Post-Game Thread: Kings at Clippers

I hated this. That said, go Kings! Saturday will be my girlfriend’s first game of the season and we’ll be shouting our heads off…hopefully because we’re enjoying the game.

So there’s that I guess

where it’s become very difficult to watch the games, especially after an effort like this. This seemed like a total going through the motions game, especially in the second half.

I felt bad for the announcers that they had to waste time away from their families for this.

Visiting my brother in Kentucky and it wasn’t over until 1:30. Cousins looks lost out there in the high post (no idea why he should be playing there) Tyreke looks uninspired. Greene doesn’t know when to shoot the 3 and when to drive. Everything is just seemingly wrong right now. Good thing is that it cant get any worse than losing… I hope.

1. Westphal.. Get out
2. Start Omri. He is by far our best shooter and spark plug
3. Cousins is not ready and needs to be groomed before extended playing time
4. Annnnd we need to trade for Brooks. Somehow… Get a real PG before Xmas!!!!!

It’s so difficult to watch these games. I get so frustrated I want to yell at Tyreke and tell him “Be more selfish! Ya jackwagon!”(just saw that geico commercial. Sorry.) there’s no flow no toughness no nothing. I had such high hopes for us this season. I bragged about us this offseason to the laker fans here and I feel like my family member stabbed me in the neck. I love this team so much…and they just piss on my hopes. We need a lot of things but first is a solid shooting guard so I like to hear those rumors about getting Aaron Brooks. No more lottery…please?

This team is poorly built. Our best player is Evans, but he has no shooters to kick out to. Our defenders can’t play offense, and our scorers can’t play defense. Westphal has tinkered with the rotation, but it’s because he’s trying to find some way to make a Thanksgiving turkey out of last year’s turkey leftovers. This team has one consistent ballhandler (Beno), but he can’t play defense at all. They have one consistent perimeter defender (Head), but he has trouble scoring, is a total liability as a ballhandler, and is too small to D up other teams’ SGs. They have one interior defender (Dalembert), but he can’t score from further than 2 feet from the basket, and even that is an adventure. They have zero players who can efficiently run a fast break, but we “want to run”. We have zero players who can consistently feed the post, but we want to run a “post offense”. Beno is the only guy any good at running the pick and roll, but we have big men who excel as the screener in the pick and roll.

Defense in the NBA is partially about responsibilities and reaction, but a major part of it is effort. Players that put in the effort on the defensive end are the guys that teams win with. Out of this entire roster, the only guys I see putting out consistent defensive EFFORT every game are: Dalembert (that’s all he can do), Head (non-roster invite trying to make a name for himself), Greene (trying to stay out of the doghouse), and Jackson (that’s what he does, but even though he puts forth the effort he’s simply not that good at it). That’s IT.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I think this team was poorly built. There are barely any consistent outside shooters, yet our team’s best player’s strength is to drive inside and either try to score or kick it out. There are barely any consistent defenders, but our offense isn’t nearly good enough to carry the lack of defense. The only decent ballhandler (Beno) is more a shooter than a distributor. Basically, it’s a hot mess wrapped in a flaming garbage bag. We need:

1. A point guard that can run an offense and play decent perimeter defense
2. A small forward that can play defense and knock down the corner three
3. A bench shooter who can come in cold and drain open looks
4. A backup big man that can play tough post D and box out on the defensive boards

This team is poorly constructed and needs some serious pieces before it’s heading anywhere. The offseason hype got to my head, but it’s clear we have massive holes. Keep Evans and Cousins, but anyone else should be available at the right price. Petrie needs to try building this team around consistent defensive effort and balanced offense rather than a bunch of lane cloggers and a guard who likes to drive the lane combined with pathetic perimeter defense and poor defensive boxouts.

Anyway, vent over. I’m very slightly less angry about this game now.

to watch “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” with my son. Good, highly entertaining move, and looks like I didn’t miss a thing. I think I will also skip this trollfest. Better luck to the Kings next time out.

but with that said, there is no doubt that this game was a fireable offense on Westphal. Honestly, the kings are better off just switching everything on defense, and just playing pick and roll every play. Thats pretty sad.

I know he’s buried deep in the rotation because of position, but it would at least have been useful in his development to get some PT. And who knows? He might actually prove a bench boost simply by not giving up on plays.

And a few monster rejections would have pumped up his teammates. I know it would have given us something to cheer about.