On-Night Off-Night
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
So from a sport psych perspective, the dance is a way for the team to establish its culture. I believe the lead dude has to have some Maori roots, but everyone else just has to be from NZ. That's the team's foundation. The system (style of play, development system...) builds up from there.
No other team, whether it's a club or national team, does something similar to the Haka. Soccer teams, like Chelsea, have entrance songs that they've played since the 1960s (like Harry J All-Stars "Liquidator"), but its not quite the same. The Kings or even all-time winning franchises like the Niners, Yankees, or (NY/SF) Giants don't have any traditions that have persisted through different generations.
No other team, whether it's a club or national team, does something similar to the Haka. Soccer teams, like Chelsea, have entrance songs that they've played since the 1960s (like Harry J All-Stars "Liquidator"), but its not quite the same. The Kings or even all-time winning franchises like the Niners, Yankees, or (NY/SF) Giants don't have any traditions that have persisted through different generations.
This isn't true. Other Pacific Island teams that play rugby perform their own Haka. New Zealand national teams in other sports perform a Haka (including basketball). The Australian First nation rugby league team also (I believe) has started performing a ceremonial dance before matches. The Australian Rugby team (tries) to play Waltzing Matilda before home games. High school teams throughout NZ have their own Haka.
The person leading the Haka does not have to have Maori roots, as it is still performed when the team has no players of Maori decent.
The NZ All Blacks are not good because of the Haka. The nation is rugby mad. They have a strong relationship with Pacific Island nations who are built well for rugby. They are politically very savvy. They have a unique rugby style that dates back to the original all blacks. Their competition has beaten itself with internal politics (e.g., South Africa), couldn't sustain success and popularity vs other domestic sports (e.g., Australia) or just doesn't know how to play rugby (the entire northern hemisphere).
Let's also remind ourselves that the Haka is not simply a challenge to be performed prior to sporting events. From New zealand.com:
It would be culturally inappropriate and disingenuous for the Sacramento Kings, or any NBA franchise, to try and adopt a Haka. There was a time (I think) when Vlade used to lead a dance pre game that the players did together in the sideline. But that was for that team. It wouldn't mean anything to force it upon players moving through the team now. The closest tradition the Kings have is, for me, cow bells. And this isn't a bad tradition to have, since all NBA teams are more or less copies of each other. It is at least something that makes the Kings the Sacramento Kings.
The person leading the Haka does not have to have Maori roots, as it is still performed when the team has no players of Maori decent.
The NZ All Blacks are not good because of the Haka. The nation is rugby mad. They have a strong relationship with Pacific Island nations who are built well for rugby. They are politically very savvy. They have a unique rugby style that dates back to the original all blacks. Their competition has beaten itself with internal politics (e.g., South Africa), couldn't sustain success and popularity vs other domestic sports (e.g., Australia) or just doesn't know how to play rugby (the entire northern hemisphere).
Let's also remind ourselves that the Haka is not simply a challenge to be performed prior to sporting events. From New zealand.com:
It would be culturally inappropriate and disingenuous for the Sacramento Kings, or any NBA franchise, to try and adopt a Haka. There was a time (I think) when Vlade used to lead a dance pre game that the players did together in the sideline. But that was for that team. It wouldn't mean anything to force it upon players moving through the team now. The closest tradition the Kings have is, for me, cow bells. And this isn't a bad tradition to have, since all NBA teams are more or less copies of each other. It is at least something that makes the Kings the Sacramento Kings.
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If Fox and Davion can get their 3 point shooting to a consistent 36% or better, I can see a Fox-Davion starting backcourt working in the future.
Utah starts two 6'1" guards (PG Mike Conley and SG Donovan Mitchell) in their backcourt and they are thriving. I think if the 3 point shooting comes around for Fox and Mitchell, they could make a good starting backcourt combo. Mitchell would guard the stronger offensive player on defense. It also helps Davion to play SG in that he is built like a tank, much like Donovan Mitchell
.
Utah starts two 6'1" guards (PG Mike Conley and SG Donovan Mitchell) in their backcourt and they are thriving. I think if the 3 point shooting comes around for Fox and Mitchell, they could make a good starting backcourt combo. Mitchell would guard the stronger offensive player on defense. It also helps Davion to play SG in that he is built like a tank, much like Donovan Mitchell
.
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Also, why is Mitchell now listed at 6'0", when at the NBA combine he was measured at 6'1.25" in shoes, 6'0" bare feet? Most NBA players are listed at their height with shoes, but Mitchell is not, seems odd to me. Through the NBA draft, Davion was listed at 6'1". Maybe he wants other players to think he is smaller than he is?
I mean yeah, that's ROY numbers of the course of a full-season. Reasonably good offensive numbers with of course the excellent defense. Assuming he continues his current trend over the next 5 games, we'll be at 19 games and nearly 700 minutes of excellent starter production.
I'm the biggest DDV fanboy, but it's become pretty clear to just start Davion at the 2 and get a coach understands how to stagger him and Fox properly.
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NBA has trended towards using barefoot measurements now. Ben McLemore was listed at 6'5 while he played for us. He's currently listed at 6'3.
However, not every team nor every player is abiding by the barefoot measurement.. yeah, it's just find of weird all-around. I don't think we can really put too much weight into the listed heights anymore, except for draft measurements.
However, not every team nor every player is abiding by the barefoot measurement.. yeah, it's just find of weird all-around. I don't think we can really put too much weight into the listed heights anymore, except for draft measurements.
But, I mean, we all kind of knew somebody had to go, right? There was certainly disagreement among the fans about who should go, and I think there was a different general expectation about who would end up going, but we all knew somebody had to go. Which is why, outside of the initial gut-punch around the trade, I can't really complain that much. We turned an unworkable trio of guards into a much more workable pair of guards and a center, and while we gave up a potential future all star, we got a 25-year-old already 2x all star back.
And now Davion's showing out. I'm a big fan of Tyrese, but I'm a bigger fan of the Kings, so it's hard to complain too much.
And now Davion's showing out. I'm a big fan of Tyrese, but I'm a bigger fan of the Kings, so it's hard to complain too much.
