HndsmCelt
Hall of Famer
Grades
First let me say I was really hoping someone else would have done these before I got home form the game. The perspective/view really does change things and I have NOT and probably will not watched the tape of the game so these are my impressions from the cheap seats.
On a night when the Kings KNEW their opponent was a dangerous team on a roll fighting for a play off birth the Kings just came out flat and pretty well stayed that way.
Mobley B-: Had moments of energy but struggled to get his jumper to go and frequently got squeezed out of the paint with no call. Got a few boards but did NOT get his team mates involve, did not pass well or often even after it became clear that the jumpers were no going and he was not going to get to the hoop or get the whistle for trying.
Bibby C-: I hate to blame one guy and I hate to be so hard on someone who has carried this team on other nights but if you step up as a leader you have to take it on chin when it does not work. 4 Assists says volumes and his atrocious out side shooting would be forgivable if he had ever stopped taking jumpers. Again the ball movement was not there. He did protect the ball better, and was the general out there again, but when the team needed offense to catch up he did not get the ball to the guys who could hit, worse yet his defense and late TO’s made the comeback attempts futile.
Pedja B+: One of the bright spots was Pedja hitting a few good jumpers, and when they stopped falling for him he took the ball inside for and got to the line. Actually posted up and in general played with more chest hair than I am used to see out of him. Still putting up soft lay ups when a dunk would avoid the block, got in side got 7 rebounds and looked good. Of course before I go too far in singing his praises it is important to note that once again the tallest player the Kings had on the court all night was our SMALL forward. Started to give him an A- but decided that his inability/unwillingness to take over late in the game when the Kings had a chance to get back in it just dropped him a half grade.
Kenny B+: Could go the A- but his ineffectiveness down low on offense and dependence on a flat jumper was a big part of the Kings problem tonight. BTW before getting excited by his 16 rebounds note that many of those were off of his own misses. I can’t blame him much because Garnett and Candyman just towered over him in the paint and really never had to worry about foul trouble.
Skinner C: Really was non factor, got some boards but could get nothing going at all. Again Garnett and Candyman pretty well abused him the whole game. Which raise the question that will be reflected in Adelman’s grade, if Skinner is not bringing any offense, and getting out boarded and pushed around down low why not play Tag at least the token 5 min he has seen lately?
Evans B+: Good to Mo in there fighting for loose balls and getting to the rack as best he could. Like the rest of the Kings his efforts to cut were limited but his quick movement and some decent defense merit notice. He and House really tried to open up a lead and frankly I would have been OK with leaving them in longer.
House A: Plays 13 min hits a perfect 3 for 3, gets 3 boards and 3 assists, why not play him 3 times longer?
Darius C+: Hard to grade the poor guy. He has no business playing center in the first place, then he get out there against Garnett, Griffin and Candyman and was just out of his element. Tried to get his jumper going but unfortunately it was not, and he had no hope inside. The good news would have been that all the Kings clanging jumpers went out far enough that the Kings were able to actually beat the Wolves on the boards but ony because son many of their own shots failed. Darius might even be the poster boy this game, looked flat and disinterested.
Williamson F: Remember when we used to call him scoreless? Well he hit one of 2 FT’s so we can’t call him that. No shot, lost the ball and tried to play one on one against the only guys in the NBA who CAN take him every time.
Adelman D: Sorry RA but when your team is getting beat due to poor shooting and having a hard time getting shots off, you have to move the game in even more and clear out the paint for cutters. You had a guy that could do that and he sat all night. When you need points and your starting guards are 14-39 maybe playing the back ups who shot 6-12 a few more min would help. This game was winnable but the team never caught fire after the first quarter when they were up by 5, that is about coaching and bringing in guys who can spark it up.
Arco Crowd: C-: there were some very, very quiet moments, and watching the mass exodus with 2 min left on the clock down by 9 was sad, very sad.
First let me say I was really hoping someone else would have done these before I got home form the game. The perspective/view really does change things and I have NOT and probably will not watched the tape of the game so these are my impressions from the cheap seats.
On a night when the Kings KNEW their opponent was a dangerous team on a roll fighting for a play off birth the Kings just came out flat and pretty well stayed that way.
Mobley B-: Had moments of energy but struggled to get his jumper to go and frequently got squeezed out of the paint with no call. Got a few boards but did NOT get his team mates involve, did not pass well or often even after it became clear that the jumpers were no going and he was not going to get to the hoop or get the whistle for trying.
Bibby C-: I hate to blame one guy and I hate to be so hard on someone who has carried this team on other nights but if you step up as a leader you have to take it on chin when it does not work. 4 Assists says volumes and his atrocious out side shooting would be forgivable if he had ever stopped taking jumpers. Again the ball movement was not there. He did protect the ball better, and was the general out there again, but when the team needed offense to catch up he did not get the ball to the guys who could hit, worse yet his defense and late TO’s made the comeback attempts futile.
Pedja B+: One of the bright spots was Pedja hitting a few good jumpers, and when they stopped falling for him he took the ball inside for and got to the line. Actually posted up and in general played with more chest hair than I am used to see out of him. Still putting up soft lay ups when a dunk would avoid the block, got in side got 7 rebounds and looked good. Of course before I go too far in singing his praises it is important to note that once again the tallest player the Kings had on the court all night was our SMALL forward. Started to give him an A- but decided that his inability/unwillingness to take over late in the game when the Kings had a chance to get back in it just dropped him a half grade.
Kenny B+: Could go the A- but his ineffectiveness down low on offense and dependence on a flat jumper was a big part of the Kings problem tonight. BTW before getting excited by his 16 rebounds note that many of those were off of his own misses. I can’t blame him much because Garnett and Candyman just towered over him in the paint and really never had to worry about foul trouble.
Skinner C: Really was non factor, got some boards but could get nothing going at all. Again Garnett and Candyman pretty well abused him the whole game. Which raise the question that will be reflected in Adelman’s grade, if Skinner is not bringing any offense, and getting out boarded and pushed around down low why not play Tag at least the token 5 min he has seen lately?
Evans B+: Good to Mo in there fighting for loose balls and getting to the rack as best he could. Like the rest of the Kings his efforts to cut were limited but his quick movement and some decent defense merit notice. He and House really tried to open up a lead and frankly I would have been OK with leaving them in longer.
House A: Plays 13 min hits a perfect 3 for 3, gets 3 boards and 3 assists, why not play him 3 times longer?
Darius C+: Hard to grade the poor guy. He has no business playing center in the first place, then he get out there against Garnett, Griffin and Candyman and was just out of his element. Tried to get his jumper going but unfortunately it was not, and he had no hope inside. The good news would have been that all the Kings clanging jumpers went out far enough that the Kings were able to actually beat the Wolves on the boards but ony because son many of their own shots failed. Darius might even be the poster boy this game, looked flat and disinterested.
Williamson F: Remember when we used to call him scoreless? Well he hit one of 2 FT’s so we can’t call him that. No shot, lost the ball and tried to play one on one against the only guys in the NBA who CAN take him every time.
Adelman D: Sorry RA but when your team is getting beat due to poor shooting and having a hard time getting shots off, you have to move the game in even more and clear out the paint for cutters. You had a guy that could do that and he sat all night. When you need points and your starting guards are 14-39 maybe playing the back ups who shot 6-12 a few more min would help. This game was winnable but the team never caught fire after the first quarter when they were up by 5, that is about coaching and bringing in guys who can spark it up.
Arco Crowd: C-: there were some very, very quiet moments, and watching the mass exodus with 2 min left on the clock down by 9 was sad, very sad.
