When There's Nothing Left to Burn, You Have to Set O.J. Mayo on Fire
With all the excitement of a win (a win!), and the amazing showing by Omri Casspi, Beno Udrih and Spencer Hawes, it's easy to discount how widely Kevin Martin dominated this game. Forty-eight points has never been considered ho-hum, and while I didn't catch SportsCenter, I imagine the scoring performance (that is, again, 48 freaking points) is getting some attention. What may not be is how thoroughly Martin dominated O.J. Mayo on the defensive end.
Read that again: Kevin Martin dominated O.J. Mayo ... on defense. Kevin Martin. On defense. Kevin. Martin. Defense.
Martin was all over the place, in a good way. Mayo was handcuffed most of the game, until to get into the lane and unable to draw fouls on Martin. The Grizzly guard got a few easy scores late, as Martin clearly began to wear down (52-1/2 of 53 minutes played will do that to you), but for the balance of the game the Kings defense could count Mayo as handled. How huge is that!
And it wasn't a matter of plugging a defensive stopper into the game. The Kings' best defender scored, um, 48 points. This was the greatest performance of Kevin Martin's career, and it's not close. Kevin Martin is becoming a good defender before our eyes ... and he's still managing to drop 48 on the Grizzlies. It's almost too good to be true.
I hate to invoke evil, but that was a Kobe-like performance. (Maybe not ... Martin did have four assists, after all.) Martin was the Alpha and the Omega on the court nearly the entire span -- save a few moments at the end of regulation, when Udrih-to-Hawes and Hawes-to-Udrih dropped jaws (and panties, no doubt). Maybe it was the sold-out home debut, or just the right tingling in the fingertips. Maybe that helps explain the offensive explosion.
But I have reason to believe the defense was real.
Martin has played defense better than at any point in his career so far this season. He has been burned on some bad gambles while playing for the steal, but overall has been much more active and disruptive than ever before. He's keeping his man in front of him. He's offering help defense. He's talking. He's listening. He's doing everything a good defender needs to do. And while he may not be strong enough to muscle up bigger two-guards or even small forwards -- I wouldn't look forward to Martin marking Danny Granger, for example -- if he can continue this level of quality defense all season, he's an easy All-Star, and well worth his salary ... and then some. If he can keep doing this, the Kings can keep winning.
As for the others: you don't expect Udrih to be that perfect ever again, but you also don't expect Tyreke Evans to be that ineffective against a smaller opponent. You may not expect Hawes to drop 21/11/7 on the reg, but you also don't count on foul trouble for Jason Thompson every night. And no, Martin won't average 48 points a game, but this in total can be replicated. The Kings can win games, which is something that couldn't be said after the All-Star break last season.
As for Omri Casspi ... oh, man. I don't know exactly what brand of player he will become. By in spirit, in soul, he's the next Bobby Jackson. This city will adore this kid, if it doesn't already.
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i hate to say this
But i think Mayo got winded chasing K-Speed around, and used a lot of energy trying to stop him, then when he got the ball on offense he didn’t have much left. Not taking anything away from our all-star, he played well, but i like how Beno played. He showed up; scored, passed, rebounded, and even played “The Answer” very well….. He made shots easy for Hawes and AI only had 11 points….i don’t think he has that few since HS
Mayo was also probably just a bit worn out
Playing 47 minutes on the 2nd night of a back to back. He put up 40 in a shootout in Denver the night before.
by unfair weather on Nov 3, 2009 10:44 AM PST up reply actions
on sportscenter
they showed allen iverson making shots and then showed Randolph and his shot with five seconds left. they showed the pass from spencer to beno to tie it up. they showed KMart killin it in OT and said that his 48pts was the most this season by any player. the highlight ended with noc’s 3 from the corner.
"Are you tryin to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"
by Scott Coleman on Nov 3, 2009 10:09 AM PST via mobile reply actions
KINGS WIN!
CEEEEEEELEBRATE GOOD TIMES C’MON! YOOHOOO!
- If Kevin keeps playing like this, he should start in the All-Star game.
- I think Evans ankle is bothering him more than he’s letting on. I think it was good recognition by Westphal to not play him too much. And it looks like he still managed to do some good things in the 24 minutes he had other than score.
- Spencer’s starting next game. I still like Casspi off the bench.
- Next game will be a lot tougher, but I think if the Kings had a chance to win it, they needed to win this game and carry the energy over. Next game would be ideal to have a healthy Tyreke Evans because he would abuse Mike Bibby.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
1) If Kevin averages 48 pts, he better be in the All-Star game. There has never been a player who averaged at least 48 pts a game that didn’t start in the All-Star game. Maybe you should do some research before you state the obvious Aykis.
2) See Kevin Martin, all late last season. Ankles are important. Heck, at my Div 1 school’s team, all the players were forced to tape their ankles AND wear braces for all practices and games.
3) Is he? Are you sure of this? CAN YOU PROVE IT? WHERE IS THE QUOTE? I want the ROSTER sheet, and don’t tell me I CAN’T HANDLE THE ROSTER SHEET.
4) Are you calling Tyreke Evans an abusive point guard? That’s a startling accusation Aykis. But based on the track record of this poorly researched post with false arguments, undocumented claims and a sheer disregard for evidence, I think we can all rest easy knowing you are merely throwing more FALSE accusations. Give it a rest Aykis, what is with your prejudice? FREE TYREKE! HE’S TYRIFFFIC!
Victory is tasty.
by iashwash on Nov 3, 2009 10:26 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE ROSTER SHEET!
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Jason Thompson
After 17 fouls in just four games, perhaps you can count on foul trouble every night from JT.
by Zach H from Talk H on Nov 3, 2009 10:11 AM PST reply actions
Lets see what happens when Spencer and him are both starting.
Also, he’s played Jeff Green, David West, Tim Duncan, and Zach Randolph. Those guys aren’t exactly slouches.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
Definitely not slouches
But at the same time, he’s doing what Greg Oden did a lot last year. He’s picking up stupid, unnecessary fouls. If he feels he’s being treated unfairly by the refs (which by his reactions, I’m assuming is a safe assumption) then I’d like to see him be a smarter defender in the first quarter of games.
by Zach H from Talk H on Nov 3, 2009 10:25 AM PST up reply actions
JT picking up stupid unnecessary fouls?
He had the same problem that Greg Oden had last year last year too…..
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.....
This makes two games in a row where the Kings competed with intensity and spirit. They did not just fold, but got angry and motivated when falling behind in the first.
I have even more respect for Westphal after the post-game interview. He does a great job of being a coach; providing careful praise as well as instruction in improvement, I believe he is a coach who will tell the players what he expects, will reinforce the players who follow his expectations with playing time, and continue to teach with patience and thought.
I like this new competitive Kings team.
I like Westphal's enthusiasm in overtime
When the Kings were pulling away (and after Nocioni made the “no-no-no-YES” three pointer), Westphal had an ear to ear grin. He was genuinely enthused for this group gutting out the win.
I think too much of that may be a bad thing for a head coach, but recognizing these small achievements and being happy for the guys is good to see on occasion. It tells me he’s got some emotional investment in this thing.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
I like how we are finding different ways
to stay in the game. Got killed on the boards tonight, but found a way to offset it. Could we really be thinking that we might have 8-10 quality players? Wow!!
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
Beat badly on the boards, especially offensive
and if we hadn’t gone 14 for 25 from 3pt we’re never in the game.
We had been shooting at a rate of 14 in 100 prior to that game.
There were a lot of things to be excited about, especially how we closed out regulation. But, we never had control of the game until overtime.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
Yeah.
We never had control for regulation at all. However, it’s a great sign to see that we never lost control of the game either. The Grizz made their runs and I’m very happy that the Kings were able to get stops, break their momentum and never let them gain momentum for too long.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
Omri FREAKING Casspi...
…the kid is already a stud. He reminds me of a more aggressive version of Hedo at the same age.
This will be an unpopular question
But I gotta ask it anyway.
If Spencer Hawes won back his starting role last night, how did Beno not earn back his?
I have always thought that Evans, no matter how good he will eventually be, should not start out of the gate. There has to be a pretty steep learning curve between college hoops and the NBA, particularly as a point guard. And though he had one good game, and played pretty well in pre-season, he doesn’t make crisp passes, and his decision-making when he gets stopped in the paint is not good.
I’m not saying Beno is the answer. But for right now, it might be better for Tyreke’s development overall if he didn’t get thrown to the wolves every night. His body language alone last night was discouraging. He seemed to get down easily and doubt himself.
The draft lottery has reinforced my belief that there are not enough bad words in the English language.
by LeaguePassAddict on Nov 3, 2009 10:21 AM PST reply actions
Injury...
…starters don’t lose their position by injury. That’s just not how it works.
However, I’ve been thinking about Tyreke off the bench, lately, and I think it may be in the best interest of the team and Evans’ himself. Going against the other teams 2nd units may help his game develop as the season progresses. They’d have no answer for him.
What they said.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
I didn't really see that out of Tyreke
But you might be right. Regardless, if Beno plays with the kind of energy he brought last night on a consistent basis, he seems perfect to come in with the second unit. He might be one of those guys that thrives with less pressure (a starting role).
I think with Beno, we have to be happy with what we saw last night, but he’s been pretty inconsistent since joining the team. He’d have to play up to this level pretty consistently to even push Evans for the starting spot, IMO.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
by otis29 on Nov 3, 2009 11:01 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
This sums up Beno pretty well
I think with Beno, we have to be happy with what we saw last night, but he’s been pretty inconsistent since joining the team. He’d have to play up to this level pretty consistently to even push Evans for the starting spot, IMO.
"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 3, 2009 2:20 PM PST up reply actions
Because Beno sucks
This was one game. We all know Beno has the talent – it has always been a question of consistency. One good night is not going to erase 5 years of proven ineptitude.
Unfair
Beno has the skills to get into the lane, stop on a dime and knock down the 14 to 18 footer consistently. Can Tyreke do this yet? Not really. A lot of PGs have trouble with mid range game. And Beno can get to the basket, and at 6’3" has the size to finish over the bigs. We saw this at the buzzer in regulation. That was not an easy finish. He is also a decent 3 point shooter (about 40%) when he gets his feet set.
I have been defending this guy for 2 years. He has his shortcomings, defensively and as a team leader, but I think he is doing a fairly decent job over the course of his career to get the most out of his talent.
Last night was not an magical one night performance. He can have a lot more nights like that, and I expect him to.
We will see
I always felt Beno’s real value was in making enough outside shots to loosen up the interior defense. Unfortunately, he didn’t shoot well for most of last season. He looked great last night, but he’s had isolated instances of solid play in the past.
I was also a big Beno supporter when they first signed him, so I’m hoping as much as anyone that games like last night aren’t outliers.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
I was proud of this team last night. Even though they were playing the Grizzlies, they never gave up after being down in the 1st quarter. I’d rather have a team show heart and lose than a team that doesn’t show anything and lose.
"It ain't over till it's over." - Yogi Berra
I agree that Martin played defense against Mayo
But, I don’t know if it was great defense or anything. Maybe I have to watch the game again. (I was more in tune with Spence last night I’ll admit.)
The thing about Mayo is that he is a jump shooter and doesn’t get to the line at a high rate. If the string of awesome defense continues against Joe Johnson, maybe Deron Williams and the like, than I won’t have an issue with anything Martin’s done.
As far as his best performance? All around, I do think it makes sense that this is the best game of Speed’s career. Very good to see indeed.
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.....
Agree with TZ to a point
I don’t know if he was the primary factor in Mayo’s performance last night, but Kevin has clearly been much more energetic on the defensive end of the court. Whether that’s the ankle being healed or the energy the new blood has brought to the court, it’s pretty noticeable.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
That I agree with
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.....
Martin's D
It is definitely much improved. It was funny last night on the pastgame show to hear him talk about Mayo as a young guard who is more focused on his offensive game, making it easier for Martin to score at will. In other words, kind of like Kmart to this point.
It’s encouraging to see the growth in his game and the way he has bounced back from the first two games of the season on the shooting end.
"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 3, 2009 2:24 PM PST up reply actions
I already said it....
But again if Hawes and someone besides Mason aren’t starting next game it makes no sense.
If JT has help from a better big man that = less foul trouble.
If the three spot can spread the floor that = more opportunity for the other four players to score and defend at a better rate.
We’re a mediocre team at best, why are we being divided from the onset of the game? A starting line up that consistently puts your team in a ten point hole at the end of the first quarter is the opposite of helpful.
If yr not happy with the results, lower yr expectations.
by tokyo on Nov 3, 2009 10:35 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
+1
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Nov 3, 2009 12:45 PM PST up reply actions
Great note that I also made after OKL
A starting line up that consistently puts your team in a ten point hole at the end of the first quarter is the opposite of helpful
I just don’t believe that they will let that continue. Let the 2nd string struggle. Though I actually think a 2nd string of May, Casspi and Beno (Medium ball) can cause some match-up problems with many teams.
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 3, 2009 1:46 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
In total agreement
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Nov 3, 2009 2:02 PM PST up reply actions
good win
I might be the only dude here who thinks that Hawes probably will not start the next game. I would like to see some consistency. As in, hey, Spence, why don’t you try playing hard off the bench for a few games and help us win, and then you will definitely start. At least 2 solid games from Spence.
The same applies to Beno. This was one freaking game. I think it is interesting that our most consistent player is our Israeli rookie. And I don’t think he needs to start yet, but if anyone has proved anything, it would be him. Kevin Martin excluded.
So let’s at least see Spence and Beno help guide is to 1 more win before we make them heroes. They also helped us lose 3 games.
That being said, I am thrilled to see these dudes finally come to play, and show some attitude too. Home cooking is pretty good.
I think Evans was hurt, and he was probably really nervous. He seems like a real low-key, kinda shy, let my game do the talking dude. And he was a little hurt in his first game in front of some of the best fans in the league, who are expecting so much from him. He must have wanted to play so much better, and when he got to a slow start, it probably didn’t help. Next home game will be better for him.
If Westie starts Spence, let’s hope he stays motivated, because if not he should go back to the bench.
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Nov 3, 2009 10:39 AM PST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
I think the reason Spence is going to start the next game
is how he’s progressed through the first 4 games, and how May has regressed.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.
by Aykis16 on Nov 3, 2009 10:41 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
true, May seems like he is already run down
He doesn’t have much energy on the court. Hey, May, stay away from the donuts before games.
I kinda have this crazy idea where Kenny Thomas gets more playing time. Not saying he should start, but Westie loves his vets. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started K9 just to really piss Hawes off.
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Nov 3, 2009 10:49 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
If Kenny Thomas is performing
Give him mins.
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 agree.
As someone remarked last night or yesterday, Thomas never has complained about his dog house status. He hasn’t tried hard to change it either.
Kenny is a decent rebounder and a good defender for his size. I would actually like to see K9 get mins over May for now. I am not really a fan of the Sean May experience.
Also, I think Noc needs to start. Mason can come off the bench as a 2 guard for defense. It isn’t as if he is getting a bunch of minutes anyway. He is a good dude for certain situations, like hassling David West, but not to start. Noc needs to start.
I think even if Hawes starts coach W can manage enough offense with Beno and Casspi off the bench to let Mason run with the 2nd team. That way we can really test is uncanny ability to stay on the plus side of +/-
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Nov 3, 2009 11:02 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Noc
should start over Casspi (and certainly over Mason). He is good for the starting lineup because he adds some stability and consistency—both defensively and offensively. He is also a 3 that can handle the ball capably and with control—which I don’t think Casspi can do yet.
To me, a second group of Beno, Mason, Casspi, K9/Bron, and May is great. I see no reason to have used the current (maybe) starting lineup—perhaps other than to have inspired Hawes.
I'm starting to think I'm sleep-typing and using DustyG as a alias. :-)
Seriously, I’m glad some other guys are starting to get on the Noce wagon. It’ll be bumpy but it’s gonna be a fun ride!
There can only be one Noce!
TWSS
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Nov 3, 2009 8:34 PM PST up reply actions
That's what she said
It’ll be bumpy but it’s gonna be a fun ride!
That’s what she said!
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 4, 2009 4:01 AM PST up reply actions
Have you ever noticed she says that a lot?
Why can’t she ever say: Why not just better shocks?
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.....
Absolutely
Even though Randolph made that shot at the end of regulation, Kenny played great defense. Last season, Natt said Kenny was his best defensive frontcourt player in practice.
It seems Kenny’s kept himself in good shape – I think I’d rather see him on the court playing defense than hoping Sean May can make some shots.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
I was thinking about that last night
Sean May lost a lot of weight, which is great. That still doesn’t make him a greatly conditioned athlete. Maybe there’s some wall he’s already hit physically – if so, then he needs to be riding the pine for the most part until he/the team gets his conditioning to a higher level.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
He had the flu throughout preseason
I think he’s just recovered and playing himself into shape
by unfair weather on Nov 3, 2009 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
Good point
I’m rooting for him – if he plays to his potential, then the team is that much deeper.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
The rotation I'd like to see:
C – Spencer Hawes – 36 minutes, Jason Thompson – 12 minutes
PF – Jason Thompson – 20 minutes, Nocioni 12 minutes, Brockman 16 minutes
SF: Omri Casspi – 26 minutes, Andres Nocioni 18 minutes
SG: Kevin Martin – 38 minutes, Tyreke Evans – 10 minutes
PG: Beno Udrih – 26 minutes, Tyreke Evans – 22 minutes
That’s a nice solid 8 man rotation. Maybe play SRod, May or Mason sparingly depending on match-ups, foul trouble and hot hands.
Well Ziller
I hope that KMart can continue the defensive effort.
If so, he will definitely be an all star.
He is looking great this season.
Go Kings!
OMRI-GOODNESS that was Casspi-licious!
Great young team. I expect nothing but effort every night even if they don’t deliver the W’s (and they won’t most of the time). I think having either Casspi or Nocioni coming off the bench is great, as it provides a hustle guy that can score for the second unit. What I don’t want to see is both guys come off the bench to relive Sean May. That is not the most efficient lineup, even if accounting for matchup sitiuations.
Some thoughts
Kevin Martin refused to lose. Dispite his misgivings about it – he clearly looked like the team leader last night. He was a stud on offense and played well on defense.
Beno was the primary reason we won this game. He ran the team, got players involved and made clutch shots. That guy is pretty good when there are actual Plays to be run, when there is an actual Scheme. How many more games like that before most agree that his struggles last year were indeed largely related to a complete lack of a coaching staff?
Hawes busted through the latest plateau he was stuck at. It often happens that when a player is trying to find that next level they actually look worse until they crash through. I believe he crashed through last night and that Hawes we saw is largely here to stay. We’ll see.
Casspi is the steal of the draft. Thats it, thats all there is to say. Every game he seems to get better on offense and better on defense. He understands how to play basketball, he can play at this level. His curve has been ridiculous, he’s all over the place out there – in a best possible way. We should all feel very very lucky.
We need another big man. (newsflash) May will be better off the bench than he has been as a starter. The guy has skills but is still knocking the rust off his game. He’s a role player – not a starter and will do pretty well against a lot of teams’ 2nd string guys.
I don’t think its a big suprise (at least not to me) that as soon as Mason and May were replaced on the floor we pulled back into the game. Hawes, Noce and Casppi all spread the floor. Smaller teams must spread the floor to have success. Lets put our best available starting unit out there and see what happens – Or at least 4/5ths of it. PW, do you hear me? If the Mason experiment must continue than Hawes needs to be out there. I still think you start Noce against most teams and maybe Casspi against the faster ones. My only concern is Noce does get into some foul trouble – but Mason can relieve him for defense and Casspi for firepower.
If we lose some games because our bench is weak(er) than we lose some games we’ll probably lose anyway.
Tyreke didn’t play as badly as it seemed. I watched the tape again and he did – ok. He’s a rookie playing the hardest position on the floor. It will come. I hope he doesn’t get frustrated early.
K-9 played some very good defensive minutes. He was a truly positive contributer. That one shot he took was UGLY. I’d rather have him coming in for defensive purposes at the 4 than Mason a the 3. Thier offense is the same. Not sure why Brockman didn’t get a few more minutes. I thought he played well.
Stay strong JT. It wasn’t a good night but the team won. Better nights will come and more nights like that will too. Its a process.
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 3, 2009 1:34 PM PST reply actions 4 recs
Great recap
There’s a lot of “glass is half full” in there, but I mostly agree. But this:
Casspi is the steal of the draft.
This wouldn’t surprise me at all. He is way more polished and skilled of a player at 21 than I expected. I’ll be interested to see how he handles the down swings of a young team though – the guy is pretty emotional on the court. And it’s a loooong season.
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.
I really like Casspi. Not quite sure if he's a 3 (his size) or a 4 (his playing style) — but the kid can play.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
What about Casspi at the 3 doesn't work?
He’s the ideal modern 3 in size (6’9"), shooting ability and apparent defensive upside. Certainly once he gets a little stronger, which he looks like he will (dude has shoulders) he could really be a stud.
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 3, 2009 3:11 PM PST up reply actions
He's definitely not a 4 timbo
The Kings see him as more of a 2/3 combo guy.
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.....
Hey we won A GAME!
Its all about ‘half full’ today at least.
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 3, 2009 3:03 PM PST up reply actions
I pretty much agree with all of this
Did you end up going to this game?
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Nov 3, 2009 2:05 PM PST up reply actions
No, it was TV time
we’re going tomorrow as scheduled.
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 3, 2009 3:07 PM PST up reply actions
Nice recap
I just disagree about Noc starting. If this were a playoof team, and it was obvious t Nocioni he was the 4th or 5th option on the floor, he’d be a good teammate and defer.
On this team, in this starting lineup, he won’t do that, and he’s going to dominate the ball too much. He’s a much better fit coming off the bench, where he can be one of the main guys, which he will definitely want to do.
Professional Hyperbole Slayer
I'm not sure why you think
he dominates the ball too much. I don’t see 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 3, 2009 3:12 PM PST up reply actions
Nor do I
6 of 9 in 30 minutes, in an overtime game doesn’t seem to be dominating at all. Although the 2 blocks and 2 steals, might mean he’s dominating the other team.
He doesn’t have many assists, but he hasn’t been a point/forward. He’s mostly setting up on the perimeter and taking the 3pt shots. 9 of his 31 attempts have come from 3 pt range.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
I think your Hawes plateau senario works for JT also.
Last year JT was the cleanup guy, clearing the boards, getting tips, and being setup for dunks. Without Hawes next to him, JT is being asked to make plays on his own. Given the ball in the post and dribble penetrate, is something new and is going to take time. He still doesn’t have a great left hand, but he’s working on that new hook. He’s still good on the offensive boards with his tips, but Hawes was always better on the defensive boards. And, having Hawes box out the other teams center, made JT a better rebounder then he is on his own.
Building through the draft, we’ll probably have to wait as many of our young player go thru this phase of their development.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
Hate to burn your joke, but Bryant averages 4.6 assists per game FOR HIS CAREER...
I hate to invoke evil, but that was a Kobe-like performance. (Maybe not … Martin did have four assists, after all.)
Nice win against the Grizz, by the way, very entertaining.
xoxo,
timbo
Silver Scren & Roll designated grump
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
hah
I went to the game and sat about 6 rows from the court, which was the perfect view to watch martin All-Star offensive game and his flopping, gambling, putting his team in bad osition defense. I cant believe this article says he was laying D! At one point during the game when Mayon went coast to coast on Martin to culminate his terrible defensive quarter, I texted my buddy telling him that I don’t think Martin could guard me. Mayo missed a number of easy shots, nt to mention he had to chase martin around numerous double screens all night. Ya he had 4 steels, but at least 2 of those were deflected passes that fell into his lap. hey should be called catches if anything.
With that said however, amazing shooting display! Martin kept us in the game with his shooting, but don’t turn it into baseball where a guy gets a gold glove because hed put up good offensive numbers. And its not as if Mayo is a perential all-star himself, he shut himself down more then Martin did, as Martin continually gambles for steels, because he knows he cant just stay in front of people. Great game by Martin, but saing he played good defense last night would be like saying Beno finally proved his contract last night!
steel generally hurts when you drop it on your toe
steals usually don’t involve your toes
Professional Hyperbole Slayer
by ForThree on Nov 3, 2009 4:39 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
So because what you saw 6 rows live...
…discredits what the rest of the STR saw on live television. Cuz what you saw and what we saw were 180 degrees apart from each other. Martin clearly had the best game of his career on both ends last night.
and the reply button
you might consider the ‘preview’ as well. You should realize that skilled offensive players – and Mayo appears to be one, are rarely held scoreless and usually make a number of great offensive plays. You see, thats why they’re skilled offensive players, they know how to score on just about any night.
Mayo was the second third pick in the draft. I’d say he has a chance to be on some All-Star teams in the future and Martin clearly outplayed him by a wide margin on both ends.
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 3, 2009 4:05 PM PST up reply actions
boxscore
OJ mayo- 9-20 for 22 points 5 assist Clearly shut-down! I hope Tyreke Evans gets shut down like this every game this year, he’ll be an all-star! You don’t get shut down shooting nearly %50 and scoring 22pts. I guess Spencer Hawes got shut down last night too 9-17 for 21pts. I’m excited that the Kings won, but lets not blow this out of proportion. Great scoring game by Kevin Martin. Good win!
Where did I say 'shut down'?
I thought I gave Mayo his due. I could have pointed out that Kevin Martin had more than twice as many points on just a few more shots and generally outplayed Mayo in every aspect of the game. He had a lot more points, rebounds, FTs and steals – and his team got the win.
Kevin Martin easily won this match-up. If you want to hate/doubt him for being on a bad team the last few years thats up to you.
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 3, 2009 6:48 PM PST up reply actions
Caron Butler had the same stats playing Labron james tonight
Labron let his guy shoot almost 50% and score 22.
So Labron must have sucked on D as well, flopped, flailed 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 3, 2009 6:56 PM PST up reply actions
Reply button.
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)
Reply button.
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)
Reply button.
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)
Just practicing incase I get into a debate and need to reply to someone else's comments.
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)
LOL
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.....
You point of the 4 Steals was accurate
but he did get to the loose ball because he was in the right place, so that’s D. Just like a guard catching a long missed 3 at the top of the circle is a rebound.
Just make you case based on lapses that you saw. Don’t let anyone dissuade you from your arguement by challenging your typos or your proper use of thread protocals. But, never bring up offensive number when your making a point on defense, they’re are just to many variables (players switch, aren’t always on the court together).
Based on how well or poorly Martin played defense in the past, this might have been his best defensive effort ever without being a shutdown performance. So, someone might think it’s he greatest performance ever, and you might think it was nothing special, and you’d both be correct. Personally, I think a guy who has to play 52minute and 30 secs. of a 53minute game couldn’t have the stamina to play great D for 53 minutes & score 48pts. I saw lapses in the defense. But, the effort was there, and although it wasn’t a Artest shutdown performance it was pretty good.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
by HighTops on Nov 4, 2009 10:29 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Easy buddy
Caron Butler=all-star
OJ Mayo=?
You said are rarely held scoreless, I was just pointing out that he had, what most basektball fans would call, a good night. As far as Lebron goes, didn’t watch the game, couldn’t tell you. If he was guarding Caron all night though I doubt Cavs fans are blogging about how awesome his Defense was. All I was saying is that K-Mart didn’t play good D, but excellent offense, which is what he does.
reply button
- JJ you’re fast
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 3, 2009 7:34 PM PST up reply actions
So nobody Kevin guards
Thats the shooting guard postion by the way (the scorers in this league) should score? I see. As far as Beno goes, last night he outplayed Mike Conley as well.
And this thread is discussing last nights game.
Sounds like I’m sorry a good seat was wasted on such a non-fan. You were rooting for memphis no doubt and can’t even give it up when KM and the kids play a good game.
I for one tend to praise when praise is due and critisize when thats called for. I also have a decent sense of reality as to how many wins this team will get this year.
You come back from a game where KM score 48 f^cking points on 60% shooting and hide trash talk behind faint praise – while mentioning none of the other good performances.
A fan? I think not.
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 3, 2009 7:40 PM PST up reply actions
Shooting Guards
Kmart, DWade, Roy, Rip, Johnson, and Richardson. 6 out of the top 20 scorers in the league that are shooting guards (the scorers in the league). So maybe the shooting guards (the scorers in the league), aren’t the only position that scores in the league. It almost as if you can score from whatever position you play. Crazy huh!?
Didn't Mayo just score 40 on Roy?
Roy must really suck.
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 3, 2009 8:31 PM PST up reply actions
It wasn't Roy
It was Denver, so Anthony Carter.
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 3, 2009 8:55 PM PST up reply actions
Like I said in in the first place Kevin played a great game. An all star quality offensive explosion! He had a mediocre defensive game at best. He scored 48pts on the OFFENSIVE end and carried the team on the OFFENSIVE side. However, there is two side off basketball OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE, each one you play for half the game. The thread was praising his DEFENSIVE half of the game, which he played mediocre at best. His OFFENSIVE side of the game was ALL-STAR quality and helped the team win. I never sad he had a bad OFFENSIVE game, I said DEFENSE!!! So why don’t you learn how to read! And to call me a non-fan when I actually went to the game and supported my team on opening night spending $280 for tickets vs the frikn Grizzlies why you sat home and rooted from your chair? I bet you yelling from your CPU last night really showed your support! I’m a fan, but I give my props to stuff that happens and not just because I’m a fan. KMART carried the team last night, but it was scoring 48 not holding someone to 22!
okay, you stated your opinion. Many don't agree, and your fan-dom should not be assaulted.
that is no reason not to paragraph.
by betweentheeyes on Nov 3, 2009 8:20 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
The wisdom of bte shines through once again.....
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 share season tix
so I put up a lot more than just one game. I didn’t get last night and will be there in 114 tomorrow.
And yes, it was faint praise and mangled english for a good win. More than half of whatever it is you said was negative after a win. Mayo scored 40 on Brandon Roy and Portland. The kid can score.
REPLY BUTTON (its right there)
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 3, 2009 8:28 PM PST up reply actions
..
I pressed the reply button just so your OCD wouldn’t harm anyone near you. Mayo can score, and im sure he’ll take 20+ every night! Have fun at the game, GO KINGS!!
It's not OCD to want threads to make sense
And when you’re replying to someone and don’t post your reply in a REPLY box, then it’s hard for everyone to follow.
Or skip.
So, yeah, figure it out or expect to be consistently ignored and/or mocked.
The draft lottery has reinforced my belief that there are not enough bad words in the English language.
by LeaguePassAddict on Nov 4, 2009 6:36 PM PST up reply actions
I think you're OK,
but Jerry Reynolds thinks that you’re an idiot. Don’t take it up with me. Take it up with Jerry.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
you 'have beef' with peaches?
classic
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 3, 2009 8:41 PM PST up reply actions
You and Grant playing tummy sticks?
Desmond Mason - Untied the balloon in Colorado, forged Obama's birth certificate, and ruined the careers of Omri Casspi and Tyreke Evans.

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