Our Best Lineup Under Smart Was.....

[rainmaker]

Reke
Thornton
Salmons
Thompson
Cousins

They had a 6-4 overall record. At one point they were 6-1, and in that stretch beat Ind, @SA, Por and OKC.

Defensively, this lineup over their 10 game stretch gave up 97 points per game, compared to just over 107 since going small.

Excluding that lineup our team is 9-24 under Smart.

At the end of the streak, we dropped games to the Suns at home, the Bulls on the road(6pt loss), then the Knick in NY. The next night Smart went with IT @Det, and hasn't looked back since.

I find this interesting, as some swear we're a better team with our current lineup and there aren't any other possible lineups Smart can throw out there, or has thrown out there which give us a better opportunity at success.

Well, why doesn't this lineup which went 6-4, beat elite teams and held opponents to 10 less points per game not count? Why did Smart flip the script on this lineup after only losing three straight(6-1 prior) yet won't change our current lineup, which is responsible for two 3 game losing streaks, and two other 4 game losing streaks?

What would have happened if Smart gave this lineup the same opportunity to grow as his current lineup? If this isn't more evidence Smart prefers small ball, less defense, even if less successful than a more traditional lineup, then I don't know what is.

One lineup=6-4
Others=9-24
And which way did our coach decide to go?

 

[VF21]

I wanted to disagree with you, to point out how exciting IT has been for the fans, etc. but I found myself deleting my post halfway through. I couldn't finish the party line and had to start over.

I think you're right about the starting lineup but I don't expect it to return to those players, even if Salmons doesn't have any lingering problems. Why? Because the front office has started an "IT4ROY" campaign and having Isaiah come off the bench won't serve their purposes. After seeing the commercial last night, I realized that what most likely has happened is that TPTB have told Smart to showcase IT at every opportunity and do whatever it takes to give him the best opportunity to succeed, even if it means throwing our previous ROY under the bus.

This might not make sense tomorrow, but right now I am so heartily angry at the Maloofs for their latest lunacy that I'm seeing conspiracy and subterfuge behind every action that goes on that doesn't make sense. We all know the Maloofs have pulled strings before and put the blame on others, so it wouldn't be the first time.

I should probably stop typing before my rantings get worse. Sorry if I hijacked your thread, rainmaker.

 

[rainmaker]

I wanted to disagree with you, to point out how exciting IT has been for the fans, etc. but I found myself deleting my post halfway through. I couldn't finish the party line and had to start over.

I think you're right about the starting lineup but I don't expect it to return to those players, even if Salmons doesn't have any lingering problems. Why? Because the front office has started an "IT4ROY" campaign and having Isaiah come off the bench won't serve their purposes. After seeing the commercial last night, I realized that what most likely has happened is that TPTB have told Smart to showcase IT at every opportunity and do whatever it takes to give him the best opportunity to succeed, even if it means throwing our previous ROY under the bus.

This might not make sense tomorrow, but right now I am so heartily angry at the Maloofs for their latest lunacy that I'm seeing conspiracy and subterfuge behind every action that goes on that doesn't make sense. We all know the Maloofs have pulled strings before and put the blame on others, so it wouldn't be the first time.

I should probably stop typing before my rantings get worse. Sorry if I hijacked your thread, rainmaker.

No problem at all. And you know, I like IT, and am glad he's a Kings. Just think certain things have gone too far.

I don't know what the deal with the Maloofs is. Definitely concerning. But will have to wait until more comes out.

 

[Spike]

Wow.

 

[Spike]

No problem at all. And you know, I like IT, and am glad he's a Kings. Just think certain things have gone too far.

You know, at this point, I wonder what more can be done. Personally, I feel as though I've made my case, and there isn't anything else that's going to change barring the Maloofs taking lessons from Cuban on how to run a team (yeah, I went there), and Smart embracing his inner Pop (it's there somewhere, like when Luke knew Vader wouldn't destroy him) instead of his outer Nellie.

 

[VF21]

Wow.

Too much?

 

[Heuge]

Interesting thread, I had no idea.

I'm going to hope against "The Powers That Be" Theory, but I would certainly not be surprised.

 

[VF21]

Interesting thread, I had no idea.

I'm going to hope against "The Powers That Be" Theory, but I would certainly not be surprised.

You might want to check out this thread in the New Arena forum: http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/sho...at-paying-costs-for-planning-Sacramento-arena

 

[Heuge]

You might want to check out this thread in the New Arena forum: http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/sho...at-paying-costs-for-planning-Sacramento-arena

Ya, worst news of the day. NBA bailout is good, I guess.

 

[Spike]

Too much?

Not at all. I always admire your glass half full view it definitely helps balance out our rantings, especially during what I feel are precarious times. I'm having trouble trying to properly express myself here, but I think the arena stress has certainly increased our edginess, making us feel as though the team haas to get everything right, even the lineups, or it will all fall apart. In a way, we might be right. This is our one chance to get it right.

Hell, I live in Denver now, but I can feel it through these boards. The city, the owners, the coach, the fans. We all need to be together. Are we?

 

[ParniValjak]

I wanted to disagree with you, to point out how exciting IT has been for the fans, etc. but I found myself deleting my post halfway through. I couldn't finish the party line and had to start over.

I think you're right about the starting lineup but I don't expect it to return to those players, even if Salmons doesn't have any lingering problems. Why? Because the front office has started an "IT4ROY" campaign and having Isaiah come off the bench won't serve their purposes. After seeing the commercial last night, I realized that what most likely has happened is that TPTB have told Smart to showcase IT at every opportunity and do whatever it takes to give him the best opportunity to succeed, even if it means throwing our previous ROY under the bus.

This might not make sense tomorrow, but right now I am so heartily angry at the Maloofs for their latest lunacy that I'm seeing conspiracy and subterfuge behind every action that goes on that doesn't make sense. We all know the Maloofs have pulled strings before and put the blame on others, so it wouldn't be the first time.

I should probably stop typing before my rantings get worse. Sorry if I hijacked your thread, rainmaker.

B-I-N-G-O!!!!!

I stated something alone those line up in the thread about when will the line up change....and it won't for basically the reason you mentioned.

It also won't because Smart will NEVER bench Thornton as they go a while back so we are stuck with this ridiculous line up for purposes other than winning games or developing a line up that will win in the future.

The line up is in part driven by a PR campaign to get some merchandise $$$ which REALLY irks me as a fan. Quite frankly it is insulting but I have come to expect that from our team. Everything matter more than winning.

 

[VF21]

Not at all. I always admire your glass half full view it definitely helps balance out our rantings, especially during what I feel are precarious times. I'm having trouble trying to properly express myself here, but I think the arena stress has certainly increased our edginess, making us feel as though the team haas to get everything right, even the lineups, or it will all fall apart. In a way, we might be right. This is our one chance to get it right.

Hell, I live in Denver now, but I can feel it through these boards. The city, the owners, the coach, the fans. We all need to be together. Are we?

And there's the rub. It seemed like everyone was together but based on the news tonight, the Maloofs may not be on the same page as everyone else. It's mind-boggling and utterly confusing to me to see the IT4ROY campaign one day and the Maloofs trying to wiggle out of paying a measly $3.5 million for up front costs for the arena deal less than 24 hours later.

I've loved the energy and camaraderie I've seen with the team lately. I think having this last home stand was greatly instrumental in letting them learn to play together as a team. I think Keith Smart is doing the best he can but I get the almost tangible feeling there's something going on behind the scenes.

It could be that certain players are being showcased to determine whether or not they'll be a part of the team going forward. That would explain the apparent random substitution pattern at times. If the season is lost as far as the playoffs are concerned, why not try all kinds of combinations to see what players can do in various positions? It's a fact-gathering experiment that just might come in handy down the road.

I do know one thing for certain. Games recently have been fun to watch. It's a case where the final destination is secondary to the journey, you know?

 

[VF21]

B-I-N-G-O!!!!!

I stated something alone those line up in the thread about when will the line up change....and it won't for basically the reason you mentioned.

It also won't because Smart will NEVER bench Thornton as they go a while back so we are stuck with this ridiculous line up for purposes other than winning games or developing a line up that will win in the future.

The line up is in part driven by a PR campaign to get some merchandise $$$ which REALLY irks me as a fan. Quite frankly it is insulting but I have come to expect that from our team. Everything matter more than winning.

Please do not blame the team. It is not their fault. Blame the owners, blame the front office that answers to the owners, and let the true guilt fall where it should.

One more thing? Saying Smart will "not bench Thornton" is always misleading. Most often, benching a player means sitting him down and not having him play anything but the invisible man. I think the better term is "Smart won't move Thornton to the second unit for ..." and then whatever reason you think is valid. Personally, I find it very hard to accept that a coach like Keith Smart would keep a player on the court simply because "they go a while back." It makes little to no sense and would not sit well with the players.

 

[Glenn]

Ya, worst news of the day. NBA bailout is good, I guess.

I think it could be seen as a warning to the Maloofs. There already is a precedent for the NBA taking over a franchise. Not saying that's what the NBA wants to do. I think the City and the area has bought a lot of good will from the NBA. Now we have an article showing the mismanagement of this franchise and if the NBA keeps stats like rainmaker, they also can see that the franchise is not trying to win but merely to market a player to try to make a little extra money. Marketing IT in itself is not bad but it gives an indication of how little money the Maloofs have and how desparate they might be. I suspect the NBA knows more about the Maloof's finances than anyone else as they are supporting them with money. There mght come a point where they say "screw it, we know someone who doesn't need our money" and encourage the Maloofs to sell. That would be in a better interest of the NBA than to allow a franchise to continue to field a non-competitive team and to drain money from the NBA.

Sterling seldom fields a competitive team but I doubt needs NBA money to keep afloat. Perhaps this franchise is reaching that perfect storm of negativeness.

 

[xrzn]

We were 6-1 with that lineup, but when we started to lose the 3 games with that lineup, is that when IT started to emerge with his high level of play? I'm honestly lazy when it comes to doing research, so if someone can check this out that would be great.

 

[kingsnation]

Reke
Thornton
Salmons
Thompson
Cousins

They had a 6-4 overall record. At one point they were 6-1, and in that stretch beat Ind, @SA, Por and OKC.

Defensively, this lineup over their 10 game stretch gave up 97 points per game, compared to just over 107 since going small.

Excluding that lineup our team is 9-24 under Smart.

At the end of the streak, we dropped games to the Suns at home, the Bulls on the road(6pt loss), then the Knick in NY. The next night Smart went with IT @Det, and hasn't looked back since.

I find this interesting, as some swear we're a better team with our current lineup and there aren't any other possible lineups Smart can throw out there, or has thrown out there which give us a better opportunity at success.

Well, why doesn't this lineup which went 6-4, beat elite teams and held opponents to 10 less points per game not count? Why did Smart flip the script on this lineup after only losing three straight(6-1 prior) yet won't change our current lineup, which is responsible for two 3 game losing streaks, and two other 4 game losing streaks?

What would have happened if Smart gave this lineup the same opportunity to grow as his current lineup? If this isn't more evidence Smart prefers small ball, less defense, even if less successful than a more traditional lineup, then I don't know what is.

One lineup=6-4
Others=9-24
And which way did our coach decide to go?

Very very unfortunate indeed.

 

[swisshh]

That 6-4 is fool's gold. Beating the Spurs and Thunder is impressive, but the Kings play up and down according to their competition. Remember that they blew out the Mavs with a small ball lineup of Tyreke at SF and Donte at PF. During that 6-4 stretch they barely beat an awful Hornets team at home and barely beat a Blazers squad that was starting its downward slide out of the playoffs. The most impressive stretch is a 3-1 run where they blew out a few quality teams at home and then lost a close game to a red hot Jazz team. Even in that 3-1 stretch, they beat up a TWolves team that had lost Rubio and begun its slide out of the playoffs.

It's actually hard to get a clear picture of a fitting lineup from looking at the Kings successive wins and losses since their level of play is so inconsistent. They get up for certain teams but not all teams. The only guys that show up consistently are perhaps Cousins and IT, which may be why they are getting featured right now (outside of the silly ROY campaign). You have to look at the lineup from a functioning perspective. Thornton, Reke and Salmons is not a good combo as we saw for most of the year. The team only got anything out of Salmons once he went to the bench and became the second unit's Point-Forward. Thornton and Evans don't involve Cousins that well into the offense and that's an issue when DMC is your best player.

So when I say you have to look at it from a functioning perspective, you have to have an idea of how you want to function. I see the team functioning best from an inside-out game. That game involves Cousins. That system doesn't work as well with Evans, Cousins, Thornton and Salmons because all of those guys like to drive the ball. It becomes an outside-in game with slow, stuttered ball movement. Defensively, you have a guy who can't guard modern SFs in Salmons and a guy in Thornton who seems to always let his guy go off. Tyreke and JT are your best defensive players, but they are both prone to mental blackouts. Evans lost his PG job after a string of PGs just picked the Kings apart.

 

[mac]

That 6-4 is fool's gold. Beating the Spurs and Thunder is impressive, but the Kings play up and down according to their competition. Remember that they blew out the Mavs with a small ball lineup of Tyreke at SF and Donte at PF. During that 6-4 stretch they barely beat an awful Hornets team at home and barely beat a Blazers squad that was starting its downward slide out of the playoffs. The most impressive stretch is a 3-1 run where they blew out a few quality teams at home and then lost a close game to a red hot Jazz team. Even in that 3-1 stretch, they beat up a TWolves team that had lost Rubio and begun its slide out of the playoffs.

It's actually hard to get a clear picture of a fitting lineup from looking at the Kings successive wins and losses since their level of play is so inconsistent. They get up for certain teams but not all teams. The only guys that show up consistently are perhaps Cousins and IT, which may be why they are getting featured right now (outside of the silly ROY campaign). You have to look at the lineup from a functioning perspective. Thornton, Reke and Salmons is not a good combo as we saw for most of the year. The team only got anything out of Salmons once he went to the bench and became the second unit's Point-Forward. Thornton and Evans don't involve Cousins that well into the offense and that's an issue when DMC is your best player.

So when I say you have to look at it from a functioning perspective, you have to have an idea of how you want to function. I see the team functioning best from an inside-out game. That game involves Cousins. That system doesn't work as well with Evans, Cousins, Thornton and Salmons because all of those guys like to drive the ball. It becomes an outside-in game with slow, stuttered ball movement. Defensively, you have a guy who can't guy modern SFs in Salmons and a guy in Thornton who seems to always let his guy go off. Tyreke and JT are your best defensive players, but they are both prone to mental blackouts. Evans lost his PG job after a string of PGs just picked the Kings apart.

You say we should play inside-out, yet against the Spurs most of IT's assists to Cousins were pick and pops, with Cousins shooting outside jumpers. Yet you have Smart playing Evans at SF and not running plays for him, basically what role playing, 3 Point shooting SFs are supposed to do. But we all know Evans isn't an outside shooter. Wouldn't it make more sense then to run pick and pops with Evans and Cousins, allowing Evans to drive and then have 2 better outside shooting options of IT and DMC as opposed to DMC and Tyreke?

I'm not criticizing your post, I'm just pointing out that the team isn't even working in a way that you would deem ideal.

You know what I miss? Cousins posting up, passing it over the shoulder to a cutting Tyreke or Beno, or doing that from the high post. Or Tyreke getting a screen and driving and throwing alley oops to Dalembert. Or kickouts to Omri or Garcia when Tyreke drives or when they double Cousins. For all that talk about the offense not flowing well, I think I'd rather have built upon last year's offense and improved it rather than go to this run and gun stuff.

 

[swisshh]

You say we should play inside-out, yet against the Spurs most of IT's assists to Cousins were pick and pops, with Cousins shooting outside jumpers. Yet you have Smart playing Evans at SF and not running plays for him, basically what role playing, 3 Point shooting SFs are supposed to do. But we all know Evans isn't an outside shooter. Wouldn't it make more sense then to run pick and pops with Evans and Cousins, allowing Evans to drive and then have 2 better outside shooting options of IT and DMC as opposed to DMC and Tyreke?

The problem is that Tyreke isn't very good at the pick n pop or pick n roll. It's not like Cousins hasn't been open with others handling the ball, but Reke doesn't see the pass play develop off a screen very well.

I'm not criticizing your post, I'm just pointing out that the team isn't even working in a way that you would deem ideal.

You're right, it's not. I don't mean to say the inside-out has been seen much. Maybe only in the Boston win. I would say about any good stretch by the Kings this year has been fool's gold.

You know what I miss? Cousins posting up, passing it over the shoulder to a cutting Tyreke or Beno, or doing that from the high post. Or Tyreke getting a screen and driving and throwing alley oops to Dalembert. Or kickouts to Omri or Garcia when Tyreke drives or when they double Cousins. For all that talk about the offense not flowing well, I think I'd rather have built upon last year's offense and improved it rather than go to this run and gun stuff.

Eh, no. Westphal's offense was far worse than what exists now.

 

[mac]

The problem is that Tyreke isn't very good at the pick n pop or pick n roll. It's not like Cousins hasn't been open with others handling the ball, but Reke doesn't see the pass play develop off a screen very well.



You're right, it's not. I don't mean to say the inside-out has been seen much. Maybe only in the Boston win. I would say about any good stretch by the Kings this year has been fool's gold.



Eh, no. Westphal's offense was far worse than what exists now.

Oh of course, which is why I was careful in saying they had to build on it and improve it. The point is we had some sort of identity, plays you'd expect every game that we ran pretty well. Now I feel players don't know their spots and if not for ITs ability to score and set some guys up (also not in regular spots other than Cousins outside, which isn't so mych setting him up rather than the defender not bothering to guard Cousins outside), our offense would be disastrous. Typing this on my phone so I'm lazy to clarify and elaborate.

 

[Tyndel]

We like to think that MT and Reke have a hard time being on the floor at the same time but in reality MT is much lower usage and works better off cuts and kickout then we give credit to him. Sure if he gets it then its going up but he doesn't have to start with it to go up. What I see is actually Reke and IT haveing trouble existing together. Either they take turns bringing it up or Reke doesn't get involved.

Reke at SF is stupid at this point it doesn't work. Is it something he can work on this offseason? I don't know why he would want to but I guess so. Reke is a high usage drive first and kickout type player that puts up quite a few shots when handling the ball... Most all those shots come from the paint. IT is a high usage outside shooter at this point that can drive but has realized that he gets blocked alot but can setup his teammates pretty well. and MT is a shooter slasher driver who doesn't make many passes to others. If a coach can't make those 3 into a good 3 guard rotation I don't know if that coach has much of a successful future at this level. Oh my bad that would mean subs would not be coming in at quarter breaks....

Reke can run an offense if the plays are called from the sideline when things start slowing down and the players are given logical plays to start with. Smart calls plays from the sideline much more then WP and you can see IT looking at the bench very often in games. This is something that Reke was improving on once we got a system.

Yes that 3 game skid is when IT started performing better and remember this was early on enough that the system was still being implemented and conditioning was still low. And we were still playing 12-13 players a night.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

We like to think that MT and Reke have a hard time being on the floor at the same time but in reality MT is much lower usage and works better off cuts and kickout then we give credit to him. Sure if he gets it then its going up but he doesn't have to start with it to go up. What I see is actually Reke and IT haveing trouble existing together. Either they take turns bringing it up or Reke doesn't get involved.

Reke at SF is stupid at this point it doesn't work. Is it something he can work on this offseason? I don't know why he would want to but I guess so. Reke is a high usage drive first and kickout type player that puts up quite a few shots when handling the ball... Most all those shots come from the paint. IT is a high usage outside shooter at this point that can drive but has realized that he gets blocked alot but can setup his teammates pretty well. and MT is a shooter slasher driver who doesn't make many passes to others. If a coach can't make those 3 into a good 3 guard rotation I don't know if that coach has much of a successful future at this level. Oh my bad that would mean subs would not be coming in at quarter breaks....

Reke can run an offense if the plays are called from the sideline when things start slowing down and the players are given logical plays to start with. Smart calls plays from the sideline much more then WP and you can see IT looking at the bench very often in games. This is something that Reke was improving on once we got a system.

Yes that 3 game skid is when IT started performing better and remember this was early on enough that the system was still being implemented and conditioning was still low. And we were still playing 12-13 players a night.

This had me looking over some advanced stats on MT. It sucked me down a whirlwind of statistics that I was staring at for quite a while.

I did this mostly because I really like Marcus Thornton, and I feel as though a lot of Kings fans have jumped off his bandwagon this year. Here we go..

For those that think he is a ball hog and never passes - His usage percentage is LOWER than DeMarcus and Tyreke, and only 3 points higher than Isaiah Thomas. When you consider the fact that Isaiah Thomas just recently became a high usage player and is already up in the 20's ... I don't think its crazy to say that Thornton is our fourth most used starter.

So with that in mind, he also has the lowest turnover percentage in our entire starting lineup. That includes JT. His effective field goal percentage is higher than both Cousins and Evans. He also has the 3.6 win shares which is the highest on the team. And this doesn't matter but I found it a bit silly ... He has the best offensive rebounding percentage of any guard on the roster.

So while he does shoot the most FGA per game on the roster, he doesn't waste that many (compared to other players on the team) and he isn't being used/destroying the offensive flow like a lot of people think.

Point being, he's not a guy I want to move to the bench in any lineup scenario on this current roster.

One more thing I found funny. JJ Hickson and Travis Outlaw have NEGATIVE win shares. That's incredible.

 

[Spike]

This had me looking over some advanced stats on MT. It sucked me down a whirlwind of statistics that I was staring at for quite a while.

I did this mostly because I really like Marcus Thornton, and I feel as though a lot of Kings fans have jumped off his bandwagon this year. Here we go..

For those that think he is a ball hog and never passes - His usage percentage is LOWER than DeMarcus and Tyreke, and only 3 points higher than Isaiah Thomas. When you consider the fact that Isaiah Thomas just recently became a high usage player and is already up in the 20's ... I don't think its crazy to say that Thornton is our fourth most used starter.

So with that in mind, he also has the lowest turnover percentage in our entire starting lineup. That includes JT. His effective field goal percentage is higher than both Cousins and Evans. He also has the 3.6 win shares which is the highest on the team. And this doesn't matter but I found it a bit silly ... He has the best offensive rebounding percentage of any guard on the roster.

So while he does shoot the most FGA per game on the roster, he doesn't waste that many (compared to other players on the team) and he isn't being used/destroying the offensive flow like a lot of people think.

Point being, he's not a guy I want to move to the bench in any lineup scenario on this current roster.

One more thing I found funny. JJ Hickson and Travis Outlaw have NEGATIVE win shares. That's incredible.

Neat stuff on MT. I don't think he's our issue right now, though. I think his role is to put the ball in the hoop, plain and simple. He's always been a high volume guy, and we've managed to make it work in the past. There are times when he does have tunnel vision, but I also trust him in finishing the shot - in the 4th quarter, anyway.

Your last statement, though, didn't need stats to back it up. You could see the game turn almost instantly during their insertion.

 

[pshn80]

Your lineup may be best for the Kings but, for me, no more Evans at PG. No more, none. So very painful to watch too much of the time.

The last time the Maloofs raised a ROY campaign they were successful in getting the award but in the process they set Evans back a season or two. They encouraged him to 1) seldom pass, 2) bring it up slow and eyeball the defense for his best opportunity, 3) ignore team ball, 4) turn off teammates, 5) be satisfied with losing the game as long as you get your 20/5/5.

In the ensueing years Tyreke has been unable to break those rookie patterns that he was encouraged to develop his rookie year.

Trade IT for a veteran PG or any decent PG but please don't start Evans at PG. I'll take my suffering in other doses.

 

[Spike]

Your lineup may be best for the Kings but, for me, no more Evans at PG.

Dude. That's all. Dude.

 

[Bricklayer]

The last time the Maloofs raised a ROY campaign they were successful in getting the award but in the process they set Evans back a season or two. They encouraged him to 1) seldom pass, 2) bring it up slow and eyeball the defense for his best opportunity, 3) ignore team ball, 4) turn off teammates, 5) be satisfied with losing the game as long as you get your 20/5/5.

I again wonder aloud, how/why did such a ridiculous version of Reke's rookie season take hold amongst the Sacto fanbase/ Was anybody actually watchng the games?

Tyreke Evans was 20-5-5 from the moment he stepped forward with Kevin down. That never wavered all year. The ROY campaign had nothing to do with it. That was the front office's campaign, not Reke's. In fact as I have shown again and AGAIN, his assists, rebounding, all around game shot UP down the stretch of that season. I will post the numbers one more time. Not to change the minds of the many Kings fans who have simply got stuck on mythological storyline and absolutely completely refuse to let it go under any circumstances, but simply to make sure that the truth continues to get put out there so that anybody new to the debate wandering by won't get infected by the same distortion:

Tyreke Evans, rookie season, by month:
Oct: 12.7pts 3.0reb 3.3ast 1.7stl .405FG
Nov: 20.3pts 5.5reb 5.1ast 1.3stl .454FG
Dec: 22.1pts 5.3reb 5.1ast 1.6stl .476FG
Jan: 20.7pts 3.5reb 5.1ast 1.6stl .448FG
Feb: 20.1pts 5.8reb 7.0ast 1.4stl .505FG
Mar: 19.4pts 6.9reb 7.5ast 1.6stl .423FG
Apr: 19.5pts 5.8reb 5.3ast 1.5stl .443FG

You may, as always, feel welcome to draw a line anywhee in that progression and say see? see? Here's where he got selfish to win the ROY. Nobody ever can. It never stops the story from beign repeated and repeated like a Big Foot sighting.

 

[kingsnation]

That 6-4 is fool's gold.

You can break it apart any way you want but 6-4 in 10 games together is a good thing. There was no reason to break it apart, especially since that kind of winning % has been seldom seen in some time here, whether in 10 games or more.

There is absolutely no way of knowing where this team could be right now if we kept that lineup. 6-4 (losers of 3 in a row or not) should've been good enough grounds for at least 5 more games.

 

[Spike]

That 6-4 is fool's gold.

You're right... 3-7 in our last 10 is a better indicator of current trends.
Still playing to the level of their competition, somewhat, but aside from the two blowouts, it's looked bad. We were never out of any games, but we've never really been able to keep ahead of our competition from start to finish, which we did do several times during the iron pyrite days. We've run two teams out of the building...that's about it.

 

[sdballer]

We've only won 4 games when our opponent scores more than 100 points.

Getting into a run and gun game with our current talent is not the key to a successful team, even if it leads to more assists. Your best player and future franchise cornerstone is a big that can dominate in a half court game. We lack athletes, open court bigs and good depth.

How can anyone argue that sticking with small ball, fast paced offense that forces players out of natural positions, creates huge defensive mismatches and leads to unbalanced starting and bench roles be the right approach for this team.

When Smart came on, he preached that he was going to teach better offensive sets and team defense. Our half court offense is still a mess and our defense is a disaster. Now either our guys are incapable of learning (which might be true) or he scrapped that and figured he'd just throw out a small ball team and how we could outscore opponents.

 

[The Hammer]

I again wonder aloud, how/why did such a ridiculous version of Reke's rookie season take hold amongst the Sacto fanbase/ Was anybody actually watchng the games?

Tyreke Evans was 20-5-5 from the moment he stepped forward with Kevin down. That never wavered all year. The ROY campaign had nothing to do with it. That was the front office's campaign, not Reke's. In fact as I have shown again and AGAIN, his assists, rebounding, all around game shot UP down the stretch of that season. I will post the numbers one more time. Not to change the minds of the many Kings fans who have simply got stuck on mythological storyline and absolutely completely refuse to let it go under any circumstances, but simply to make sure that the truth continues to get put out there so that anybody new to the debate wandering by won't get infected by the same distortion:

Tyreke Evans, rookie season, by month:
Oct: 12.7pts 3.0reb 3.3ast 1.7stl .405FG
Nov: 20.3pts 5.5reb 5.1ast 1.3stl .454FG
Dec: 22.1pts 5.3reb 5.1ast 1.6stl .476FG
Jan: 20.7pts 3.5reb 5.1ast 1.6stl .448FG
Feb: 20.1pts 5.8reb 7.0ast 1.4stl .505FG
Mar: 19.4pts 6.9reb 7.5ast 1.6stl .423FG
Apr: 19.5pts 5.8reb 5.3ast 1.5stl .443FG

You may, as always, feel welcome to draw a line anywhee in that progression and say see? see? Here's where he got selfish to win the ROY. Nobody ever can. It never stops the story from beign repeated and repeated like a Big Foot sighting.

My question is:

Would anybody care to repent their ignorance and delusion? Go ahead, get it off your chest. It's healing.