Heavy Smoke in a Funhouse With Goofy Mirrors: Kings 99, Warriors 96
by Tom Ziller on Jan 27, 2010 9:39 AM PST
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PrintWith 7 minutes and 50 seconds left in Tuesday's Kings-Warriors game, Sacramento led by 10, Warriors ball. Over the next 7-1/2 minutes, the Kings would go into a prevent offense, sending the game into a crawl -- 13 possessions over those 7-1/2 minutes, setting a pace that'd be slower than the Spurs on syrup had it lasted all game. In those 13 painful possessions, the Kings scored 10 points, 0.76 points per possession, an offensive performance that'd rank up there with the New Jersey Nets playing on a bed of nails during a 48-minute tremblor had it stretched over the course of a game. The Warriors had 14 possessions during that span -- starting and ending the stretch with the ball -- and managed to score 18 points, or 1.28 points per possession, something a team like the Suns would do against your local over-40 pick-up crew. This Warriors unit, mind you, was missing its talisman, Monta Ellis, and watched its Hombre Numero Dos, Corey Maggette, have the worst shooting of his life.
During that quite nearly fateful 7 minutes and 30 seconds, the Warriors outscored the Kings 18-10, chopping its deficit to two points ... but just running out of time, then being forced to pray for missed Kings three throws which would never come.
During that quite nearly fateful 7 minutes and 30 seconds, during which the already shaky Kings offense fell completely off the rails and the ever-so-painful defense relinguished point after point after point, during this drunken jaunt down the side of a mountain on roller blades ... Kevin Martin didn't play a single second.
Remember those circumstances when assessing blame for the near-loss.
This isn't to say Martin played well ... his production was quite obviously terrible! But the reaction (even among sober sources of commentary) has been once which heaps credit on the two fellows who scored well (Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih) at the expense of Martin, who shot awfully. Martin left the game with a 10-point lead. Evans and Udrih, the choice backcourt of "Trade Martin Now!" adherents, played that entire 7-1/2 minute stretch. They were on the court when the lead evaporated. Udrih made a couple good plays, and a couple bad ones. Evans was completely awful, 0-for-6 during the stretch. If we're talking about the period in which this game went from manageable lead to "Oh crap!," then blaming Martin is the wrong call. Blame him for not being able to hit his open shots in the first three quarters ... maybe the team would have let a 20-point lead shrink to 12 during the fourth then. But honestly, there's no way to justify tying the two key arguments -- the team almost lost in the fourth, it's Martin's fault -- together.
And I know exactly how this will come off to Martin critics -- that I'm making excuses for a player who shot 1-for-9. I'm not. As I said, his production was gross. That's not the Martin we're used to. That's not the Martin we expect. That's not the Martin we need. You think he doesn't know that, too? But there's a breeze blowing through town, and it's a cold breeze, and it's making people who know better abandon what they know due to a handful of bad games. No one wants to be the last dude in an emptying bar, so everyone's racing for the exits of Kevin Martin Fan Club. You fickle fiends will be back, I have no doubt.
***
Sean May, ladies and gentlemen. I had a killer "double-double" joke coming -- spent the entirety of halftime working it out -- but, alas, it was not meant to be.
***
By my count, Spencer Hawes made one mistake on defense, in 31 minutes of play. Even that -- it was an Andris Biedrins-Stephen Curry pick-and-roll near the end of the third, after Andres Nocioni's hilariously WTF-y flagrant on Curry -- was iffy, as Beno was caught doing nothing useful as Hawes showed on Curry around 15 feet. Hawes made the right play, but was way slow re-picking up Biedrins, who ended it with an uncontested flush. Other than that, Hawes (from what I can tell from the couch) made all the right moves on defense. It was the Warriors, yes, but it's still nice to see. It left me satisfied, which is more than I can say for the fried egg taco I invented, cooked and ate this morning.
***
You could build a team around Cartier Martin.
***
Nearly as bad as his shooting production was K. Martin's defense on C.J. Watson in the late third and early fourth. Let it be noted that Beno did just as poorly on Watson, but Martin's inability to defend the little dude without fouling was really noticeable. I'm not sure it can be explained -- Watson's not an Olympic speed skater or anything, and letting him shoot a contested 18-footer off the dribble wouldn't be the worse thing; in other words, why stick on him close enough to smell his breath (or scalp, given the height disparity, I suppose)?
Hawes, May and (of course!) (the incredible) Donte Greene are the only Kings I can give passing defensive grades to. Hawes was smart, May was active and Greene was ... well, Donte Greene. Like I need to explain it.
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Sig-freaking-worthy
No one wants to be the last dude in an emptying bar, so everyone’s racing for the exits of Kevin Martin Fan Club. You fickle fiends will be back, I have no doubt.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
The All-Star break can't come sooner..
Regroup, refocus move a body or two, figure it out I hope.
Sound the trumpets, Raise the drawbridge, and drop the Oldsmobile
It will click for Martin
anyone who has watched him play the last few years knows it. As TZ points out (I guess) Kevin has to be back in that last 7 minutes. He needs to build confidence – not more confusion.
JT was also bad again unfortunately, a bigger concern for me. Once again, the two young bigs weren’t decent in the same game.
The rotaions were all over the place again – and I just don’t know what to say about it. As well as May played, how was he rather than Armstrong ‘the next big in the rotation’? Since when?
Casspi seems to be in the doghouse for some reason.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
completely agree with JT concerns
it’s rather shocking that Martin is on the receiving end of a lot of poop throwing lately and Spence has gotten so much grief over his D. When talking about the team struggles, I almost feel like JT is the elephant in the room that nobody is talking about.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 10:00 AM PST up reply actions
and obviously yeah it's not all JT's fault
I didn’t mean to use him as a scape goat, just pointing out that we really seem to have a perception problem with this team. And I include me in “we”
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
Well, You can't ignore
That he looked to be developing into a steady double-double guy who needed to get a little better finishing around the basket.
And you can’t ignore that he now seems for an extended period to be flailing and more uncertain than ever – finishing around the basket.
Finishing easy baskets should be the anchor of a big man’s game, bailing them out, keeping them respectable when other things aren’t working
- not the anchor that drags them down to drown.
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 Jan 27, 2010 10:10 AM PST up reply actions
he's like a sf who can rebound really well
I must admit, i am really hoping spencer gets his mojo going because if we were put in a situation with JT at the center position i would be a bit nervous from what we have seen so far from him.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 10:16 AM PST up reply actions
SFs need to be able to shoot
or be lock down defenders. Both hopefully.
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 Jan 27, 2010 10:18 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Or they need to be LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
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.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
Kind words for JT today on ESPN chat
Anthony (Cali)
Jason Thompson …. you think his issues are mental, or is he just not a good PF?
David Thorpe (12:38 PM)
Check and check.
I have been blasting JT for months, so no need to pound that drum again. His play speaks for itself. His fundamental deficiencies are glaring on a team with a lot of fundamental flaws. The Kings will never be more than a .500 team with JT as a starter, no matter how much talent he is surrounded by. If you have a player on the floor who will end rallies with ill-timed plays: unforced TOs, silly fouls, and bad shots and decisions, you cut off momentum before it has chance to swell. JT is a master of the ill-timed play. OK, drum took a few more beats ;)
Of all the positions on the court, the PF position is where the most performance consistency lies. A PF job is to rebound, catch and finish, defend the post, and take high percentage shots. A steady PF puts up consistent numbers because they run from block to block, and play within this comfort zone. JT is a player with little to no comfort zone. And it is quite telling that Sean May dusted off the cob webs and was way more effective.
If we can’t find a willing trade partner, JT needs a sports psychologist to work with him. He should take yoga and martial arts classes for balance and body awareness too. I am concerned about the big man coaching staff of Truck Robinson and Shareef. Clearly, they are not having a positive effect on his game.
And what’s up with the mouth-breathing? Please JT, close your damn mouth! Unless he is particularly winded he should be breathing through his nose. Is he trying to catch flies? Dreaming of the $6 Carl’s Jr. Supreme? Shallow breathing is not conducive to calm mental state. If he breathes through his nose, when possible, breathing deeper from diaphragm, which is the most normal and natural state of breathing, he will feel more mentally relaxed. It’s not the answer to all his current woes, but it is something.
by bench_blob on Jan 27, 2010 11:00 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
bq.And what’s up with the mouth-breathing? Please JT, close your damn mouth! Unless he is particularly winded he should be breathing through his nose. Is he trying to catch flies
My wife hates sports but will occasionally watch Kings games with me. She never remembers players names so she just uses random nicknames for players. Needless to say, JT is known around here as “Open Mouth Guy.”
As for the “Kings will never be more than a .500 team with JT as a starter” I would like to remind you that Drew Gooden was a starter on some above .500 Cavs teams. All we have to do is make sure we sign Lebron James this summer and I think this can work out!
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
sorry about the lack of title in there. was supposed to be something around the lol range
And what’s up with the mouth-breathing? Please JT, close your damn mouth! Unless he is particularly winded he should be breathing through his nose. Is he trying to catch flies
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
You guys are just lucky your wives watch the game with you.
Mine watches re-runs of Golden Girls while I watch on the other TV…
hey, the actor who portrayed Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue
is actor Mykelti Williamson who is Mr. Hastings of CTU New York of this season’s 24.
Thought you should know this for no good reason
by betweentheeyes on Jan 27, 2010 8:05 PM PST up reply actions
He stole your girlfriend, didn't he?
It’s the only reason I can think of for this much vitriol directed at a second year player.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
Hmmm...
Wife / girlfriend probably likes heavy breathers… She probably thinks JT is hot and he is jealous.
by MustangMBS on Jan 27, 2010 11:11 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
This was a joke
You are so lacking a sense of humor
by MustangMBS on Jan 27, 2010 11:17 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I am rubber and you are glue..
Whatever you say bounces off me and gets stuck to you. So there, neiner neiner neiner you are a weiner. LOL
Let’s see. I can dig up more.
How do you keep a dimwit in suspense? wait a minute I will tell you tomorrow. Get it? I just inferred you are a dimwit. LOL Isn’t that funny?
I am going for better than juvenile here. Have I hit infantile yet? Please say yes!
I got a million of them.
by MustangMBS on Jan 27, 2010 11:27 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
That's called projection
The juvenile joke wasn’t funny, just lame.
Keep flinging mud on the wall to see it any of it sticks. Oops, it stuck on you.
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
Geez...
Lighten up already and besides projection is way different.
Do you have a sense of humor?
by MustangMBS on Jan 27, 2010 11:54 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Your ignorance is showing
Not your kind of humor – not interested in the juvenile / infantile stuff. You got anything better in your book of a million jokes?
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
I think you really meant 'Noc Noc'
"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." - Cardinal Richelieu
Strangely enough hozr
There’s actually a bar in Seattle called the “Noc Noc”.
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.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
Vitriol?
Yoga, a shrink, kung fu class, and a new breathing technique: four constructive ideas all in one post to help the poor dude out. That’s not vitriol, that’s love!
Seriously though
Don’t you think that mouth breathing stuff is over the top? The dude clearly has sinus problems. My daughter had to have her adnoids removed and until she did kids in her class made fun of her in a vicious manner. You are better than that. I mean come on.
so is this your way of saying that JT is a little girl?
you are so juvenile
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 11:18 AM PST up reply actions
Do you know what defines a troll as a troll?
A troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages to provoking others. This includes insulting people.
So, my question to you. Are you a troll?
Damn Mustang
I think I need a scorecard to keep track of all the people you are scrapping with.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
Its his turn this year
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 Jan 27, 2010 1:17 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah..
What is up with that anyway? First I get called arrogant and accused of being morally depraved and now
You are so juvenile
I may just have to create system of classification of all those in the genus of troll. I think I have it narrowed down a bit. This one is Insultus Trollodytus.
You weren't here last year
When Pookey and Kfan in Korea relentlessly pounded me. And then there’s coolcat – of course he actually deserves it! :-)
I recommend thicker skin.
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 Jan 27, 2010 3:43 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, I got that too..
Thicker skin is a good idea. Though I can dish it out if people want to take it to me and that has been going on. Pookey climbed all over me as well and a few others crapped in my wheaties a bit. It is cool now and I like them all well enough… Besides, I gave Pookey about as good as I got in the end, but I had to resort to avatar assassination as a last resort. You may have seen it… :)
My avatar's are un-assinatinable. They are all completely holistically awesome.
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.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
Awesomeness has nowhere to go but down...
I owned your avatar. It was so bad you switched to psycho pooh…Let me help you with your new avatar. Time to get owned again! You should not have messed with Eeyore!
It's that time of the month
"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." - Cardinal Richelieu
Well then there are sure a bunch of trolls on here
I am not a troll, but I have sure had my share of the trolls reply to me since I came to this blog. Better question is – are you a troll?
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
Good to know
I was concerned for you there as I saw some of the symptoms. Good thing you aren’t a troll. I hear it is painful and that the recovery isn’t always guaranteed.
Well, then I guess it is a good thing that I am not a troll.
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
P.S. Pook started it!
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
That explains everything!
Pookey never really recovered fully. He is that rare instance of were-troll. Half human and half troll :)
I knew you would understand!
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
lol - I've figured that out.
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
I apologize
if JT has some sort of chronic breathing issue , I wouldn’t make light of a guy with a health condition. I don’t recall that ever being reported, though. How is it obvious he has a sinus problem? Do you have access do his medical history, or just projecting from personal experience? Breathing through the mouth could just be a force of habit, and nothing more than that.
Damn, just lost my response
Abbreviated version:
He does it way too often. If it was occasional it is more likely to be a habit. Mouth breathing is used as a symptom to diagnose respiratory issues.
Mouth breathing is often associated with congestion, obstruction, or other abnormalities of the upper respiratory tract.
In other words
you are guessing he has an abnormality by looking up a term in the dictionary? Excessive mouth breathing could be symptomatic of conditioned response to perceived stress. Regardless, it is not helping.
By the way
I am frustrated with him as well. His play isn’t helping me with that. Sucks to watch him struggle.
And it wasn’t just the dictionary, but it really doesn’t matter. What matters is his game. I don’t know that his breathing is impairing his abiltiy to underperform of late.
Some people can't breathe through their noses.
Shareef is one of them.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement, Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order, and Originator of the "Brock Ness Monster".
Yikes
That must have sucked for him to have his jaw wired shut. And he played like that… Dude has nads of steel.
I believe he got a technical
For mouthing off with his jaw wired shut.
You don’t need mouth breathing if you’re a badass…
Here's the link
To Ziller’s original article:
>http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2008/9/22/619923/stonebreaker-a-shareef-abd
That’s prolly not the way to link like the pros – nevertheless, IMO SAR has always kicked ass for this
And true afficianados will fondly remember
Mr. Ziller’s “Always Refer to Figures in Classical Liturature and Painting When Posting” phase.
Sigh.
Good times…I felt smarter back then.
I liked that phase
I also liked the FreeDarko phase.
GREENE! You’ve been superfluously apostrophe’d! - andy sims
So which bodily orifice does Shareef breathe out of?
The answer could go a long way towards explaining how he could play with his mouth wired shut.
"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." - Cardinal Richelieu
I thought
After another poor start, JT had an important stretch to the early blowout. He made them quick six points…4 of them back to back, then he had his 4th? foul…so I see him coming out of it soon as well….he really needs to be schooled on his attitude/temper. It’s very concerning, and isn’t good to see.
this strech of games is unlike anything we've seen from Kevin and just goes to show
how mentally challenging this game is. I thought Peaches was in the crowd heading for the exit last night and was guilty of piling on Kevin. He will return to form and this stretch of games will fade away like a bad dream.
"I make love to pressure" - Stephen Jackson
I realize...
it’s only a metaphor, and not intended to be taken literally, but I literally have never had a problem being the last dude in am emptying bar, it’s much easier to get drinks when a place vacates.
by rbiegler on Jan 27, 2010 10:12 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Well said.
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.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
and catch the last cop car home . . . .
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 Jan 27, 2010 1:18 PM PST up reply actions
Hawes had a good game
Ziller makes a good point.. Hawes had a great game. He played within the offense, didn’t force shots, made open shots, and played relatively good defense on a night the Kings grabbed 60+ rbs. Hawes was the one standout. Kevin will get it going. Give him time. I play a lot of basketball and I understand what he’s going through. At this point, he’s thinking too much. Given time, his instincts will be back.
by Phil Perspective on Jan 27, 2010 10:12 AM PST reply actions
Fried egg taco
Ahh, the joys of parenting. When a trip to the store is no longer just a trip to the store.
"Sometimes the capriciousness of youth anesthetizes common sense." -Let Geoff's words guide our patience this season.
by AnotherStupidSN on Jan 27, 2010 10:13 AM PST reply actions
I think I'm going to get sick
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
On the Draft Watch
The Memphis v Marshall game tonight has an intriguing big man prospect in Mashall’s Hassan Whiteside. Really putting up big numbers against admittedly inferior competion so far but -
(I posted this on nbrans thread too – sorry)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
Mario's halftime TV talk
Sometimes being one of the first to post has it’s downside, because if you post something disagreeable or different, be prepared for darts. Having said that, let’s see what happens.
I pay attention to what the coaches say at the half and after the game. Mario’s statement at the half was telling to me. “It is a man’s game” was said after someone asked him about Martin’s struggles. To me it means, quit your sulking, start taking your shorts when the ball is passed you, and get with the fu…n program. If you do not want to take the shot when the ball is passed to you, sit down. Your shots are not falling, we do not care. If you are a DB in the NFL and you quit burned, what is your next move. If you are a closer in MLB and you cough up the game winner, what are you gonna do the tomorrow night?
I know Beno and Evans struggled down the stretch. But I still believe Evans needs to be paired with somone like Beno because he needs help facilitating the offense. I am thinking Joe Johnson and Bibby. Those two work good together. Joe Johnson and another Joe Johnson would not work good together. That is why I am not a big fan of the Evans/Martin backcourt. If Evans is your point guard of the future, he is your Joe Johnson or DWade of the future and I will take those two any day of the week. . He is not your Nash, CP3, or D Williams of the future.
Am I bashing Martin? Maybe. Am I singling out Martin? Hell no. JT stunk up the joint too. Casspi was not setting the place on fire either. Noce was 4 for 12 but still had 9 boards.
But if you are one of the “cover boys of the franchise”, it’s time to step up.
The Martin rah, rah is getting old for me. Like I stated before, I do not hate the guy, but 7 games of pretty much suckass basketball ain’t cutting it.
by noreboundsnorings on Jan 27, 2010 10:23 AM PST reply actions
Did the 4 seasons of nearly unstoppable scoring cut it?
If he was 33, I’d be worried, but these seven games don’t mean shit. He is shooting horribly, no getting around it. If you actually believe Kevin Martin playing his typical offensive game can’t work with Tyreke Evans, I really don’t know what else to say.
Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen.
Exactly
7 games of bad basketball versus an entire career…which is more telling?
Unless the wrist injury has caused some sort of permanent change to his shooting motion, I’m not sure why we should be too worried about Kevin.
And yes, I think the question of whether he and Tyreke are a good fit long term is still open, I’d just like to see Kevin back to his normal self before making that determination.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
well said
Even though i guess i am pro Martin here, you are absolutely right that the question of whether he and Tyreke are a good fit long term is definitely still open. We have yet to see much in these games to suggest it would work; however, it’s too early to make that call.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 10:48 AM PST up reply actions
In regards to Martin's difficulties: is it possible he has re-injured or has a new injury?
As I have posted earlier – if that is the case, the guy has no other choice but to try and play through it. Not saying it is so, but saying if it is so, he has no one to tell.
Martin will work through whatever issues he has. He works to darn hard all year round to let a couple of weeks of “off” bring him down. That is why I am wondering if there is a physical reason here.
by betweentheeyes on Jan 27, 2010 1:57 PM PST up reply actions
not the biggest Kevin Martin fan in the world here ...
but i think i would rather focus on the 314 games prior to these last 7. Obviously past performance doesn’t guarantee future performance but there tends to be a strong corilation between the two.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 10:31 AM PST up reply actions
Everyone faintly trying had 4 or 5 boards
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 Jan 27, 2010 10:36 AM PST up reply actions
No maybe, the answer is yes
You are bashing Martin. You are also singling him out by venting so much heat on him. If you spent the same time ranting about the other players it wouldn’t be singling him out.
Was Ime Udoka bad on D or something?
Maybe I missed something, but I thought it was a one -two punch from Greene and Udoka on Maggette…
Why does Udoka not also get a passing grade on D, especially given him putting a body on Maggette to slow him down so Donte’ could get that last awesome block…
Last 7 minutes...
Agreed that those last seven minutes were excruciatingly slow. I don’t know whether I would attribute the shrinking lead to Kevin’s absence. Rather, the Kings frequently have a shrinking lead at the end of the game. That is why it is sometimes so hard to watch the end. At any rate, it could have been worse. Martin could have stayed in the game and we lose it at the end. Then the pundits would have a field day and we would have to listen to them blame Kevin for the loss.
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
I think everyone here is ignoring the most important part of Ziller's post...
fried egg taco?! you’re a genius man!
www.mancancook.net
What was wrong with it?
There’s some way this can work and I might have to try and figure it out. Maybe scrambled eggs work better? Some sausage or bacon inside would be nice too. And salsa. Did you fry the shell or have it soft? Maybe the trick is to fry the shell with the egg inside!
How sad is it that this completely fascinates me?
www.mancancook.net
thumbs up for scramble egg
…and try mixing it with some cubed potato cooked with some ground chorizo
Yummy!
I like mine with pepperoni, cheese, grilled onions and BBQ sauce. Though for most that may be an acquired taste, but really not as bad as it sounds.
Since you ask ...
Lightly fried flour tortilla — maybe too lightly. Cheese, salsa … two fried hard eggs. Just seemed a bit off.
I’m a fan of the scrambled egg quesadilla with salsa. I’d love to add some chorizo, but at that point I might as well just fry a slab of bacon and go all the way.
Ahh
I dont think flour tortillas fry too well. Maybe your best bet’s just to make huevos rancheros
www.mancancook.net
I finally made it to a game....
and was very impressed w/ Reke’s first step, he was making people look stupid in the first half, not so much in 2nd half. But the kid is for real, and real good! He does not play like a rookie at all, but he better keep his numbers up if wants to secure ROY, because that Curry kid is also for real……
Spence played great too, if we get that effort/results nightly we will be winning many more games soon….the linebacker known as May played well too…
Most players played their role well, except Casspi, he was off, and JT was invissible/not a factor, but watching Kmart was just sad. The pic. at top of page is the one shot he made ( a line drive floater he was lucky went in) He passed on way too many open shots. Not sure how to feel about this guy now…..If his numbers remain week, we will not be able to even trade him away for anything decent…
I want Kevin to play like Noce right now.
There was a play where Kevin had an open look and once again pump faked (sigh). He then passed to Noce who had a man in his face and without hesitation launched a brick from deep.
That is what Kevin is supposed to be doing!! I have faith he will be back in time though. I’m still on the Martin wagon, but it has been hard to watch him struggle.
The NBA: "Where 27 free throws happens"
I just want Kevin to play like he knows what he is doing
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
my job and Martin
I have been at the same job over 20 years. During that time I have had 6 bosses. When I suck for a period time, I get called in and get asked some pointed questions.
I do not get questions like “how is the wiffee poo, are the kids behaving at home and doing their chores, are you getting enough sleep, blah, blah, etc?” I get asked a few pointed questions, get some suggested but manditory ideas, and then I am told politely to get my shit together.
That is where I am at with Martin.
by noreboundsnorings on Jan 27, 2010 11:45 AM PST reply actions
Analogy fail
For about a dozen different reasons.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
I can definitely relate to your analogy but I personally have my doubts whether us fans are really able to relate to professional athletes
I know NBA players get paid (an obscene amount of money) for something that is fairly trivial; however, I think it more apt to view their profession as being a specialized field where the talent is so specialized that you can’t be too quick to dump someone who would normally be invaluable to what you as an organization are trying to accomplish.
The only thing I can even think of is something in the scientific field, like maybe a nuclear physicist. What if during WWII, the US government decided to have Oppenheimer step aside as the director of the Manhattan Project just because he was struggling with his work for awhile (actually, in the grand scheme of things that might have not have been such a bad thing)?
Personally, I feel that very very few people can score around 25 points a game in an NBA season. I’m talking absurdly low number of people. It’s a very specialized skill and although frustrating as all heck to see Kevin Martin, not only struggle with his shot, but to also see his demeanor go sour, I would rather give him a few more chances before he gets called into the office with "mandatory" ideas being tossed at him.
(on an additional note: i always find it funny how in real life people are way more likely to side with labor over big business yet in sports everyone sides with big business)
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 12:15 PM PST up reply actions
The only appropriate response for this is clearly:
TYREKE IZ A BEEEEEEEAAAAASSSSTTTTT
by Zach H from Talk H on Jan 27, 2010 12:24 PM PST up reply actions
Have you been watching the Arena problems?
It has not so far gone the way of ‘big business’
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 Jan 27, 2010 3:40 PM PST up reply actions
when i was talking about "big business vs. labor" i was referring to the power dynamic between employers and employees
not employers and clients/customers
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 5:33 PM PST up reply actions
I think, Kevin, JT's and Spencer's issues have been largely mental
it’s easy to say man up, grow a pair, show some fortitude or whatever. They play at a level where the pressure to perform is extremely high and it seems for whatever reason the harder they try the worse their results are. The amount of money they make is largely irrelevant to the way they respond to pressure.
The thing that’s amazing to me is that Kevin is such an efficient and natural scorer that he is the last person I would expect to struggle with his shot, that would seem to be the easy part for him. I can see difficulty with learning to play with ‘Reke, with losing his spot as the face of the franchise but I never thought he’d have such a hard time regaining his stroke.
Regardless if you want to trade him or to incorporate him into the backcourt with ’Reke (which I do) we need him to get back to his old self. Maybe David Thorpe needs to fly in for a quick tune up, whatever, so far between Kevin, PW and his staff, nothing has worked.
With the unusually large numbers of injuries this year it seems to me that as players return to the court that they need at least a month and possibly longer to get their groove back. Jameer Nelson, Elton Brand and KG have all taken a while to get into the flow, you can argue that they are not all the way back, Kevin may not be fully healed either. If he needs the rest of the season to regain his form, that’s what it’s going to take. Personally I hope we don’t trade him and that by end of the All-Star break he is playing like the Kevin of old.
"I make love to pressure" - Stephen Jackson
Should have brought him off the bench for a few games
but as someone else already said – that ship has sailed.
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 Jan 27, 2010 5:08 PM PST up reply actions
There is no way
that we are harder on Kevin that he is on himself. I’m also guessing that the period of time that you sucked before getting called into the office was more than 7 days.
by markdog333 on Jan 27, 2010 12:38 PM PST up reply actions 6 recs
right - and rec'd
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 Jan 27, 2010 1:19 PM PST up reply actions
Winning ugly
There is no “blame for a near-loss.” A win is a win, and at this point, an ugly win where they had to gut it out and make some free throws to prevail may have more value than if we had coasted to a 10-point win.
Kmart will get his chances, but I am not confident we would have pulled that game out last night if he had been in the game. His confidence is in the toilet. Westphal made the right moves and it worked out in the 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 Jan 27, 2010 1:38 PM PST reply actions
does this mean that Sean May is going to be traded? He is one game shy of an Ike Diogu performance
if he plays and brings those numbers – he is absolutely guaranteed to be in the first hot tub out of here.
Like it or not
and I am sure coolcat will disagree to a certain extent, PW has more often than not pulled guys going really badly.
To keep control and respect in the locker room, he needed to sit Kevin down the stretch. I know a lot of people have had comments about rotations, substitutions, etc, but I think by and large, when guys have sucked in a game, they haven’t played down the stretch of that game. PW has to have the respect of the team because they are so young and he’s done this.
Kevin was bad last night, he had to sit. There will be plenty of other chances to break Martin out of his funk.
Free Omri...trade.Noc.
Kevin gets special treatment
I agree that if any of the other players had played the way Kevin has been playing, they would have been benched and their minutes reduced. What message does send to the other players? I would think they would notice that Kevin is being given special treatment. This sort of inequity could plant the seed of resentment for the other players. Not saying that it has, only that it could.
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
sigh
and it may hail in Haiti tomorrow.
I have never slumped, not even once, but you others on this board surely have. Do you expect people to give you a pass or do you just shrug and say “sorry, I am trying my best” and expect them to stare down at you and shake their heads in disappointment?
by betweentheeyes on Jan 27, 2010 11:46 PM PST up reply actions
I was actually making the opposite point
Kevin got “special treatment” in the first three quarters because he needs time to break out of his slump. Ever player on the team can understand that, every player knows the pecking order and that Kevin is the best or second best player on the team.
However, in the 4th quarter, when the game was decided, Kevin wasn’t playing well enough to get the minutes and PW sat him. The other players have to respect that. There’s a balance, and I think PW found the right balance in the GSW game.
Free Omri...trade.Noc.
I disagree
If these other players you talk about in your first sentence had Kevin’s track record, and were coming off injury – it would be exactly the same situation.
Kevin’s one of the few players on this team that has actually proved something in this league – that being he’s one of the top offensive threats in the NBA when he’s right. Letting him get right by playing minutes is the correct move by Westphal.
I’m sure the players on this team know this, so I don’t think you need to sweat the resentment angle.
"When you look at him, you say: 'Holy God.'" - Pete Carril on Tyreke Evans
I would have to agree
There is the proven scorer angle here. K-Mart has clearly proven that he is a lethal scorer and the rest of the team knows it. The fact that he is given more minutes when scoring so badly is a given. They just know its smart as it will eventually pay off with him back at 20-30 a game.
Is it special treatment,
Or is it earned consideration? Martin’s past play has earned him the opportunity to play through this, in my opinion. That said, he better figure it out pretty soon, or Westphal will be forced to make a change.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Fourth quarter collapses are nothing new
in the 32 games while Martin was out, the KIngs were out scored in the 4th 19 times, outscored the other team 8 times, and were tied in scoring 5 times. Considering the number of lineups on the floor in the 4th quarter of game so far this season, it’s ludicris to point at any individual or group of individuals and assign blame.
There’s only one problem, it’s the offensive scheme and it’s perdictability. Every team in the league knows what were going to do, and who’s going to have the ball. So, they double Tyreke on all screens, sag off all our defensive player that have no offense, crowd the lane, and stay tight on the 3pt shooters.
If you watch the ball movement, all passes are to players who are standing still. Their defender is close by , and are ready to defend the second the player receives the pass. That means every player receiving a pass has to be able to create off the dribble, or wait for the screener to arrive. This creates opportunities for stealing passes, and it slows down the offense.
No ball movement from one side of the floor to the other, no people movement on the weakside, no backdoor cut or open catch & shot opportunities. All defenses have to do is defend the ballhandler, stop penetration, and challenge outside shots, which isn’t hard to do when they know Tyreke is the only penetrator and he can’t shot outside very well.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
by HighTops on Jan 27, 2010 3:59 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
There's quite a few more problems with our offensive production in the 4th quarter than scheme
The primary ones are:
1) Not enough good players
2) Extreme levels of inexperience with the best player
3) Lack of confidence and inexperience for most everyone else
4) Infamiliarity with both the scheme and the other players
I’ll agree with you, the prevent offense we run at times drives me crazy, but we don’t run the same set through 4th quarters, and to say the only issue is scheme I just don’t buy.
Free Omri...trade.Noc.
Coach Tops FTW
rec’d
It is what we older Kings fans used to call the Mitch Richmond 4 minute drill. Give the ball to the Rock, and stand around and hope to heck he scores the ball, if he misses and rebound, get him the ball and start the process again.
by betweentheeyes on Jan 27, 2010 8:11 PM PST up reply actions
ah memories
horrible horrible memories
by wallywagon11 on Jan 27, 2010 10:44 PM PST up reply actions
Excellent post
And it is interesting to see how our 4th quarter struggles have played out. To blame it on a specific player, or players, or the coach, is too simple of answer.
The Kevin Martin Bandwagon arrives at the Kings practice facility
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jan 27, 2010 5:00 PM PST reply actions 4 recs
Did they do that jump in one try, or was it 1 or 9?
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
by HighTops on Jan 27, 2010 5:07 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Fiery bus lands
Gathers itself
And drops a 30 point game
Thus shutteth up all the KMart critics
Kevin will always have his critics.
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.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
Yeah.
It’s tasty.
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.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
I am thinking back to when
Theus gave props to Artest at the expense of Kmart, and Kevin was quick to point out that he was also a “go-to guy” just in case Reggie hadn’t noticed.
Fast forward to Westphal defending his use of Tyreke in the the 1-4 in the closing seconds of the Lakers game and saying “You’ll see that often in his career.” Kmart might not be feeling the love all over again.
"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 Jan 28, 2010 5:58 AM PST reply actions
Isn't this apples and oranges
To me it seems like these aren’t comparable. Didn’t Theus actually state that Artest was his only go to guy. It wasn’t just giving Artest props… This seems way different from PW explaining his use of Tyreke at the end of a close game. Seems like PW did this without dissing his other players. There wasn’t a statement like, ‘Well I didn’t have anybody else to go to.’ or even ‘He is the best guy.’
I'll have to dig up Westphal's postgame comments that night
But he made it pretty clear Tyreke was the annointed one, that he would be taking all those shots in crunch time or at least would have the ball in his hands to make the play.
I’m sure there will be a point in the future when Kevin is back to form and Tyreke misses a shot at the close where Westphal will be put on the spot ("Why not Kmart in that situation?) and he’ll get another chance to pontificate on the matter.
"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 Jan 28, 2010 7:40 AM PST up reply actions
I don't think Kevin's feeling unsupported by PW at this point
No one know Martin’s sucked more than him. He doesn’t have any leg to stand on worrying about criticism by his coach when he’s coming off an injury and going this badly.
Given what we know about Martin, I don’t think he’s worried that anyone is criticizing him worse than what he’s doing to himself. I’m sure he’s capable of thinking that way, but I doubt he’s worried about it right now.
Free Omri...trade.Noc.
Here are the comments
There’s a back and forth conversation in the Kings-Lakers postgame thread that includes a link to Westphal’s postgame comments. Here are some excerpted from one of the posts:
1-4 flat. That’s what we do. … You’ll see it a lot over the course of his career. … In that particularly case, most coaches in the league will go to their guy with the 1-4 flat and try to get the last shot or have an overtime. He’s our guy, and we’re going to our guy in situations like that and put the game in his hands. … It’s not that complicated of a play. You put everybody down on the baseline and you put your best one-on-one player at the top and try to get the last shot."
Now Kevin wasn’t in action at the time, but he did use the phrase “over the course of his (Tyreke’s) career,” and that would obviously include playing with Kmart in the future. Of course, Westphal might have just been wrapped up in what he had to work with at the time. As I said, clarification is coming in the future.
"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 Jan 28, 2010 7:53 AM PST up reply actions
That's exactly what he was saying
that we only have one go-to guy, and it’s Tyreke.
“He’s our guy, and we’re going to our guy … "
Believe me, we haven’t heard the last of this. Just wait for the next time we have a chance to win the game on the last possession.
"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 Jan 28, 2010 8:58 AM PST up reply actions
I think we will have to agree to disagree
I think that reads too much into it. I can see what you are getting at, but Theus was blunt and explicitly dissed all the others on the team.
To equate the above to that comment from him is just, IMO, stretching it too much. Maybe it meant the same thing, but that is a maybe. It could also be read as just ‘we got a great player here in Tyreke and we went to him.’
Reading way too much into it
I felt like PW was saying that to make sure a rookie with a lot on his shoulders knew that his coach and team were behind him win or lose, I don’t see where Kevin comes into the picture at all with that comment.
by MichaelMack on Jan 28, 2010 10:52 PM PST up reply actions
Reading too much into 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 Jan 28, 2010 6:58 PM PST up reply actions
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