This team needs a lineup change

[jcwkings]

I think the closest resemblance our roster has with another nba team is OKC. While we are not as good as them our core players essentially share similar roles.

Tyreke and Westbrook- Ball Dominant "pg" who love to attack the rim, but suck at shooting.

Harden and Thorntion- Instant offense, both can score from anywhere.

Cousins and Durant- Obviously the most absurd comparison, but once he develops Cousins will be our best player by far imo. He will demand his shots in the low and high post.


Now look at the thunders starting lineup

pg:Westbrook
sg: Sefelosha- wing defender that can spot up
sf: Durant
pf: Ibaka- Utility PF, that can score but is the 3rd option at all times
C: Perkins- Defensive Pf

That is a balanced starting lineup with 2 main options for scoring, sefelosha who can hit the open 3, Ibaka that can hit the open 15 footer and garbage points, and Perkins the guy that does the dirty work.

We have the players that can "emulate" that sort of balance. The problem with our starting lineup is that we have one too many scorers, and nobody can get going because its a play for tyreke, then a play for thornton, then a play for Cousins. A lineup of:

pg:Tyreke
sg: Garcia
sf: Salmons
pf: cousins
c: Hayes

is very balanced imo, you have your 2 main scorers in tyreke and cousins, your spot up shooter that plays good d in garcia, your potential 3rd scorer in Salmons, who provides solid defense, and your dirty work guy in hayes. Then we can have Thornton come in with the 2nd unit guns blazing with Jimmer, Thompson and Hickson. If this team really wants to win and compete this would be the best course of action. Thornton can still get alot of minutes and close games, but imo this lineup would give the kings much better flow, and set the precedent for the 2nd unit to follow.

 

[Sac.1989]

if theres any switch to be made its prob jimmer for thornton but really i doubt it happens. The two are working together to spearhead our offense and seem to be figuring it out. The back end of last year showcased how devestating they can be when paired together as did tonight.

 

[jcwkings]

if theres any switch to be made its prob jimmer for thornton but really i doubt it happens. The two are working together to spearhead our offense and seem to be figuring it out. The back end of last year showcased how devestating they can be when paired together as did tonight.

I just think it will help our 2nd unit have that extra puch, James Harden can start with any team in the NBA, but OKC brings him off the bench because they know it would make their starting lineup inbalanced by starting him. Lamar Odom with the Lakers was the same, theres no shame in being the 6th man, imo the 6th man on a team is the next most important player after your main stars.

 

[TehSwimGuy]

I don't know. As good as Reke is at driving in, scoring points, and the occasional 3 ball, he hasn't show he has near the court vision necessary to be a "PG" role. Just saying that because Westbrook averages 5.2 apg this season, 7.1 career.

 

[TehSwimGuy]

That being said, I don't see any other rotation that makes sense, given our lineup.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Just throwin' this out there, but what would you guys think about trading for Mo Williams? I bet we could throw some youth at the Clippers and they would be up for it considering they traded alot of it away to get Paul.

 

[ParniValjak]

Just throwin' this out there, but what would you guys think about trading for Mo Williams? I bet we could throw some youth at the Clippers and they would be up for it considering they traded alot of it away to get Paul.

Last thing this team needs is another chucker! ROLE players that do not need the ball to be effective. Someone that brings defence and spot up shooting and stays out of the way the rest of the time.

 

[swisshh]

Even if you remove Thornton or Salmons to reduce the amount of guys needing the ball, I'm not convinced the offense has shown any sign of how to work inside/out with a guy like Cousins. Movement off the ball on his post-ups has been non-existant. It's looked better with him at the Princeton high-post, but how well does Reke work without having the ball? He just has his best game of the year in a game the kings abandoned post play.

 

[Tetsujin]

I don't know. As good as Reke is at driving in, scoring points, and the occasional 3 ball, he hasn't show he has near the court vision necessary to be a "PG" role. Just saying that because Westbrook averages 5.2 apg this season, 7.1 career.

To be fair, I could probably pick up a good two or three assists a game if I was passing the ball to the best offensive player in the league every night

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I was a bring Thornton off the bench guy myself but if him and Tyreke keep combining for 50 points like they did tonight, I'll have to rethink that. If they can do that on a semi regular basis this team will be very tough to beat.

 

[Warhawk]

I don't know. As good as Reke is at driving in, scoring points, and the occasional 3 ball, he hasn't show he has near the court vision necessary to be a "PG" role. Just saying that because Westbrook averages 5.2 apg this season, 7.1 career.

Considering Tyreke had something like a 6.9 assist average (if I recall the stats correctly from one of Brick's posts) after the all star break his first year, I think he has it in him. He was injured last year. And with all the changes and lack of an apparent system, this year is a ??? right now.

 

[swisshh]

Tyreke doesn't have it in him. Hell, the Reke as PG experiment has probably hurt his career arc. He just doesn't have the mentality or the vision. He's got great dribble skills, but he doesn't really go anywhere with it. A PG moves with purpose.

If they had been working him towards shooting and off the ball movement, he'd be a deadly off guard with good handles. Instead, he's sort of a guy with no position right now.

 

[R2D2]

This team needs a lineup change

Umm...No... This team needs a change on the sideline.

 

[Kingsguy881]

Umm...No... This team needs a change on the sideline.

/thread

 

[CruzDude]

With or without Cousins the Kings need TIME to gel. Seven new players with six getting minutes, not much training or practice time, compressed schedule, three new coaches, 6 games in 8 days, etc. I'm OK with crude progress so far.

A young bull and a veteran bull were on a hill looking down at a herd of heffers. The young bull said, "Lets run down and get us one!". The veteran bull replied, "lets walk down and have them all." Applies especially well to the youngest team in the NBA and their eager fans.