Keeping Omri in – later laughing that he never even considered pulling him out (cough cough) shows that he’s not just thinking about winning today – he’s planning for winning many more games tomorrow.

well written summary. rec’d.

This really was an up and down affair. Tighter than the box score indicates. Sacramento lost the 3rd quarter by 2 but that after finding a way to make it close the last two minutes – Thank you Beno, thank you Sergio. To me, that was the turning point of the game. When Sacramento let it get close, as RJ and Grant mentioned on the TV side, the bench got involved and the Nyets went from playing head down – we are losers, no Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence to a new found will to fight, which they maintained through out the game.
On the Kings side the mid-third quarter had Coach Westphal throwing player combinations out there like a man bailing out a sinking ship. Hence, the Sean of May. The guy is game rusty, asking him to come in and provide instant energy and direction is not in his skill set. He needs more time or no time.
Beno’s offense has been clutch. He literally took over the game for the Kings. Tyreke, the rookie, was much too ball dominant (an ESPN term) and with K9, Brockman, Sergio and Casspi there were not enough options on offense and it stuttered and died, credit NJ defense for closing him off.
Beno gets the Offense game ball
Kenny Thomas the Defense game ball (though I though Spencer’s absence was a bigger factor)
Casspi gets the team spirit award.
It was a game that was a cold threat to lose but afterwards a no sweat win.

Kings don’t win this game if Kenny Thomas doesn’t steady the ship when he comes in.

I’d add Beno to this equation. He made big shots when we the Nets were within 6. Beno and K-9 were definitely key to the victory.

After made baskets, I always worry that Tyreke isn’t going to get over the time line in time. While Sergio and even Beno, have already started the offense in the same time it takes Tyreke to get the ball over the line.

And, it takes Tyreke longer to initiate the play. Causing him to sometimes dribble the ball too much. I think he’s trying to be too careful, rather then not being sure what he wants to do. An example would be the turnover for not getting the ball in play in 5 secs.

After defensive rebounds the Kings seem to move the ball quickly enough. All the guards are making some quick long passes for easy fastbreak points. The Kings had 25 fast break points in the NJ game.

That said, I don’t think Omri is scared of anything other than he won’t get the opportunity to show he will give it his best. He takes “put me in the game, Coach” to a whole new level.

Coach Westphal and his staff have begun to recussitate a dying team. This team has life; this has quickened the pulse and opened the eyes of us all.

This team is riding a good wave right now, look at NJ, NY, Minny – are the Kings really more talented than those squads? Coaching has been the difference, in my opinion.

As for talent: The future is still ahead. IF Greene and Omri continue to develop… they will, but to what level? The Kings are at minimum two seasons away from being significant, IMHO. That is two more drafts, two more years to mature, contracts expiring, FA signings, trades – exciting times await.

Kevin Martin is an asset. You can’t judge how he effects this team until he is back on the floor for 20 games. If you can get a near All-Star or better for him, than so be it.

the Kool-Aid is strong in that one

and to reverse the talent question a bit: If this Kings team was coached by Lawrence Frank, Mike D’Antoni or Kurt Rambis do you think their record would be the same, better or worse?
If Paul Westphal coached any of these 3 teams (do you realize that they are a combined: 4-44!) do you think their records would be so dismal?

Some matches work (Ric Ocasek and Paulina Porizkova) even though they are surprising. The NBA is chock full of talent. It is the ability to get the most out of that talent that makes this current Kings team special. This team is not, yet anyway, Blazers level talented, not close. But love the passion.

I do believe that facts speak for themselves with Evans and Martin with a record of 1-4 versus a record of Beno and Evans at 6-4.

Kevin Martin is an asset. You can’t judge how he effects this team until he is back on the floor for 20 games. If you can get a near All-Star or better for him, than so be it.

Do we have a shooting guard (absent) who can outscore/outplay BRoy? I think we do.

Actually Tyreke is already putting up similar numbers to Roy, no matter what you want to call him.

The Kings face three key decisions: how to shore up the front line, what do about the backcourt and deciding what to do at SF. They are probably all going to be inter-related; if the play of Omri and Greene make Nocioni unneeded, he’ll be shipped out. Ditto with Evans and Martin, although I agree we should see how they work out before drawing any firm conclusions.

Maybe for the first two or three games when he is cleared to play. But not as a sixth man. Never. No way. Not even remotely within the realm of possibility.

Why would we trade him for someone else’s has-been? And don’t say Cap Space, because nobody really believes that we can be big players in the FA market this summer. Those guys don’t want to play here.

Why we would trade either our best or second best player, who is locked in to a ling term deal well below market value, in a salary dump? He has not asked to leave, complained or caused internal problems. There is not a player with KM’s skillset that is paid less (rookie structured contracts don’t count).

These “trade Kevin for (expiring contract player)” ideas are just plain stupid.

I was holding the Rockin’ the Casspi sign.

Why would anyone “coin” that term? It was a stupid thing to say in the first place.

Link

Spencer and JT did not practice today. Hawes is questionable for tomorrow (bruised right knee) and JT is probable (bruised lower back)

outside of the last 2 minutes of the game, that’s why they stopped. Otherwise, spot on about PW trusting Omri and building his confidence.