Lets Go Denver! Pass Our Kings!

[heypartner]

Think people need to recognize the difference in our situation now -- once upon a time that was a fair statement -- you can't duck people on your way to a title run. Gotta be able to beat everyone. That's NOT where we are now. Now we're just trying to string together the best run we can. We are NOT the best team in the league at this point. For the first time in years we DO need to worry about matchups. And there is real value to this team to survive a round, or if we get real lucky two. Getting punked in the first round would just kind of finish off a real ugly half season and send us off into the offseason with a whole herd of ?????s. So at this point, with this team, and its realistic goals, we are not looking for showdowns that likely result in us getting bounced. We're looking for the path of least resistance which lets us get as far as possible, fully earned or not.

So what you're saying is that you hope the Kings do not go undefeated in the remaining games?! Rationalize it all you want, but the players and coach will not be agreeing with you.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Realistically? Rnd 2 if we're lucky. But I'd really like to see that Rnd 2 just for the confidence of the team and franchise. Getting KO'd in the first round would be such a clear step backward that I think it would be a rough offseason full of all sorts of questions. Not good for the team, the coaches, the fanbase -- just a morale buster. Personally I would much rather obscure the decline by at least making it to Rnd 2 again and going into the offseason with our elite team dignity not totally torn away. If it feels like the sky is falling, going to be a lot of pressure from the fans, maybe the owners, definitely the press.

Logic problems here guy. You seem to be claiming that the Kings success in the paly offs has an impact on how well they will play next season evne after a long rest and probably more than a few personal changes. Yet you seem to think that loosing a few games at the end of this season will not adversly effec how well they play the very next week with the exact same crew in the play offs THIS season. While I agree that this team is NOT the same team that could/should have been able to mathc up with every otehr play off team, and I might be tempted to agree that particular match ups in the first round have a better chance of yeilding a second round aperance. I am als very sure that nothing will go farther in making a strong play off showing than a strong finish to the regular season.

 

[Bricklayer]

So what you're saying is that you hope the Kings do not go undefeated in the remaining games?! Rationalize it all you want, but the players and coach will not be agreeing with you.

I suspect you may be a person who spends so much time worrying about the battles that he loses the war. The regular season is largely a prelude for the playoffs. Its purpose is to win the most favorable position you can come playoff time. You want to be #1 so you CAN play a weaker team in the first round, and you DO get homecourt every series. Greatly ups your odds. If being #1 meant you played the toughest playoff schedule and had to play on the road every series, nobody would really want it. That may be our situation -- doing too well may actually hurt us when it matters. Which would be beyond pointless. So hey, if we drop a couple and Houston sneaks in at #5, no real skin off my back. I'm not scared enough of Dallas to get fanatical about it, but Seattle is the shakier team at this point.

And what Rick or the players think is irrelevant. We are fans. Not players. not coaches. Not even GMs (although many of us practice GMing in our spare time). I strongly suspect not a single poster on this board has ever scored a single point for the Kings. And so all of this "that's not what the players think" "we have to remain positive" stuff is ridiculous. We are fans. Not people who have any control whatsoever over the outcome of the game. And so we don't have to worry about pumping ourselves up for the game, about our bad morale allowing the other team to run over us etc. We, or at least some of us, are allowed to engage our brains and look at what would dispassionately be the best thing for the team. And jumping up and down and screaming "we must beat them all!" is just silly. WE aren't beating anybody. We're spectators. And spectators can either watch with their heads, or watch with their hearts.

 

[Bricklayer]

Logic problems here guy. You seem to be claiming that the Kings success in the paly offs has an impact on how well they will play next season evne after a long rest and probably more than a few personal changes.

No, that's really not what I'm saying -- what I am claiming is that getting bounced early may FORCE and DICTATE offseason moves that would not otherwise have been made. The fanbase will be depressed. That will alarm the front office. The owners may become impatient. They could demand significant changes (of course whether that's good or bad depends on your viewpoint). They could shorten the pursestrings if the team is not a contender. They could fire the coach. Much bad can come of months of wallowing in disappointment. Be better for this team to go 6-0 to close the season. With two meetings with Phoenix upcoming, also be unlikely unless they are resting their main guns. But if the difference between #5 and #6 was 4-2 or 3-3 to close out, and our chances were better at #6, then I think I'd take the second record and the better palyoff push wouldn't you? I mention this again, but as a fan I can have enough perspective to say its not about the battles -- its about the war.

(As an aside, the flipside argument would be that if we made it to the second round due to an easy opponent, it might give the front office false security, causing them to not do enough to improve the team in the offseason and choose to instead sit on what we have in the mistaken belief its a contending group, when all it really was was a group that drew an easier opponent.)

In either case maybe the LAST thing I am worried about is the players themselves. Barring an historic run of good luck this is not a champinship crew no matter how the guys are feeling, and on that front whether we flame out in the first, second, third or whatever round is not that important. My concern is mostly with the reaction of the owners and GM, who DO hold the key to a future championship run. We need them to make good, smart decisions this offseason or we actually could slide back to also ran status. Getting knocked out in round 1 just seems like bad mojo and the sort of thing that can poison waters.

 

[loopymitch]

Does it really matter who we play as long as we win? Personally i'd rather beat a higher ranked team, gives us more confidence. Whoever we end up facing it's going to be rough but there are 8 teams and any can lose on any given day. If they weren't good teams they wouldn't be there. We just need to focus on winning every game and not worry about what seed we will be or who we will face IMO

 

[Bricklayer]

Does it really matter who we play as long as we win?

Um...I think that's a pretty safe statement.

Think the discussion was about the whole "how to" and "when" of the winning portion of your statement though.

 

[heypartner]

I suspect you may be a person who spends so much time worrying about the battles that he loses the war.

nope, not me. I'm the person who thinks the path of least resistance goes through the bracket that San Antonio is not in.

And what Rick or the players think is irrelevant...[that] stuff is ridiculous...We, or at least some of us, are allowed to engage our brains and look at what would dispassionately be the best thing for the team.

Let me summarize, you know what is best for the team, because you get to claim "dispassion." Rudy T once said, "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion." Sounds to me like a lot of the game is won on passion, not dispassion. But, I'm just a fan who never scored a point for the Kings. What do I know.

My concern is mostly with the reaction of the owners and GM, who DO hold the key to a future championship run.

Now I'm confused again. Should I be worrying about Petrie screwing up, because I'm a dispassionate fan, and he might get overly depressed and reactionary to a 1st round lose to Dallas?

 

[teamdimechampionship]

Who roots for their team to lose?! Personally, I hate every loss no matter what.

 

[KingCookie]

I want Dallas. We will beat Dallas. We'd beat Seattle, too, but I love beating Dallas.

You never want to tank a season. You want to go into the playoffs at full bore so you can build some confidence at the right time. Nothing's guaranteed if we lose a few, either.

 

[gat]

I want Dallas. We will beat Dallas. We'd beat Seattle, too, but I love beating Dallas.

You never want to tank a season. You want to go into the playoffs at full bore so you can build some confidence at the right time. Nothing's guaranteed if we lose a few, either.

I love beating Dallas too. They're afraid of us, I can feel it. We need to finish the season strong and school em in the first round.

 

[iheartBrad]

^^As much as we may love beating Dallas (and i really really do)...they love beating us just the same...they want to see us in the first round for that whole revenge thing...

 

[KingCookie]

Revenge? They got their revenge in the regular season, now we'll get our revenge for their revenge in the postseason...or something like that, anyway...

 

[N.U.F.A.N.]

A 36 point win against the Spurs.... They are most definitely gonna be burning hot in the playoffs.

 

[Bricklayer]

I find it hard to be afraid of Dallas just because of our history. But they remind me a lot of the Kings of '02 or so in that the national media, opposing fans (in this case us) etc. are slow to recognize that they aren't the same ole defenseless team that has been showing up for years.

Dallas this year is 7th in the league in Opp FG% (.438)

They're 1st in Opp 3pt% (.327)

They're 4th in point differential (+5.32)

They're 8th in blocked shots (5.65)

They're 4th in steals (8.53)

They're not quite a juggernaught, and their rebounding remains mediocre (16th in league in differential (-0.30). They are not San Antonio. But they are a LOT better in the areas you normally need to be better at than they have been in recent years. When we were healthy, the primary threat Dallas represented to us in the past was that they would entice us to play a stupid up and down game with them -- appealed to our worst instincts. But as long as we kept our heads, controlled tempo, we could pound them insided because they were all flash, and no playoff substance. There is a certain irony to the fact that exactly the opposite seems to be true this season -- now WE are Dallas, and the danger we represent to them is that we entice them to be stupid and play an up and down game. MIght work, who knows. But for the first time since both teams emerged around the turn of the millenium, they are the ones actually built more solidly for the playoffs -- better defense, better rebounding, probably even have the best post player (other than Corliss off the bench) in Dirk, although he obviously does not like to work down there unless he has a matchup advantage.

I can't be afraid of them becuase of who they are, but the old traditional criticisms of them no longer truly apply, in particular with Avery Johnson taking over as coach.

 

[KP]

Look Brick is right... we are basically "Dallas" now. We have a lot of offensive firepower, especially on the perimeter but lets not be blind here. We are going to have to outgun the other team in the first round in order to win the series. Whether it's Seattle or Dallas it's going to be tough to do on the road, but not impossible. Mike and Peja should have more confidence(shooting) against Dallas. If we get hot, especially Peja, we can win. If Brad comes back and plays at a high level(theres a decent chance) we will have an even better shot. If Peja plays badly again, and Brad is rusty, we will get bounced. Cross your fingers Kings fans.

 

[PixelPusher]

No, that's really not what I'm saying -- what I am claiming is that getting bounced early may FORCE and DICTATE offseason moves that would not otherwise have been made. The fanbase will be depressed. That will alarm the front office. The owners may become impatient. They could demand significant changes (of course whether that's good or bad depends on your viewpoint). They could shorten the pursestrings if the team is not a contender. They could fire the coach. Much bad can come of months of wallowing in disappointment. Be better for this team to go 6-0 to close the season. With two meetings with Phoenix upcoming, also be unlikely unless they are resting their main guns. But if the difference between #5 and #6 was 4-2 or 3-3 to close out, and our chances were better at #6, then I think I'd take the second record and the better palyoff push wouldn't you? I mention this again, but as a fan I can have enough perspective to say its not about the battles -- its about the war.

(As an aside, the flipside argument would be that if we made it to the second round due to an easy opponent, it might give the front office false security, causing them to not do enough to improve the team in the offseason and choose to instead sit on what we have in the mistaken belief its a contending group, when all it really was was a group that drew an easier opponent.)

In either case maybe the LAST thing I am worried about is the players themselves. Barring an historic run of good luck this is not a champinship crew no matter how the guys are feeling, and on that front whether we flame out in the first, second, third or whatever round is not that important. My concern is mostly with the reaction of the owners and GM, who DO hold the key to a future championship run. We need them to make good, smart decisions this offseason or we actually could slide back to also ran status. Getting knocked out in round 1 just seems like bad mojo and the sort of thing that can poison waters.

I don't think you're giving Petrie enough credit to suggest his offseason action/innaction will be based on how they do in the postseason. If the Kings were to get hot, catch some breaks and make it to the Conference Finals, do you honestly think he'll delude himself into thinking that this lineup really was championship calibur?

 

[cogito ergo sum]

I find it hard to be afraid of Dallas just because of our history.

Stopped reading there

Dallas had a 180 degree management change this year. Stats will not tell you how good they really are.

 

[Just_Lurkin]

Seattle SuperSonics general manager Rick Sund said Tuesday it's still not certain when Lewis can rejoin the team, but the 6-foot-10 swingman is expected to be available for the NBA playoffs.

I think i'll go with Dallas for the first round.LOL

 

[slugking50]

Look Brick is right... we are basically "Dallas" now. We have a lot of offensive firepower, especially on the perimeter but lets not be blind here. We are going to have to outgun the other team in the first round in order to win the series. Whether it's Seattle or Dallas it's going to be tough to do on the road, but not impossible. Mike and Peja should have more confidence(shooting) against Dallas. If we get hot, especially Peja, we can win. If Brad comes back and plays at a high level(theres a decent chance) we will have an even better shot. If Peja plays badly again, and Brad is rusty, we will get bounced. Cross your fingers Kings fans.

Scary thought. Im actualy going to agree with KP on something.

We are Dallas a few years ago and Dallas was what we were. If we play Dallas in the first round(Which looks like we will) We will most likely lose. I wouldnt be surprised if we were swept(If no Brad or Bobby at atleast 85%) but I also wouldnt be surprised if we get some luck and push it to a game 6-7. Of course this all depends on injuries as usual.