Watch Kings Open Practice LIVE on Kings.com
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I was able to go to the Open Practice last night and somehow got to sit on Kings Row One not far from Joe and Gavin Maloof. I thought the Kings played pretty hard, Brockman and Tyreke looked good, but I was a little disappointed in Donte Green's play. He was guard by Desmond Mason a bit and got handled, including a pretty good block that had Donte looking all serious and frustrated, but got Mason laughing. It was interesting being that close.
I too some short video and a few pics located at:
http://castilloproductions.smugmug.com/Sports/kingsopenpractice09
There's a good pic of the hustle in there with Cisco showing intensity trying to steal the ball from Lanny Smith (who had a decent showing). Also a funny video of Cisco telling a kid to try to take the ball away from him and the kid does!
I just created a YouTube account and am trying to upload some of the video there too if that's easier for people to see than my site:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SacKingoftheCastle
I too some short video and a few pics located at:
http://castilloproductions.smugmug.com/Sports/kingsopenpractice09
There's a good pic of the hustle in there with Cisco showing intensity trying to steal the ball from Lanny Smith (who had a decent showing). Also a funny video of Cisco telling a kid to try to take the ball away from him and the kid does!
I just created a YouTube account and am trying to upload some of the video there too if that's easier for people to see than my site:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SacKingoftheCastle
K
Another tribute to a season under Calipari. I was there last night, and for someone who can't shoot he sure looked pretty good from range. And as far as him finishing at the rim, I am not worried about that at all. Him and JT look to have the potential for a deadly pick and roll set in the future.
Brockman is a beast, David Lee with more muscles and attitude. And a sweet little 15-18 foot jumper. He's one of those players were you are glad he is on your side.
Mason still has it, the dude has pogo sticks. Casspi is all energy and hustle, he will get minutes based on this. Donte still has no defined role, he kinda just stood on the wing on offense. He needs to get his head in the game. Beno looked to be ignoring Reke out there for a minute, and he didn't look to be anywhere near as good as Reke already is. Reke had poise and confidence, Beno was kinda scattered. He did do a couple of usual Beno things positively, so he does have a place in the league, but it's as a backup at best.
And Reke can get to the basket at will.
And Martin played defense, he actually blocked a Mays shot.
And Mays had a rough go of it, but I'm feeling dudes instant offense game. There will be times where Westphal puts him in and he goes off for 6-8 straight points causing the other team to call a timeout.
Oh, and Cisco still hasn't met a shot he didn't like. That guy needs to learn to pass the rock more.
Brockman is a beast, David Lee with more muscles and attitude. And a sweet little 15-18 foot jumper. He's one of those players were you are glad he is on your side.
Mason still has it, the dude has pogo sticks. Casspi is all energy and hustle, he will get minutes based on this. Donte still has no defined role, he kinda just stood on the wing on offense. He needs to get his head in the game. Beno looked to be ignoring Reke out there for a minute, and he didn't look to be anywhere near as good as Reke already is. Reke had poise and confidence, Beno was kinda scattered. He did do a couple of usual Beno things positively, so he does have a place in the league, but it's as a backup at best.
And Reke can get to the basket at will.
And Martin played defense, he actually blocked a Mays shot.
And Mays had a rough go of it, but I'm feeling dudes instant offense game. There will be times where Westphal puts him in and he goes off for 6-8 straight points causing the other team to call a timeout.
Oh, and Cisco still hasn't met a shot he didn't like. That guy needs to learn to pass the rock more.
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I agree. There was a play in front of me where Donte was in the right corner. Sergio yelled at him to move to the left side of the floor. He didn't. Then Lanny Smith yelled at him to move. He didn't. Then Sergio did again. Donte looked lost - I almost yelled at him to move to the left. Eventually he did move.
It was an interesting practice. Both teams, black and white played very hard. Just ask Mason, who was knocked flat by Brockman setting a pick. Brockman also hammered JT who was trying to go for a dunk. As I said before. I watched Brockman play a lot in college, and no one wants to be guarded by him. He may lack height, but he more than makes up for it with a bruising, your not going to move me off the block or come in for an easy layup.
I'm curious why Hawes didn't play. Anyone have any info on that. I thought that Evans looked pretty good. The only truely bad pass that I remember was when he got trapped under the basket with no where to go. Other than that, he looked good. He and JT seem to have a little chemistry going on the pick and roll. He shot the ball well from the outside and he can go to the basket at will. I thought that he and JT both did a great job of driving to the basket and kicking out to the open man.
I think JT may have finally arrived. We'll have to see when it starts for real, but he just looked more relaxed and composed than I've seen in the past. His moves looked to be more reflex action than thought. In short, he looked like he belonged and knew what he was doing the whole time.
Casspi didn't do anything that stood out, but its obvious that he knows how to play the game. In that sense, he's already ahead of Greene, who was just there and not much else. Casspi is constantly around the ball and is a pain in the butt defensively to the offensive player. In time, I think he's going to be a solid contributer.
Mason was a pleasant surprise. The dude can still ball. He's a good addition to the team, and when he and Evans are on the floor at the same time, I guarantee you that our three point defense is going to improve dramaticly. Mason may be 32 years old, but he ran around like a 22 year old. He still has great hops. Offensively, he's still not a good outside shooter, but he's one of those guys that always finds a way to get his points. The good thing about Mason is that he knows he's not a great shooter, so he doesn't even try to shoot from out there.
Sergio looked OK. He's not going to dazzle you with his offense, but he's a solid ballhandler and a very good passer. You know what your getting from him. He made one great alleyoop to Brockman that came almost from halfcourt. Beno was, well, Beno. He made a few of those plays that make you almost salivate, and then he disappears again. To me, its almost as though you don't even know he's on the floor, and then he'll make one of his patented drives to the basket with a reverse layup and you think, oh, Beno's in the game.
Ely was Ely. Didn't do anything special, and didn't do anything to hurt the team either. JT looked much bigger than Ely to me when they were matched up against one another, and Ely couldn't do a thing against JT.
I already touched on Greene earlier, and I must say I'm disappointed. He showed me absolutely nothing. His defense at times was OK, but can anyone who watched the game tell me if you thought he had any impact on the game at all. I really expected him to be in there fighting for rebounds and moving without the ball on offense. Didn't happen...
To me, the players that stood out were Evans, Brockman, JT, Mason, Martin, and in a quiet way, May. Honorable mention would go to Casspi, Sergio, Nocioni, and reluctantly, Cisco. Cisco because I guess I just expected more from him. I didn't critique Martin because we all know what he can do. But he did look very good and moved very well. He even made an attempt to play defense, which is a good sign. As a matter of fact, I thought both teams played pretty good defense against one another. Its all meaningless of course in the giant scheme of things. But it was fun to watch, and is a barometer of sorts..
I'm curious why Hawes didn't play. Anyone have any info on that. I thought that Evans looked pretty good. The only truely bad pass that I remember was when he got trapped under the basket with no where to go. Other than that, he looked good. He and JT seem to have a little chemistry going on the pick and roll. He shot the ball well from the outside and he can go to the basket at will. I thought that he and JT both did a great job of driving to the basket and kicking out to the open man.
I think JT may have finally arrived. We'll have to see when it starts for real, but he just looked more relaxed and composed than I've seen in the past. His moves looked to be more reflex action than thought. In short, he looked like he belonged and knew what he was doing the whole time.
Casspi didn't do anything that stood out, but its obvious that he knows how to play the game. In that sense, he's already ahead of Greene, who was just there and not much else. Casspi is constantly around the ball and is a pain in the butt defensively to the offensive player. In time, I think he's going to be a solid contributer.
Mason was a pleasant surprise. The dude can still ball. He's a good addition to the team, and when he and Evans are on the floor at the same time, I guarantee you that our three point defense is going to improve dramaticly. Mason may be 32 years old, but he ran around like a 22 year old. He still has great hops. Offensively, he's still not a good outside shooter, but he's one of those guys that always finds a way to get his points. The good thing about Mason is that he knows he's not a great shooter, so he doesn't even try to shoot from out there.
Sergio looked OK. He's not going to dazzle you with his offense, but he's a solid ballhandler and a very good passer. You know what your getting from him. He made one great alleyoop to Brockman that came almost from halfcourt. Beno was, well, Beno. He made a few of those plays that make you almost salivate, and then he disappears again. To me, its almost as though you don't even know he's on the floor, and then he'll make one of his patented drives to the basket with a reverse layup and you think, oh, Beno's in the game.
Ely was Ely. Didn't do anything special, and didn't do anything to hurt the team either. JT looked much bigger than Ely to me when they were matched up against one another, and Ely couldn't do a thing against JT.
I already touched on Greene earlier, and I must say I'm disappointed. He showed me absolutely nothing. His defense at times was OK, but can anyone who watched the game tell me if you thought he had any impact on the game at all. I really expected him to be in there fighting for rebounds and moving without the ball on offense. Didn't happen...
To me, the players that stood out were Evans, Brockman, JT, Mason, Martin, and in a quiet way, May. Honorable mention would go to Casspi, Sergio, Nocioni, and reluctantly, Cisco. Cisco because I guess I just expected more from him. I didn't critique Martin because we all know what he can do. But he did look very good and moved very well. He even made an attempt to play defense, which is a good sign. As a matter of fact, I thought both teams played pretty good defense against one another. Its all meaningless of course in the giant scheme of things. But it was fun to watch, and is a barometer of sorts..
I understand what youre getting at, but Evans is known to be great at getting to the basket. I dont think his ability to get to the basket can be discredited because he was being guarded by Sergio/Beno.
I LOVE JT's workhorse mentality. He doesnt shy away from contact at all. I think our bigman rotation has alot of potential.
I LOVE JT's workhorse mentality. He doesnt shy away from contact at all. I think our bigman rotation has alot of potential.
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I don't think that there's a point guard in the league that can stop Evans from getting to the basket without help, and that whats going to make him dangerous. I was very surprised by his total unselfishness. He seemed to be looking to pass the ball everytime he had it, and only occasionaly took it to the rim. One play, where his shot didn't go in but showed what a talent he is, was when he drove down the center of the lane with at least three players collapsing on him. He went up with his right hand high in the air, dropped it down and moved it to his left hand and did a reverse flip that just rolled off. There aren't many players in the league that can make that move, and my description of it is very lacking..
Bottom line is that I think the Kings will score a lot more points in the paint this year. Thompson only took the jumper when it was there for him, but mostly scored his points in the paint off pick and rolls with Evans, and his little running jump hook. Most of Brockman's points were in the paint, except for his little elbow jumper, which was very effective. All in all, it looks like the team is improved defensively from last year. I realize thats not saying much, and wouldn't take much. But right now, I'm just happy to see some toughness out there.
Bottom line is that I think the Kings will score a lot more points in the paint this year. Thompson only took the jumper when it was there for him, but mostly scored his points in the paint off pick and rolls with Evans, and his little running jump hook. Most of Brockman's points were in the paint, except for his little elbow jumper, which was very effective. All in all, it looks like the team is improved defensively from last year. I realize thats not saying much, and wouldn't take much. But right now, I'm just happy to see some toughness out there.
I was there last night. They were playing hard. Everybody in the place gasped when Brockman flattened Mason. And I mean flattened like a squashed bug hitting a windshield. But Mason got up and he and Brock exchanged some words and smiles.
Seemed like Jon got an awful lot of rebounds. I felt like he was up there almost every time.He also surprised me on offense. Of course the Kings don't have many big guys to throw at him defensively, but he's got some moves and runs the court well.
BTW, Hawes has a slight ankle sprain, but is expected to practice this week.
Donte was a disappointment. I feel bad for him, but he just seems lost out there. You'd hope to see a little more out of him in his second year. He's still young, but he didn't look good. Westphal has told him there's other options on offense and he wants playing time, he's going to have to earn it with his defense. Wstphal seems to think he could do that. We'll see, I guess.
And Omri already looks better than Donte.
Seemed like Jon got an awful lot of rebounds. I felt like he was up there almost every time.He also surprised me on offense. Of course the Kings don't have many big guys to throw at him defensively, but he's got some moves and runs the court well.
BTW, Hawes has a slight ankle sprain, but is expected to practice this week.
Donte was a disappointment. I feel bad for him, but he just seems lost out there. You'd hope to see a little more out of him in his second year. He's still young, but he didn't look good. Westphal has told him there's other options on offense and he wants playing time, he's going to have to earn it with his defense. Wstphal seems to think he could do that. We'll see, I guess.
And Omri already looks better than Donte.
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I heard NBA teams this season will only be able carry absolute max 13 players on their respective rosters - not up to 15 as in the past. That could mean Donte will be odd man out and top Kings roster player from last year to be shipped out to "The Biggest Little City in the World" for this season. No question, he's still an NBA project in many ways and needs a ton of work to improve his overall game.
Thanks for my daily dose of giggling, Capt.!
And thanks, guys, for this thread... I joined the stream last night halfway through...
A bit behind the rest of the thread, obviously, but the biggest surprise for me was Brockman - not just for what he showed during practice, but because he probably had the biggest (positive) gap between what I expected him to do and what he actually did, unlike, let's say, Donte.
Omri didn't stand out much, but did what he should do, and at that point, learning-wise, he's got the longest way to go, being young, a rookie and from Europe. It's a huge adjustment.
And thanks, guys, for this thread... I joined the stream last night halfway through...
A bit behind the rest of the thread, obviously, but the biggest surprise for me was Brockman - not just for what he showed during practice, but because he probably had the biggest (positive) gap between what I expected him to do and what he actually did, unlike, let's say, Donte.
Omri didn't stand out much, but did what he should do, and at that point, learning-wise, he's got the longest way to go, being young, a rookie and from Europe. It's a huge adjustment.
That sounds dubious. I believe that the 15-man roster limit is a part of the CBA, so the league couldn't just unilaterally change it. Did you hear this from a reputable source?
I expect that this year's roster situation will be the same as last: 15-man maximum roster, 13-man minimum roster, 12-man active roster (can be changed on a day-to-day basis).
If you look at the Kings, we've given out 13 guaranteed contracts already:
Evans, Udrih, Rodriguez, Martin, Garcia, Nocioni, Greene, Casspi, Thompson, May, Brockman, Thomas, Hawes. With money as tight as it is, we wouldn't have signed Mason to a non-guaranteed contract if it meant we'd have to cut somebody we'd already guaranteed to keep him.
I expect that this year's roster situation will be the same as last: 15-man maximum roster, 13-man minimum roster, 12-man active roster (can be changed on a day-to-day basis).
If you look at the Kings, we've given out 13 guaranteed contracts already:
Evans, Udrih, Rodriguez, Martin, Garcia, Nocioni, Greene, Casspi, Thompson, May, Brockman, Thomas, Hawes. With money as tight as it is, we wouldn't have signed Mason to a non-guaranteed contract if it meant we'd have to cut somebody we'd already guaranteed to keep him.
Although the CBA calls for a minimum of 13 players on the roster, there is also a provision which states if the league average falls below 14, the league is required to pay the players association a penalty.
Peaches is a shill for the KIngs. He trys to put a positive spin on everything Kings related. So, to justify why they aren't spending the cap space they still have, he's trying to convince everybody that all the teams are limiting their roster. It's just not true.
If the league doesn't average 14 players per team, they'll end up paying the penalty which is the same as having 14 players under contract anyways. The teams would be better off just signing a undrafted fa and pay him the minimum. At least they'd have a future prospect and another practice player.
Peaches is a shill for the KIngs. He trys to put a positive spin on everything Kings related. So, to justify why they aren't spending the cap space they still have, he's trying to convince everybody that all the teams are limiting their roster. It's just not true.
If the league doesn't average 14 players per team, they'll end up paying the penalty which is the same as having 14 players under contract anyways. The teams would be better off just signing a undrafted fa and pay him the minimum. At least they'd have a future prospect and another practice player.
K
I'm surprised no one has gone off on a tangent about Cisco, so allow me! I was utterly sick of his crap last season, his lack of good decision making and his insistence upon chucking up shots when there is still time on the shot clock and better options might open up.
His penchant for driving into the lane after passing up an open 15-18 footer, then getting a charge call because he was out of control with the drive is disturbing. You would think any half wit would have figured it out after 2-3 times of it happening, but nope, not Cisco, and not even 4 years later.
I think the major reason why I didn't like Theus as the coach was because of his man-love for Garcia, when it was obvious Cisco just wasn't getting it. When Cisco has good games he is GOOD, but more often than not there aren't many of those because he inevitably does something to show just how dumb a player he is with the ball in his hands.
During the practice, it seemed 90% of the time when Evans had the ball and was running the offense, the offense was poised, not rushed, under control, and it seemed that a lot of options were explored. When Cisco initiated, it gave the appearance of a frenetic, out of control offense that did not exhibit the patience of finding a high percentage look or open cutter to the basket, very reminiscent of last season and the frustrations that came along with it.
After that practice, I am glad that we have Evans to run the offense. For everyone in the offseason who said that Evans is not a pure point guard, well, you're right. Evans is a scoring point guard, almost in the same mold as Gilbert Arenas. However, what is going to make him succeed at the point position is the CONTROL he exhibits over the offense. His demeanor on the court, his poise, his certainty in what he wants to see happen, and his ability to get where he wants to on the court while enhancing his decision making is going to make watching their offense perform a pleasure.
Cisco and Beno have ran this offense into shambles, and from what I saw Saturday night Evans is here to pick up the pieces. He is not going to deliver flashy no-look passes, behind his back and off the shot clock like Nash would. But he will deliver the solid, unspectacular-yet-get-the-job-done pass that will lead to a basket, or the pass that leads to an assist due to throwing the defense off balance.
Thank the Maker we no longer have Cisco and Beno as our main offense initiators. Our offense was stagnant, unpredictable and unreliable. A new era is dawning. It's a good thing.
His penchant for driving into the lane after passing up an open 15-18 footer, then getting a charge call because he was out of control with the drive is disturbing. You would think any half wit would have figured it out after 2-3 times of it happening, but nope, not Cisco, and not even 4 years later.
I think the major reason why I didn't like Theus as the coach was because of his man-love for Garcia, when it was obvious Cisco just wasn't getting it. When Cisco has good games he is GOOD, but more often than not there aren't many of those because he inevitably does something to show just how dumb a player he is with the ball in his hands.
During the practice, it seemed 90% of the time when Evans had the ball and was running the offense, the offense was poised, not rushed, under control, and it seemed that a lot of options were explored. When Cisco initiated, it gave the appearance of a frenetic, out of control offense that did not exhibit the patience of finding a high percentage look or open cutter to the basket, very reminiscent of last season and the frustrations that came along with it.
After that practice, I am glad that we have Evans to run the offense. For everyone in the offseason who said that Evans is not a pure point guard, well, you're right. Evans is a scoring point guard, almost in the same mold as Gilbert Arenas. However, what is going to make him succeed at the point position is the CONTROL he exhibits over the offense. His demeanor on the court, his poise, his certainty in what he wants to see happen, and his ability to get where he wants to on the court while enhancing his decision making is going to make watching their offense perform a pleasure.
Cisco and Beno have ran this offense into shambles, and from what I saw Saturday night Evans is here to pick up the pieces. He is not going to deliver flashy no-look passes, behind his back and off the shot clock like Nash would. But he will deliver the solid, unspectacular-yet-get-the-job-done pass that will lead to a basket, or the pass that leads to an assist due to throwing the defense off balance.
Thank the Maker we no longer have Cisco and Beno as our main offense initiators. Our offense was stagnant, unpredictable and unreliable. A new era is dawning. It's a good thing.