Blazers Mount Comeback, Edge Kings 95-88
by Tom Ziller on Dec 16, 2009 6:02 AM PST
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PrintAs Paul Westphal told the media and the cameras, the Kings did not play smart basketball in the fourth quarter, particularly on offense. But there's an asterisk: the Blazers threw something at the Kings that the players on the floor were unable to adjust to. Portland so wanted to stop Tyreke Evans (who was murder in sneakers all night) they pulled Joel Przybilla all the way across the lane to provide help on just about every Evans touch. The Kings tried to clear a side to allow Evans to go one-on-one against Brandon Roy or Andre Miller, but the help came anyways. Evans was unable to get the ball efficiently to the other side of the floor, and the Kings offense went blank.
The Kings ran a couple picks-and-rolls to create space, and it worked a bit. But not enough. It wasn't the only problem for the Kings, that fourth quarter offense, but it was the one most directly tied to Sacramento's defeat. Defensive rebounding was (surprise!) the problem. Portland had 12 offensive rebounds in 37 opportunities, and every last one came from a Blazer starter. You can't blame Jason Thompson (eight defensive rebounds in 40 minutes) or Evans (seven in 33 minutes). You can, however, blame Spencer Hawes (one defensive rebound in 28 minutes), who had perhaps his worst performance of the season on both ends. I don't remember one good possession on either end for Hawes. He couldn't keep LaMarcus Aldridge from his favored spots. He couldn't keep Aldridge or Joel Przybilla off the glass. He couldn't help facilitate the offense. He couldn't score. If not for Kenny Thomas's inability to make even the most clear lay-ups and Jon Brockman's shoddy free throw stroke, Hawes would have had no reason to be on the floor. Just a massive drain. I'm sorry to rip the kid, he's one of my favorites to watch when he's on. But he was off, way off, and it needs to be written.
The problem is that when players like Thompson or even Brockman are off, they still matter. On the defensive boards. On loose balls. On defense. On the offensive glass. It's just not the case right now with Hawes, and that's both a huge personal/personnel disappointment and also a gaping hole on the court. Przybilla is mostly an offensive zero (except on the glass). But he plays great defense, and boards like a beast. When Hawes is an offensive zero, he needs to be a wall to justify playing time.
Beyond that, the Kings can find more silver lining in the 10th road loss of the year. Sacramento owned most of the game. Before Evans drew the instant doubles, he did whatever he wanted. Nate McMillan told the media he thought Evans "has a little Magic in him." The Kings competed on the road against a good team without Sergio Rodriguez adding anything, with Donte Greene and Andres Nocioni playing iffy on offense, and with Hawes a disaster. It's still progress. It's not progress we long for -- a road win, .500 again -- but it's the progress we've got. It's hard to complain too much at this juncture.
Notes:
- Greene's bucket with a minute left ... wow. When you see such smooth, confident moves from The Show, you can forget a lot of turnovers or quizzical drives.
- The next possession, the Kings down three: Greene plays basically perfect defense on Roy, forcing him into a leaning jumper from 15 feet, in which Roy attempts to draw the foul after failing to get a step, but Greene essentially pulls the carpet out. Blazers get an offensive rebound which essentially seals the game (or at least leads to the Jerryd Bayless baseline drive which seals the game). How did Portland get that offensive rebound? Like they get most other offensive rebounds, of course! Evans, who was guarding Aldridge on the possession (seriously), got possession for the board, but didn't turn around to box out. When the shot bounced off the rim, Aldridge grabbed Evans's left arm, holding 'Reke to the ground, effectively. Aldridge released in time to grab the board himself. Mario Elie and Bryan Gates EXPLODE on the Kings bench at the no-call. I would call it a travesty of justice if a) Portland didn't do something similar on basically every missed attempt (which means the Kings need to sell it or strike pre-emptively) and b) Thompson does the same thing. You get offensive rebounds in this league by being aggressive and a bit dirty. Portland is a lot dirty. It's why they win.
- On to actual travesties of justice: those two Przybilla charges drawn? PFFFFTTTT. We have this thing in the NBA called a restricted area. Dick Bavetta should look it up on Wikipedia.
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Good take
Time for Spencer to start showing something on a much more consistent basis. I also agree with this on the team as a whole:
but it’s the progress we’ve got. It’s hard to complain too much at this juncture.
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
Ground Control to Major Spence
I was at the Minny game. 5 minutes into the 1st quarter I looked up the at stat screen in the corner. Minny had 7 boards, Kings had 1. PW calls timeout. Spence goes out, KT comes in. In a few minutes, not only had the Kings tied Minny in rebounds, but they passed them. I believe Spence played about 4 minutes in the 1st half.
Last night. Kings down about 8 points in the 1st quarter. PW calls timeout. Spence goes out (maybe Donte too?), KT comes in. A few minutes later, the Kings are back in the game.
Spence played about 28 minutes last night and as was noted, 4 points and 2 rebounds against that 1st team all star Joe P. Come On. I looked at my wife at the start of the 4th quarter and said we should have KT, JT, Beno, Omri, and Evans at crunch time. Just a lucky guess, but I was correct. I am slowly falling off the Spencer bandwagon and I have stated this a few times on this site. Just not enough good games against to many bad ones. I would almost rather start KT at forward and have JT start at center.
Is Spence the sole reason we loss? No. But to put up some weakass numbers against Joe P. is not acceptable. He got pushed around last night. All I can keep thinking is we are one big man away and one Kevin Martin away from being really good.
In Petrie I will trust to rectify the situation.
by noreboundsnorings on Dec 16, 2009 7:13 AM PST reply actions
I honestly think the Kings make a move
probably involving Noc. And soon.
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The move
is probably K-9’s expiring for an overpaid big man. I must say I still like the Okafor deal even though he is overpaid. It might be just overreacting to Hawes’ horrible play as of late, but we need something in the middle. Last night we basically played 4 on 5 whenever Hawes was in the game. He would look much better as a 3rd big that gave us bonus minutes than a starting center we had to rely on. Again, I understand that he is only 22 or whatever, so let him grow into the role.
by Travis Mays Hayes on Dec 16, 2009 5:40 PM PST up reply actions
Who do you think needs him?
And who would be able to make a worthwhile deal for the Kings?
Not doubting. Jus askin.
From the people who brought you Reggie Musselnatt.
by My Losing Season on Dec 16, 2009 1:29 PM PST up reply actions
Just a couple off the top of my head
Minnesota: No decent shooters at all. They’d probably only give up expirings.
Boston: Get rid of some of they’re expirings for someone they’ve always wanted.
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Also in the first 5 minutes of the Minny game...
Spencer was scored in the paint on 3 straight possessions I believe (maybe 4) – twice by Jefferson and once by Love. On one of the possessions he even left his feet on a pump fake by Jefferson around the elbow, allowing him to go straight to the basket. I’m losing faith, quickly.
To those about to rip Hawes as a bust, calm down.
The kid is still majorly, frustratingly young. He’s green and doesn’t know how to bring it on a consistent basis. That’s it. Give him a year or two, he’ll be there with the rest of ’em.
Not going to rip him as a bust
Too soon for that, and he’s had 3 different coaches (well only one real coach) in his first 3 seasons. We know Spencer is talented (wasn’t he the youngest Center in NBA history to get a triple double or something like that?), he just hasn’t found his niche in Westphal’s system. He is only 21. I still have faith in him. In fact this might work out to our advantage for him not to blow up until after we sign him to an extension so we don’t have to pay him so much.
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Genius! Oh Westphal... You sly dog...
"Thou must give props" - Ice_9ine
by tomroadrunner on Dec 16, 2009 10:30 AM PST up reply actions
Aykis..........truly
you are brilliant.
"I make love to pressure" - Stephen Jackson
Can't teach heart.
Furthermore, when he’s “on” it’s mostly because he’s providing the same thing an (eventual) good swingman will offer- outside shooting, a few boards, and a few tricky assists. We need boards, interior defense, and aggressiveness. I don’t see enough improvement in those areas in three years to justify faith.
He’s a 7 ft jump shooter who doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. He’ll keep developing that until he’s shooting the lights out, which will be cool, but not the reason his position was invented.
All the more reason
to try to trade for another “big” who will play hard in the paint..
Purveyor of Bull Plop
He’s been on the league 3 year’s..Yes center is hard position to learn, but he should be better then what he’s been averaging.
Judgment day is coming!
Just for fun
Vlade’s 3rd year in the league at the age of 23 compared to Spence’s 3rd year so far, at age 21:
Vlade: 27.2 mins, 11.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 ast, 1.0 blk, 49.5% shooting
Spence: 28.4 mins, 10.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 ast, 1.0 blk, 47.6% shooting
I would like to see a little more consistency though.
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 Dec 16, 2009 12:04 PM PST up reply actions
Stats are an interesting thing
Should I list all the centers that outperformed these stats their 3rd year.
Just curious, at what point do we hold Spencer accountable?
by nothingbutnet on Dec 16, 2009 12:14 PM PST up reply actions
Hold him accountable now
You want to see continued improvement and more consistency, but he’s still on his rookie contract and he’s not a total bust, so you hope he lives up to his potential.
We’ve already picked up Spencer’s option for next season at just under $3 million. If he’s not progressing well enough by the end of this season, you don’t extend him next summer. Then you have one more decision point at the end of the ’10-11 season. You can tender the qualifying offer or not.
Regardless of his progress, we need to be looking for a big in the next draft. We need the depth up front and it’s a draft that is deep at the 4 and 5.
He’s not expensive and he has improved over his career, so there is really no reason not to wait it out.
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 Dec 16, 2009 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
With Kfan and 4-3
Spencer has been a big dissapointment this season, no doubt. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now, IMO. We were always targeting big men in next year’s draft, that’s not changing whether Hawes starts to show up or not.
He’s cheap and young, and is the best option we have right now. I also don’t see what’s the big deal with just letting the year play out, it’s not like he’s keeping us away from a championship or even from making the playoffs.
This year and next (because we picked up his option) we’ll get to find out if he is the starting 5, the backup 5, trading material, or just plain not good enough for this league. For that evaluation to happen, time needs to pass and games need to be played.
What’s the better option? Start K-9 who most likely has no future on this team or continue to start Hawes and hope he gets it together? Or we can always go back to Sean May.
Again, if he doesn’t improve then at least we know for sure we can’t count on him for the future and then we’ll move on. Again, this is not a make or break season for the Kings, it’s just the first of the building process.
Godfather of the "nice ass" movement.... the future begins now...
With and With
I don’t get the impression that Spence doesn’t give a shit. That would be worrisome. He’s smart and he’s fiery. He’s also skillful and athletically gifted. That’s a good combination. I see a lot of upside, but with maddenly slow progress at times.
From the people who brought you Reggie Musselnatt.
by My Losing Season on Dec 16, 2009 1:46 PM PST up reply actions
I think he gives a shit.
I also think he displays a lack of heart and/or confidence in his abilities. It seems that he typically only plays well around the basket on either end when his shot is falling (or things have gone well in other ways early to build up confidence), and that is worrisome for a center. When things do not go his way early (ie: missed shots, early fouls, abused in the paint, etc.), they snowball from there and he seems to lack the ability to recover.
This year we could make a trade and bring in someone better (Someone else’s bench C)..Thats what we can do.
Judgment day is coming!
Yeah, for sure
But what does that have anything to do with Spencer? We need more talent, we know that, so if we have a chance to get it we will.
Godfather of the "nice ass" movement.... the future begins now...
I totally agree with your points,
and was not against picking up his option. Whether he is able to stay in this league or not is up to him.
I feel like the effort he gave in the Portland game was really sub par. Obviously PW agrees as well.
I just want the Kings to make a move so we can continue to get better and keep up the positive energy.
Guys get discouraged when we don’t win games due to one or two players not producing .
I’m not sure Spencer has shown much improvement over the last 21/2 years. I understand the coaching debacle may have had something to do with this, but we have a lot of young players that have really stepped up their game and don’t use excuses.
I would like to see Spencer foul out some time so at least I know he trying to “D” up.
When Spencer decides to rebound and play “D” I will stop calling for him to be replaced.
by nothingbutnet on Dec 16, 2009 5:07 PM PST up reply actions
I understand the point about rebounding
but I don’t regarding defense. Spencer’s clearly a better defender than JT, and no one kills JT for his post defense.
Professional Hyperbole Slayer
If a trade that makes the team better comes along, I'm all for it too
but, I don’t think we have to make a move. For example: the K9 for Okafor trade, I was in favor of that.
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 Dec 16, 2009 5:35 PM PST up reply actions
I think I see what Spence needs to do to improve now.
1) Grow the Vlade beard.
2) Get traded for [redacted]!
There's nothing to fear but everything.
I was very disappointed in this loss
The offense in the 4th quarter was terrible, Spencer and Noc were complete duds, Donté saved himself from being a complete dud in my eyes with that 3 point play (It really was rather amazing), Tyreke and JT were the only real positives from the starters.
Watching the post-game comments from Westphal, Omri, and Tyreke, this team is not happy, and they shouldn’t be. Hopefully they take care of business at home against the struggling Wizards. The Wiz are a dangerous team in my opinion, and have a lot of weapons. We can’t take them lightly, and I think it would be best for morale if we destroy them. Absolutely annihilate them. Kings need to be aggressive, feed off of the energy of a full arena, and get the job done. Then we can get over this road hump in Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Chicago.
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Wow, they focused on Reke late in the game - really?
How suprising.
Maybe we should have let Beno run some plays or generally stopped trying to run the stupid 4-1 .
I’ve noticed some other guys on this team know how to put it in the hoop. I didn’t see any stellar D against us, I saw a team that stopped playing offense in a smart way. We kept it close for 3 1/2 quarters – how to finish??
Its what we’re best at – JUST SCORE.
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 Dec 16, 2009 8:04 AM PST up reply actions
I sort of don't know what you're replying to in my comments
Is this even meant to be a reply to me?
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Yeah, and Franz Ferdinand is supposedly the greatest band ever??? Seriously?
How surprising.
"Thou must give props" - Ice_9ine
by tomroadrunner on Dec 16, 2009 10:33 AM PST up reply actions
Agreed LTG
We start to panic and then you know the 1 on 4 is coming – generally from Evans, but all our guys are guilty of inpatience. When there are a few seconds left in the half or a few minutes left in the game, the ball just stops moving and Evans especially becomes a black hole. Perhaps when Martin comes back Evans will trust him enough to kick the ball out on those 1 on 3, 1 on 4 situations when the defense is really locking in.
Agreed.
Like so many teams in the NBA right now – the Wizards seem to show two different sides. I’m hoping they take the Kings lightly and show their ‘lack of focus’ side. The Wiz feature way too many weapons to not want a 10 point lead with 4 minutes to go. Agent 0, Butler and Jamison can all do serious damage if they get hot.
It’ll be interesting to see Haywood battle our starting bigs in the paint.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
This will be a loud and raucous crowd tonight,
thanks to $1 beers, even though its the second night of a back to back here’s hoping they come out strong and feed off the immense energy the crowd should be giving them.
Plus its one of the few games I will actually be able to watch, thanks Cali economy for forcing my move, so win one for me please.
There now I've met the 75 word count. -pookeyguru
I am about to shove a crow in my mouth
in the offseason I was talking with some friends(while taking shot of patron but that’s no excuse) & boldly proclaiming that Spencer Hawes would be one of the leagues best centers in a few years. My friends all laughed at me but I was confident in my proclaimation. Needless to say I have been extremely disappointed this season. Spencer showed so many flashes of brilliance in his first 2 years. I just don’t know what’s goin on. He is too young to call a bust but with the promise this team has shown this team needs a good center now. Not in the draft or in the offseason but now. Or atleast a good power forward so we can move JT to the 5. Maybe david lee, Drew gooden, someone? I don’t know i’m just frustrated. Is there a possibility there is an issue with Spencers work ethic?
by allbenji's on Dec 16, 2009 7:43 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Damn you Chicago
for snatching Joakim Noah from us. I was on the edge of my seat on draft day & they stole him from us. Maybe we can pry Ty Thomas from them
by allbenji's on Dec 16, 2009 7:47 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I wonder
if Hawes is the one guy that is having trouble adjusting to the new coaching staff and scheme. And I don’t mean this as an excuse for Hawes, as it is up to him to figure it out. But if guys like Udrih and Thomas can show vast improvement under a new coach and system, is it possible that another player might be negatively impacted?
Again, this is not meant as an excuse. The new staff and system is working wonders. It will be up to Hawes to work his way into or out of this system.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
I definitely think he's having trouble adjusting
He’s not being viewed as a primary target on offense anymore in my opinion. Before, the Kings would run a lot of plays for him, especially in the high post, where he would have a few options.
Now he’s being asked to do more in the low post, and his stats have regressed because of it. The few times the Kings do have him in the high post, beautiful things can happen, and there is a set play that involves him in the high post with a pick and roll where he gets it and feeds it to a cutting Tyreke or Beno for an easy two. This was used in the Memphis game, and is often used at the end of quarters.
He definitely needs time to adjust I think, and although we’re seeing some regression, I think its temporary, and its better for his overall game in the long run.
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I honestly think he's got the problem Donte had last year
he’s trying to do too many things.
Spencer has a lot of not-quite NBA skills, and he tries to use all of them, succeeding at none right now. He can score in the low post, but not reliably. He can pass from the high post, but not against good pressure defense. He’s the best big help defender on the team, but still not good at it. He can shoot the 3, but not at a high enough percent to be a legit skill.
I’m still hopeful, because I like to think of myself as patient, but Spencer’s making it tough to support him lately. So far, going to bat for Hawes has been an exercise in making myself look stupid this season, but I haven’t given up. A good NBA player is still possible, but its going to take a lot of time, in my opinion.
Professional Hyperbole Slayer
Wholeheartedly agree...
I think that the toughest hurdle that Spencer has to clear is for him to come to grips with the fact that he isn’t the 1st, 2nd or 3rd offensive option on this team. He sees himself as having all of these skills – low post moves, high post passer, 3 pt shooter – but no single skill defines him as a player. Hopefully, he can focus on a few spots on the floor – right block (for his left hand), left 15 foot angle (for the Duncan bank shot) and the top of the key (18-20 jumper) would be my choices – and become really proficient shooting and passing from these areas. Very few players have the offensive versatility to operate effectively from all over the floor, and Spencer most certainly isn’t one of them. If he does become more efficient in a couple of places though, it should help his confidence, and subsequently, his all around game…
"Granted, this is not a great situation, but when all you have is lemons, you add some vodka to dull the pain..."
Solid point.
How much of the blame should the coaching staff take if Spencer continues to try and do too much on the floor?
Hopefully, they are already starting to change his habits/mentality...
I don’t think Spencer has taken a 3 pt attempt in a few games (thank god), and it seems as if he is starting to operate from the angle a bit more. Personally, I think that’s where he should set camp – that 15 foot bank shot is tough to defend, gives great passing angles, and clears the lane for Evans/Martin. Between that, a 20 footer from the top of the key, and the occasional post up, he could be pretty effective. He has to be willing to accept his role though – that’s the trick…
"Granted, this is not a great situation, but when all you have is lemons, you add some vodka to dull the pain..."
some, no question
but not all. Of course the vast majority of the “blame” should go to Spencer himself, but its the coach’s job to put him in a situation to succeed too.
I just think patience, patience, patience is the answer. Meanwhile he’s not making us look very good most of the time.
Professional Hyperbole Slayer
Yep...
he is consistently inconsistent. When he gets into “all star” Spencer mode, they need to pull him and let him sit. The good thing is that the team can be patient – there is no playoff pressure – so they can wait him out and see if he can adapt. Bottom line though – centers with multiple skill sets are so few and far between in the league that he is worth waiting for…
"Granted, this is not a great situation, but when all you have is lemons, you add some vodka to dull the pain..."
Westpahl must ride the hot hand
It’s convenient to turn this into “Beat Up on Spencer Day,” but Westphal deserves some criticism. You have to ride the hot hand. When Tyreke was starting to get it going towards the end of the third quarter, he should have remained in the game. If Spencer didn’t have it, play Thomas more. If Nocioni can’t shoot and is making poor decisions, nail his ass to the bench.
Westphal keeps going back to his starters in crunch time like he’s obligated to or something. He’s not. Ride the hand hand. Go with what and who is working until the opponent counters. In this game that probably meant closing with a lineup of JT, Thomas, Udoka, Tyreke and Beno, with Casspi as an offensive substitution.
McMillan is not a great coach, but he played Bayless in crunch time. The hot hand. And he delivered. It’s time for Westphal to do the same 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 Dec 16, 2009 8:12 AM PST reply actions
Ride the hand hand.
Should be
Ride the hot hand. :)
"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 Dec 16, 2009 8:14 AM PST reply actions
liked "ride the hand hand" better
Life is every mammal's journey from very very wet to very very dry.
Joel's taking charges/ the restricted zone
I think Joel took 5 charges last night. That’s really impressive actually being willing to put one’s body in position to get plowed over time and time again. He also was willing to do it being on the edge of foul trouble most of the game. Joel has a penchant for drawing charging calls on other teams. It’s one of the knacks to his game PTB fans really appreciate.
Now, as a PTB fan, I may have been wearing my rose red colored glasses, but I don’t recall ONE charge he took where he was planted inside the restricted zone. Let’s face it, the restricted zone is the stupidest rule ever invented in basketball, and it’s too much to ask of a 148 year old referee to determine if the defender was set, if the offensive player was out of control and whether or not a heel was grazing the arc.
"In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him."
It wasn't the charges
It was the takedowns.
He hooked, wrestled, shoved and flat-out fouled on nearly every rebound opportunity under the basket, with none of them being called, thanks to our good friend, Dick Bavetta.
StR Token Female
by LeaguePassAddict on Dec 16, 2009 9:52 AM PST up reply actions
He also shoved JT with two hands on the perimeter
while JT was dribbling(uh, hand check?) on one play. It seemed that the Refs decided to let Pryz to pretty much whatever he wanted in the 2nd half with impunity.
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 Dec 16, 2009 12:15 PM PST up reply actions
Oh, bow
I broke my “don’t join any other SBN blogs” rule, just to reply here. You DID have your homer glasses on. There were at least two, including one were Joel was actually CENTERED in the restricted area, 100% completely inside it.
It may be a bad rule, it may not, but even Bavetta should have been able to see that one.
home court advantage then?
I spose I trust you if you say it happened. Didn’t Bavetta give Sergio 3 FTs for that 25 foot “attempt” also? There’s another rule that needs upgraded. I do agree Joel was quite physical but I wasn’t getting the feeling that the refs were calling the game unfairly. I think the Kings let the win slip thru their fingers when they had a grasp on it and it didn’t come down to bad officiating. That’s all I’m saying. Of course that’s easy for me to say- we won.
I got warned last week for my off-hand remarks about the officiating in the Bucks game last week so I’m toning down my act, but I am am sympathetic to some degree.
"In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him."
I'm not saying it was unfairly officiated
LaMarcus spent much of the second half with Jason Thompson draped across him, or clutching his jersey, with no foul called, and we were freaking out, until we remembered the one Przybilla “charge” (and then the other), and we felt better.
Are you sure he's 148 years old?
He looks like he’s pushing 180. :D wah wah
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
and the scary thing is he was two classes behind me
"I make love to pressure" - Stephen Jackson
BlueJohn, age is not the issue, it is class, and you are way ahead on that scale
Dick Bevetta is in a class all his own. And he failed that class, it was called NBA officiating. Horrible homer and given the comments Donaghy made about holding grudges I cannot expect him to call a Kings game fairly.
That said, the Kings lost this game, not the officials They are a young team that cracked under pressure.
This was the first PostGame Interview with Coach Paul where he truly looked upset and disappointed. The Kings controlled most of this game however, ill-timed mistakes and the inability to make a play in the last two mintues brought another loss for a team that is ready to take the next step. Almost.
by betweentheeyes on Dec 16, 2009 2:19 PM PST up reply actions
Spencer was awful and deserves to be called out
And it wasn’t just the numbers. He looks out of sync on offense. More than that though he looks uninspired – a guy going through the motions. If I were PW, I seriously consider putting him on the bench to think about it; or reconsider Spencer’s role in the offense. He is clearly more comfortable at the high post but is not being played there as much recently. He’s a better passer than JT at the high post but doesn’t get nearly the touches. And he rarely receives the ball in a decent position to score. He needs to be involved or sat.
I know there is a lot of JT fans here, and I love his hustle. But the guy killed us in last few minutes of the game. His lack of mental discipline lead to both a stupid foul and a TO at the end of the game. And there was another position near the end where he thought he’d just stand there and dribble for like 20 seconds at the 3 pt line before tossing it to someobody else, who had no choice but to toss up a crap shot. It’s not only that a person turns the ball over or fouls. It’s when that person turns the ball over or fouls. He needs to know the proper times to be The Bull In The China Shop and when to play smart basketball.
The other issue that won’t go away is FT shooting. If Donte and Tyreke hit their FTs at the end of the game things might have played out differently.
In one of my posts a few days ago, I wrote that they Kings had no chance of winning against Portland on the road because of their youth and immaturity. The loss last night, I believe, was directly related to both.
p.s. Beno goes for 15 in the first half, carrying the team on his back and then doesn’t enter the game until the end of the 3rd? WTF?! That guys needs to be on the floor. And he especially needs to be on the floor when he doesn’t have to be the primary ball handler.
The best thing about Spencer is ????
He’s only 21! People forget that and they shouldn’t. He has the talent we know that, he just needs more time to learn and develop his game. I still have faith that he will be one of the better centers in the league when he’s around 24 years old. PW is to smart a coach he will learn how to utilize Spencer’s talent and put him in the best possible situations to succeed.
Brockman and Pryzbilla
Like watching two big drunks in a bar fight.
I think they could both be successful in the WWE.
"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 Dec 16, 2009 8:35 AM PST reply actions
Or the NFL.
Purchase you're tickets to the first ever StR Night at ARCO Arena, 12/28/09 v. the Nuggets. Link is here!
I was hoping a steel chair would be involved. Oh well.
There’s no doubt Przybilla was thinking – “who the f*ck is this guy…and why is my whole body sore?”
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
I enjoyed the Pryz/Brock takedown
and how Brockman got up from the spill both smiling and almost whistling and skipping.
(did anyone catch the other post game comment of Paul Westphal about Brockman? Gushing positives)
by betweentheeyes on Dec 16, 2009 2:22 PM PST up reply actions
Before we get too worked up about the Kings' road woes
I calc’d the updated records for the teams the Kings have faced on the road this season:
Overall record: 144-117 (.552 winning percentage)
Home record: 92-40 (.697 winning percentage)
This young team has improved, but it might be asking a lot to expect them to win many close ones on the road against good teams. The upcoming road trip is a much better chance to get a win or two IMO:
Overall record (Wolves, Bucks, Bulls): 23-47 (.329 winning percentage)
Home record: 17-18 (.486 winning percentage)
As an aside, I think we have to decide the logical progression of a very young team for the results to match the potential:
1. Win games at home versus bad teams.
2. Win games on the road versus bad teams.
3. Beat good teams at home.
4. Beat good teams on the road.
If this a logical progression (I’m interested to hear other’s opinions on this) – we have achieved step #1, and I’m not surprised we haven’t made the leap to step four yet.
One caveat to this – with a young team, is there a danger that by putting themselves in a position to win on the road and not closing the deal, are they starting to learn how to lose? I’d love to be a fly on the wall in that locker room and see where the team’s confidence level sits currently.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
by otis29 on Dec 16, 2009 8:54 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
My two cents, without really crunching the numbers
The progression is:
1. Win the vast majority of games at home against bad teams.
2. Win half your games at home against good teams.
3. Win half your games on the road against bad teams.
4. Beat good teams regularly at home.
5. Win .400 of road games overall (your a playoff team here)
6. Win .500 on the road.
.800 at home and .500 on the road for a season = 53-29, you’re pretty good at this point.
Professional Hyperbole Slayer
Here's how I've always looked at it
- - 20 wins at home – 10 road = 30 wins poor team
- - 25 wins at home – 15 road = 40 wins borderline playoff team
- - 30 wins at home – 20 road = 50 wins home court contender
- - 35 wins at home – 25 road = 60 wins title contender.
So, 1st goal is 50% at home and 25% on the road. 66%/33% gets you to .500.
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 Dec 16, 2009 12:45 PM PST up reply actions
Well said.
Logical and perfectly reasonable post. This year, I’d be very happy if we consistently did #1 & #2. After all, though we have talent, our talent is young. We are a mid-level. Some nights we will look better than (most likely at home) and some nights worse (most likely on the road.)
On occassion, we might pull off #3 but not consistently – with or without Speed. If we can consistently hit #1 and #2 (and an occassional #3) then I think we have a legit shot of winning 35+ games, which I think is about where we should be with our current squad.
Very nice analysis, 29 and 4-3.
The great thing is, the Kings have been very close to accomplishing steps #3 and 4 more than a few times this year. From losing close games to Portland, Dallas and Houston on the road, to almost beating Atlanta at home, the Kings have been very competitive. I consider our home wins against the Thunder and Houston to be quality wins.
I think the Jazz road win has been our crowning achievement this year. Even if the Jazz weren’t at full strength at the time, it’s not like the Kings were playing at the level they are now.
It won’t happen this year, but our Kings will be “pretty good/50+ game winners” sooner than later.
33 Wins. Yeah, I said it.
Tell me tonight you weren't drooling
at the thought of having K-Mart out there to demand coverage and take the heat off Evans. We Speed comes back we will have one of the scariest backcourts in the league.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
by SavageBeast on Dec 16, 2009 8:59 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Was just about to say the same thing
Martin as a #2 option in the fourth quarter? How sweet that will be. They can’t double everybody.
by ttylerbballcamper on Dec 16, 2009 9:13 AM PST up reply actions
One of the scariest?
How about the scariest. I don’t think any other team in the league has that kind of firepower in they’re backcourt. I think Milwaukee hoped Jennings and Redd could be such a backcourt, but if you think K-Mart is one dimensional, you haven’t seen Redd. And Kevin is still relatively young.
Purchase you're tickets to the first ever StR Night at ARCO Arena, 12/28/09 v. the Nuggets. Link is here!
Don't dispare, your future is incredibly bright
Blazers may have bested you (barely) in this game, but your future as a team is incredibly bright. I’m a Blazer fan, but I watch a lot of the Kings on League Pass. From my perspective as a neutral observer, Tyreke Evans is the most “superstar-ready” of any player in the last two draft classes. He’s already close to having that Wade/Roy/Kobe/James ability to dominate a game when he turns it on. He’s going to be one of the best guards in the league very soon. When you have a player like that, building a contending team becomes a much easier task.
www.ripcitydispatch.com
As far as Hawes goes...
Yes he’s young. Yes he’s had 3 different coaches in 3 seasons. All that said, he’s not doing basic things that he should be doing regardless of his age, who his coach is, etc. Rebounding better. Providing some sort of defensive presence in the middle. Nobody expects him to be Olajuwon out there (or even Mutombo for that matter). I think if he just strove to be a consistent (key word there) rebounder and defender he’d be fine. That’s what the team needs most from him right now and he’s not providing it on a regular basis. Getting one more rebound than Rodriguez (who only played 8 minutes) is pitiful.
Please consider the environment before reading this signature.
"The problem is that when players like Thompson or even Brockman are off, they still matter... It's just not the case right now with Hawes
This is the most frustrating thing about Spencer. Too young, too many coaches… these are maybe valid excuses for not quite figuring-out yet how to be effective offensively scoring and passing consistently. But I can’t comprehend how a player who is always either the first or second tallest guy on the court can’t consistently rebound better than Spencer does. I know he plays a lot on the perimeter and whatnot, but he’s often outrebounded by players on his own team from a variety of positions and playing styles. It’s not like Spence is leaking-out for the fast break on every missed shot.
Spencer knows how to rebound. He’s had some pretty big rebounding games before. Is it strictly an issue of effort? I really don’t see Spence as the slacker type; I don’t think a lack of intensity is his problem. Is it his focus? His mental approach? Whatever it is, Spence just does not “get it” yet. I still ultimately have hope that the lightbulb will click-on at some point, I just wish I knew how to get him there. At this point, I’d be all for whatever the coaches want to try. Bring Spence off the bench, give him a couple of DNP-CDs, send him to bed without his supper, whatever.
I love you Spencer, but you’re breaking my heart.
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Dec 16, 2009 11:48 AM PST reply actions
Ralph Nader has no chance
In Frank Wren I trust.
by Scott Coleman on Dec 16, 2009 12:20 PM PST up reply actions
This woman has no nose
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
by SavageBeast on Dec 16, 2009 1:01 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Dick Bavetta should look it up on Wikipedia?
They were still using abacuses when Dick was born. Don’t even ask him about twitter.
I think Westphal deserves some blame here.
He didn’t go back to the lineups that worked so well in the first half, meaning Udoka on Roy, K9 on Aldridge, Beno on the floor, Donté and Hawes sitting due to complete and total ineffectiveness.
It worked well in the first half when we had to weather a storm or two, but in the second half the substitutions made no sense.
Donté should not have started the third quarter. Period. Neither should Hawes. Because there was no way either of them was going to contain anyone on defense based on what happened in the first half.
LMA went off for 19 second half points. Kenny Thomas, who was inside his jersey and under his skin in Q1 & 2 barely played.
Lay the blame for that squarely at the feet of Westphal.
StR Token Female
by LeaguePassAddict on Dec 16, 2009 2:12 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I totally agree
I was screaming at my tv the entire second half starting from the minute I saw PW trot out the the same starting lineup that threw us in a 10 point hole to start the game. The lineup you mentioned came in and took us from a 10 point deficite to a 10 point lead by halftime. Then we toss out the same starting lineup from the first half to start the second and bingo, our lead is gone.
Why did it take 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter to realize Beno was our most effective player in that situation?
by Travis Mays Hayes on Dec 16, 2009 5:48 PM PST up reply actions
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