First off this is some stream-of-consciousness sh*t I did right after the game.  If you’re looking for some well thought out, mystical stat-driven masterpiece, I don’t want to waste your time.  This is one dude’s opinion of the game that some people might not have had a chance to see if they didn’t catch the live feed or live in SoCal.  I’ll only comment on the facets of the game that stood out to me the most.

The box score doesn’t really tell the story of this game.  A championship team, without its solid bench player and starting power forward (Luke and Pau), dominated a young Kings team that’s still calibrating its personnel in the preseason.  A lot of their points came off careless turnovers on the Kings’ part.  Seeing Kevin miss 3 free throws in a row was shocking but I’ll discuss that key part of the game later.

Positives

Tyreke kept the game somewhat competitive.  He was paid the ultimate compliment when Kobe opted to guard him for more than half the time they were on the court together.  Being the only starter with a positive +/- ratio in this loss is pretty impressive.  It shows just how much he affects the game at both ends.  I didn't really mind him jacking up 18 shots since no one else seemed to really demand the ball or make their open shots.  Some of Tyreke's missed shots were impressive drives to the basket that ended in missed layups in a sea of bigs crowding the paint.  Let’s hope he stays healthy and leads the Kings to win at least 25 games.

It’s just one preseason game but Omri Casspi’s -20 +/- ratio is misleading. I admit his defense isn't stellar but he did seem to make use of any advantage he had on offense.  His cuts to basket were at the right time and at precise angles.  If anyone paid close attention to how he handled his defensive assignments please chime in.  His passing was more than adequate for a rookie in his first few NBA games. Casspi looks ahead of anybody's preseason performance projections.  Omri looks like he belongs in the rotation.

Sergio having positive +/- stats is very encouraging.  No one can deny his court vision.  I was really geeked to see him drive and kick more than a few times.  He would have had 2 or 3 more assists if his open teammates made their open shots.  I wouldn’t mind seeing him get Jose Barea minutes (about 18 to 20 minutes a game) to give our rookie point guard a break.

JT was an effin’ gladiator tonight.  I would love to see his stats if he was on the Suns or the Knicks.  His put backs and tip-ins were pure hustle and heart.  I cannot say enough about the play of our battling sophomore.  He was overmatched at times but I loved seeing his hard fouls on the Lakers’ bigs to send a message.

Negatives

Beno can make you take crazy pills.  In one game we got to witness the two sides of Beno that we have praised and loathed over the past two seasons.  As someone said in the threads, it appears he can be pretty effective in a back up role.  A lot of his errors seem to come from a lack of confidence.  There’s really no excuse for any player to dribble carelessly into a crowd in the paint.  I think he’s good enough to give Tyreke a breather in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but I don’t want to see him on the floor closing any games.  I’m really split when it comes to him and Sergio Rodriguez.

Spencer Hawes had a few 3s but I could really care less about that.  We know he has 22-foot range but can he score 3 feet from the basket?  So far it doesn't look like it, but the first few weeks of the regular season will hopefully show an improved Spencer Hawes.  I'd like to say he's improved over the summer, but his footwork and post moves still looked a little awkward and slow in this game. 

As far as his defense goes, the only time Hawes seemed to be effective against Bynum was in the 4th quarter.  You can argue that Bynum's concentration and effort wasn't as strong as it was in the 1st quarter.  Bynum looked winded and he was involved in a 4th quarter line-up that didn't include the triangle prowess of Douche Mamba, Fisher or Odom.  But in the end, Hawes almost had a double-double in a deceptively close loss, so we can forgive him for that missed dunk.  A missed dunk that if it was made, could have brought the bench to its feet and changed the momentum of the whole game.  I just thought I’d throw that out there.  Phil Jackson will tell you, basketball is a game of runs and momentum.

Overall, we knew we had the tiniest of chances of winning this game.  The first unit looked good to great for the majority of the first quarter.  After the half, seeing the Kings battle back from 20 points down, to bring the game within 3 points, deserves nothing but kudos.  Had the starters made at least 85% of their free throws we might have seen a different outcome.

The main difference is seeing a Kings team with a purpose and a growing identity.  The players looked hungry and determined not to embarrass themselves.  If this was last year’s squad the Lakers would have won by 30.  I’m not surprised at the outcome, but I left this game feeling like we’re going to be much better this season, not playoffs better, but better.  We’ve got to be.  Go Kings.