Kings' Starting Five Changes Despite Early Leads

The team has played better in Cousins’ starts, too: the Kings are 4-10 when Cousins starts and 1-12 when he comes off the bench.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

you gotta change the 1st and 3rd quarters. Maybe by mixing up the starters, the bench will be more sustainable in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Something has to change, and if it’s not a trade, this is really the only other way.

These are probably our best & most experienced players. A few of them you can argue aren’t completely better but certainly more experienced. These are the guys who should be finishing games anyway & this should give them a chance to gel from the start. Which should provide a better finish.

All that said will it work? Who knows? Also another line-up change is frustrating to say the least but I guess it can’t get any worse.

putting Garcia in the starting line-up since PW seemed to have forgotten he was on the team for the most part. Not necessarily complaining about it, but I don’t understand the reasoning behind it.

Or maybe Westphal looked at the calendar and went “Oh shit, it’s been more than 3 days since I’ve made some kind of lineup change. Better remedy that before that lineup gets comfortable and develops a feel for each other.”

And start wanting a new coach.

Note: even though this is a repost from HighTop’s game preview, I think it is useful for the Westphal comments.

Agree that the lineup change is key and I think Westphal’s comments signal a movement towards more veteran playing time.

The team will take a different approach as it heads into Monday’s matchup.

“Tomorrow we plan on going with Samuel (Dalembert), Carl (Landry), Francisco (Garcia), Tyreke (Evans) and Beno (Udrih),” said Coach Paul Westphal. “I’m trying to get our most experienced players out there. It’s time for that.”

After testing a few lineups, the coaching staff believes the younger players can learn best from watching the veterans in action.

“I think it’s important to try developing our young players through a little bit more of the apprentice method than the sink or swim method,” said Westphal. “The more professionalism we have for people to learn from the better. Francisco (Garcia) and Beno (Udrih) are certainly two players who know what this League is all about and are good people to have around.”

I hope he tries to develop a second unit of Pooh, Taylor, Omri, JT and Cousins. I think that can be an effective, exciting backup unit.

For Donte, I think it’s another trip from starter to almost DNP status. Maybe if he plays with the Pooh unit he can capture some of the magic Omri has shown. Jackson also deserves some PT, but somebody is going to be the odd man out and he can certainly get some reps while JT is getting the cobwebs out in his return.

The Foreseeable Future is now defined as Before the End of the Calendar Year.

And as much as I like Cisco, is he really better than both Donté and Omri at the 3?

My personal choice would be to remove Tyreke from the starting lineup until he works through his injuries/personal issues/slump. Let him watch the games from the bench for a while. At the very least, it would take some of the pressure off his shoulders to be “the man”.

None of the losses the Kings cook up ever stick to Tyreke.

The only person that needs to be on the bench is Tyreke, for the sole purpose of resting his foot. Cousins should be in the starting line up, the removal of donte can sadly be justified, but what can cisco do that casspi cant? FIRE WESTPHAL.

What if this starting lineup works? Will Westphal get credit for that?

Note: I’m not saying success will happen one way or the other.

Personally, I’d be elated if DMC was back in the starting lineup before week’s end, but fantasy-wise, it would hurt me. Think I made a wise choice? I have a feeling Westphal is going to hold Cuz down for a while.

On a side note, how can you say you’re going to bench somebody for being immature and start him again that same season? Doesn’t it take a while to “mature”? Especially when it’s something like taunting, not forgetting plays or something basketball-related.

The problem is choking in the fourth quarter. The players lack confidence and a well defined role (besides choking). They do pick up the intensity in the fourth quarter – the intensity of their fear. You can see it in their hesitation, turnovers, silly fouls and general bone-headed play.