Start Cisco at PG

I actually wouldn't have a problem with this, except that if we do start Cisco we have NO energy coming off the bench at all. Of course, that might not be a problem tonight anyway, since I fully expect the Mavericks to take out all their frustrations from their loss to Atlanta on our hapless squad.
 
Interesting roster experimentations is all we'll have this year to keep us tuning in. I'm actually for putting Cisco at PF. Isn't he our second best rebounder (or best?). lol it is going to be a "different" kind of year isn't it?
 
Beno Udrih will probably be the Kings starting PG very soon - and Kings fans may be pleasantly surprised. I think Greene may start until then, but in his two starts he's only gotten about 15 mins each time. Obviously it's PG by committee more or less until Bibby returns. I agree with VF21 that Cisco brings tremendous energy off the bench and if he's at the point at the end of the game, that's usually better than at the start.
 
The problem right now is that we don't have energy to start the game. Put him in there at the point and see what happens. Greene has run his course for the time being. Greene could be a good part of the team if we could get out and run, but you got to board for that and we can't. Greene could be a nice part if surrounded by scorers, but he's not. Start Cisco or Douby right now.

Something that would really help this team is the ability for guys to knock down the 3's in a consistent fashion. NBA basketball is spotting up guys along the 3 point line and moving the ball until you find the open 3.
 
this would be a good idea if artest was playing... then we would have salmons coming off the bench with douby and our back up horrible bigs...
 
I'm fine with Garcia starting at PG, but not because I think he's good as a PG, Salmons or Miller are better at distributing the ball. I like him as PG because we only have 5 guys in uniform who have been playing well at all, and he's one of them. If we give most of the minutes to Garcia, Martin, Salmons, Miller and Watkins, with Douby and Moore coming off the bench, we may lack energy late in the game, but at least we shouldn't have lost before halftime. And not losing before halftime is as much as we can aspire to right now, I think.
 
Everything that is going on is actually starting to sound funny, we have literally gone from title contenders to the worst team in the league in 3 years, that's impressive if you think about it...maybe Petrie is the great one after all. We seriously do not have enough talent to even be considered an NBA team. We're debating as to who should start and come off the bench without throwing off that delicate balance. Well when you only have 2 to 3 players who are even NBA caliber we don't have that luxury.

Greene is an average defender, can't score, can't create, can't even pass that well. Douby can score but he can't create at all, our offense comes to a stand still when he runs the point. Cisco would actually be the best option at this point, remember that he was Bibby's back-up when Adelman was coach. Cisco can score, defend, and is actually a very impressive creater when he dedicates himself to that.
 
Thats it! Play Miller at PG. He's likely to get the same boards anyway. If Salmons is at SF, then he simply brings the ball up but from there miller takes over. And we've got enough bigs to play the C anyway
 
A lot of Kings observers and fans have been relentlessly criticial of Mike Bibby and to a lesser degree Ron Artest for their flaws (Bibby- defense, decline in shooting, lack of playmaking, etc; Artest - overshooting, defensive slippage, off court garbage, etc) ...if the first two games and the next 5 before Artest returns make among other things apparent, it is that these guys deserve their due for at least making us mildly competitive, as opposed to what we have witnessed so far--- complete ineptitude and a roster void of meaningful talent, a frontcourt in disarray, and a team frightening to watch on both ends.

WITH Bibby and Artest, and when they return, we are still a BAD team, the rebounding and team chemistry and team depth is poor, but without these guys we cannot compete. I said before the season started a 2-18 record in the first 20 games was forseeable. I stick by that, no matter how much inner fortitude and determination and competitve spirit the guys on the floor can muster, there is no substitute for talent. Also add in the fact the word will spread around the league fast that the Kings are the perfect opponent to cure your ills. The scouting report will read jump on them fast, and exploit their laundry list of talent deficiencies, and 4th quarter will be garbage time and a time for sideline frivolity.

I do feel bad for Reggie, though, he didn't sign up for this.

And as is the nature of sports, when all hope seems lost, when the game seems over before it starts, watch us go out tonight and win by three :D (Nowitski ankle injury plus Josh Howard ejection required.)
 
Right now, Cisco should get a lot of minutes at pg. Douby should too. The minutes should be determined by the matchups the team faces each night.
 
I think our starting line-up when Ron Artest comes back should be:

C: Daryl Watkins
PF: Ron Artest
SF: Francisco Garcia
SG: Kevin Martin
PG: John Salmons.
 
I'll have no problem at all if Reggie keeps allocating starting slots and major minutes to the guys showing the heart and hustle. I pray with all my heart he DOESN'T establish a "cast in stone" starting lineup.
 
I'll have no problem at all if Reggie keeps allocating starting slots and major minutes to the guys showing the heart and hustle. I pray with all my heart he DOESN'T establish a "cast in stone" starting lineup.

I heard Reggie say on one of his MANY recent interviews that the starting line-up and minutes was not about "who you are" or "what you've done in the past," but "what's in the best interest of THE TEAM." He emphasized over-and-over that "minutes" will be dictated by him as rewards and punishment (not his exact words) based on individual production. I don't know if everyone knows, but Coach Theus has been extremely accessible to the local sports media compared to many Kings previous head coaches. He's not only interviewed before each game on Sports 1140 (like previous coaches) but quite often heard live during various other times such as on the weekday afternoon Napear/Lamb show, etc. Quite refreshing and hopefully he gets his first NBA head coach victory SOON!
 
He's gonna get his first victory on Tuesday, PurpleHaze. I saw him win his first game in Arco as a player so I think it's only appropriate I be there to see him win his first game in Arco as the Kings' head coach.

:)
 
I think our starting line-up when Ron Artest comes back should be:

C: Daryl Watkins
PF: Ron Artest
SF: Francisco Garcia
SG: Kevin Martin
PG: John Salmons.
And back to small ball we go... No thanks. Once Ron is back (depending on what Udrich brings) I could go for starting Watkings or more reasonably giving him BIG min behind SAR, at the 4 but NOT the 5... we need size AND for better or worse Brad DOES streach the interior D as bigs have to come out to gaurd him. If Garcia or better yet Salmons get the nod at the PG fine... but we also need one of them comming in from the bench.
 
Another thought...

Ron will be back on the 14th. Hawes is working out, and is supposed to be back in "mid-November." Assuming that "mid-November" means the 15th, that means one game with Ron but no Spencer. Hawes is not very compatible with smallball. So do we completely reorganize the game plan around smallball just for the sake of a game or two? Or are we trading Hawes?

On top of what we have and would be unable to use, there's also the matter of not having what we'd need. Smallball requires tons of ball movement, so successful smallball teams can boast speedy, pass-first combos like Nash/Barbosa, or Davis/Ellis at the point. We have nothing like that, nor are we likely to get there soon (unless, maybe, we're trading Hawes). We don't even have a candidate for the Barbosa/Ellis role this year, let alone a Nash/Davis for him to back up.

But if we blow up the team and do rebuild around smallball, Artest wouldn't be around to see it finished. And meanwhile, all we'd have would be bad smallball, like what Muss played against Nellie last year, a game I wish I could forget.

I can see giving Artest some minutes at PF, on nights when the match up works. I can't see doing anything more than that.

Justin should be back at around the same time, how about we let Miller/Hawes play PF, and Williams/Watkins play C? Or some variation on that? It's not a great front for the team, but it's twice as good as what we have now, doesn't require a rebuild, and it develops for the future. Fans might even enjoy watching if, half the time, John Salmons and Ron Artest were the oldest Kings in the game.
 
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Its a shame that Mike Conley Jr. is rotting on the Memphis bench since they have ten point guards on their roster.

He would have been easily starting right now and quite possible be breaking out.
 
Its a shame that Mike Conley Jr. is rotting on the Memphis bench since they have ten point guards on their roster.

He would have been easily starting right now and quite possible be breaking out.

I had the same thought. Same thing with Houston -- they have like three or four serviceable point guards on their roster and we can't find one.
 
Yep. If we could pick up Luther Head, it would be banner headlines here. In Houston, he's not even averaging 8 minutes a game. What a waste.
 
Yep. If we could pick up Luther Head, it would be banner headlines here. In Houston, he's not even averaging 8 minutes a game. What a waste.


I would like Luther (especially because he was a member of Illinois' banner year), but he is just not a PG. We don't need another SG.
 
He is a combo guard, rather than a pure PG, to be sure. But when they do play him at PG he does pretty well. He's played 23 minutes so far this season, and has gotten 8 assists and 1 TO. I'd gladly accept numbers like that from any Kings PG.

He may not be the very best example, but at least I didn't suggest Alston. :p
 
He is a combo guard, rather than a pure PG, to be sure. But when they do play him at PG he does pretty well. He's played 23 minutes so far this season, and has gotten 8 assists and 1 TO. I'd gladly accept numbers like that from any Kings PG.

He may not be the very best example, but at least I didn't suggest Alston. :p


:D 8 assists in 23 minutes with 1 TO? I'd take that for my back-up PG any day of the week.

BTW - I like Luther Head. Since I am originally from Illinois, and my brother is an alum at U of I, I would gladly take Luther......and especially Deron Williams. :p
 
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