Kings 93, Rockets 102: Kings Allergic to Winning
by Aykis16 on Dec 19, 2010 5:42 PM PST
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PrintThe common refrain for this season has been the fact that the Kings have been able to put together stretches of good to great basketball, but then have one quarter where they simply fail to do anything. Such was the case today, as the Kings went away from what was working all game in the 4th, and ended up scoring 12 points to Houston's 23, in a game decided by 9. The Kings also did a terrible job boxing out, allowing the Rockets to outrebound them by 9, a team that features Chuck Hayes and Brad Miller as their centers.
Through the first 3 quarters of the game the Kings had been feeding DeMarcus Cousins in the post, and most of the time, it led to something good, with the big guy getting whatever he wanted down low, or finding his open teammates. He wasn't bad on defense either, with 4 blocks and only 2 fouls on the game. But by the time the Kings put Cousins back into the game midway through the quarter, all momentum was lost. It didn't help either that the Kings failed to give him the touches he needed and settled for several bad shots.
Speaking of poor decisions and bad shots, we have to look at Tyreke Evans. Houston did a good job collapsing on him whenever he drove and daring him to shoot jumpers. Unfortunately for the Kings, he took that dare to Houston's delight, and ended up only scoring 14 points on 6-20 shooting. Kevin Martin actually spent a decent chunk of the game guarding him, and Tyreke still didn't take it to the basket. Also, his decisions down the stretch as far as passing were atrocious, as he several times changed his mind mid pass and turned it over. I will give Tyreke this though, he was extremely active on defense.
This young Kings team has its work cut out for it. Right now, we as fans are suffering through the growing pains. It's tough and it sucks, but seeing a guy like DeMarcus play like he did tonight, and knowing that Tyreke can and has played much better than this, makes me not feel so bad about the future.
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DMC seems like a quick study
which bodes well for the future.
Tyerek, unfortunately, seems to learn a bit slower. Again a horrible second half.
Jackson is a good player to have on the team. He’ll give you decent minutes. Nothing spectacular, but solid.
Nice to see a good game from Cisco.
Overall: baby steps. :-)
Dunking Dutchman
Next year I'd like Cisco and Jackson
to be players 9 and 10 (or 10 and 11). Guys who get a little play but are great insurance policies if anybody gets hurt.
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
All I want for X-mas
is a single Kings win. yeesh
"I was SO SO SO fallacious and misguided!" - Bench Blob
by TheFifthMookie on Dec 19, 2010 5:57 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Tyreke in the 4th quarter
He reminds me of how I played Street FIghter 2 when I was a little kid- I always tried to knock people out with special moves or awesome combos, and lost any number of matches I could have won with simple blocks and counter-attacks.
It’s obviously not a one-to-one analogy but feel that, when things are close in the 4th quarter, he often looks to make the back breaking play, be it a big jumper or an improbable layup, rather than staying with what’s been working or what the defense is giving him. I understand the “youth is being served, it’s a maturation process” line of reasoning, and more or less agree with it. At some point however, I hope it becomes clear that he doesn’t have to win games by himself, and that his presence on the floor can be a powerful enabler for the players.
That said, a lot to like today
A few rebounds in the 4th quarter and a sharper shooting Beno and they may have had a win.
We need SHOOTERS
particularly at the PG position. The kind that if you leave them open, they’ll hit more than they miss a la Kevin Martin, Ray Allen, Aaron Brooks, Kyle Korver, etc.
shooters
I been saying that the last 14 games!!we suck!no wonder no one comes here.westfall needs to start the new guy j.taylor?
by cowboyron96@yahoo.com on Dec 20, 2010 11:02 AM PST up reply actions
LMAO
you complain about lack of shooters and then bring up starting Taylor. All kinds of fail.
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 11:03 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Hey man
1 more top 5 pick and the machine will be in place. It’s be coachie’s job with Petrie’s to keep the grease on it so that it’s a smooth moving here on out. The years of plenty are coming!
by Smills9133 on Dec 19, 2010 6:23 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
"Prosperity is just around the corner!"
Herbert Hoover.
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
Contributor at cagepages.com Come check us out.
by Neil Manich on Dec 20, 2010 10:51 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
It's not like Pete Carril will be around forever.
It might be worth remembering that.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
Way to be a downer.
Smills: Heyheyhey, only one more lottery pick and life will be awesome.
Pookey: Death ruins everything.
In these times, you have to be an optimist to open your eyes when you awake in the morning.
~Carl Sandburg
by PurpleLoco on Dec 20, 2010 5:39 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Awesome loco.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
Demarcus played great
And I actually thought Tyreke played great too until the 4th, he seems to want to be the man in crunch time but his meathod of playing is so one dimensional that if he doesn’t have it going then he’s going to struggle. We also didn’t get a ton out of our 3 position again, and of course Beno struggled big time.
Our defense though was commendable I thought. Houston is not an easy team to defend and we did a pretty good job, of course we need to finish those possessions…
by jstnblke41 on Dec 19, 2010 6:31 PM PST via mobile reply actions
That's exactly it, IMO
And I actually thought Tyreke played great too until the 4th, he seems to want to be the man in crunch time but his meathod of playing is so one dimensional that if he doesn’t have it going then he’s going to struggle.
I think it’s this, 100%. He’s gonna have to work on his jumper 1000x more than he did last summer to start making those shots he tries to take.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
His shot needs more work
I think the real thing though is experience playing off the ball, and as Demarcus becomes more comfortable I think we will play through him more and more and Tyreke will get that experience.
If he could get to the bucket more off cuts and curls instead of having to size up his defender with the dribble every time then I think he would become much more dangerous. His meathodical handling gives the defense plenty of time to set themselves and in turn makes his shot much harder to convert.
by jstnblke41 on Dec 19, 2010 9:55 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Just from eyeballing it from being at the game
Seems like his shot from 15 and out was decent tonight….His lean was mostly gone and it seemed a good percentage went in…from 6 feet and in I can’t remember a basket.
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
Your right about his J tonight
I think he hit a few treys too if I remember right. His shots close to the basket are an issue right now though, he missed a few he would make if he was rolling but a lot of them were really well defended.
Looked like a pretty good game to go to though, looked real competitive on TV!
by jstnblke41 on Dec 19, 2010 10:11 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
It looked decent to me also
He just happens to not shoot well when we need him to the most.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
by kingsfan300 on Dec 19, 2010 10:19 PM PST up reply actions
They need to work on the pick and roll, more than anything
That’s the thing that is most important now for both players, as it makes it easier for both their games as well as everyone elses’. I think Xiane from the Dream Shake said it best, that they should be locked into a gym together for the summer, working on nothing but the PnR.
But I agree about the cuts for Tyreke. They executed a few of those today for Tyreke, but not when they needed it most (crunch time in the fourth quarter). But that goes back to what you were saying earlier also. I still think that it’s better that the struggles happen to Tyreke now, as he can learn to be a better teammate for this team. Well, that’s best case scenario, as it would work best for the team that way.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
by kingsfan300 on Dec 19, 2010 10:12 PM PST up reply actions
A PnR would be sweet for them to master
by jstnblke41 on Dec 19, 2010 10:14 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I agree he he seems to have a hard time finding the guy rolling
on the other hand the bigs only roll maybe 1 out of every 10 times so he could be in such shock he is slow to react.
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
I don't think he's really looking though, to be honest
He just seems set on scoring most of the time. I don’t mind him having that mindset, but his ability, as of right now, just makes it look like he’s forcing the issue a bit.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
by kingsfan300 on Dec 19, 2010 11:39 PM PST up reply actions
That seems accurate
I’m a little perplexed that Tyreke loves to kick to shooters but hates to dump it to bigs. The very best creators look for the layup and dunks and then the shooters. Right now, if Tyreke is looking at the rim it’s only to score.
by jstnblke41 on Dec 19, 2010 11:44 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Iverson had this problem too
and it was reduced a lot when they paired him with a strong point
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
Despite all the positives we can take out of these games,
I’m not finding the losses any easier to bear.
We need 2011 to roll in and see if we can build any sort of momentum. 2010 – year of the suck.
This.
For some reason
all we can celebrate for as Kings fans right now is the future. How much more agony can we take before the “future”?
A person can only take so much “losing” feeling. Hopefully our future comes soon. ughh
If the game were disappointment
The Kings would never fail.
Too harsh a statement and I only meant it as only a Kings fan can feel it.
The Kings are still only winning one quarter a game on average. They need to learn play 12 minute stretches with more focus. The lack of execution in the second half of games is becoming a trademark. Conditioning is large question. I would like to have jjham’s input/questioning the coaching staff. Inexperience will be always be an answer but it can’t be the only one.
That aside, I agree, the team looks better for the most part. They seem to be playing with more patience and their play is poised to show poise.
The crappy thing about watching the last 4 minutes of the game play out
was that it pretty much followed the script exactly as it has in the past several close games that completely fell apart at the end. Sloppy turnover, give up an easy basket, terrible shot after no ball movement, unnecessary foul for free throws at the other end, another sloppy turnover, rinse, repeat, game over. It’s amazing how quickly a game goes from being withing reach (two to three possessions with a couple of minutes left) to being another frustrating loss. Youth, I know. Inexperience, I know. It still stings, though.
Despite all that, I’ll still take a loss like this over an unmotivated blowout any day (see 2008-09 season). Furthermore, watching DeMarcus Cousins’ transformation from large human to immortal kill beast gives me tingly feelings all over. Ever since he’s been back in the starting lineup, he’s been Audrey II, insatiably feasting on basketball blood every chance he gets, growing ever larger and unstoppable. I’ve been saying it since before we drafted him, but I’m more sure of it after each tasty portion of awesome that Boogie plops onto my eager plate: this young man’s upside is Shaquille-mutha-effing-O’Neal. With more skill. If you think that’s crazy, you haven’t been paying attention. Don’t talk to me about small sample sizes. I will fight you, and I will win because I am berserk with game-lust for DeMarcus Cousins.
"If you're going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the audience." -Geoff Petrie
by AnotherStupidSN on Dec 19, 2010 7:04 PM PST reply actions 11 recs
I have begun to come to terms with the losses
The thing I’m having a hard time dealing with is the fans reactions. I have largely stayed away from the game threads and many of the posts because of the overwhelming negativity and desperation expressed by (and I’m guessing here) young fans new to StR. I am more tired of listening about their knee jerk calls for Westphal’s head or requests to immediately trade Reke or DMC than I am by the King’s losses. I understand their response, I’m just tired of it.
This is not going to be a good season for the Kings in terms of wins and losses, it come in as the teams worst. It will only be a lost season if the young players don’t learn the basics and possibly even the nuances of NBA ball. I loved watching DMC today, he is improving right before our eyes. A month ago he was making his spin move from the left side of the basket 10-12’ from the hoop and spinning right into the defenders and being called for an offensive foul. Today he’s making the same move in the low post and scoring or drawing a foul almost every time. His fouls are down and he is getting better in every aspect of his game.
Reke’s regression is obviously far more troubling and harder to understand. However, if/when he works his way back to playing at the dominant level he played at last season or better there will be almost nothing he won’t be mentally deal with throughout his career. He is far too good of a player not to resolve the problems he’s facing this season.
The late 4th quarter implosion is painful and keeps repeating itself far too many times but it’s also the reason why I don’t believe Westphal should be fired. Even though the kid’s basketball IQ and hoops skillz seemingly evaporated at the end of the game they never quit. I have seen this team quit on Theus and Natt and despite the crappy season they are having it looks to me like they still think they can win, even when the game gets out of hand.
Today was my favorite game of the season because Cuz was beasting and beating the snot out of whoever was defending him in the paint. Compared to the beginning of the season he was playing smart and consistently good ball today. A couple of weeks ago Pookey said that Reke didn’t understand that the Kings were going to be DMC’s team. I didn’t see it at the time he posted it but I did today. I’ll take the losses now without complaining too much because we have never had players like TyReke and DeMarcus on the Kings before. I can see into the future and to me the future is looking…………………GOOD!
It’s the players job to keep the coach happy, not the coach’s job to keep the player happy. - Paul Westphal quoted from The Purple Panjandrum
by Bluejohn on Dec 19, 2010 7:21 PM PST reply actions 20 recs
Rec'd
You said what I was trying to say, but without all of the crazy.
"If you're going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the audience." -Geoff Petrie
by AnotherStupidSN on Dec 19, 2010 7:28 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Rec'd. Rec'd. Rec'd. I can't say it enough.
In these times, you have to be an optimist to open your eyes when you awake in the morning.
~Carl Sandburg
Can't rec'd this fast enough
Well said
"Children want what they want when they want it." ... Andy Sims
Love watching Cousins grow up and progress.
I think Tyreke will figure it out, and sooner rather than later. And, just a guess here, but I have a feeling it will be more about learning to use his left effectively than huge jumps in the jumpshot department. When people have to respect his drive going both ways he’ll get a little more space to show off his shooting improvements.
A lonely Kings fan in a sea of gold and purple...
Rec'd
this summarizes my feelings for the year to a T
"I was SO SO SO fallacious and misguided!" - Bench Blob
by TheFifthMookie on Dec 19, 2010 9:56 PM PST up reply actions
That quote from Pookey is spot on
And I agree completely with everything.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
by kingsfan300 on Dec 19, 2010 10:02 PM PST up reply actions
You're confusing me with someone else when I said Reke didn't understand that it is DMC's team. I've said that its' the other way around. Anyway.....
Excellent post regardless BJ. Rec’d.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I'm getting tired of hoping we get the #1 pick in the lottery.
I wish these losses would stop. They’re hard to take.
"I think this can be a good line-up for us and we’ll see how it works." - PW on replacing Casspi and Beno with JT and Head in the starting lineup
Scoring only 12 points in the 4th quarter might be a problem
"That's like Swede on Swede violence."-Randy Hahn
"Time for the laser show, boys!"- Aubrey Huff
2010 World Series Champions San Francisco Giants
DMC is really looking good.
Not Blake Griffin good, but really good.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Dec 19, 2010 7:34 PM PST reply actions
The view from section214
Best moment of the night was the Dali-slamma over Hill. The place lit up, and the Kings bench just came apart. They all gave Sammy props at the next stop of play.
You can dissect this team a thousand different ways, but the bottom line is that we just don’t shoot the ball well. We missed so many wide, wide open shots, not to mention the misery at the rim. Scola, Brooks, Lowry – these guys all hit their shots when left open. Not our guys. No doubt, this team needs to be better in almost every way. But this may be the worst shooting Kings team that I have ever witnessed.
A close 2nd for best moment of the night was Cousins getting Brad’s goat. Niiiiiiiice.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Dec 19, 2010 7:37 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Oh,
and apparently Jermaine Taylor’s presence is worth 4 points.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Was he in uniform tonight?
He wasn’t listed in the final boxscore, but it might not have been updated with DNP-CDs at that point.
The Kings lost to the Rox by 13 without him,
and by only 9 with him. He was suited up, and looked really good during the layup drills – trade Tyreke!
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Dec 19, 2010 7:46 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
He's listed as a DNP-CD on NBA.com right now
Thompson and Whiteside were the inactives.
"If you're going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the audience." -Geoff Petrie
by AnotherStupidSN on Dec 19, 2010 7:46 PM PST up reply actions
LTTG and I went. I have to agree.
For me the reason I love Cousins getting Brad’s goat was that he so dominant. Watching Brad pitch a fit was just gravy. DMC was a beast. They had no one that could stop him. They really need to put shooters on the 3 point line so he can pass out of the post when doubled. They are all lined up on the other side of the court which doesn’t work at all. They would, however, have to make those shots when they get the pass…
I didn't major in Common F-cking Sense, but ...
This is why you ignore single game plus/minus numbers
DMC was the worst on the roster at -14 tonight. My eyeballs saw a guy who was imposing his will on the opponents for most of the game.
Funny, I flipped over to 1140 one day last week (the day after Luther Head absolutely sucked and was getting hammered in the game thread). Grant defended Luther’s performance by referencing his +1 plus/minus for the game.
Someone needs to start a movement to have that stat removed from box scores as it’s feeding the ignorance of our youth (and elderly redheaded talk show hosts for that matter).
by otis29 on Dec 19, 2010 7:50 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Thanks again for the invite Mustang
I totally jinxed this game. Mustang and I were sitting there with 5 minutes left and the score tied at 91 and I said to him
" this is the key time, this is where we’ve been having problems scoring down the stretch when defenses tighten"
Well, we know what happened and i will take all the blame :-).
Seriously, this team desperately needs a third scoring option. Or, instead of calling only plays for Tyreke and DMC in crunch time they need to get shots for some of the other guys at the 5-3 minute marks (who hopefully hit them) thus opening things up for our stars in the last minute or two.
The play calling – or the play execution if you listen to PW- is horrifically predictable in crunch time. Maybe some day Tyreke and DMC will be able to make those plays event though the defense, God and everyone else knows what the play is ala Duncan, but that time is not now.
As for Cousins, someone here said that this game proves the +/- is crap and I agree, he dominated any single guy they put on him, especially funny considering BMiller’s pre-game comments on facing him. Of course, he was on the floor that whole final 11-2 run – but one rookie among many culprits.
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 20, 2010 9:55 AM PST up reply actions
Way to sack up and put the loss squarely where its deserved, LTG
The youth on StR need this kind of veteran savvy and leadership. Now if you could just hit your 3’s…
"Indiviual results may vary, see participating stores for details...."
13599
Doesn’t sound too bad for an NFL Sunday afternoon with rather interesting weather in the neighborhood.
The FairWeather Channel - Sports Comics and Bandwagon Forecast
The Sunday afternoon games give a different vibe, too.
More kids and families. Kind of cool.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Speaking of NFL Sunday
Seattle and St. Louis both lost, so the NFC West is still, inexplicably, completely up for grabs. In fact, I think the Kings still have a shot at taking that division.
"If you're going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the audience." -Geoff Petrie
by AnotherStupidSN on Dec 19, 2010 7:49 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Yeah...
We need a shooter like him. Maybe we can trade Landry for him.
I didn't major in Common F-cking Sense, but ...
The Rockets would never make that trade
It’s sad cause it’s true
Wait....Why is everybody clapping? Everyone around me is clapping.... I guess I should be clapping too... GO LAKERS!!! I hate living in So Cal
by 27freethrows on Dec 19, 2010 8:44 PM PST up reply actions
Hmm.... I don't know
Kevin Martin doesn’t play D very well and is just too injury prone. Also, with Yao Ming out for good they may just have to tear down and rebuild. Carl Landry is cheaper and they could save salary by getting rid of Martin.
They should just understand that, sar, Martin could never play well enough with Brooks, chasm, and that they just need to get rid of him.
I didn't major in Common F-cking Sense, but ...
I don't think tearing everything down and rebuilding is necessary the plan in Houston
Especially considering they traded a future pick for Terrence Williams. I would not be too shocked if they make some serious changes in their roster but I would be pretty shocked if they gut the whole thing right now. They have a lot of movable pieces and have a history of trading quite a bit so I wouldn’t be too shocked if they end up making some trades to bolster the frontcourt a little and try to ride it out for a few years. Not necessarily going to be the stuff made of championships but winning basketball I suppose.
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 10:38 AM PST up reply actions
Need a rope, Wally?
I think you fell into the sarchasm…
"Indiviual results may vary, see participating stores for details...."
Just got home from the game.
Does anyone know where Donte Greene (man of mystery) went in the 4th quarter? Maybe he left early to beat the traffic?
Purveyor of Bull Plop
Westphal opted for Garcia,
as Garcia was hitting a good number of his shots from the outside. I would have liked to have seen Casspi, considering the beating that we were taking on the boards.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
More than that
when both pf our go-to guys are essentially paint players I was asking Mustang “Why don’t they have all the shooters out there to open up the floor?” It just seemed to me that Cisco was done,
proving that point on Monday morning is that he took no shots at all in the 4th (I believe).
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 20, 2010 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
Yea, but when your a catch & shoot scorer, someone has to pass you the ball to get a shot off
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
Absolutely
that’s why I said elsewhere that it doesn’t seem either Tyreke or Beno have been getting the ball to spot shooters on time, especially in cruch time.
Casspi only needs a second to wind up that shot of his yet he seems to get it a moment too late and rarely off a penetration that opens up any real space.
Maybe he shoud jack a few up with a man in his face anyway . . . . . I don’t know.
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 20, 2010 12:40 PM PST up reply actions
This clearing EVERYONE out nonsense is killing me as well
On the last few lays Cousins had in the post he was double teamed yet had no one behind him to pass it off to, every passing lane was essentially closed off y the double team with the space behind him empty and also no one cut backdoor to the hole where he could at least try a drop pass or flip. They just all stood there – covered.
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 20, 2010 12:43 PM PST up reply actions
Figured as much.
Just thought Donte did a decent job in the first half. El Flaco was having a pretty good game as were Boogie, Landry and Sammy. Not so for Tyreke. 6 of 21! He needs to share the ball a little more and try to force shots a little less.
Purveyor of Bull Plop
Donte's defense kicked ass
in the first half, and made his teammates better. I don’t know if he can keep up that intensity for a whole game. Can he?
"DMC and Purple Jesus are gonna run shit very very soon" - "Gavin Maloof" commenting at probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/fear-demarcus-cousins-for-he-is-a-beast.php
Its very encouraging to see Cousins' progress in such a short time in the league
Tyreke’s slight regression, not so much.
I think I'm going to get disagreements from this
But I don’t think Tyreke has regressed. He hasn’t progressed a whole lot, but it seems to me that he’s playing much the same style as last year. The difference is that we have two players (Cousins and Dally) that need to be close to the bucket to be effective. This along with his reputation make it easy for defenses to adjust to his drives, which are often very predicatble because he does a dribble set up every time instead of getting the ball off a cut or even on the wing and immediately taking it in.
I think Tyreke just needs to find a new way to score, once he does he will pick up his efficiency a great deal. Right now he’s trying to so the same things he did last year, and the book on him is out. He needs to write some new chapters.
by jstnblke41 on Dec 20, 2010 12:57 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I was thinking the same thing about the regression part.
According to NBA.com his average is 16.8ppg/4.6 rpg/5.3apg .Not much missing there.I would disagree about his ability to score though. Defenses knew his game about halfway through last season and still couldnt stop him. I think a big part of rekes problem is injury and the rest is trying to develope his jumper and making more of a concerted effort to pass the ball more at times. This is not reflected in his assist numbers because nobody is hitting there shots. Also I dont think his average was 20/5/5 at this time last year. Im looking for Reke to blow up with DMC and start rolling in mid to late january . Just hoping .
Tyreke has lost a little speed and some of his agressiveness
I think he’s a bit out of shape because he hasn’t been able to practice much and it’s really showing at the end of games.
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 20, 2010 10:04 AM PST up reply actions
It was great to watch DMC
lets just not forget that he had no opponent. Brad Miller is the closest they have to a center, Jordan hill is a forward, chuck Hayes is a short PF. They’re easily the shallowest team at that spot.
What bothers me however is not Tyreke’s mid range pull ups, but his hesitation to drive, even when Kevin Martin was guarding him.
Let's also not forget that Center is easily the weakest position in the NBA
He’s showing that he can dominate the guys he should dominate veeeeery early in his career.
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 20, 2010 10:07 AM PST up reply actions
Speaks incredibly well for the future
I agree on the lack of quality offensive centers in the league argument, we have arguably the best young one that’s come out in a long time. Future looks good, just gotta fight through the present.
by jstnblke41 on Dec 20, 2010 3:08 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
DMC
I have been huge on DMC since before we drafted him. I was sad when we fell to 5 in the draft thinking we had no shot at getting him. 3 years from now people will be saying how did this guy not go 1 or 2 in the draft, in 3 years he will be one of the top 20 players in the league. We are a point guard and 2 or 3 years away from being a great team again. The loses hurt but let’s hope the balls drop our way for once and we get Harrison Barnes in the draft. In 2 or 3 years we could have 3 players that are top 20 talent. Let’s also hope the Maloof’s finally spend a little next year and bring in a top notch point guard, then we will be on our way.
by rivercitysports on Dec 20, 2010 8:32 AM PST reply actions
Don't worry we'll offer Aaron Brooks a max contract.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
Think about the Center position and who is out there
He’ll get a lot of All-Star votes next year if he continues this current upward trend. Hell, he might make 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 Dec 20, 2010 9:39 AM PST up reply actions
Only if Yao retires...
"If you're going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the audience." -Geoff Petrie
by AnotherStupidSN on Dec 20, 2010 11:09 AM PST up reply actions
Done deal IMO
either way . . . I think his All-Star days are over, you have to play some games.
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 20, 2010 11:31 AM PST up reply actions
Boy they need to change the way the starters are picked
Every year it seems there is a head scratcher, TMac picked when he didn’t play the entire first half of the season one year and AI a few years ago make me sick.
by jstnblke41 on Dec 20, 2010 3:10 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Cousins probably won't make a vote
But I could see him getting in by Coaches in 2-3 years. I think he actually makes the ASG before Reke, because of the dearth of quality centers out West.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
I felt like we had opportunites to exploit some matchups in the 4th quarter, but we didnt.
In crunch time, Houston had….
Lowry on Udrih
Battier on Evans
Martin on Garcia
Right there, there are no matchups we could have exploited.
With our offense sputtering, I wouldve really liked if Westphal had subbed Greene in for Garcia. Garcia was having a good game, but nothing was working on offense in the 4th quarter, so we needed something to get us going.
If Donte had entered the game, the Rockets would be forced to put Martin on either Evans or Greene.
It was clear that Battier pretty much had Tyreke’s number, so I wouldve loved to see Reke take over with a smaller, weaker defender in Martin.
I also would have taken my chances with Donte backing down K-Mart in the post.
But the past is the past, so hopefully we can play 4 quarters against the Curry-less? Warriors.
"Morrison beats Casspi 1 on 1". - MarcusC
curry-less
sad it has come down this,when you hope you can if a guy is out.
by cowboyron96@yahoo.com on Dec 20, 2010 10:51 AM PST up reply actions
i was at game last night
It was great until the 4th .so guys here we are 25 games in season and we are the worst team in the nba!5-20 so i say fire westphal he can not call plays.their is alot of young talent on kings and westphal can not use it.i can not beleive you guys are o.k. with this.it is always yeah man one more pick next year and we will win,BS! i am a kings fan but loosing is not a option.
by cowboyron96@yahoo.com on Dec 20, 2010 10:48 AM PST reply actions
Really, it has always been "yeah man one more pick next year and we will win?"
Interesting, especially considering we have gone into tank draft pick mode for TWO YEARS! I guess “always” is the next “two years.”
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 10:58 AM PST up reply actions
I agree
enough with the young players and draft picks. We need a veteran who can help win games.
by g4y Vulture on Dec 20, 2010 11:06 AM PST up reply actions
responded to the wrong person
and for what it’s worth, I disagree with you … somewhat.
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
I still disagree with your assessment of Westphal
Not that I am convinced he is great or even good at this point, but I do not think he has had the opportunity to be successful as the Kings coach yet. I like that the players seem to respect him and play hard.
Also, if he were to be fired at this point, I do not see another option that would help our young team develop more this season.
I think the players would play hard in a pickup game,
they may respect him, but I’d like to see them run the plays he’s outlining for the them rather than do their own thing. At least that’s what PW said in the post game new conference. “You don’t think that was the play I drew up”, I think was his comment.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
You're right: Loosing is not an option.
But losing is something the Kings have mastered so far.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I may be a bit late on this...
But how many times did you guys rewind and watch the part where there was a struggle for the ball on the floor, and Jerry said “Pooh on the floor”??
by Steevo on Dec 20, 2010 10:49 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
We need to trade with the Magic right NOW!
They have tons of great shooters: J-Rich or Redick and even sac product Ryan Anderson.
They need a back-up center after trading Gordat and we have a few that might fit. I don’t want to lose JT or Dally, but I would rather have a good SG at this point and win some of these games.
Incredible...
that the Magic make TWO blockbuster trades, because they lost 6 out of 7 games. 6 out of 7?!? Only 6 out of 7? The Kings can lose 6 out of 7 in their sleep! In fact, sleeping is usually their state of being two out of four quarters per game! :)
The facts are staggering: The Kings have lost 19 out of 21 games, with wins only against the mighty Nets and Wizards, with a 6 game losing streak, and 8 game losing streak, and current 5 game losing streak! This has to be some kind of record? I know we had the long road losing streak a long time ago, but winning less than 10% of games over a quarter of the season is incredibly futile.
Bad teams, including expansion, stumble onto schedule victories. We did that against the Wizards when they were missing two of their best players playing second of back to back, but when crunch time rolls around again, this team has collective confidence approaching nil.
I am honestly surprised at the level of tolerance over what we are watching. I expect the fans to be a little more peeved. Has there been boo birds at Arco? I am not sure. But most of the fans seem passive and resigned to the losing and accepting of consistent underperformance, and that is kind of sad to see.
My New S*ht List
(1) Jason Thomson
(2) Donte Greene
(3) Paul Westphal
(4) Sammy Dalembert!!!
Welcome to the club, Sammy.
I agree with everyone on your list except JT
He has been calming down his offense and actually put up a few good games. He is shooting 48% FG percentage which is the best on the team of the guys who play regular min. He might have some trade value as of late (see post above).
by g4y Vulture on Dec 20, 2010 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
why would trade value matter in his assessment?
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 11:21 AM PST up reply actions
JT sucked in Nov
Improving in Dec, thus his value might rise.
by g4y Vulture on Dec 20, 2010 11:38 AM PST up reply actions
The only thing that bothers me about JT is his fouling.
Specifically, the Dumb Foul followed by the “WTF Did I Do, Ref? I Didn’t Do Nuthin’!” face. Every. Single. Time.
But talking actual game-wise, he’s hitting shots, he’s rebounding the hell out of life, and he’s hustling. What more could you want?
In these times, you have to be an optimist to open your eyes when you awake in the morning.
~Carl Sandburg
For what it's worth
I personally don’t sign up here or watch games to freak out. I will say though, the Kings are in serious danger of some big time major historical suck this year.
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
was just pointing out why I have such a high level of tolerance for the suck
I didn’t mean to say everyone who is pissed is necessarily freaking out.
I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.
by wallywagon11 on Dec 20, 2010 11:24 AM PST up reply actions
This young Kings team has its work cut out for it. Right now, we as fans are suffering through the growing pains. It’s tough and it sucks, but seeing a guy like DeMarcus play like he did tonight, and knowing that Tyreke can and has played much better than this, makes me not feel so bad about the future.
This is all we got right now.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
That's enough for me.
There are 29 teams ahead of us, and I think we’ve put ourselves in a better chance to legitimately contend for a title in the next decade than the following:
Philadelphia (11-16): Still does not have that singular guy to build around, and saddled by poor contracts.
Toronto (10-18): Another team that doesn’t have a guy you could label as a cornerstone. Bargnani is good, but he’s more in the Kevin Martin area of stars.
Detroit (9-19): Still sticking with overpriced vets, and still not winning.
Cleveland (8-19): Why they haven’t blown it up yet, I don’t know.
Charlotte (9-17): They finally had a good year last year by overspending for some decent talent in Stack Jack, but now they’re basically mired in mediocrity with very poor contracts.
Phoenix (13-13): They’ll be good for the next two years until Nash retires, but they don’t have anything to really build around once he does. If I were Phoenix, I’d trade him, get whatever you can for him. Let him try to win a championship. He’s not going to do that in Phoenix.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
by Aykis16 on Dec 20, 2010 3:18 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
So, in the next decade you think we'll be 7th from last instead of in last place. ;)
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
by HighTops on Dec 20, 2010 5:07 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Yup
I’d throw Atlanta, Milwaukee and possibly Dallas in that boat (if they don’t win this year). There are plenty of teams that are good but not quite good enough to get over that hump for a title. Portland is probably there now. Denver will be stuck if/when Carmelo Anthony leaves.
What’s bad today can mean good for tomorrow. I’m kinda hoping the Kings trade for Andre Iguodala and get Kyrie Irving in the draft. That would be a fun team with Tyreke and DMC around to watch. Real real fun.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I give my Mavs 2 more years.
Then, with Kidd gone, the Mavs are going to need a PG. After, I expect some mediocre teams, about mid to high 30’s. After 4 years, we’ll see those 12 win seasons that still haunt Mav fans. With low picks, the Mavs future doesn’t look good…
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent"- Qui-Gon Jinn
The future can always change. Mark Cuban was smart enough to ride Dirk for the long haul.
He’s smart enough to move on when the time is right.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
sometimes
often, he attaches himself to the contract year center (Diop, Dampier, Haywood) too much. At least by the end of the mediocre era (IMO), Dirk and Marion are off the books, and then the bad season filled with low lotto rookies begin.
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent"- Qui-Gon Jinn
I thought Dirk resigned with the Mavs?
At least that’s what it says on Sham.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
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