slow down the offense, he tries to fit in, he seems to know his limitations on that end.
Keegan - Struggling until this game, 3pt shot seemed like it wasn't there but it was a blessing in disguise, started to impact the game in other ways, rebounding, defense..and then finally Playing in between the lines.. Look like he was finally fed up of people calling him soft and asking what was wrong, because he absolutely had a YAM on Chet Holmgren. His aggressiveness going towards the basket would eventually lead to his confidence coming back in his 3pt shot. Keegan seemed to didn't really have his best game but he still had 24/11, which is crazy. We have got a good one on our team. Just made game winning plays the entire game and was in the right spots at the right times.
Barnes - Looks slow and uninterested at times, I expect some of his minutes to dwindle as we give it to more hungrier players, better defenders, plus offensive players that stretch the floor. He looks a step slow and unable to use some of his physical tools he used to have. It's hard to integrate him at times because sometimes he just doesn't excel at anything most of the time.
Davion - Davion stays being an enigma but I think we have finally figured him out.. good individual defender but sometimes lacks size.. but when his shot isnt falling he isnt making really making his team better. The shot clock seems to run low on time everytime he handles the ball or tries to create. We really need him to make his open threes.. seems like he prefers and shoots more often off the dribble creating his own shot.
Team seems to be learning how to play without Fox and this is good, we'll have more balance and confidence when he returns.. and lets just say he returns and is a bit rusty.. we'll be good. Don't forget we have Trey Lyles waiting to play as well, one of our best bench players and gives a dynamic to our team that is different, which is stretch the court onto the perimeter even further with more space, forcing big men to guard the 3pt line while we have Monk and Fox cut up individual defenders off the dribble.
Allow this comment to serve as a reminder that, 8 games into the 2022-2023 NBA campaign, THE Sacramento Kings were 3-5, which, by my calculations, was only 1 game worse than what THE Sacramento Kings are at 8 games into the 2023-2024 NBA campaign.
We finished the season with a 48-34 record.
We won the Pacific Division.
We made the playoffs.
Don't hit that panic button just yet, Kings fans!!! There's still A LOT of season ahead of us. We still have A LOT of beaming ahead of us.
We finished the season with a 48-34 record.
We won the Pacific Division.
We made the playoffs.
Don't hit that panic button just yet, Kings fans!!! There's still A LOT of season ahead of us. We still have A LOT of beaming ahead of us.
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