[Game] Kings @ Wizards - 3/21/2024 - 4:00PM PST/7:00PM EST
- Thread starter Caccia
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Well, the good news is that Barnes is probably not going to be guarding either Doncic or Irving, so the Kings will probably win. I don't think that the Mavericks can beat the Kings by doing the same things that the Wizards did. And we've already seen a game this year where Doncic and Irving both went off, and the Kings still won.
The issue is the Mavs have a comparatively easy schedule. IMO they project to land at 49 wins. Maybe we beat them twice or maybe we get some help from Houston who is on fire right now and plays them twice. That would change their trajectory. Right now, unfortunately we project to land in the 7th spot with this loss.
You know, the whole "losing to bad teams and beating good ones" bit may not matter anymore once the playoffs starts but chucking threes every time down the floor in the last five minutes of the game while trying to make a comeback is still going to matter and it could be the reason we don't win a playoff series this year.
Lets see what the plan is. I remember a few games ago Kayte or someone else mentioned that Fox was re-starting a heavier weight training program heading to the stretch run and the playoffs. I can only assume a part of that is prepping for what he knows is going to him having to run through a brick wall most nights.
And honestly we deserve the play-in. Just too many let down games this year. The reality is the path to the second round is a blood bath no matter who you face. At least if you land in the play-in you get two chances to make the playoffs. Can’t do that? Well then we don’t belong.
The Mavs have 3 crucial match ups. Us twice, warriors twice and the rockets twice. Those 6 games will likely seal their fate. 4-2? Near lock for the 6th seed. 3-3 gives them a slight edge to the 6 and 2-4 or worse likely drops them into the play-in.
The Mavs have 3 crucial match ups. Us twice, warriors twice and the rockets twice. Those 6 games will likely seal their fate. 4-2? Near lock for the 6th seed. 3-3 gives them a slight edge to the 6 and 2-4 or worse likely drops them into the play-in.
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Well, that was aggravating. Shameful performance so this is going to be extra whiny.
This team just can’t put a real run together in this season. Not like all these games are extremely important at this point or anything. They come out like this?
Can’t make an easy basket. Can’t play defense.
Fox was awful. 10-30 is a joke.
Also the Kings trailing by 6 with under two minutes to go…Fox burns 8 seconds squaring up Jordan Poole with worthless jab steps like he was Carmelo Anthony and it was the Kings up 6 and he was going for the dagger. He of course badly missed the shot. Just awful. We’re losing dude! Your less than 1 point per shot a big reason why. 0-10 start. Several of his misses were just him throwing the ball at the hoop trying to get a call. We get it. You don’t get calls. You’ve been “making your point” for years. Might as well go for the FG now.
Domas was a complete non-factor. Atleast as far as anything positive. Completely outplayed and outworked by Richaun Holmes by the way. Richaun had 16 rebounds(6 offensive)? Shame. His worst game in awhile.
Len has been solid for the most part but he does have stone hands. Seems every game atleast two easy rebounds just bounce off his hands. I like his tap outs and defense but I think the hands is why Brown insisted on Javale for so long even when it clear he was cooked and Len’s frame alone was more impactful.
Malik missed way too many open threes and his handles can be quite Buddy-esque a few times per game. He showed up though.
I don’t put much stock in +/- and even here it probably doesn’t mean anything. This game has no rewatch value for to check what happened…but the Kings were especially bad when Keegan was on the floor tonight despite his solid offensive game.
-21. The next lowest was -9. Dont know if he was getting cooked. Probably just the Fox and Domas clunker manifesting to peak form with Keegan on the floor. Usually he’s our most consistent + for those who look at that. Even on bad nights.
Duarte was also terrible.
Keon a complete non factor tonight unfortunately.
Barnes was completely worked over on defense by Advija.
I always joke to myself that the Kings are going to blow another easy game while not really believing that they will…because I always wrongly think each time it happens is the one that sets them straight…but it never does.
This team just can’t put a real run together in this season. Not like all these games are extremely important at this point or anything. They come out like this?
Can’t make an easy basket. Can’t play defense.
Fox was awful. 10-30 is a joke.
Also the Kings trailing by 6 with under two minutes to go…Fox burns 8 seconds squaring up Jordan Poole with worthless jab steps like he was Carmelo Anthony and it was the Kings up 6 and he was going for the dagger. He of course badly missed the shot. Just awful. We’re losing dude! Your less than 1 point per shot a big reason why. 0-10 start. Several of his misses were just him throwing the ball at the hoop trying to get a call. We get it. You don’t get calls. You’ve been “making your point” for years. Might as well go for the FG now.
Domas was a complete non-factor. Atleast as far as anything positive. Completely outplayed and outworked by Richaun Holmes by the way. Richaun had 16 rebounds(6 offensive)? Shame. His worst game in awhile.
Len has been solid for the most part but he does have stone hands. Seems every game atleast two easy rebounds just bounce off his hands. I like his tap outs and defense but I think the hands is why Brown insisted on Javale for so long even when it clear he was cooked and Len’s frame alone was more impactful.
Malik missed way too many open threes and his handles can be quite Buddy-esque a few times per game. He showed up though.
I don’t put much stock in +/- and even here it probably doesn’t mean anything. This game has no rewatch value for to check what happened…but the Kings were especially bad when Keegan was on the floor tonight despite his solid offensive game.
-21. The next lowest was -9. Dont know if he was getting cooked. Probably just the Fox and Domas clunker manifesting to peak form with Keegan on the floor. Usually he’s our most consistent + for those who look at that. Even on bad nights.
Duarte was also terrible.
Keon a complete non factor tonight unfortunately.
Barnes was completely worked over on defense by Advija.
I always joke to myself that the Kings are going to blow another easy game while not really believing that they will…because I always wrongly think each time it happens is the one that sets them straight…but it never does.
That's not winning basketball. Fox has more steals (6) than assists (5).
A frustrating loss, but I thought the effort was there throughout. The second night of a back-to-back and the team shoots 28% from three. You simply cannot win when nearly half your shots are three-pointers and most of them are clanging off the rim.
Monk was frigid again from deep, 1-7. He only shot 32.8% in February and is now 31.6% in March. That's worrisome. He missed a wide-open three-pointer near the end and was so frustrated, he left the court and headed to the locker room with 25 or so seconds left. No doubt a fine is in his future.
A frustrating loss, but I thought the effort was there throughout. The second night of a back-to-back and the team shoots 28% from three. You simply cannot win when nearly half your shots are three-pointers and most of them are clanging off the rim.
Monk was frigid again from deep, 1-7. He only shot 32.8% in February and is now 31.6% in March. That's worrisome. He missed a wide-open three-pointer near the end and was so frustrated, he left the court and headed to the locker room with 25 or so seconds left. No doubt a fine is in his future.
If the players aren't understanding the pulse of the game, it is up to the coaching staff to make calls to get the desired result. It's easy to fall into the trap of launching threes while playing catch up. Do we have a play that we can reliably go to to get a good basket? Now it is just throw the ball to Fox and hope his middy is working that day. "Read and react" offense is fine for the most part but it is also mentally taxing. We need more set plays that players can execute even in their sleep with muscle memory. Also, we have dialed down our transition offense so much this year that now we have issues playing fast due to lack of practice.
Kings have to become more mentally strong and ruthless, if they want to be a winner. We are not the most talented team (zero All-Stars, no reliable #2 scoring option). We have to play hard and smart every game to have a chance. We can't just "flip the switch" at our will as this game showed. How many more games do we have to lose before we learn that lesson?
Given the recent performances against the Grizzlies (despite the win) and Wizards, we would be lucky to even play in a playoff series. The play-in is a lottery and we have to play 5-on-8 against big market teams. The best spot is to get that sixth seed but it seems like the Mavs would take that spot given their easy schedule. We need to go 2-0 against the Mavs to have a chance.
Kings have to become more mentally strong and ruthless, if they want to be a winner. We are not the most talented team (zero All-Stars, no reliable #2 scoring option). We have to play hard and smart every game to have a chance. We can't just "flip the switch" at our will as this game showed. How many more games do we have to lose before we learn that lesson?
Given the recent performances against the Grizzlies (despite the win) and Wizards, we would be lucky to even play in a playoff series. The play-in is a lottery and we have to play 5-on-8 against big market teams. The best spot is to get that sixth seed but it seems like the Mavs would take that spot given their easy schedule. We need to go 2-0 against the Mavs to have a chance.
It feels like he's just fed up with the game because he's letting the refs affact him. With the new rules he'll no longer get many free throws and I think it's something he will have to get used to. It doesn't mean he has to chuck up 10+ 3's a game though. The amount of attention he draws is immense, so I wish he could do other things to help the team like distributing the ball more. He doesn't necessarily have to score 25+ every game for the kings to be successful or does he? Other guys need to step it up.
Just finished watching... super frustrated (had some issues with League Pass and had to resume the match from where it was that wasn't easy every single time).
I blame it on Brown... bad choices, bad rotation, letting "the Kentucky Connection" do their thing without interfering, couldn't tell to take the ball inside the basket, 34 points in the paint as if we were facing I don't know a super defensive team with huge twin towers. Instead we were "spraying 3s" that is his favorite tactic to win a game.
Took Brown 69 matches to put Kessler in a non garbage time and he almost turned things around by himself in the end of 2nd quarter. However Barnes has a guaranteed spot in the lineup starting the 2nd half because... dunno the owner of the bicycle wants to let other people ride it? I get it if he had a good night but it was one of those nights for HB. Then he kept Davion for so long so to have Fox come "off the ball" like a true "shooting guard". It worked for a couple of minutes but the next 3-4 they were disastrous. Kept Duarte in even though his shots couldn't fall despite having been wide open in most of them. So Keon was benched for quite some time and he puts him back in the last 2' or something when it was too late. Keegan started the match with 4/4 baskets from midrange and took his next shot no idea... but like 15' later perhaps.
After the match vs the Suns that we helped them improve their 4th quarter awful net rating, now we did the same with 3rd quarter Wizards. Yeah he put Kessler back inside but Kuzma was already in rhythm and couldn't be stopped so easily. I haven't gone to check what he said in the press conference but I expect at some point a head coach to take full responsibility of a defeat, in Europe it happens quite often, in the NBA is not such a common thing.
Continuing the rant Domas was awful, there are so many times he turns the ball over in March and today he also wasn't his usual self getting defensive rebounds. Holmes had 16 boards, 6 offensive ones, I am lazy to check if he has gotten more at any point this season. There was no help from the other forwards either, Keegan had 2 and Barnes had 2 as well. Btw Kessler had 3 boards, but he played only 9' cause he couldn't stop Kuzma in the 3rd quarter. And +12 by far the highest on the team. But instead we got to see Duarte and Barnes getting cooked in the end of 3rd quarter and the most time during the 4th.
I don't think we get a chance to win in Orlando, I am not buying the "lost an easy match we will win a big one", yes it has happened quite often this season but they are a physical team, no fouls will be called again, it will look a lot like the match vs Knicks.
About Keon, he missed some shots in the beginning that made him hesitant to take more later on and even though he was wide open. I was surprised to see Davion hit that three and he had 2 good baskets inside the paint as well. Fox had some highlights, 2 stretches in the match that he was unstoppable (in 2nd quarter and the start of the 4th) but like someone else wrote he had a "Poole" game. 10/30, 5/15 3s and didn't attack the paint almost at all. When he did he has this shot that the ball goes really high to the glass with no chance of going in, has taken that before in the last couple of matches, mostly wanting to go the line. He was frustrated not getting calls which happens every time, him not getting calls I mean, Mark Jones emphasized on that.
About Mark Jones, he usually brings luck on the road this season but this wasn't one of those nights... not his fault of course, just saying...
I blame it on Brown... bad choices, bad rotation, letting "the Kentucky Connection" do their thing without interfering, couldn't tell to take the ball inside the basket, 34 points in the paint as if we were facing I don't know a super defensive team with huge twin towers. Instead we were "spraying 3s" that is his favorite tactic to win a game.
Took Brown 69 matches to put Kessler in a non garbage time and he almost turned things around by himself in the end of 2nd quarter. However Barnes has a guaranteed spot in the lineup starting the 2nd half because... dunno the owner of the bicycle wants to let other people ride it? I get it if he had a good night but it was one of those nights for HB. Then he kept Davion for so long so to have Fox come "off the ball" like a true "shooting guard". It worked for a couple of minutes but the next 3-4 they were disastrous. Kept Duarte in even though his shots couldn't fall despite having been wide open in most of them. So Keon was benched for quite some time and he puts him back in the last 2' or something when it was too late. Keegan started the match with 4/4 baskets from midrange and took his next shot no idea... but like 15' later perhaps.
After the match vs the Suns that we helped them improve their 4th quarter awful net rating, now we did the same with 3rd quarter Wizards. Yeah he put Kessler back inside but Kuzma was already in rhythm and couldn't be stopped so easily. I haven't gone to check what he said in the press conference but I expect at some point a head coach to take full responsibility of a defeat, in Europe it happens quite often, in the NBA is not such a common thing.
Continuing the rant Domas was awful, there are so many times he turns the ball over in March and today he also wasn't his usual self getting defensive rebounds. Holmes had 16 boards, 6 offensive ones, I am lazy to check if he has gotten more at any point this season. There was no help from the other forwards either, Keegan had 2 and Barnes had 2 as well. Btw Kessler had 3 boards, but he played only 9' cause he couldn't stop Kuzma in the 3rd quarter. And +12 by far the highest on the team. But instead we got to see Duarte and Barnes getting cooked in the end of 3rd quarter and the most time during the 4th.
I don't think we get a chance to win in Orlando, I am not buying the "lost an easy match we will win a big one", yes it has happened quite often this season but they are a physical team, no fouls will be called again, it will look a lot like the match vs Knicks.
About Keon, he missed some shots in the beginning that made him hesitant to take more later on and even though he was wide open. I was surprised to see Davion hit that three and he had 2 good baskets inside the paint as well. Fox had some highlights, 2 stretches in the match that he was unstoppable (in 2nd quarter and the start of the 4th) but like someone else wrote he had a "Poole" game. 10/30, 5/15 3s and didn't attack the paint almost at all. When he did he has this shot that the ball goes really high to the glass with no chance of going in, has taken that before in the last couple of matches, mostly wanting to go the line. He was frustrated not getting calls which happens every time, him not getting calls I mean, Mark Jones emphasized on that.
About Mark Jones, he usually brings luck on the road this season but this wasn't one of those nights... not his fault of course, just saying...
Teams will continue to exploit the way the kings play. They will contuinlely clog the paint and dare the kings to shoot. They know the kings aren't great at shooting the 3 with the amount they take so they will let the kings live or die by it. The scouting report probably sees that Murray is struggling from 3, fox has gotten better shooting the 3 but is steadily coming back down to earth and as you're the other team you'd rather him shoot the 3 instead of driving to the rim. Huerter is injured but still he was struggling even when he wasn't injured. Keon isn't very offensive oriented. Barnes is on and off. With the paint clogged Sabonis isn't as effective inside.
Was listening to Brown's post press conference and he seems to be doubling down on shooting more 3's, so I'm not sure what the strategy really is. Think he's content with the live and die by the 3 style of play.
Was listening to Brown's post press conference and he seems to be doubling down on shooting more 3's, so I'm not sure what the strategy really is. Think he's content with the live and die by the 3 style of play.
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