Tyreke's struggles at the rim...

[Merdiesel]

I can confidently say that one of the biggest disappointments this year for us Kings fans has been Tyreke lack the ability to finish at the rim. The real difference this year as appose to last is his aggressiveness. I know that seems pretty damn obvious but let me explain a little further. So far this season, he has for the most part been able to get past his defender. But the big difference this year has been how he gets it done. Last season, Tyreke would not only get by his defender, he would completely dice his *** up giving him that extra unguarded step or two to the basket. Either hes just not 100% percent healthy still or he doesn't truly trust his ankles just yet.

What do you guys think?..

 

[=LarryLegend=]

I can confidently say that one of the biggest disappointments this year for us Kings fans has been Tyreke lack the ability to finish at the rim. The real difference this year as appose to last is his aggressiveness. I know that seems pretty damn obvious but let me explain a little further. So far this season, he has for the most part been able to get past his defender. But the big difference this year has been how he gets it done. Last season, Tyreke would not only get by his defender, he would completely dice his *** up giving him that extra unguarded step or two to the basket. Either hes just not 100% percent healthy still or he doesn't truly trust his ankles just yet.

What do you guys think?..

I am more worried about his boneheaded plays/tos this year.

 

[est.1999]

Yeah it's weird. Last year he was toying with some players.

 

[Glenn]

He's injured. He's not playing tonight. Plantar fasciitis does not just go away despite the fact he doesn't talk about it. I'm very worried about this.

 

[spudfan]

Tyreke has always had struggles finishing at the rim. It was talked about in college, and we talked about it last year during the games too. He takes lots of off balances/scoop type layups at full speed which probably accounts for most of the misses.

 

[hrdboild]

But the big difference this year has been how he gets it done. Last season, Tyreke would not only get by his defender, he would completely dice his *** up giving him that extra unguarded step or two to the basket. Either hes just not 100% percent healthy still or he doesn't truly trust his ankles just yet.

That's a good observation. Even though he's been finishing better of late, he's not getting to the basket as easy as he was last year. Could be nagging injuries still having an effect. Early on, clearly there was a confidence issue as well but I don't think that's going to be a permanent problem.

Tyreke himself said defenses are playing him differently this year. So where he might have seen man-to-man coverage which he could beat easily last year and the defense was late to rotate, now they're either double teaming him right away or keeping an extra defender in the lane. Also last year he was playing PG next to a bigger guard for about half the season. This year even when he's guarded man-to-man, he's matched up against the opponents best wing-defender. Those guys are longer and quicker and much harder to get around.

There's often a big adjustment period for any player when the scouts figure out that they're going to be the focus of the offense and they start game planning accordingly. Even without the injury issues Tyreke was going to have to play differently this year to have the same success. The summer shooting regimen was a pre-emptive adjustment on Tyreke's part, but that's still a work in progress. His outside shooting has improved, but at the cost of scoring efficiency. He's a marginal three point threat now which he wasn't at all last year. The midrange game is key though.

Overall I'd say he's on track in his development. He struggled through the early part of the year, and the injuries made those struggles worse, but he's since returned to form and he's varying his attack enough to keep the defense guessing a little bit. As the shooting gets better, the lane will open up even more for him. But more significantly, I think, is that the team has to get better before Tyreke will be able to face the kinds of defenses he abused last year. Having another go-to scorer in Cousins is already having an effect and the next step is for our shooters to make more of their shots (or failing that, acquire some better shooters).

 

[rainmaker]

That's a good observation. Even though he's been finishing better of late, he's not getting to the basket as easy as he was last year. Could be nagging injuries still having an effect. Early on, clearly there was a confidence issue as well but I don't think that's going to be a permanent problem.

Tyreke himself said defenses are playing him differently this year. So where he might have seen man-to-man coverage which he could beat easily last year and the defense was late to rotate, now they're either double teaming him right away or keeping an extra defender in the lane. Also last year he was playing PG next to a bigger guard for about half the season. This year even when he's guarded man-to-man, he's matched up against the opponents best wing-defender. Those guys are longer and quicker and much harder to get around.

There's often a big adjustment period for any player when the scouts figure out that they're going to be the focus of the offense and they start game planning accordingly. Even without the injury issues Tyreke was going to have to play differently this year to have the same success. The summer shooting regimen was a pre-emptive adjustment on Tyreke's part, but that's still a work in progress. His outside shooting has improved, but at the cost of scoring efficiency. He's a marginal three point threat now which he wasn't at all last year. The midrange game is key though.

Overall I'd say he's on track in his development. He struggled through the early part of the year, and the injuries made those struggles worse, but he's since returned to form and he's varying his attack enough to keep the defense guessing a little bit. As the shooting gets better, the lane will open up even more for him. But more significantly, I think, is that the team has to get better before Tyreke will be able to face the kinds of defenses he abused last year. Having another go-to scorer in Cousins is already having an effect and the next step is for our shooters to make more of their shots (or failing that, acquire some better shooters).

Good post. Completely agree.

Aside from that, something Tyreke really needs to work on going forward is finishing with his left. The number of left hand finishes Tyreke has had this year I can count on one hand. There are times of course, when the right is the better option. But watch Tyreke attack from the right wing. He'll get by his man, but when help comes, he pulls the ball back to the right, and throws up something wild, or he attempts a reverse, and finishes with the right. The easier play would be a left hand flip from 3-5ft, in front of the rim. Doesn't have that in his arsenal yet though.

 

[x2RedReaper2x]

Tyreke is actually finishing slightly better at the rim than last year, but his attempts have gone down.

last year he was attempting 8.4 shots and converting 5.0 shots per game at 59.3%
this year he is attempting 6.3 shos and making 3.8 at 59.8%

 

[Bricklayer]

Tyreke is actually finishing slightly better at the rim than last year, but his attempts have gone down.

last year he was attempting 8.4 shots and converting 5.0 shots per game at 59.3%
this year he is attempting 6.3 shos and making 3.8 at 59.8%

Glad somebody went over to hoopdata to look that up -- I was not sure I had the time. One thing I would like to know, and I don't think they have broken down there, is the month by month numbers. His overall numbers and percentages have pretty much returned to his levels of last year since the New Year, they were horrid before then. Would be interesting to see if maybe the mix of at the rim attempts in the last 6 weeks was more closely resembling last year as well.

 

[Kingster]

That's a good observation. Even though he's been finishing better of late, he's not getting to the basket as easy as he was last year. Could be nagging injuries still having an effect. Early on, clearly there was a confidence issue as well but I don't think that's going to be a permanent problem.

Tyreke himself said defenses are playing him differently this year. So where he might have seen man-to-man coverage which he could beat easily last year and the defense was late to rotate, now they're either double teaming him right away or keeping an extra defender in the lane. Also last year he was playing PG next to a bigger guard for about half the season. This year even when he's guarded man-to-man, he's matched up against the opponents best wing-defender. Those guys are longer and quicker and much harder to get around.

There's often a big adjustment period for any player when the scouts figure out that they're going to be the focus of the offense and they start game planning accordingly. Even without the injury issues Tyreke was going to have to play differently this year to have the same success. The summer shooting regimen was a pre-emptive adjustment on Tyreke's part, but that's still a work in progress. His outside shooting has improved, but at the cost of scoring efficiency. He's a marginal three point threat now which he wasn't at all last year. The midrange game is key though.

Overall I'd say he's on track in his development. He struggled through the early part of the year, and the injuries made those struggles worse, but he's since returned to form and he's varying his attack enough to keep the defense guessing a little bit. As the shooting gets better, the lane will open up even more for him. But more significantly, I think, is that the team has to get better before Tyreke will be able to face the kinds of defenses he abused last year. Having another go-to scorer in Cousins is already having an effect and the next step is for our shooters to make more of their shots (or failing that, acquire some better shooters).

All good points. And if he could just run a pick and roll life would be a bowl of cherries...

 

[Sac.1989]

He's injured. He's not playing tonight. Plantar fasciitis does not just go away despite the fact he doesn't talk about it. I'm very worried about this.

exactly, this is the issue here which is leading to his struggles at the rim as well as changed defensive schemes run at him

Everyone will continue having a go at him for his play but the fact is without him we would be getting blown off the court without him just like tonight

 

[IfAt1st]

Question to the experts out there -

IF teams are consistently playing a different defense against Tyreke this year (and this explains him being less efficient at penetrating/finishing), then shouldn't the Kings be able to run some plays that take advantage of the defense centering on Tyreke?

Usually in basketball you can't have it both ways - if they are focusing on shutting down Tyreke's drives, who is left open?

 

[kennadog]

Question to the experts out there -

IF teams are consistently playing a different defense against Tyreke this year (and this explains him being less efficient at penetrating/finishing), then shouldn't the Kings be able to run some plays that take advantage of the defense centering on Tyreke?

Usually in basketball you can't have it both ways - if they are focusing on shutting down Tyreke's drives, who is left open?

Too many players that can't seem to make a shot if their life depended on it. We need a real deadeye perimeter shooter.

 

[rainmaker]

Question to the experts out there -

IF teams are consistently playing a different defense against Tyreke this year (and this explains him being less efficient at penetrating/finishing), then shouldn't the Kings be able to run some plays that take advantage of the defense centering on Tyreke?

Usually in basketball you can't have it both ways - if they are focusing on shutting down Tyreke's drives, who is left open?

That's the problem. NBA scouts are very smart. They scout our strengths and weaknesses, and realize if the compact the lane, and sag off our outside shooters, they make life miserable for Tyreke while daring someone to beat us from outside. We don't have the shooters needed to keep the defense honest. We have the worst 3pt shooting team in the NBA. Same idea often deployed against Kobe, Wade, Rose, and a few others. Collapse on them every time they attack the paint, and make the shooters beat you. The difference is all those guys are surrounded by much better shooters.

Look at a talent like Wade, who when Shaq left and their roster was gutted, wasn't able to win. The heat were horrible for a couple years. Part was a Wade injury. But even when healthy, there was no one to make opposing defenses pay when Wade was getting doubled and tripled every night. Lakers didn't make the playoffs when Shaq went to Miami, and the following year if I remember correctly, were swept in the 1st round by Pho, even with Kobe doing his thing, he had a terrible supporting cast which wouldn't make opposing defenses pay for collapsing on him.

That's also why we're better off the our record indicates. Acquire a couple outside threats, and another ball handler, and things could turn for the better pretty quickly. Much tougher to acquire the guy who demands all the attention, than it is to acquire the supporting cast.

 

[IfAt1st]

That's the problem. NBA scouts are very smart. They scout our strengths and weaknesses, and realize if the compact the lane, and sag off our outside shooters, they make life miserable for Tyreke while daring someone to beat us from outside. We don't have the shooters needed to keep the defense honest.

This is easy to agree with - IN THEORY.

I would think that's what would happen when/if defenses are stacking the paint against Tyreke -

the problem is - how many kicked-out wide-open 3's do you see the Kings miss a night?
Compared to other teams - NOT MANY.
Every game I can remember seeing this year, the other team has more wide-open 3s than the Kings do.

In theory, the answer to my question was perfectly answered by you guys -
but in reality (what I see during Kings games) I see little evidence to support you guys' reasonable explanations.