Pass the Ball to Donte, and let him shoot.

[Bricklayer]

Peja was a weenie, his fans were obnoxious, and he became incredibly overhyped largely because he was good looking and a "nice" guy.

Those are the pillars of his unpopularity amongst those who never cared for him. But what sealed the deal for him was when he got exposed, when because of the fanboi(and girl)ness and the irresponsible (if they knew) or stupid (if they did not) attempts to hype him people actually began to believe in all the B.S., and believe that he was a superstar. Disappointment = a killer. Same reason everybody turned on the team in general when it could nto get over the hump. The people in love with Peja who made it their business to overhype him were doing him no favors. In the end those of us who were poking holes in the hype from the start are now some of his biggest fans -- Peja never disappointed me, because I knew what he was from the beginning. But when you buy into this ridiculous myth of a player who never existed, and then the rug gets pulled from under you, then you turn on the guy like he's let you down personally.

None of which, of course, means that Donte Greene gets elevated to a higher pantheon off of one preseason game.

P.S. And no, he couldn't create his own shot, and was helpless as a babe once our passers moved on.

P.P.S. The source of Robert Horry's respect is having a big set of brass ones.

 

[Emma]

let us liken Donte to Manu Ginobili, and hope for a superstar to land in Sac soon to ground him. That is my ceiling of hope for the young fellow. If Peja were not elevated on a big greek pedestal, and existed in the shadow of a real basketball titan such as Tim Duncan, then we probably would have never had such stinging dissapointment when we handed him the torch. Never again. I don't press those type of MVP expectations on anyone anymore.

 

[bajaden]

Peja was a weenie, his fans were obnoxious, and he became incredibly overhyped largely because he was good looking and a "nice" guy.

Those are the pillars of his unpopularity amongst those who never cared for him. But what sealed the deal for him was when he got exposed, when because of the fanboi(and girl)ness and the irresponsible (if they knew) or stupid (if they did not) attempts to hype him people actually began to believe in all the B.S., and believe that he was a superstar. Disappointment = a killer. Same reason everybody turned on the team in general when it could nto get over the hump. The people in love with Peja who made it their business to overhype him were doing him no favors. In the end those of us who were poking holes in the hype from the start are now some of his biggest fans -- Peja never disappointed me, because I knew what he was from the beginning. But when you buy into this ridiculous myth of a player who never existed, and then the rug gets pulled from under you, then you turn on the guy like he's let you down personally.

None of which, of course, means that Donte Greene gets elevated to a higher pantheon off of one preseason game.

P.S. And no, he couldn't create his own shot, and was helpless as a babe once our passers moved on.

P.P.S. The source of Robert Horry's respect is having a big set of brass ones.

Peja never disappointed me either, because I never expected him to be anymore than he was. A very good shooter and a good to decent defender, depending on who he was defending. We'll leave his shot creating ability to a matter of personal prespective, but I will certainly admit that he had problems with certain defenders, and mostly the physical defenders. I thought that he was the perfect fit for the team at the time.

Unfortuately the team changed, as did some attitudes and it was time for him to move on. The hype wasn't his fault. But it does come with the territory, and for sure, he had trouble dealing with it.

As for Horry. Maybe thats why he wasn't a good rebounder. He couldn't get off ground with all that weight.

 

[FakeInjury]

its not about pedrag. Its about Donte needs to shoot. We were ok with peja shooting, and I think we should encourage the greene to see green when he feels leather.

 

[John Galt]

It was frustrating to see him with good position, getting his hands on the ball and seeing someone else take it away from him....

yep.

made me kinda hate him. there was always a bully taking his lunch money and making him cry.

 

[bajaden]

yep.

made me kinda hate him. there was always a bully taking his lunch money and making him cry.

You speak from experience, do you?

 

[John Galt]

You speak from experience, do you?

yeah.

Want your lunch money back?

Holler nuff.

 

[piksi]

I want to revise my position on the issue here.

I support giving the kid the ball 20-25 times every single night and letting him shoot. It will guarantee us the worst record in the league that we desperately need.

Next time we are in LA someone better take this kid to the ocean. Make sure to show him what it looks like, give him a large stone and ask him to try to hit it. The distance needs to be way less than 24 ft.

So much hype for nothing. Now our 12th pick looks promising. Just have to find a way to put him insead of Mikki who would look really lovely right next to the Tin Man

 

[VF21]

its not about pedrag. Its about Donte needs to shoot. We were ok with peja shooting, and I think we should encourage the greene to see green when he feels leather.

No, Donte doesn't "need to shoot." He needs to learn to play within the offense. The WORST thing you can do for someone like Donte Greene is allow him to be undisciplined and to put his shot above that of the rest of the team.

 

[Lupin]

Yeah, Donte seems a bit wild right now. We really need to tame him up so he could fit within the system.

 

[piksi]

its not about pedrag. Its about Donte needs to shoot. We were ok with peja shooting, and I think we should encourage the greene to see green when he feels leather.

the slight difference - the one of them was pure shooter and the other is Greene. If shooting is his best quality - we are so screwed.

 

[Bricklayer]

Before we go TOO far down this route it is worth noting that Peja shot .378 in his first year, and a nifty .320 from 3pt land. We rather knew he was a good shooter rather than saw any affirmative evidence of it that first year. And as a rookie he had a year or two on Greene as well.

 

[venom_7]

If Larry Legend and FakeInjury had a talk show in the forest and no one was around, would anybody listen?

if I had to use a word to describe those two and their posts, it would be 'baffling'

 

[Widowmaker2k]

All Donte Greene is right now is a big fat "?". He's obviously very talented, and if he works hard and improves his skill level he could be a superstar. It reminds of the Anthony Randolph vs. Jason Thompson debates we had earlier. Greene is definitely a high risk high reward guy, which is a logical choice for a rebuilding team. He could be the next Tracy McGrady or the next Mateen Cleaves. Only time will tell.

 

[FakeInjury]

Ok so i am now thinking everyone wants to sit on this kid. Sitting on talent is great, and hyping up the wrong rookie is something that people need to get used to. Its not about hype, its about shooting, and if thompson was an offensive player i would tell him to shoot too. But thompson doesn't dead eye from three every few games. There is the human factor, I have a theory that every word can be put behind the word human and mean something completely different, yet relevant. I noticed donte is passing, and i see a little of that with JT, and i wish they wouldn't do that. the passing has gone far enough, i want pure conversions. traditional layups and threes. who better to do that, than a confident shooter with dunking ability. I dont want a mean donte green playing against me in practice, i would give him his Playing time. Dont sit on any more talent, is the new title to this thread

 

[Widowmaker2k]

Ok so i am now thinking everyone wants to sit on this kid. Sitting on talent is great, and hyping up the wrong rookie is something that people need to get used to. Its not about hype, its about shooting, and if thompson was an offensive player i would tell him to shoot too. But thompson doesn't dead eye from three every few games. There is the human factor, I have a theory that every word can be put behind the word human and mean something completely different, yet relevant. I noticed donte is passing, and i see a little of that with JT, and i wish they wouldn't do that. the passing has gone far enough, i want pure conversions. traditional layups and threes. who better to do that, than a confident shooter with dunking ability. I dont want a mean donte green playing against me in practice, i would give him his Playing time. Dont sit on any more talent, is the new title to this thread

Well, sitting on talent is something you have to do while developing it, especially with Greene, who played one year in college through an offense that encouraged chucking, something that is a big 'no' in the NBA game. He has to learn to be an NBA player before we throw him to the wolves, which could actually hurt his development and screw with his confidence. And, let's not get down on them for passing the ball. This team has plenty of offensive weapons (Martin, Salmons, Miller, Hawes, Garcia, Greene) and they can all make shots. If we're going to run the triangle (or the Princeton), then passing is going to be a major part of all of our player's games, and should be encouraged. With a guy like Greene, who has a reputation as a chucker, we can't encourage him enough to pass.

Now don't get me wrong, I want our youngins to get some playing time, but all good things come to those who wait, and as a rebuilding team, we have plenty of time.

 

[Sac.1989]

yeah agree with that mate, passing must be communicated to greene and steps need to be taken to ensure he understands the system and fits into it.

 

[Spike]

I dont want a mean donte green playing against me in practice, i would give him his Playing time. Dont sit on any more talent, is the new title to this thread

Negative good sir. He needs practice to see how he functions within the system. Greene is behind Salmons and Garcia when it comes to PT. For his first year I would recommend that Greene learn these wise words that The Rock once spoke:
"Know your role, and shut your mouth."
It may serve him well. This year is all about learning.

JT is a different case. He shouldn't be playing behind anyone at this point, having spent 4 years in college, and playing behind, gasp, Mikki Moore.
At this point JT > Moore. At this point, it is Thompson who should be getting the minutes.

 

[piksi]

Before we go TOO far down this route it is worth noting that Peja shot .378 in his first year, and a nifty .320 from 3pt land. We rather knew he was a good shooter rather than saw any affirmative evidence of it that first year. And as a rookie he had a year or two on Greene as well.

true but I don't remember anyone saying in Pedja's rookie year - give the man ball and let him shoot a lot.

 

[Jerryaki]

Ok so i am now thinking everyone wants to sit on this kid. Sitting on talent is great, and hyping up the wrong rookie is something that people need to get used to. Its not about hype, its about shooting, and if thompson was an offensive player i would tell him to shoot too. But thompson doesn't dead eye from three every few games. There is the human factor, I have a theory that every word can be put behind the word human and mean something completely different, yet relevant. I noticed donte is passing, and i see a little of that with JT, and i wish they wouldn't do that. the passing has gone far enough, i want pure conversions. traditional layups and threes. who better to do that, than a confident shooter with dunking ability. I dont want a mean donte green playing against me in practice, i would give him his Playing time. Dont sit on any more talent, is the new title to this thread

absolutely mind-bottling.

 

[FakeInjury]

If you saw game 2 of the preseason schedule, his confidence is already screwed up. Lets just complete the transaction. There is no replacement for experience, he doesn't even like las vegas. When i was 20, all i could think about was jackson rancheria. He has a long way to go in a lot of areas other than hoops, and how that will reflect in his game is yet to be seen, but i would trust him to play because he is only player on the kings roster other than Kevin Martin, that has allstar written on him.

 

[bajaden]

yeah.

Want your lunch money back?

Holler nuff.

No one ever took my lunch money, and I found out early as a kid that most bullys were cowards that really didn't want to fight. If the shoe fits, wear it.

Talk is cheap, and my experience tells me that the bigger the talk, the bigger the coward.

Now, can I have my money back.

 

[bajaden]

If you saw game 2 of the preseason schedule, his confidence is already screwed up. Lets just complete the transaction. There is no replacement for experience, he doesn't even like las vegas. When i was 20, all i could think about was jackson rancheria. He has a long way to go in a lot of areas other than hoops, and how that will reflect in his game is yet to be seen, but i would trust him to play because he is only player on the kings roster other than Kevin Martin, that has allstar written on him.

Perhaps, instead of thinking about Jackson Rancheria when you were 20 yrs old, you should have been thinking about college and learning. Thats what Greene needs to do. I really don't know why I'm wasting my breath on this, but to say we don't need passing, that we've already had too much of that, tells me that you don't know what the biggest problem of the Kings is.

The Kings were at the bottom of the league in assists last year, and last time I checked, I don't remember seeing them in the playoffs. When the Kings were on top of the world, they were at the top of the league in assists. How do you get assists? By passing the basketball. Now I will admit that they have to be educated passes, and not just passing the ball to be passing the ball.

Educated passes come from playing together. Knowing what your teammates are going to do just by a look or a nod, and that takes time. Even the great Michael Jordan had to realize that he couldn't win without his teammates being involved. Greene is no Jordan. As of now, he' just a young player with a lot of potential thats on a long learning curve.

Players that stand outside the three pt line and chuck up shots are a dime a dozen. And they're the ones that can actually make the shot. For the most part, they're out there shooting, because they can't do anything else. Do you think thats all Greene is capable of? I think he's capable of becoming a complete player that can do it all. That will take time..

 

[VF21]

Perhaps, instead of thinking about Jackson Rancheria when you were 20 yrs old, you should have been thinking about college and learning. Thats what Greene needs to do. I really don't know why I'm wasting my breath on this, but to say we don't need passing, that we've already had too much of that, tells me that you don't know what the biggest problem of the Kings is.

The Kings were at the bottom of the league in assists last year, and last time I checked, I don't remember seeing them in the playoffs. When the Kings were on top of the world, they were at the top of the league in assists. How do you get assists? By passing the basketball. Now I will admit that they have to be educated passes, and not just passing the ball to be passing the ball.

Educated passes come from playing together. Knowing what your teammates are going to do just by a look or a nod, and that takes time. Even the great Michael Jordan had to realize that he couldn't win without his teammates being involved. Greene is no Jordan. As of now, he' just a young player with a lot of potential thats on a long learning curve.

Players that stand outside the three pt line and chuck up shots are a dime a dozen. And they're the ones that can actually make the shot. For the most part, they're out there shooting, because they can't do anything else. Do you think thats all Greene is capable of? I think he's capable of becoming a complete player that can do it all. That will take time..

Very well said. I can only guess that FakeInjury wasn't around a few years back when it was ALL about passing and team work and winning. The idea that Donte Greene has all-star written all over him just makes me picture him with self-created tattoos of "allstarz" written in Red Sharpie or something.

I personally will be eternally grateful if I NEVER see another small forward who thinks he's better than the team and should have the "green" light to shoot, hog the ball, etc. whenever he feels like it. It's not the style of play the Kings are cut out for and it's certainly not what I want to spend my hard-earned money to come see.

 

[Rookie]

If you saw game 2 of the preseason schedule, his confidence is already screwed up.

Wow 2 preseason games and his confidence is already screwed up. Sound like KT, if he doesn't start his confidence ends.

We need players that build confidence for the team not the team build confidence for the player.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

Very well said. I can only guess that FakeInjury wasn't around a few years back when it was ALL about passing and team work and winning. The idea that Donte Greene has all-star written all over him just makes me picture him with self-created tattoos of "allstarz" written in Red Sharpie or something.

I personally will be eternally grateful if I NEVER see another small forward who thinks he's better than the team and should have the "green" light to shoot, hog the ball, etc. whenever he feels like it. It's not the style of play the Kings are cut out for and it's certainly not what I want to spend my hard-earned money to come see.

And I think watching Greene, he has shown some encouraging signs in that regard. He has made some nice passes and has not tried to force his shot.

Watching Greene play, he is struggling with the same offensive problems we saw with Martin and Garcia as rookies. He just doesn't know when to be assertive and when to look for teammates yet. He defaults to standing behind the three point line and waiting for an open three. However, he had a couple of moments even last night when he scored other ways. His follow up over a defender and his step through bucket were both very nice moves. If he can continue to develop that court awareness and assertiveness while still making the extra pass, he should be just fine.

 

[Kingsguy881]

The problem is we don't want Donte to become another Cisco. Cisco hasn't changed his ways or learned darn near ANYTHING since his rookie year, he still makes the same dumb mistakes with the same alarming regularity. Cisco has to be one of the most frustrating dudes to watch play ball in the entire league.

 

[Prince_XY]

It is not very common to see a 6' 10" ( or is it 6' 11" ? ) small forward to have plenty of moves/talent like Donte Greene. We are almost sure he would be one of the rare star quality small forwards in the NBA in the future. He would be great and will reach the level of Peja and Hedo talent-wise.

This 19 year old kid is fast for his height, smooth on the dribble, has spin moves, can jump, and has lots of confidence in himself. Actually it reminds me of the same confidence that Kobe Bryant had on himself when he was just starting to play in the NBA.

What a waste of time and talent if we can not develop this kid as fast as we can.


.

 

[bajaden]

It is not very common to see a 6' 10" ( or is it 6' 11" ? ) small forward to have plenty of moves/talent like Donte Greene. We are almost sure he would be one of the rare star quality small forwards in the NBA in the future. He would be great and will reach the level of Peja and Hedo talent-wise.

This 19 year old kid is fast for his height, smooth on the dribble, has spin moves, can jump, and has lots of confidence in himself. Actually it reminds me of the same confidence that Kobe Bryant had on himself when he was just starting to play in the NBA.

What a waste of time and talent if we can not develop this kid as fast as we can.


.

Kobe only averaged around 7 pts a game his first year in the league, playing, I think, around 15 or 16 minutes. Hardly earth shattering for someone who, when he's done, will be regarded as one of the best players ever. Confidence, tempered with experience and intelligence, usually equals a very good player. Did I forget to mention talent?

 

[Telemachus]

It is not very common to see a 6' 10" ( or is it 6' 11" ? ) small forward to have plenty of moves/talent like Donte Greene. We are almost sure he would be one of the rare star quality small forwards in the NBA in the future. He would be great and will reach the level of Peja and Hedo talent-wise.

This 19 year old kid is fast for his height, smooth on the dribble, has spin moves, can jump, and has lots of confidence in himself. Actually it reminds me of the same confidence that Kobe Bryant had on himself when he was just starting to play in the NBA.

What a waste of time and talent if we can not develop this kid as fast as we can.

I think that too many people think that the best way to develop young talent is to throw them to the wolves and play them as much as possible.
History tells us this is not true, especially when dealing with YOUNG talent. Kobe didn't start until his 3rd NBA season (too busy backing up Eddie Jones). Tracy McGrady didn't start until half way through his 3rd season. Rashard Lewis didn't start until his 3rd season. Jermaine O'Neal didn't start until his 5th season.
The point I am trying to make is that even many of the players who become all-stars don't step onto the court and dominate right away. Greene has a lot of talent, and the potential to be a very special player. However, if we rush him, he may never reach that potential. Bad habits are SO easy to develop, but extremely difficult to get rid of. That is what the Kings coaches have to keep a close eye on with Greene IMO.