Some Positives Going Forward

[mac]

Well since there are so many negative threads around, I thought I'd start a more positive one, just to remind us what we're supporting, and why we love our team through thick and thin.

We lost the game against the Jazz, but I was quite happy with several things.

1. Good individual play by a few guys. Jimmer is starting to be more consistent and is getting his own confidence back as well.

2. Isaiah Thomas hitting numerous 3s after missing so many in the past few games. Any time our players start hitting their open shots it's a welcome sign for us fans.

3. Playmaking. First time I saw the ball moved for an open shot to end the quarter. Although Tyreke initiated the move too late (perhaps it was simply meant to be a pick and roll for Chuck, but Chuck then saw an open Garcia) it was still much better than seeing our guys go ISO.

4. Chuck Hayes' contribution on the defensive end. He had several good plays and we really need that from him. Here's to hoping he isn't out for too long.

5. In post-game conference, Coach Smart said that he has to start playing guys with better +/-s. I hope this means less Salmons.

6. Hustle. Most of the guys hustled out there. Especially loved Donte diving to the floor.

7. We won a jump ball!

8. JT continues to play well as a role player and looks comfortable working with Cousins and Tyreke.

It's just one game, but for a young team, any step forward is a good thing. Let's hope the team continues to play this way. Even if we keep losing games, at least they are slowly learning and we aren't getting blown out.

 

[Arkitect]

Hayes did a superb job on Milsap. Held him to 2 - 10 shooting and 6 points. Pretty good job on a guy who average 17 ppg. Having him out their definitely helps on the defensive end. This was our first defensive effort that didn't feel like the other team was having a bad shooting night.

 

[Glenn]

I approach every game looking for something. Usually it has to do with Cuz but Isaiah was a surprise, wsn't he? Jimmer was fine in a situation so full of emotion. And Tyreke was just fine. There also semed to be a bit of an offense which shows what Smart can do with a day or two of practice. Cuz was almost a disappontment but didn't he stay out there 36 minutes with 2 fouls and 3 assists. That's a bad day for Cuz on the points and rebounds issue but the rest was fine.

I long ago gave up needing a win to be happy. For awhile I thought JJ was going to be an impact player but not so far. Maybe he needs more time to fit in. I wish he wouldn't shoot and just go after garbage.

 

[Uk kings fan]

Do we have a game tonight or anouther day of practise???

 

[Spok22]

Do we have a game tonight or anouther day of practise???

2 days.
http://www.nba.com/kings/schedule/

 

[ParniValjak]

No doubt we displayed some positives. Tyreke was great. Jimmer was very good from long range but just don't get him to drive amongst the trees. Hayes did some much needed dirty work and set some great screens to free up the players. Thomas was our bench and looks really good when hitting his jumpers. JT and Reke obviously have some nice chemistry going...which is expected since they have played with each other from the start. We are ran running the offence well.

Our SF is still very troublesome for us. Donte shows flashes there but for what ever reason the coach is reluctant to play him there. Cousins struggled a bit but still was productive and was out of foul trouble.

We need to do something with Salmons and Hickson. Maybe my patience is running out but they are just not fitting in so far. Maybe it all clicks but I doubt it.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I just can't do the looking for positives from on or two games things anymore. Too many times i've done that and they've followed it up by losing four or five in a row and showing that the positives were just a fluke. i have no expectations for this team to play well any longer until I see them do it for a prolonged stretch.

 

[jalfa]

My main thing was that they didn't quit after those turnovers and fastbreak points in the beginning of the third. When they keep the effort level up, keep running plays -there were only very few instances of hero play- and feature Salmons less, this team can be really decent. All that on a substandard (for him) night for Cousins.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

My main thing was that they didn't quit after those turnovers and fastbreak points in the beginning of the third. When they keep the effort level up, keep running plays -there were only very few instances of hero play- and feature Salmons less, this team can be really decent. All that on a substandard (for him) night for Cousins.

i've only seen them "quit" a few times this year. I don't think effort has ever been their problem. The problem is simply that 80% of the time they're playing superior competition. To win under those circumstances you almost have to bring your A game and hope the other team brings their B or C game.

 

[jalfa]

i've only seen them "quit" a few times this year. I don't think effort has ever been their problem. The problem is simply that 80% of the time they're playing superior competition. To win under those circumstances you almost have to bring your A game and hope the other team brings their B or C game.

to me, falling behind through turnovers and fastbreak points by the other team and then abandoning the team offense to force 1-on-1 crap (usually resulting in missed shots and more fastbreak opportunities for the other team) is quitting. and that's been happening a lot.

 

[Kingster]

They played like a team throughout the entire game, not just a couple of quarters. They've got to continue to do that and not regress to their previous selfish selves.

 

[pshn80]

i've only seen them "quit" a few times this year. I don't think effort has ever been their problem. The problem is simply that 80% of the time they're playing superior competition. To win under those circumstances you almost have to bring your A game and hope the other team brings their B or C game.

I don't they have quit much either. They have run out of gas - conditioning - and they have become discouraged. They are learning you can't let down for any of those reasons.

I thought about your earlier point that you can't take much heart from one game positives. I think there are some ongoing positeves. Tyreke is playing better, obviously listening to the coach, and getting in better shape. Thompson is proving his reliability, not winning games but playing his game each time - something his teammates find it hard to do. Jimmer is slowly getting better, comfortable on the floor, learning. Cousins hasn't blown his lid. Salmons doesn't get any worse. Thomas shows consistent zest - his spirit and talents seem always in the game. Smart and the team seem comfortable together. Greene and Cisco have been playing, not too productive but wearing off the rust. Not too much in the way of ongoing positives but hopefully it will get better.

 

[Bricklayer]

In the last two weeks (spanning the 7 games since the Dallas disaster) we are averaging 18.6 ast/gm as a team. Tyreke is averaging 6.9 ast/gm over that span. Passsing and ball movement are getting better. 18.6ast/gm isn't high btw, but in this NBA season where shooting percentages and points are down aroung the league, it would put us about 24th -- 1 spot above the Oklahoma City Thunder actually.

 

[The_Jamal]

Jimmer is starting to get that 3pt% where we want it at 38% for the season. His FG% is still atrocious, but his shooting stroke is looking like it's slowly but surely coming back to form.

 

[Bricklayer]

Jimmer is starting to get that 3pt% where we want it at 38% for the season. His FG% is still atrocious, but his shooting stroke is looking like it's slowly but surely coming back to form.

On the catch and shoot.

I think that's really the huge thing here. In the last 5 games he is shooting a high percentage froim 3pt land if he has his feet set or is stepping into a three and Reke or IT hit him with a pass in rhythm. Put all those factors together and he's knocking everything down. The other lesser factor there, and why I quizzed a Jimmer fan aobut this a couple of weeks ago -- Jimmer's spots are up above the key. He's not a natural corner three point shooter yet. He ws the PG in college, brought it up, and his comfort zone is up top, not down in the corner like a wing.

Now every other shot Jimmer takes, mostly off his own dribble, is an adventure. Its become very clear what is working/what he can do right now in the NBA, and what he can't. As soon as he/we figure that out, he could get very efficient playing a role. You like roleplayers to have well defnied strengths, because that's something you can draw up plays for and use. The attempts to use him as a PG early in the season just were too much and essentialy playing him out of position, at least this early in his career. The challenge is going to be what happens whan Thornton returns, because Jimmer has been thriving off ball and taking those passes from our PGs. When Thronton comes back most of the SG minutes will be taken. Our options are probably either to drop him back into a 15min a game reserve role behind Thornton, or to return to that messy and ineffectve Jimmer/IT PG platoon behind Reke where Jimmer will have to be on ball again and not be taking those passes for his threes.

 

[Hadlowe]

On the catch and shoot.

I think that's really the huge thing here. In the last 5 games he is shooting a high percentage froim 3pt land if he has his feet set or is stepping into a three and Reke or IT hit him with a pass in rhythm. Put all those factors together and he's knocking everything down. The other lesser factor there, and why I quizzed a Jimmer fan aobut this a couple of weeks ago -- Jimmer's spots are up above the key. He's not a natural corner three point shooter yet. He ws the PG in college, brought it up, and his comfort zone is up top, not down in the corner like a wing.

Now every other shot Jimmer takes, mostly off his own dribble, is an adventure. Its become very clear what is working/what he can do right now in the NBA, and what he can't. As soon as he/we figure that out, he could get very efficient playing a role. You like roleplayers to have well defnied strengths, because that's something you can draw up plays for and use. The attempts to use him as a PG early in the season just were too much and essentialy playing him out of position, at least this early in his career. The challenge is going to be what happens whan Thornton returns, because Jimmer has been thriving off ball and taking those passes from our PGs. When Thronton comes back most of the SG minutes will be taken. Our options are probably either to drop him back into a 15min a game reserve role behind Thornton, or to return to that messy and ineffectve Jimmer/IT PG platoon behind Reke where Jimmer will have to be on ball again and not be taking those passes for his threes.

I'm thinking a Jeff Hornacek role would be a good place this season. I can see him expanding his game later on to include more ball handling and creating off the dribble, but right now, the spot-up shot is there and the team should play to that strength.

 

['89 Kings Fan]

5. In post-game conference, Coach Smart said that he has to start playing guys with better +/-s. I hope this means less Salmons.

What is odd about this season is how uniform the sucking has been been. If you go to 82games.com (eliminating Honeycutt as an outlier) our win% goes from 20% Fredette to 35.7% Thornton which is not a very large spread.

Also ironically our best offensive player +/- (1.07) is also our worst defensive player (1.22) - Outlaw

Player Net48 Min
Fredette -16.2 48%
Salmons -14.7 55%
Hickson -13.1 45%
Thompson -13 42%
Thomas -12.6 31%
Outlaw -11.8 18%
Cousins -11.6 56%
Evans -10.5 74%
Hayes -9.9 23%
Garcia -8.9 27%
Thornton -8.4 50%
Greene -8.4 24%



The take away here I think, is how much we miss our starting PF and SG and how bad Jimmer has been. Hopefully now that we have thrust him into the JJ Redick role he can contribute and Hayes and Thornton come back and stay healthy. Oh and stop playing Salmons, please.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

5. In post-game conference, Coach Smart said that he has to start playing guys with better +/-s. I hope this means less Salmons.

Smart actually does seem Smart. But it's honestly a little concerning to me that a coach would put much stock in a worthless stat like +/-.

 

[VF21]

Smart actually does seem Smart. But it's honestly a little concerning to me that a coach would put much stock in a worthless stat like +/-.

If it means less time for Salmons, I'll help Smart preach it from the highest rooftop.

 

[The_Jamal]

What is odd about this season is how uniform the sucking has been been. If you go to 82games.com (eliminating Honeycutt as an outlier) our win% goes from 20% Fredette to 35.7% Thornton which is not a very large spread.

Also ironically our best offensive player +/- (1.07) is also our worst defensive player (1.22) - Outlaw

Player Net48 Min
Fredette -16.2 48%
Salmons -14.7 55%
Hickson -13.1 45%
Thompson -13 42%
Thomas -12.6 31%
Outlaw -11.8 18%
Cousins -11.6 56%
Evans -10.5 74%
Hayes -9.9 23%
Garcia -8.9 27%
Thornton -8.4 50%
Greene -8.4 24%



The take away here I think, is how much we miss our starting PF and SG and how bad Jimmer has been. Hopefully now that we have thrust him into the JJ Redick role he can contribute and Hayes and Thornton come back and stay healthy. Oh and stop playing Salmons, please.

+/- might be the most worthless stat in basketball to describe an individual player