Kings vs. Grizzlies: Finally, a Measuring Stick for This Year's Team

he gives Conley and Gay far more than their worth, and after signing contracts they live up to them? It’s like the Bizarro-NBA

I will be there in section 103 row DD screaming loudly!!!! Go Kings I just love saying DD

I’ve been waiting for this game as well. The Grizzlies will be a good team to judge the Kings by here early in the season.

So Memphis comes into town to play their 4th road game in 5 nights, and the Grizzlies’ starters having played extended minutes the night before. Gay and O.J. Mayo played 51+ minutes, Gasol and Mike Conley 46+ minutes and Randolph 41+ minutes.

It will be embarrasing if we come stumbling out the gates again on this one. The Kings should win this on energy alone, and also use the depth of their bench wisely. I’d hate to see Tyreke freewheeling on defense for yet another first half.

This is exactly the kind of team we have to show we can beat – especially at home – if we’re to take the next step. Dispite their current record this is / was a solid .500 or better team and one that would make the playoffs if they were in the East. This is also a team that thinks it’s ready to take the next step and be a playoff team.
I hope the Kings don’t play like they ‘hope’ they’re tired from last night and just go out and beat them.
That said, pushing the pace against their starters, especially in the paint where you would think that tired legs might lead to some cheap fouls . . . . that’s what I would do, alternately run at them and lean some weight on them. This is one of the few teams though that are fairly equal to us in size on the front line starters and 3rd big, Arthur is no slouch. Get to that bench and hope we don’t make Thabeeeeeeet or Henry look like stars. Our bench is easily superior to theirs.

Like someone said above, the Kings can’t come out expecting the Grizz to roll over and hand them the game just because they’re in the 4th game of 4 games in 5 nights, and because they went to double OT last night. I think this is the type of game the old (because I’m hoping we’re not there anymore) Kings team would lose because of overconfidence when there truly shouldn’t be any,

I’m looking forward to a different mindset in which we come out with energy, effort and never take the foot of the gas pedal. It’s a great chance to show some improvement, so hopefully we can take this one.

My first reaction was that I didn’t know which I was the most upset about: The fact that we had 20 turnorver, that with our new monster frontcourt ( were he played a center and 2 PF’s) got out rebounded, or that we only had 16 assists.

But, after thinking about it, I realized what upset me the most is that we had 2 days to prepare for the Griz and this was the best we could do. On the bright side, I can’t remember a game last season, where the Kings got the ball in deep to their Center for so many dunks. I think that one thing, opens up an whole new dimension to the Kings offense. And, we need to do more of that and not rely on so many jump shots, especially when were trying to make up a deficit late in games.

Coming into the game the Griz had averaged about 6+ threes on 16 attemps per game. The only had 3 on 15 attempts tonight. And, I would have thought that they would have attempted more than 15 especially with the Kings playing zone to cover up for JT inability to cover Gay man to man. But, there poor shooting was probably a sign of tired legs at the end of a hard road trip.

So, in a way, we probably were lucky that it wasn’t a bigger blow out than it was. Which makes the final analysis that the KIngs haven’t really gained any ground on Memphis since last season. But, the season is still young, and we haven’t really had time to adjust to having Dalembert in the lineup. There is still time left this season, for the KIngs to start to mesh.