Why Isn't Sasha Playing?

K

Kraft

Prospect
#185
#185
Sasha has been listed as questionable for quite some time now and I saw he is actively participating in practices. My guess is he will play on Wednesday against Detroit.

Hopefully he won't be traded by then, he performed really well before the injury and can provide that offensive boost from the bench when Lyles and Monk are struggling
 
I

ick300

Starter
#186
#186
Kraft said:
Sasha has been listed as questionable for quite some time now and I saw he is actively participating in practices. My guess is he will play on Wednesday against Detroit.

Hopefully he won't be traded by then, he performed really well before the injury and can provide that offensive boost from the bench when Lyles and Monk are struggling
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Or he will finally be available but will not play after all :)
Honestly i did not understand why they listed him questionable since Dallas game , when he actually missed the whole trip ...
And the first predictions were to miss them all
 
K

Kraft

Prospect
#188
#188
ick300 said:
Or he will finally be available but will not play after all :)
Honestly i did not understand why they listed him questionable since Dallas game , when he actually missed the whole trip ...
And the first predictions were to miss them all
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Well, 3 points and 1 rebound in 5 minutes on a +4 is still something ;) Coach Brown once again forgot about him after the second quarter
 
I

ick300

Starter
#189
#189
Kraft said:
Well, 3 points and 1 rebound in 5 minutes on a +4 is still something ;) Coach Brown once again forgot about him after the second quarter
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As i said to a friend of mine - ''do you call this playing at all'' :)
but well ... That is what Coach gives him , so he has to work on that ...
Hopefully he will be still a King in 10 hours and we will see more of him in the last 32 regular season games ...
i have my vision , but i am a salesman not NBA coach of the year so ... :)
 
megapoxy

megapoxy

Bench
#190
#190
So both Kings forward were awful in the offense, Murray had foul trouble throughout the match and yet didn't appear in the 4th however Coach Brown thought that this didn't mean that Sasha needed to play in the 2nd half perhaps because he considers him a liability in the defensive part, but if defense were the big issue why didn't Kessler step on the floor at all? Instead he chose Lyles that was hitting his threes for one more match but it took him quite a while before he was able to get his first rebound in the game, took the first offensive as well, the one leading to that Sabonis 3 pointer at the end of 3rd. Not to mention Ellis again not entering the floor that could help also in the defensive part. Same story with Len... but it seems that when Kings looked to have the whole momentum at the end of 3rd quarter, Brown chose to stick to the players that were on the court (sans Murray) but it was proven to be a bad decision at the end.
Will Sasha get the chance to play more in the upcoming tough schedule against much stronger teams that follows? I don't think so, unless there are some big changes in the team's rotation with potential trades coming the next 10 hours, which I also doubt it will happen.
 
I

ick300

Starter
#191
#191
megapoxy said:
So both Kings forward were awful in the offense, Murray had foul trouble throughout the match and yet didn't appear in the 4th however Coach Brown thought that this didn't mean that Sasha needed to play in the 2nd half perhaps because he considers him a liability in the defensive part, but if defense were the big issue why didn't Kessler step on the floor at all? Instead he chose Lyles that was hitting his threes for one more match but it took him quite a while before he was able to get his first rebound in the game, took the first offensive as well, the one leading to that Sabonis 3 pointer at the end of 3rd. Not to mention Ellis again not entering the floor that could help also in the defensive part. Same story with Len... but it seems that when Kings looked to have the whole momentum at the end of 3rd quarter, Brown chose to stick to the players that were on the court (sans Murray) but it was proven to be a bad decision at the end.
Will Sasha get the chance to play more in the upcoming tough schedule against much stronger teams that follows? I don't think so, unless there are some big changes in the team's rotation with potential trades coming the next 10 hours, which I also doubt it will happen.
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The most common opinion around this forum was that he was going to play more after the trades are done ... (in case he is still a King of course)
IF he is going to get 5-8 minutes till the end of the year - better get out of here , he is 28 already and depsite the opinion of 4/5 members here much better player then those crapy 5 minutes per game which aren't in one entering (most of the time )
Yes he is not Fox/Domas for 40sh minute per game , but there is nothing but experience in which Lyles is a better player (and i can argue with whoever wants about it) ... So 22/25 agianst 4/5 is funny (for me)
 
K

Kraft

Prospect
#192
#192
Again, I would argue that one of the major weaknesses of this team is the lack of "winner mentality". Sabonis is still carrying the team on his back, but even he does not hold others accountable for their actions, as a true leader would do. Monk was the "hype man" from the bench but the Milwaukee game kinda broke him.

Sasha on the other hand has a lot of experience, played in finals (something taht Fox, Domas or Lyles or whoever have not yet experienced) and has dealt with the pressure of European basketball crowds, nothing compared to the kiss cams and T-Shirt throwing in the NBA.

He might be still adapting to life in USA, language, even culture and food and seem a bit disengaged, but I am sure that once the coaching staff recognizes him for his personal traits as an individual and leader, he will start getting more and more minutes.

I still believe that the Kings cannot fully understand what kind of asset they got in Vezenkov and it will be a pity if Brown keeps ignoring him and treating him like a rookie...
 
megapoxy

megapoxy

Bench
#193
#193
ick300 said:
The most common opinion around this forum was that he was going to play more after the trades are done ... (in case he is still a King of course)
IF he is going to get 5-8 minutes till the end of the year - better get out of here , he is 28 already and depsite the opinion of 4/5 members here much better player then those crapy 5 minutes per game which aren't in one entering (most of the time )
Yes he is not Fox/Domas for 40sh minute per game , but there is nothing but experience in which Lyles is a better player (and i can argue with whoever wants about it) ... So 22/25 agianst 4/5 is funny (for me)
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Lyles is a better defender, bigger/stronger body (not because of just his height) and can play as "5" in small lineups or defend the opponents' center if needed. In offense his advantage is that his teammates seem to trust him more with those corner 3s, they know his favorite spots and has already a successful season with the Kings behind him.

IMO Sasha is a better shooter, knows better how to "cut inside the paint" is a better rebounder despite not being so big or athletic but only Sabonis seems to be the one looking for him in the offense and sometimes he is not on the court with him. I think they are players of similar value and they should not have this big difference of playing time. Since Sasha didn't play that much when Lyles was absent I don't think it will ever happen.
 
C

Caccia

Starter
#194
#194
Kraft said:
I still believe that the Kings cannot fully understand what kind of asset they got in Vezenkov and it will be a pity if Brown keeps ignoring him and treating him like a rookie...
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I wholeheartedly agree. I would add that cultural differences include things like body language and can easily be misinterpreted. Not only that, but knowing how to use a player with Sasha's abilities can be a challenge for players and coaches, alike. Monk, at least, was looking for him last night.

Seven hours to go until the trade deadline.
 
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T

The_Jamal

Hall of Famer
#196
#196
Kraft said:
Again, I would argue that one of the major weaknesses of this team is the lack of "winner mentality". Sabonis is still carrying the team on his back, but even he does not hold others accountable for their actions, as a true leader would do. Monk was the "hype man" from the bench but the Milwaukee game kinda broke him.

Sasha on the other hand has a lot of experience, played in finals (something taht Fox, Domas or Lyles or whoever have not yet experienced) and has dealt with the pressure of European basketball crowds, nothing compared to the kiss cams and T-Shirt throwing in the NBA.

He might be still adapting to life in USA, language, even culture and food and seem a bit disengaged, but I am sure that once the coaching staff recognizes him for his personal traits as an individual and leader, he will start getting more and more minutes.

I still believe that the Kings cannot fully understand what kind of asset they got in Vezenkov and it will be a pity if Brown keeps ignoring him and treating him like a rookie...
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...he is a rookie. That joined a playoff roster that retained literally all it's playoff core.

Yes, he's a seasoned pro, of course. Doesn't matter, NBA is a different animal entirely. I think he's earned the opportunity for a consistent bench role, but maybe he's not showing it in practice? We don't get to see that.
 
I

ick300

Starter
#198
#198
The_Jamal said:
...he is a rookie. That joined a playoff roster that retained literally all it's playoff core.

Yes, he's a seasoned pro, of course. Doesn't matter, NBA is a different animal entirely. I think he's earned the opportunity for a consistent bench role, but maybe he's not showing it in practice? We don't get to see that.
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A rookie , but only for the NBA ... He has more experience in playoff games then any of the roster at the moment ... And had played more final games then any other in the team will ever play .. .
That must count for something ...
 
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K

Kraft

Prospect
#202
#202
'The Kings announced Tuesday that Vezenkov has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Deuce Mason of NBC Sports California reports."
 
I

ick300

Starter
#204
#204
I was upset that we might not see Vesenkov anymore with the Kings outfit after the trade deadline but never expected it will be because of an injury :(
Total luck of anything for him this season ….
 
I

ick300

Starter
#205
#205
Is there any update of his conditions ? I mean a trustable one ...
The only thing you can find in buglaria is that he will be back in two weeks but this is simple math of the 4 to 6 weeks a month ago ...
I could not find anything at ESPN too
 
Vinny Basketballerino

Vinny Basketballerino

Starter
#206
#206
Capt. Factorial said:
That looks like about 12-20 games. Tough break.
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This has been a tough first year for him and I'm sure it hasn't gone as he had hoped. But, next year he'll come back having learned a lot about the NBA and I'm hoping he takes a big step forward. I also hope our roster gets sorted a bit over the next 6 months so as to create some space for him. I refuse to believe management could have rejected him based on his performance so far. He's been great in his minutes.
 
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