.500! Kings Beat Thunder 101-98
by Tom Ziller on Nov 10, 2009 10:36 PM PST
in Recaps
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PrintIt's been awhile since the Kings could be called anything other than awful. Over the past three years, it's been hard to ever call the Kings "plucky" or "feisty" or even "mediocre." The team has just been abjectly bad. Bad with vets, bad with kids. Bad, through and through.
Now, for today, this team is average. Average! Perfectly average! Never, I imagine, has a fan base been so perfectly pleased to be average for a day (or three).
This game in particular had loss written all over it, based on recent history. As in a few recent losses, the Kings failed to execute down the stretch, relying on defense (guh) and opportunistic plays to finish it off. And it worked! Other than the fouls, Sacramento played solid defense in the final few minutes (including the potentially game-tying inbounds play). And the opportunistic plays came -- namely, the Omri Casspi transition dunk and a key team offensive rebound late.
Overall, despite big numbers for Jason Thompson (21 and 14) and Tyreke Evans (20-8-8), the Kings won a slopfest, an ugly 48 minutes of miscues and failed execution. The teams combined for 22 steals; maybe five were earned. Most came from messy ballhandling, dumb passes or ridiculous shot attempts. But as a fan -- a Kings fan -- that definitely doesn't do a thing to dampen the excitement.
This may not last, but I plan on enjoying it in the meantime. Let's go Kings.
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Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
by Aykis16 on Nov 10, 2009 10:44 PM PST reply actions 9 recs
Blazer fan coming over from BEdge.
I love reading this blog, because no matter how good or bad SacTown is doing at the time, I find great passionate NBA fans who are knowlegeable about basketball. :D
Really glad to see Evans performing so well. And very, very glad that you guys handed an L to the OKC “Thunder”. Bennett deserves to burn in hell.
by JordanLeDoux on Nov 11, 2009 12:47 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
+1 regarding Bennett
although, I think he is going to take this hit in his wallet. Seattle was and someday will be again a much more profitable market.
Another Blazers fan
But I’ve always been a closet admirer of the Kings (especially since the Divac, Webber, Christie days) Got to say I really enjoyed watching the Kings gut out a win against the Blunder (Like JLD above I wish nothing but misfortune on that douche Bennett). Evans was pretty impressive for a rookie and reminded me a whole lot of Brandon Roy when he was a rookie … not quite a point guard, but just a very good guard. Thompson looked great, and I’m liking the effort your team seemed to give all night.
ps. Nice to see Ime land on a team and able to make a contribution. He’s certainly not going to be any kind of world beater and he’s lost a step, but he’s smart and tough and will help make your team better defensively.
Best of luck the rest of the season (at least until the Blazers play you).
by nikolokolus on Nov 11, 2009 10:45 PM PST up reply actions
A win is a win is a win
No injuries, close enough to perfect.
Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen.
Got scared a bit when Beno hit the floor.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
I love that comment
It is good to see beno earning the respect of the fans back. It isn’t his fault he was offered that big of contract. I would have signed too…Petrie…if your listening, i’m available.
His play has been solid.
by markdog333 on Nov 11, 2009 7:29 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
He's definitely won his way back into my book
And I was a big Beno detractor last year.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
I was a detractor too
There was so much bad going on last year, it was hard to point a finger at anyone. He was definitely one of the ligthtning rods.
It's too bad he missed that last three
and I’m not sure about that last pass to Casspi. Think he probably should have held thje ball there. Otherwise I thought he did a great job, particularly on D where he kept Westbrook in check and out of the lane for the most part.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 8:44 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Good teams win slopfests with sketchy refs...and this team won one of those tonight.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
Any W
is a thing of beauty.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 10:48 PM PST reply actions
To err is human, to forgive, divine
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 10:51 PM PST up reply actions
i thought snoop dogg said it.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I think you are confusing that with: ".500 ball, fa' shizzle my nizzle"
which was right after he moved to Vermont and married Scooby-Doo and became Snoop Dogg Doo.
by betweentheeyes on Nov 11, 2009 7:22 AM PST up reply actions
Two err is human
Three err is Eugenio Velez.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Nov 10, 2009 10:53 PM PST up reply actions 4 recs
nicely done
Sharlon Schoop - de favoriete Nederlandse honkbalspeler van McCovey Chronicles.
You always have to be one step ahead of your drunk friends
--Daisy Owl
Sheats more likely
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 10:52 PM PST up reply actions
I tried this elsewhere, but this is roomy so I'll try again
I was at this game and have a few thoughts. I haven’t looked at the boxscore or read the recap above, so these are just things that stuck in my cranium just home from the game.
JT – will you please, for the love of all things good, dunk the fucking ball? Could of had 30 points easy if he didn’t try the flip layup from six inches away.
I’m not a fan of Beno dribbling so much. What was the deal with that?
Shawes seemed MIA. Did I miss anything?
Ime did not make too great of an impression.
Did Greene play in the second half? I noticed him in the first…
Casspi seems to really like playing basketball well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone pump their fist after making a technical foul. Much less pumping said fist several times.
Tyreke was quiet in the first quarter and I got a wee bit worried. Silly me.
I think I remember reading some comparisons between Westbrook and Evans. Physically, it isn’t even close. Evans looks like he birthed Westbrook. I admit that last sentence was a slight exaggeration.
All I have for now, maybe more after I see some thing or if something gets knocked loose.
by towndunce on Nov 10, 2009 10:49 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
One more thing...
Westphal was standing directly next to Westbrook (I think) on the inbound play when Durant hit his last three. Dude had to literally run around Westphal to get back into the play. I find this funny.
I agree
JT – will you please, for the love of all things good, dunk the fucking ball?
Go strong young man! (He’ll learn)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 10:52 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Her outfits could be tighter
…and hotter.
If Kayte wants to go national, she needs to work on her improvisational skills. Overall she’s awesome for being new, but she has to create more banter on the fly. Sometimes her questions and comments sound stiff, like she is reciting something she memorized. She needs to be more spontaneous and bring the fun. I think her opinions are pretty solid, though.
And she kicks ass over that chic from last year. I had to mute her.
Agreed on that chick from last year.
I dunno – I really think that Kayte’s so fine that her mistakes are actually kind of cute. Heh. It’s like how you don’t mind that gorgeous chick stumbling over her words when she’s describing why she thinks Star Wars is so cool.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
Hawes had 4 blocks... So he definitely made his presence felt
... Now let me show you why they call me the Velour Fog...
by tomroadrunner on Nov 11, 2009 6:30 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah I really enjoyed the blocks.
I felt like the Kings are getting somewhere when an opposing player gets stuffed. MAybe they will think about it a little bit next time.
He had another on Durant
that the refs called a foul, but it was all ball.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
Like my golf game -
It’s not improving on my good shots – it’s minimizing the carnage on my bad shots. That was the Kings tonight.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Nov 10, 2009 10:49 PM PST reply actions 7 recs
"Minimizing the Carnage"
should be the Kings’ slogan for this year.
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Nov 11, 2009 10:09 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Win Friday
and we can be .556!!!
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
Any win
is a needed boost of confidence. Closing out a game – is HUGE!
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
Did anyone else notice that the refereeing tonight sucked?
Thaey were calling fouls when there weren’t any and not calling them when guys were getting pounded.
Just my impression…
I thought the foul calls were on a timer
it went off and they called the foul on the closest defender
Not really
There were two late calls that I thought were iffy, but it seemed to go both ways so I can’t see much of a complaint.
Durant is great (really)
but he was celebrating a little too early. Still got some things to learn about closing out himself.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
Funny thing is
I felt like he did not have a good game and he still torched us for nearly forty. This may end up the story of his career huge games with his team losing.
Frankly
I think Durant (despite all of his obvious and prodigous talent) is really a chucker at heart. With all of that offensive talent on the Thunder it’s a travesty that he puts up as many shots as he does and doesn’t generate nearly enough assists.
C’est la vie. It was nice to see him chuck away the game.
by nikolokolus on Nov 11, 2009 10:50 PM PST up reply actions
How about them young Kings huh?
We won!!!!!!!! And now I will watch the DVR’d fourth quarter and be back
The future begins now...
Beno was great again
really kept us in it early – thats important!
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
and Noce kept Durant distracted
for a lot of the game. Really pissed in his soup.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:00 PM PST up reply actions
i think Durant wanted to piss in Noc's gatorade
he looked flustered the first half
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Nov 10, 2009 11:02 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
The game made the Top 10 on Sportscenter!
Harden’s buzzerbeater was number 3. Who wants to bet if Kobe had Noci’s 4 point play it would have made the list.
Just get no respect…
Is my banana fluffy enough?
by 27freethrows on Nov 10, 2009 10:58 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I like being under the radar.
MY good fried told me he hoped people felt the kings were the worst team in the league all year and that when we beat them they would openly weep and fire their coaches. I have to admit there is a perverse beauty in his thinking.
I like it
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Stuff
Tied for the #7 playoff seed.
Tied for the 14th best record overall.
2nd longest winning streak in the league.
Yes, it is only 8 games into the season. But cool nonetheless.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
cool
enjoy for a few nights – then back to war. A real fighting team coming in.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:02 PM PST up reply actions
i dont mind winning slopfests
maybe thats just our style, forcing other teams to come down to our level?
sorry, thats not positive really.
my favorite part of the whole game was the stretch when the team was really clicking and Evans was having his way and he was trying to hold back a big grin. Like he was thinking to himself “man, i can really do this, and be really good too.”
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
Great ugly heartfelt natting win
and in a week or so the score will be history but the win will remain. I love this team. The way they are playing compared to last season is almost unthinkable, unimaginable. Everybody is contributing, the chemistry is palpable and they just don’t give up. I’ll say it one more time. Before camp started we all asked: “Is there any place for Beno on this team?” We were so wrong in looking at this as an either or Tyreke or Beno thing. I had no clue about this or about Donté’s resurgence. go Kings1
"I make love to pressure" - Stephen Jackson
Donte was good,
i think he is really starting to feel good about himself.
Donte, if you read this, you have made your mother proud, and we are all proud to have you on our team, and thankful that she got to serve her country
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
Donte
He’s looking like he knows what he needs to do out there and is playing D, getting boards, etc. while also adding a little flash and uptempo action to our game. Love those leakout jams!
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 8:47 AM PST up reply actions
Praise for Westphal, and Durant concedes defeat
From Amick’s Twitter:
RT @WojYahooNBA: No coach getting more out of team than Sac’s Paul Westphal. People scoffed at hire, but winning with no Martin or Garcia.
RT @KevinDurant35: Tough loss to the kings! They are gonna sneak up on teams, watch out for them…good game reke, good game @jtthekid!!
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 11:03 PM PST reply actions
Whats twitter?
(I’m ooold)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:04 PM PST up reply actions
really?
baby boomer? (I’m the last of them)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:05 PM PST up reply actions
My picture was taken about 10 years ago.
by nothingbutnet on Nov 10, 2009 11:06 PM PST up reply actions
I don't know what that means
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:07 PM PST up reply actions
Ohhhh
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:08 PM PST up reply actions
liar
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:08 PM PST up reply actions
Heck, I invented Cave Drawings.
mom didn’t let us play outside the cave.
There's nothing to fear but everything.
LOL!
Good one.
I have to get back to ablancing my checkbook. My wife bought me this new contaption called an abacus. Hopefully it helps spped things up.
by nothingbutnet on Nov 11, 2009 8:13 PM PST up reply actions
Hint
It came after 8 tracks and black-and-white TV.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 11:08 PM PST up reply actions
I was Army during Reagan years
(early ones)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:11 PM PST up reply actions
I missed the birth of MTV in basic
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:12 PM PST up reply actions
Who's Regan?
Isn’t he that handsome young actor?
by nothingbutnet on Nov 10, 2009 11:12 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I actually grew up laughing at the Tom Leher song
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:16 PM PST up reply actions
Actually my great grand daughter set it up for me.
I don’t know how to use those new fangled contraptions
by nothingbutnet on Nov 10, 2009 11:22 PM PST up reply actions
Props to you LTTG
Thanks for serving.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
The Maloofs should have given a couple thousand tickets away to
the Armed forces. The bigger crowd always helps and its a goodwill gesture the day before Veterans day
Bummer,
There has to be groups that we can give tickets to that will use them.
by nothingbutnet on Nov 10, 2009 11:14 PM PST up reply actions
Like us?
I would have gone for free or at a reduced rate. It’s not hard to find your hardcore fan base. Surf the net, find the people who are talking about your team and pass along some freebies. We already spend too much time talking to each other about the Kings, just think if they gave us something for free. We would all become that yapper in line at Safeway and Starbucks that thinks the question “How are you doing today?” was really a question.
No law when it comes to me.
I let you type critics write and I just keep it hood.
That will never change.
I am not kissing no ones ass because I'm in LA. Suck a cock.
-Ron Artest (e-mail exchange with Kyle Slavin)
Gotta air my concern on this one
Can you imagine what would happen to StR if word got out that anyone who joined the blog got free tickets to the games. I’d rather see Unical 76 start up a program like they had for A’s games back in the day…fill up your tank, get a free Kings ticket
by BrooklynFan on Nov 11, 2009 10:00 AM PST up reply actions
is it too early to start discussing how the Kings are gonna beat Houston?
i know the fans @ the Dream Shake are a little more classy than Loud and Obnoxious City
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
Tomorrow
But:
Same kind of fight + better execution will do it.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:15 PM PST up reply actions
Have to stop Ariza
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 10, 2009 11:16 PM PST up reply actions
a non-factor tonight
I wonder if he can keep handling being a ‘go to’ guy? Its a big leap.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 10, 2009 11:18 PM PST up reply actions
I'm not too worried about Ariza
More worried about Brooks. Parker was the only PG that really gave Reke trouble, and Brooks might be even faster.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
He can shoot better too.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Scola I'm not as worried about
Because JT and Spencer are bigger than him. He is a good player though and I wouldn’t be surprised to see 20 and 10.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Brockman and May
I think they will get some burn against Houston so they can bang and bruise with the likes of Landry, Hayes, Scola and David Andersen. Gonna get physical, physical.
Will Battier cover Tyreke? Will Tyreke have trouble with Brooks? Will Donte have a big night?
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 8:57 AM PST up reply actions
Thanks a-hole.
Just wanted I wanted to see- oiled up sweaty dudes wearing nothing but speedos.
No law when it comes to me.
I let you type critics write and I just keep it hood.
That will never change.
I am not kissing no ones ass because I'm in LA. Suck a cock.
-Ron Artest (e-mail exchange with Kyle Slavin)
They don't show up until later in the video
So obviously you must like that sort of thing.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 12:15 PM PST up reply actions
Yea, I'm guessing Rick isn't feeling particularly magnanimous towards his old bosses.
A lonely Kings fan in a sea of gold and purple...
I bet Kayte Christianson is the most knowledgeable sideline reported out there right now. Is her current role considered a seizable demotion from last year? As much as watching Koz be awkward during the pre and post game shows made me feel awkward, I miss watching Kayte.
I wanted to adopt, but all the good looking babies were taken
by joeytothelimit on Nov 10, 2009 11:35 PM PST reply actions
I was thinking that Kayte will go national soon
She is so much better than the goofs they have doing sidelines now
If Lawson could get a few opportunities on ESPN, then Kayte def could
I wanted to adopt, but all the good looking babies were taken
by joeytothelimit on Nov 11, 2009 12:02 AM PST up reply actions
She is an ex-player with a serious demeanor
and is always solid. I think she is excellent, but do not know how much recognition she gets outside our area. I personally like having her around.
Plus she's gorgeous.
That always helps.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
I love this team
What’s not to love, really? Coach Westphal is making me a believer, no doubt.
What I really liked about our wins is that they were all different. Tonight we won an ugly, sloopy ass game. But you know what? Teams need to learn how to win thiese types of games too. Against the Dubs, we had a great all around game and blew them out. Against Utah? We had two great quarters and then we barely hung in here to get the W in their home court. Against the Grizz it was a grind out game that we were able to pull off in OT.
I love that this team is learning HOW to win together. We’ve been saying that we need to develop our yong players for a long time, and I think there’s nobetter way to do that than getting thm use to playing together and learning how to win any type of game together.
I really think we can beat Houston but it’s going to be tough. They play a bit like us, they have a very good coach that has average players playing with a lot of effort and playing the right way. Very excited to see that game.
Great game Kings!! I’m very proud of all these young guys.
The future begins now...
I went to the game:
Kings V. Thunder – Game 8
A Comedy of Two Acts, A Near Tragedy of Two Acts
Cast: the role of Beno was played by two players: The first act will star BeunoBeno, The second, third and Fourth acts will be played by Bad(DribbleDribble)Beno.
The Role of Spencer Hawes will be Played by Nenad Krstic
The Role of Nenad Krstic will be Played by Spencer Hawes
The Role of Near Star will be played by Kevin Durant for the first act
The Role of Scoring Machine will be Played by Kevin Durant for the last Act
The role of Beast will be Played shared by Tyreke Evans and Andres Nocioni
The role of Steady Eddie will be Played by Jason Thompson
In Honor of Sesame Street The roles of The Count will be Played by Omri Casspi, The role of Grover will be played by Donté Green, The role of Gonzo will be played by Jason Thompson, The Role of Oscar the Grouch will be played by Noce, The role of Big Bird will be played by Spencer Hawes, The role of Cookie Monster will be played by Sean May and the role of Animal will be played by Jon Brockman., The roles of Bert and Ernie will be played by Jerry and Grant, and the role of Kermit will be played by Kevin Martin. Statler and Waldorf will be played by Section and BlueJohn, and the role of Snuffleupagaus will be played by PookeyGuru.
*credit for this goes to RiseGuys who had an email that spoke to this
Plot:
It was a Back and Forth see-Saw Battle….
To start at the end, I was behind Durant’s line of sight when he shot. The aim was true the range just a bit off. Very close. Whew!
The Kings could not seem to lose this game but couldn’t seem to outright win either. The Thunder helped by being complacent on both ends of the court. Hustle won the game. It was an inelegant win, sort of like eating sushi with a fork. It works but it just ain’t right..
Beno was the focal point of the offense much too often. So many mistakes by all involved. The Thunder could not capitalize and rely on Durant way too much. He (Durantula) was the reason they stayed in the game and they looked and waited on him to a fault. He was off so the Thunder were off. End of game.
As an aside: I bought my first jersey ever – in memory of my Dad (R.I.P.) who would have loved that Omri Casspi is in the NBA (he was convinced that #44, Pistol Pete was surnamed Merowitz, not Maravich). Got the new all-black version. Can someone tell this kid that all of his charity stripe visits are to shoot technicals?
by betweentheeyes on Nov 10, 2009 11:59 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
Nice - the Casspi Jersey
Thinking about one of those myself.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 8:51 AM PST up reply actions
@Future power rankings
We won. Does our future look brighter now?
There's nothing to fear but everything.
I liked how their defense was pesky and breaking up the rythmn of thier oppoents offense
I definitely underestimated there defense this year. Granted they prob. rank low in a lot of categories I sense their defense heading in the right direction.
Ba-da
Awesome game, and I'll tell you why...
The Kings of last year would NEVER have pulled this one out. It was ugly, gritty, poor-shooting, and they fought through it to outplay everyone’s goddamn Cinderella team of 2010. They shot lights out from 3 point land over the last several games, and that was just not there tonight. It wasn’t happening, but they played excellent defense for the most part and didn’t get discouraged by the tight reffing.
For all you Noc haters out there, I know the guy went off for 37 points, but did you see the way Noc was playing Durant? Nobody else on our team tries that hard on defense, nobody. He’s a competitor, and he’s trying to be a leader out there and I applaud him.
Awesome win. I’d rather watch 20 of these games in a row, than the ups and downs of the old kings, where they’d win one game by 30 points with fancy passing and hot shooting, then lose the next game by 30 because the opponent got too physical and they threw in the towel.
And lastly, props to G.P. Mason was a bust, but how about the return on investment from Udoka. The guy puts in a few quality minutes, solid defense, and costs us next to nothing… boo yeah.
P.S. Sean May, R.I.P.
by Grantnapeareatskittens on Nov 11, 2009 12:14 AM PST reply actions
If the team keeps winning, pressure is on Kevin when he gets back...
I know its a weak comparison that probably is too early to make…but remember that year when we were rolling on all cylinders with CWebb out and then he came back as a starter and threw the chemistry off?
unless...
kevin martin comes off the bench for a more spread-out roster…he would be GREAT off the bench…kind of like a secret weapon…which is not an ordinary weapon..but a heat seeking grenade launcher with night vision scopes.
and don’t forget the return of the only player who played with pure toughness all last year…Cisco Garcia..
One more thing and I've said this before
But it’s so dissapointing that Sacramento is not getting behind this team. Arco looks really empty and it so unfortunate when we are finally putting a good product on the floor that people can’t make an effort to go see these guys bust their asses to get some Ws.
And this may sound harsh but please don’t give me the economy crap. They have $10 tix available for every game and that’s about how much you spend on a dinner or a couple drinks when you go out on the weekends. It’s really upsetting to me because it’s easy to complain about not wanting to fund a new arena (understandable) and criticize the Maloofs all the time, but it is so hard to spend $10 on a ticket to support these young guys. I may be a bit out of line but this is really how I feel.
Sacramento may lose this team and we may not be able to see these guys grow together and become a good team in this league. That’s truly sad.
The future begins now...
by edm7 on Nov 11, 2009 12:23 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Give them some time
Four home games in, I don’t think you can expect Arco to be full…especially with Kevin and Cisco out for an extended length of time.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
A lot of people got turned off by the losing and have stopped paying attention
If you ask them they’ll say “Kings have sucked for a while now” and hardly know anyone on the team.
Hopefully they continue to win, and bring back some of that Arco Thunder.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
This is from an unbiased neautral fan who has an interest in this team because i own Evans and Thompson on 3 fantasy teams. And because of that the Kings have become my 2nd favorite team and my favorite team in the west. You guys have got a franchise cornerstone in Evans who is my early pick for rookie of the year, and Thompson has all star potential. For my sake and yours lets hope tyreke averages 18/6/6 this season and thompson averages 16/10.
Kevin Martin is injured and the team plays better without him, i hope he gets traded for an upgrade at center or if you cant do that, a 2010 draft pick, because the team might just do well enough this year to miss out on a good pick.
Kevin Martin and Cisco should come off the bench when they come back.
Tyreke and Beno Share the PG position to confuse the Defense.
3 will go to Noce.
and the front court with JT and Hawes.
BAM, starting lineup that seems to work REAL WELL.
NEXT
Beno sits down, in comes Martin
Now We got the Tallest BackCourt
and if Donte Greene can prove his growth while these two are injured….then ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the 2009-10 CLONE of the 2008-2009 Portland Trailblazers…
SO MUCH depth in the kings roster. DAILY growth is seen not only in Tyreke…but also in Casspi…and second year, JT..who’s posting up double doubles consecutively in the past 4 games….Spencer Hawes, needs to play more streetball. he’s a big guy. so why doesn’t he dunk? WE’VE SEEN HIM posterize some people. and his presence in defense is rising…but once we can get hawes, to start playing inside, like a dwight howard. then my oh my kings will be back in the top 10 in the west..
500 Baby!!
The Kings are on the come up!
Miguel Cotto will defeat Pacquiao on November 14, 2009! For PUERTO RICO baby..
Everyone is a coach and GM
Martin will not come off the bench – and all will be well.
The team was heading this way before he got hurt, the adversity brought them a little closer faster – but they need his points, his leadership (yes) etc etc etc
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 8:55 AM PST up reply actions
Although
in the past, when martin was coming back from injury and he had to come off the bench, he just scorched people.
by BrooklynFan on Nov 11, 2009 10:07 AM PST up reply actions
Other nice early season stat: Differential -1.6
when was the last time the Kings had a Positive differential? The -1.6 is a tremendous upgrade from last year when the Kings had a large number of games when they were on the wrong side of a blow out.
I really like that we ground out that win, even though we shot like crap from 3!
Up to date:
Offensive Rating: 9th in the league
Defensive Rating: 24th in the league
For comparison, last season:
Offensive Rating: 25th
Defensive Rating: 30th
That’s change I can believe in!
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
and 1
Offensive Rebound %: 5th
Defensive Rebound %: 9th
Turnover %: 5th best
Last season:
Offensive Rebound %: 26th
Defensive Rebound %: 29th
Turnover %: 25th best
Thank you Coach Westphal.
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
by Kfan in Korea on Nov 11, 2009 5:02 AM PST up reply actions
JT Averaging 13.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 19.6 PER. I like it.
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
With 3 assists and a little over a block a game.
Biggest deficiency in his stats at the moment is FG%. He’s missing a lot of gimme buckets he should make. I’m not too worried (He shot almost 50% his rookie year)
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
a LOT of easy buckets
go easy on my blood pressure JT!
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 8:57 AM PST up reply actions
I'm just posting with myself here, but
I just watched the game again, after work. I’m really happy Nocioni got the post game interview. He deserved it and he was excellent both in his defense against Durant and in his interview.
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
Agreed
He said the right things and I think he tried to remove the sting from some of those Argentine newspaper stories by stressing how he likes the team and the way it is playing.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 7:10 AM PST up reply actions
You know...
I can’t remember Noc being featured in a pregame, half-time, or post-game segment before last night. I don’t remember ever really hearing from him much. It was nice.
I only get the highlights...
… but has anyone had more dunks than the Kings these last 3 games? It makes for great watching!
Great win
but did I hear someone mention Kevin Martin off the bench when he returns? Uh, no. He is still our best player and he needs to start. Hawes playing streetball? Not likely.
What I like most about watching this years team is the effort, hustle, selflessness, and camraderie. It is easy to see the vast improvement in how this team is coached by watching the ball movement. They are commited to passing and team basketball which is why I became a Kings fan in the early part of this decade.
Houston is a team the Kings have a good chance to beat and an above .500 team is not something I expected at any point this year.
I wouldn't mind Kevin coming off the bench for a little bit
as in the first few games he’s able to play (That is if this success continues). Kevin doesn’t have a huge ego and he’ll still play really hard. He’ll go back to the Starting lineup anyway.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
If the Kings are still playing really well right before he gets back , , ,
I could see him coming off the bench, but if they hit a rut he’s going straight into the starting line-up. At least that’s my guess.
Ba-da
Exactly what I think.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Tyreke
I know this opinion is going to go against the grain, but he was awful down the stretch other than his free throw shooting.
When Westphal said in the post-game press conference that it was taking too long on some posessions to get into our offense, that was Evans. He pounded the ball way too much and was not passing to open players out of the double team. He got bailed out a couple of times with foul calls, but he was playing out of control at times and seemed to want to be “the man” rather than hitting an open player and getting an assist.
Like I said, this wasn’t a problem the whole game, but right toward the end I was getting pretty frustrated with the kid.
Great win, though. Our guys showed a lot of grit and no quit. And the rookies will learn. Evans will improve his court vision, and Omri will eventually figure out that whole free throw thing.
The draft lottery has reinforced my belief that there are not enough bad words in the English language.
by LeaguePassAddict on Nov 11, 2009 7:21 AM PST reply actions
Coach may have been discussing Evans but he could have as easily been referring to DribbleDribbleBeno
I thought there was a contest on who would hold the ball more – Beno or Evans. Evans forced his own play more, Beno forced team play more – lots of errant passes, the sloppy, sliding, hand waving side to side dribbling that he is wont to do. Too many desperation shots with the clock winding down for both guys. Beno did not have the mid range game (well defended by Westbrook) and it really threw his game off.
It is one fear that if Tyreke picks up bad habits, they may be Beno’s bad habits.
by betweentheeyes on Nov 11, 2009 7:32 AM PST up reply actions
Both of the guys are struggling
with how to get the offense going against a tight defense. Same thing happened down the stretch in Utah, when they tightened up their D. I have faith that PW will work on it though. We can expect to see the same tough D in Houston.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
Westphal's trying to have it both ways
Burn the clock, and still get a quality shot or free throws. It’s not pretty, but it got the job done.
There was one sequence in the last couple of minutes where Tyreke posted up, drew the double, kicked out to Udoka, who kicked to Casspi for the three. It went in and out, and that could have broken their backs if it gone in.
The Thunder are a tough team and a great matchup for us, so you have to give them a lot of credit as well.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 9:05 AM PST up reply actions
Absolutely
They played some great D. People say Evans is going to be a monster once he devlops a jump shot. I don’t even think he needs that to be a monster. Just a little more parctice at when to keep driving and when to dish. Teams HAVE to double team him when he drives and we have planty of good shooters.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
I see Tyreke as much more the creator type though he holds the ball too much
Beno is the guy that tries to be the creator and he just does not have that skill set
by betweentheeyes on Nov 11, 2009 6:59 PM PST up reply actions
I'm betting that is something they haven't spent much time on yet this season.
Going into training camp, “using clock, while still getting a good look, to preserve a lead” probably would’ve been the last thing I would’ve stressed to this team.
It’s a great problem to have. Much better than “how to play hard and minimize the team’s embarrassment during garbage time, when down 20+”.
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
by Kfan in Korea on Nov 11, 2009 2:18 PM PST up reply actions
He wasn't "awful" down the stretch
Unless the only thing you appreciate is the offensive end of the court. He continues to play fine defense for the most part.
I thought Evans was ok initiating the offense, but there were some unusual playcalls down the stretch. I doubt it was Tyreke’s decision to throw the ball to himself in the post multiple times, and if it was, then Westphal should have yanked him. Even with Beno initiating the offense, it was stagnant – whereas earlier in the game the players off the ball were moving quite a bit, the last half of the fourth quarter saw very little of that.
And that’s an area this whole team has to improve on – running your offense effectively down the stretch when the defense starts to tighten up (and especially so in close games). Same thing happened against Atlanta – we were just lucky that Oklahoma City is not Atlanta.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
I agree with LPA
The tendancy is to try to "take over the game’. That a habit that lost us about 10 games last year.
Share the ball! (the other guys will give it back – I promise)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 9:00 AM PST up reply actions
The only problem is
Sometimes we were sharing the ball with the Thunder.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 9:07 AM PST up reply actions
So Tyreke was awful down the stretch?
Again, there are great strides that need to be made by this entire roster in close games, and I think that will come with time. But as bad as their offense was, I was equally impressed with their defense and rebounding down the stretch – well, on everyone short of Kevin Durant. And I thought he was actually defended pretty well, he just caught fire.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
A couple things
I think you have to give a lot of credit to OKC for really clamping down on Beno and Tyreke in the second half. They were defended much better during this time, and the offense faltered because of it. Also, I think the refs were throwing off the flow of the game with all their whistles down the stretch. Threw off the flow for me. Seemed like every possession for about 6 minutes ended in free throws at one point.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
I loved Tyreke's last shot
off the Glasspi. Turned out to be the game winner.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 9:01 AM PST up reply actions
Bottom line: it works and we're winning
Tyreke’s three-yards-and-a-cloud of dust style may not be pretty, but it is pretty effective. Just win, baby.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 9:38 AM PST up reply actions
Reke's 4th Quarter highlight
His late quarter dribble sequence to keep possession was just a thing of beauty.
by BrooklynFan on Nov 11, 2009 10:19 AM PST up reply actions
That's true
and I even had to grin at how The Scarlett Douchebag turned it into a promo for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Reke was in total control in a chaotic situation
by BrooklynFan on Nov 11, 2009 11:32 AM PST up reply actions
Tyreke
It’s just so refreshing to have someone take charge at crunch time for a change, a winner who really wants the ball with the game on the line. That’s a quality that has separated us from the better teams for some time now. They have go-to players, and we didn’t, until now. It’s going to be fun.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 12:20 PM PST up reply actions
Artest wasn't a go to player?
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Not really
He was probably the closest thing the Kings had in his last season, but prior to that Bibby took most of the late-game shots.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 1:13 PM PST up reply actions
I agree
It really warmed my heart to see Reke play in the post. It didn’t really work last night, but you gotta start somewhere.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Thunder not a good "post-up" matchup for Reke
Big long defenders in Sefalosha and Westbrook. Now if Reke can get a switch on Brooks Friday…
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
postives and negatives
First the positives
It has been a long time since I have watched a Kings team and felt like it was a team. It seems they have fun together and may even go out to dinner together. What I like more than anything else is their attitude. I will always remember the San Antonio series with Artest and Bonzi. Those two destroyed the Spurs and almost won the series. Those two played like they did not care if they are the Spurs, we are gonna kick their asses. If a few others on that team had the killer instinct, that series may have ended differently. I am beginning to see some of that attitude with this team.
JT, Spence, Noce, and Evans (and perhaps Omri and Donte a little bit) have that attitude. We don’t care who you are, what you have done, how many rings you have, how many commercials you do, how many times your team is on TNT, and how many hotel clerks you boned in Denver, we are gonna bring it and take you down.
Now for the negatives.
I remember Beno last year always trying to dribble and split two defenders and turning the ball over. I have not seen him do it this year until last night and that move cost us a few times last night.
What is JT’s shooting percentage from 4 feet in?? If only the rim were 3 inches wider.
I would like to see Beno and Evans a little bit more on the same page. You can see the look on Evans’s face at times when Beno takes control and runs the play. I would rather someone who wants the ball like Evans does (and even demands It) then someone who is scared. I remember Bibby a few years ago in a team huddle looking at the rest of the guys and saying “why are you playing scared?”
The team’s execution in the last 5 minutes. Improve this and you may be 5-2 with wins against Atlanta and New Orleans.
They are getting there. It is fun to watch. Looking forward to the rest of the year.
by noreboundsnorings on Nov 11, 2009 7:30 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
good stuff nono -
agree in particular with Beno returning to his form of forcing passes and holding on too long.
I don’t see fear from the guys – not the “what do we do now?” look, no one’s head is down (except Omri when he missed those FTs), and they are not looking to be pass to Kevin for the final shot – a fault they showed at the end of the first few games (it helps he is not in the line up).
Execution down the stretch: you had Evans, JT, Hawes and Casspi in the game near the end. Not alot of NBA experience there, and they stayed pretty cool. They will do fine as the season(s) progresses.
by betweentheeyes on Nov 11, 2009 7:40 AM PST up reply actions
Iagree 100%
that Beno was doing his long dribbing thing way too much last night. But Evans was doing exactly the same thing. For all beno’s bad passes, Evans had one more TO than Beno in six fewer minutes. And almost all of them were from trying to drive into a double or even triple team. It worked a couple of times, but he has to learn to drive and dish like he did against GS or teams like this will just keep closing in on him. And that 5 of 16 was almost completely because of getting himself into situations where he had to chuck up on off-balance shot. Yeah, I know, he’s a rookie and he will improve, but let’s not lay all the sloppy play at Beno’s feet. At times it was like watching a QB stay in the pocket too long ebcause all his receivers were covered. Tough D is hard for our PGs to work with.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
Tough D is hard for anyone's PGs to work with
Props to OKC’s defense. And props to the Kings for winning anyway.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
The other guys stopped making cuts to get open as well
The tendancy is to stand there in a spot and watch the guy with the ball. Casspi moved though and JT threw it over his head (ooops)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 9:05 AM PST up reply actions
Yes,
You can’t drive and kick to anybody if everybody is well covered. With nobody open the best thing to do is just take it to the hoop or get fouled.
PW needs to have some other plays written up for when the D locks down. Double screens and such…
Exactly!
The receivers have to get open for the QB to make the pass. But if they are not open at first, they will be once the QB starts to run. So the key is to have plays set for that, and to force openings by attacking and finishing or dishing. ’Reke will get it.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
Some of that was due to play calling
they ran 3 iso’s for Tyreke out of the left corner. So, the others needed to move out to drag their man away from the basket. But, all three times Tyreke couldn’t get to the rim fast enough to avoid the double team coming from the weak side.
For Beno’s part, he along with JT or Thomas ran some of the worst pick & rolls I’ve seen this year. With Beno getting stripped everytime he tried to split the defenders. And, their defense of the pick & roll is equally bad. Hawes is the only big with the length and foot speed to defend well. Plus he seems to see it coming and reacts sooner.
I hate it when Tyreke runs the iso, because even after he beats his man the defense is waiting for him, and he seldom kicks out. But, he did bounce pass to JT for a dunk and a shovel pass to Hawes for another. I want to see him running past screens and catching the ball on the move going to the basket. That will give the help defense less time to react and crowd the paint.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
by HighTops on Nov 11, 2009 12:56 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
excellent point and recall HighTops
The Kings ran the Evans Iso almost exclusively the last 5 minutes of the game and without variation. Evans was blocked sometimes, converged and to his credit fouled and/or scored sometimes but he passed out of it very little. It got to the point where it was like – they are running that play again?? Why aren’t the trying a different play set. It worked well enough to win against young OKC I can’t see it working against Denver, San Antonio, LAL, etc
rec’d for insight.
by betweentheeyes on Nov 11, 2009 7:05 PM PST up reply actions
Great line
We don’t care who you are, what you have done, how many rings you have, how many commercials you do, how many times your team is on TNT, and how many hotel clerks you boned in Denver, we are gonna bring it and take you down.
Particularly that Kobe reference :)
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 9:09 AM PST up reply actions
I think I found the culprit
Time to turn off all the boldness with a tag
m*****f***ing c***s***ing peanut butter and jelly!! f*** f*** f***!!!
We may have a long way to go
But I’m going to bask in the glow of being .500 for the first time since the Musselman era for a little bit. Never thought I’d be so happy to be average.
Dip til I rip
http://reclaimingthetitle.wordpress.com
Thorpe on Casspi
(kobe) Israel
what do you think about omri casspi?
David Thorpe (12:30 PM)
I think he’ll eventually be the starter there next to Martin and Evans. He’s the shooter Evans needs on the other side of Martin, and he can pass and defend multiple positions.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
WHY IS EVERYTHING BOLDING!
All the font is bold for me in this thread after a certain point. Anybody else getting this?
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Oh snap I fixed it
That wasn’t bold.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
AG! NOW IT IS BOLD!
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
me too
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 10:29 AM PST up reply actions
It's everybody Aykis
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
But I’m not sure it’s going to remain that way.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Nice
we’re 8 games into the season, and the Kings have already won almost 25% of the games they won last year …. great start.
23.5%
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Last season: JT - 17 double-doubles
so far this season: JT – 4 double-doubles.
Coincidence? Yes, but it’s good too.
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
by Kfan in Korea on Nov 11, 2009 2:30 PM PST up reply actions
Wow.
so JT had as many double-doubles as we had wins. This year and last year. 60 more double-doubles JT!
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Casspi and the technical
Not sure about you guys, but Casspi shooting the technical in a tight game was a touching moment. Here is this guy who has not been making his free throws, the game is very tight and every single point will count, and the team or PW let him shoot the technical and he made it. He earned some points there. When I saw him go to the line I was thinking this would be the last guy on the floor I want shooting this free throw. I had thoughts of “Rudy” for a moment. kinda. Thanks for the compliment coolcat. I often wonder how much money that cost Kobe
by noreboundsnorings on Nov 11, 2009 9:59 AM PST reply actions
Beno was the one that let him shoot it.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Loud City didn't even bother with a game recap
Love it. That’s right Loud City with a team name you can’t even pluralize, how does your foot taste covered in our cream puffs?
yeah, you can
the oklahoma city creampuffs!
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Nov 11, 2009 12:59 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Huzzah!
Only 10% into the season and we are already at 25% (+/-) of last years wins. Bring on the Rockets!
Purveyor of Bull Plop
Oops!
Not trying to steal What the Craps thread. Didn’t see the post til just now. Huzzah to What the Crap!
Purveyor of Bull Plop
Good to read some of these comments...
I’m just coming up for air after the release of Call of Duty: MW2. So I didn’t see the game…
But I’m just excited about this team which is refreshing. I can’t wait to see what we get in the K9 trade. I’m the first to admit I’m a homer, but with Reke, Kevin, Cass, JT, and Hawes, I think the right trade could mean big things here in Sactown… Maybe playoffs next year????
Oh, and to “OriginalBallboy”, you stole my Avatar…
I'm a limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing son of a gun!!! Wooooo!!!
by Noble_Bloodlines on Nov 11, 2009 12:27 PM PST reply actions
I think playoff talk next year
Is the real deal
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 1:38 PM PST up reply actions
Playing MW2 right now.
This game is EPIC!
by UCIrvine kings fan on Nov 12, 2009 2:41 AM PST up reply actions
Tyreke jumps to the head of the class
in latest Rookie Rankings. Casspi is No. 7.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 11, 2009 12:37 PM PST reply actions
Oh goody
National respect. A must have for a young franchise.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
What a difference a week makes
Last week, Martin got hurt, the Kings were 1-4 and Noce got busted for a DUI. This week the team is 4-4 and Evans and Casspi are the talk of the rookie rankings. I believe this team will give us many ups and downs this year and hopefully the media and fans will be forgiving of the downs, but that is a lot funner than the boring bad team we have been the past 2 seasons. Two other quick points – 1. Petrie and the Maloofs should get props for their draft picks, Casspi and Evans seem to be the real deal. Indeed, all the guys Petrie focused on – Flynn, Jennings and Holiday – are doing well. Clearly Petrie has not lost his talent spotting touch. 2. Westphall’s attitude and relaxed nature make this team even more fun as the team seems to have the approach of play hard and whatever happens, happens…an excellent approach for a young team.
by CK40 on Nov 11, 2009 1:38 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I disagree with 2 assertions
The first is that the Maloof’s had a hand in Tyreke Evans. They probably had their opinion, and if I had to guess, it was probably Ricky Rubio. The Maloof’s are fans like us, and they don’t necessarily know as much as us necessarily, but they’re still fans. They’re also business people and the idea of Rubio was one that clearly appealed to a portion of the oganization.
Tyreke Evans was clearly about the basketball staff and Paul Westphal. In the end what will get fans interested in the team to go to Arco will be the success on the court. As to whether that player would be Rubio, I do not know. I do not care to be honest. Rubio is playing in Barcelona for the best team in the ACB and has a great chance to improve. If Rubio meets his hype that will be a good thing for wherever he plays. (It’s easy to forget that Rubio just turned 19 about 20 days ago.)
The reality here is that the Kings team weren’t “bad” the last 2 seasons. Last season certainly, but 38 wins is not “bad”. It’s mediocre at best, but that season wasn’t bad. It was a mostly veteran team that had little future beyond sustained mediocrity. And, while it may be fun to say this team is on it’s way, it’s way too early to say that. There are all kinds of things that can derail a NBA team in success, and even successful teams find it difficult to maintain said success year in year out. It’s extremely rare.
At the end of the day, the Maloof’s and Geoff Petrie have made some good decisions—recently—but the decisions are far from over. And, finances will come into play here.
Otherwise CK, I liked your comment. Welcome to StR.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Agreed, although I will add
that 38 wins for a franchise on the way up is a hell of a lot more fun than 38 on the way down. Also, managing a team down well is probably tougher and a hell of a lot more stressful for a front office than managing a team towards being competitive.
There are all kinds of things that can derail a NBA team in success, and even successful teams find it difficult to maintain said success year in year out. It’s extremely rare.
See “Warriors, Golden State”.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
Chicago Bulls are a better example
Golden State has always been super dysfunctional.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I disagee with one of your points.
You said:
And, while it may be fun to say this team is on it’s way, it’s way too early to say that.
I disagree. We have a new coach, new talent, and a new attitude. This team is on the way up. They certainly aren’t on the way down. There really is not much inbetween. You are either going one way or the other…
Three games in the first time in how long? I would say that there is a marked improvement in this team over last year. That counts to me as being on the way up. Not down.
Believe it or not
Three of our 17 last year came in a row
by unfair weather on Nov 11, 2009 3:22 PM PST up reply actions
Not to further rain on the parade...
It was the same exact three games (games 5 through 8)
by unfair weather on Nov 11, 2009 3:29 PM PST up reply actions
Of those 17
2 and 3 were in a row
Crazy
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 8:43 PM PST up reply actions
You mean it wasn't way too early to say that Tyreke Evans failed as a PG
Or that he’s failed as a backcourt mate with Kevin Martin, but the Kings are well on it’s way based on the strength of a lower West playoff team at their place (where the Jazz have lost to the Rockets as well), a dysfunctional, god-awful put together basketball team with nothing going for it in the Warriors, and the Thunder who are young and inconsistent themselves?
Oh yeah, let’s print up the playoff banners already baby!
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
OK now that is too far
If that is what you meant by on its way then I get it. But IMHO I think we can say this team is on the up swing. They are playing way better and are much more likely to be increasingly more successful than last year.
That I think isn’t too far of a stretch.
When this team continues to win games into December
I’ll believe how good they are. Don’t get me wrong about how thrilled i am; I’m beyond thrilled to see this team. But, I’ve seen this before. Too many times in fact. Players have weaknesses, and teams will figure them out. Once those weaknesses are on display for every team, that every team has a perfect scouting report on how to not allow mistakes or this team will beat you, than it’s over.
And the real adjustment will begin.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I can see that...
But we have a coach who knows how to play these guys. I will stay confident and optimistic until I see otherwise. My life is much more pleasant that way. And I don’t think that is really sucking down Kool-Aid. They are winning and I am loving it.
I totally get you. UPSWING is a totally reasonable way to describe this team.
We weren’t winning games like these in the last three months of last season. To see the Kings winning them now, and in convincing fashion, reflects a total change in attitude and execution. All of this spells out “upswing”. And yes, ‘upswing’ means improvement, not 3rd seed in the playoffs.
Being happy about a team winning games should never be misinterpreted as we think they’re championship bound. Jeez.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
you are right
the year before with 38 wins and artest was not that bad…i guess last year was so bad that it felt like 2 seasons. Also, my thoughts on praising the Maloofs was that they actually did not veto or trump petrie and make rubio as the pick. As a fan that did not see evans much and who watched the youtube rubio show a dozen times, I was all for Rubio, and was calling evans another salmons, a dribbler who can score but does not help others. I was clearly wrong, petrie was right…and I hope he continues to be right.
Finally, you are right about the decisions are not over…I have not liked their reluctance to spend, as I thought Lee could have helped us this year. With that said, if we see improvement like we have this year and then the Maloofs again fail to spend anything on free agency to help the team, if obvious help is out there, their decisions will become much more questionable.
i guess last year was so bad that it felt like 2 seasons
I really can’t blame you for that CK. It certainly felt that way to me.
I have not liked their reluctance to spend, as I thought Lee could have helped us this year.
I fail to see how David Lee helps the Kings as he is undersize (like May) but also isn’t anywhere near the defender Spencer Hawes is. Also, the Kings are not struggling on the boards nearly as consistently as they had in the past, and that’s the one area I see D-Lee helping us. Maybe I’m alone in that.
The one Free Agent I find intriguing is Tyrus Thomas. Not a big name on a casual fan list, but Thomas has never really found his niche playing alongside Joakim Noah. I think it could be a great way for the Kings to get a still very young player (Thomas is only 23 years old) that can grow old with the core. If the Kings aren’t lucky enough to get a top 3 pick to take a Derrick Favors (assuming that Favors has a great year and comes out), than you have to consider other options. Thomas may actually be a better player in the long run for the Kings as he is not a mega-star, but he is a very effective shot blocker and rebounder when getting on the court. He has some maturation to do, but Chicago has not exactly shown that they are that interested in TT.
With that said, if we see improvement like we have this year and then the Maloofs again fail to spend anything on free agency to help the team, if obvious help is out there, their decisions will become much more questionable.
That being said, I wonder if TT would even consider Sacramento at this point, and I wonder if the Kings would want to spend any kind of money to get TT into the fold.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Depends on whom you ask
If you think TT is a headcase, you might want to recognize what your definition of that is first.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Clarification
Headcase: prone to irrational behavior, mentally unstable.
Reports on his behavior and how it affects his playing ability range from “he has amazing physical ability but he’s a headcase” to “he has a lot of growing up to do before he can be relied upon when the game is on the line.”
I don’t follow the Bulls so I can’t pass judgment on the guy. I am more interested in your opinion on how his mental struggles would skew the Kings’ FO risk reward equation on TT, i.e. if he is worth getting, then at what price and for how long?
I don't trust the Bulls environment for dealing with their young players
So, whether Tyrus Thomas is a headcase may be Bulls organization propaganda.
I’m not saying break the bank for the guy. 3 year 15 million dollar deal would be something I think the Kings could afford that would give TT all the chance he needed to resurrect his career.
Thomas is long, a freakish athlete (would have better athleticism than any Kings player), and is a pretty good rebounder per minute.
Offensively he has some mid range J skills, and will probably never develop a great low post game.
But if the Kings don’t get the opportunity to pick high in next year’s draft, they will have to look for alternative’s. There aren’t a lot of young big man available, and I certainly wouldn’t be willing to break the bank for TT. But, giving him an opportunity to show hi stuff for a few years is a far better risk, IMO, than signing Sean May to a minimum deal.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
John Salmons v2
contract/career development wise. Makes sense.
Eh. Thomas is 6'10" but he doesn't play very big imo.
He’d probably want too much money to back up JT and I’d rather have us get a shot blocking, wide-bodied 7 footer that can push people around. Also, it’d be nice to get a big man that play with his back to the basket, which is something Thomas does not do. Athletic bigs are nice to have but I’d rather have skilled bigs that can post up.
If we can get Thomas for cheap then I’m all for it, but I doubt it.
Favors is 6-10 but light as well. Have you seen him play or did you read his Draft Express profile? You said yourself you don’t like college b-ball so why would you even mention him? Whatever.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
What's your point?
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
The Economy has Created a Different Dynamic
The Kings won’t be overpaying for players again. Moneyball has hit the NBA and particularly the Maloofs, so the emphasis is on young players and finding cheap diamonds in the rough like Udoka.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on Nov 12, 2009 12:26 AM PST up reply actions
Kings 500 Mentioned on ESPN's PTI today
Kornheiser said he didn’t know any of the coaches or players…total diss
by getPGwithbounce on Nov 11, 2009 5:21 PM PST reply actions
Damnn
Tony Kornheiser doesn’t know who the coaching staff is. Or the playres. Damn. Damn. Damn.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
It is OK
He is just ignorant. I mean really ignorant. You got Evans who is one of the top picks and rookies, Omri who is the first Israeli, and that has been all over the news.
This dude is somebody at ESPN? Figures.
Not if you ask anyone who knows anything about football
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Don't really care to be honest
Why does it have to be such a big deal? Are we not used to this? I get more offended when idots come from other blogs to talk shit. Now THAT I find disrespectful.
Kings will never get any respect from the national media until they are contending. I could care less what they have to say
The future begins now...
A lot of people in SAC don't know yet either
start putting a few more wins together and a ‘buzz’ will begin and more seats will fill up. Not all of them of course, the economy sucks and the team really turned casual fans off the last two years, it will take time to win them back.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Nov 11, 2009 8:47 PM PST up reply actions
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