Postgame Quotes-at Dallas 11/02/04

[LMM]

kings.com

Postgame Quotes-at Dallas 11/02/04

Kings Coach Rick Adelman
"We didn’t do a very good job on their pick and rolls. They hurt us with that all night long. Obviously, Nowitzki really got it going early and I don’t think, offensively, we did what we wanted to. Finally in the second half we started doing a little better there. I think we gave up a lot of point on mental mistakes more than anything else. You can’t afford to do that when you are playing a team that is as good as they are."

"I think we were better tonight than we were in the last two preseason games, our effort was better. I still think, defensively, we made a lot of mental mistakes. A lot of that I attribute to the way we had to play them. You can’t make the mental mistakes we gave up. The play at the end of the third quarter; they all knew we had a foul to give. We didn’t give the foul. They know not to leave Nowitzki out there, there is no reason to drop off him; we give him a wide open three. Those are things you just don’t do."

Kings Guard Bobby Jackson
"We had a big hole. If we stayed there and don’t have to use so much energy on the defensive end in the fourth quarter, then we are going to have a chance to win a lot of games. We have to learn not to break down mentally in different areas; offensive rebounding, and turnovers."

Kings Forward Chris Webber
"It was good to get back in it, even though you know you should not have got yourself in a hole in the first place. Overall, it’s a tough game, a tough road game. I really like what I saw; I think we all did as far as late in the game. I hate saying I am encouraged by a loss, as a rule of thumb. Truthfully, I like the way we played together in the second half."

 

[piksi]

The all need to stop talking and do something about it. Easy to be smart after the game.

 

[4cwebb]

Don't they have to talk to the media, though? They can't just say "both teams played hard" all the time...

and, does BJax have hair this season?

 

[piksi]

Don't they have to talk to the media, though? They can't just say "both teams played hard" all the time...

and, does BJax have hair this season?

In my opinion when You repeat Yourself from game to game and nothing changes than You should do stop talking and start working. I am just tired of them talking about defense. And in the first half they looked like they never played together before. So many TO - I stopped counting. Just the fact that Mike did not play in the 4th says it all. Why Pedja player only RA knows the answer.

P.S.

They did not earn the right to say that both teams played hard.

 

[fakie]

did they ban peja and bibby from speaking to the public?

 

[4cwebb]

In my opinion when You repeat Yourself from game to game and nothing changes than You should do stop talking and start working. I am just tired of them talking about defense. And in the first half they looked like they never played together before. So many TO - I stopped counting. Just the fact that Mike did not play in the 4th says it all. Why Pedja player only RA knows the answer.

P.S.

They did not earn the right to say that both teams played hard.

I won't really argue with you there, and I certainly agree with your post-script. The season defense wasn't really talked about (in my hazy memory) was the season in which they performed the best (Keon Clark, anyone?).

As for Peja, he normally plays for offense, and while his defense is usually better than average, I'd imagine that even if it weren't, it would be bad defense be damned. But the Peja we have seen in the last few Kings games (dating back to the series with the Twolves) just seems not to be quite on. He's got some time to work through it, though...I just hope it's not his earlier-stated desire to be traded getting in the way. It is one thing to be a professional and go out there and give it your all every night, yet another to look forward to doing so and enjoying it.

 

[Bricklayer]

Peja was ok during the latter half of the preseason, so I'm not too worried about him turning in these stinkers on a night to night basis. But I will say that he never looked inspired during the preseason (nobody did), so it is still hard to gauge his dedication/passion of this season. Also worry a little bit about the possibility that Peja has been exposed a bit, and teams may be looking at the Bowen/Hassel success and putting together a book on how to bother him.

Somebody else noted that tonight he gets to go against the dreaded Bowen, who has ALWAYS owned him, so its quite possible he'll start the season with two bad games. But you have to keep him on the floor for reasonable minutes at least. Not force 40 if he's sucking. But 30+ rather than humiliate him with an early season benching. Maybe sneak him some extra minutes of bench time around the quarter breaks, but you just create a huge, much commented on stink if you bench a guy of his caliber down the stretch of games this early int he season. And right now its not as if we really have more proven options to turn to anyway. Best to ride it out and let him shoot his way out of it. If I could be 100% sure of where his head an heart were wouldn't be concerned in the least.

 

[piksi]

Peja was ok during the latter half of the preseason, so I'm not too worried about him turning in these stinkers on a night to night basis. But I will say that he never looked inspired during the preseason (nobody did), so it is still hard to gauge his dedication/passion of this season. Also worry a little bit about the possibility that Peja has been exposed a bit, and teams may be looking at the Bowen/Hassel success and putting together a book on how to bother him.

Somebody else noted that tonight he gets to go against the dreaded Bowen, who has ALWAYS owned him, so its quite possible he'll start the season with two bad games. But you have to keep him on the floor for reasonable minutes at least. Not force 40 if he's sucking. But 30+ rather than humiliate him with an early season benching. Maybe sneak him some extra minutes of bench time around the quarter breaks, but you just create a huge, much commented on stink if you bench a guy of his caliber down the stretch of games this early int he season. And right now its not as if we really have more proven options to turn to anyway. Best to ride it out and let him shoot his way out of it. If I could be 100% sure of where his head an heart were wouldn't be concerned in the least.

we talked about the possibility that we might remember his Dallas preformance as a better one of the two.

 

[Ryle]

Peja was ok during the latter half of the preseason, so I'm not too worried about him turning in these stinkers on a night to night basis. But I will say that he never looked inspired during the preseason (nobody did), so it is still hard to gauge his dedication/passion of this season. Also worry a little bit about the possibility that Peja has been exposed a bit, and teams may be looking at the Bowen/Hassel success and putting together a book on how to bother him.

Somebody else noted that tonight he gets to go against the dreaded Bowen, who has ALWAYS owned him, so its quite possible he'll start the season with two bad games. But you have to keep him on the floor for reasonable minutes at least. Not force 40 if he's sucking. But 30+ rather than humiliate him with an early season benching. Maybe sneak him some extra minutes of bench time around the quarter breaks, but you just create a huge, much commented on stink if you bench a guy of his caliber down the stretch of games this early int he season. And right now its not as if we really have more proven options to turn to anyway. Best to ride it out and let him shoot his way out of it. If I could be 100% sure of where his head an heart were wouldn't be concerned in the least.

Peja needs to set a tone tonight. When Bowen gets up in his face maybe a "glancing blow" with an elbow can let him know he's not going to stand for him pulling, grabbing and basically molesting him all game and all season for that matter. If he plays the same soft style that he always does then I will be thoroughly disappointed.

 

[mcsluggo]

even if peja doesn't deck bowen, he needs to set a tone another way.

If Bowen is going to get physical, peja needs to be sure to NOT shy away from it. FORCE the refs to call something, one way or another. Bowen gets away with grabbing and bumping because 2 things,

1) the refs are hesitant to call fouls EVERY trip down the court, Bowen has gradually pushed up what is defined as a "benign" enough level of contact for him to engage in. If bibby SUDDENLY grabbed as much as bowen, he WOULD get whistled every trip down the court.

2) peja backs down (away) when there is contact, therefore the apparent contact is minimized. If peja just kept going the direction that Bowen is trying to stop him from going when he grabs, either bowen has to let go, or the refs HAVE to make a call, one way or another. Same thing with bumping, if peja hold his ground, and/or bumps back the refs will be forced to call something.

Peja needs to force the refs hand in this regard.

 

[Alacron]

I agree with mcsluggo.
~~

 

[KingKong]

Peja needs to set a tone tonight. When Bowen gets up in his face maybe a "glancing blow" with an elbow can let him know he's not going to stand for him pulling, grabbing and basically molesting him all game and all season for that matter. If he plays the same soft style that he always does then I will be thoroughly disappointed.

Interesting choice of words. But yeah, I agree Peja needs to counter Bowen by being just as dirty when he gets up in Peja's face and then hopefully Bowen will back off a bit.

 

[Ryle]

Interesting choice of words. But yeah, I agree Peja needs to counter Bowen by being just as dirty when he gets up in Peja's face and then hopefully Bowen will back off a bit.

From Dictionary.com

Molest-

1. To disturb, interfere with, or annoy.

 

[KingKong]

"2. To subject to unwanted or improper sexual activity." I suppose I only took the other meaning into account. But hey, i think that could work too.

 

[hoops4kings]

For Pedja to get the open looks, the team needs to set the hard picks. Although he did miss several gimmes in the Dallas game. The team needs to get into a better flow from the GET GO.

 

[C4]

either they're still trying to shake off the rust/cobwebs or they're mentally not ready. winning the next 1 in houston & coming home with a welcome crowd from in ARCO, not to mention post a W, will mean a lot to get them going--get that swagger back.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I was not able to get this game, but having watched Bowen punk Pedja in the past and looking at posts/stats I can asume it was nothing new. While it would be nice to see Pedja swing an elbow (high or not) or even punch a guy that is crossing the line and not getting called for it, I have observed that this is not necessary for Pedja to nuturalize tight coverage. Pedja may not be the best ball handler in the world, but he is not that bad either and he actualy is deceptivly quick (watch his moves with out the ball) in fact this is one of the things I see when I watch him play that amazes me. Pedja moves great cutting and loosing slower forwards to get open and then... stops short and shoots. While this is great when he gets loose and shoots his coustomary 40% from any dam spot on the court he picks, when he does not get loose, he still stops. If he actualy put the ball on the floor and tried to drive on Bowen to the hoop I think he would get to the line a lot and after Bowen picked up a few fouls AND had to watch Pedja's feet instead of his hands, Pedja might get more open looks and get some easier buckets under the hoop. Of course another more likely scenario is to lock him in the training facility with with the entire Lary Bird career on tape and force him to watch the Legand paying close atention to the fade away jumper, eryone knew it was comming and still no defender could do a dam thing about it. In short our "pure shooter" could use a few more ticks in his bag.