DeMarcus Cousins Beastly Against Dwight Howard, But Sacramento Kings Fall
by Tom Ziller on Mar 10, 2011 6:40 AM PST
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PrintDeMarcus Cousins scored 29 points in one of his best games as a pro, outplaying Dwight Howard for the most part. But the Sacramento Kings still fell 106-102 as Jameer Nelson took over down the stretch and Hedo Turkoglu hit a massive three with 40 seconds left. The Kings suffered through 21 turnovers (seven by Cousins) and played without Beno Udrih, Donte Greene and, of course, Tyreke Evans. Cousins, Samuel Dalembert and Jason Thompson were all in sub-optimal playing shape too, with various dings.
But the Kings fought valiantly, and nearly stole a second win against the Magic. Howard fouled out with a minute left as Cousins posted him up, but Hedo's three seemed to put the game out of reach at 105-100. Marcus Thornton (excellent again with 22 points on 8-16 shooting) missed a runner (on which there was enough contact for a foul call), and Cousins was fouled after getting the offensive rebound. He hit both to cut the margin to three.
Jason Richardson was fouled on the other end, but missed both free throws. After a Cousins rebound and a timeout, the Kings tried to send the game to overtime. The result: a bricked 26-footer by Luther Head. No es bueno. Head finished the game 2-10. Turkoglu hit one of two free throws to essentially ice the game; Cousins airballed a three with 2.8 seconds left, and the game ended. Cousins and Howard shared hearty laughter afterward.
Still, a valiant effort by a team still fighting to win.
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Watching the box score on my phone
When I read Luther Head bricked the 3 I thought I’d wake up to a story about Demarcus stabbing whoever passed it to him.
I love beating dead horses.
by allbenji's on Mar 10, 2011 6:49 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Thornton passed to Head
Thornton was the first option, but was covered, and Head had some space. Somehow that space turned into a contested three from 2 feet beyond the arc. Ugh.
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Head took a 3 with 3 sec's left.
If you wish to blame anyone, blame Thornton for not being able to create an opportunity to shoot a 3 for himself. At least Head had a reasonable look given that A) the Magic were defending the 3 pt line and B) that Thornton never had the opportunity to get a shot up.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
I agree
I don’t actually blame Thornton, but I haven’t re-watched the play. Head took the shot because time was running out. I don’t actually blame him for taking it, it just didn’t look like the final play was a good call. Westphal explained the different options it provided during the post-game presser, but he did it very high-level. Hopefully Sebastian Pruiti will break down that final play call.
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I don't care how Westphal explains it in a presser.
Players gotta execute it.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Yeah, Head knew he wasn't the first or second option.
But with three seconds left, a shot needs to be taken.
You know who’s really to blame? Everyone else for not getting open and then making the shot. And I guess Luther Head for not wanting it badly enough.
Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen. And for a limited time, every third person who follows me on Twitter (andy_sims) gets a free ice cream cone.
Which I will eat.
by andy sims on Mar 10, 2011 7:17 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Didn't we get it with 14 seconds left?
How much time did we have in Utah? I’m not so sure why we didn’t run a similar play. instead of trying to have Thornton try to create his own shot.
by HeuristicLineup on Mar 10, 2011 7:25 AM PST up reply actions
I swear everytime someone has to take the fun out my Head bashing
If I can’t have my team can you atleast let me have this? :)
I love beating dead horses.
by allbenji's on Mar 10, 2011 7:45 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Last year it was Nocioni for me
Now I got Luther Head
by HeuristicLineup on Mar 10, 2011 8:51 AM PST up reply actions
I Reaffirm your head bashing!
He lost the game for for the kings long before he heaved up that errant 3. He consistently bit on every pump and ironically enough “head” fake jameer nelson did. He went flying past nelson trying to block jump shots allowing nelson, a more than adept ball handler, to free up for a wide open jumper or drive into the paint to create shots for his teammates. Nelson didn’t get hot so much as he torched head who was playing some pretty substandard D to knock down tons of wide open shots. Not to take anything away from jameer. He had a crossover on a high screen to free up a jumper that was just gross. Nothing anyone could have done about that…
Another knock. He won’t shoot an open shot! When he gets open looks he tries to draw defenders with the slowest most deliberate pump fakes ever then drive past them instead of simply shooting the open shots. The results are usually disastrous. Cousins hit him with a nice pass on a really nice cut and instead of simply going up he just hesitated, then he decided to go up and force a much more difficult shot once defenders had collapsed. No confidence. Hard to watch. His offense is always a pretty trying thing to watch, but his D really blew this game.
So who would defend Jameer Nelson if not Head?
Who would defend him better?
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Pooh!
I’ll admit my affection for Pooh has worn off a little, as his offensive game isn’t exactly iversonesque, but he really gets after it on D. There is no doubt in my mind that Pooh is the better defender. Jameer Nelson isn’t a big point guard which would mitigate any kind of mismatch bigger point guards have against Pooh. I would have loved to see Pooh guarding Jameer and give Taylor a shot on J Rich. Physically, Taylor matches up with J Rich, whether or not he could play good D on him remains to bee seen. But it’s not like Jermain Taylor could have been worse on J Rich than Head was on Nelson, and it’s not like Taylor is going to be any more of a liability on offense than Head is. When Jameer was obviously killing head knocking down shots and getting to the paint at will creating for his teammates, why not right?
I wish I could agree with you.
But Pooh has to show that he can do that consistently, and he hasn’t unfortunately.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
I’ll take inconsistent intermittent over consistently bad defense. Another gentleman made a good point though that I think we can both agree on. We aren’t going to win many games with Head as our starting point guard. In fact we may win an unprecedented negative number of games.
I don't disagree about Head.
214 has made a point about this team: It’s wider than it is deep. You’re arguing 6 in 1 half dozen in the other.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Head and Jeter
And probably Taylor are all “use only in case of emergency” type players on a decent NBA team.
If we are complaining that Head was in instead of either of those two guys, we’re picking some fairly large nits at that point.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints...
by otis29 on Mar 10, 2011 10:09 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Exactly.
And I love Pooh. Love rooting for him.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
I would have liked to see more cisco/thornton/omri
Head had to be in for his defense as his offense is horrible, but jameer was torching him every time. Both cisco and thornton are better ball handlers than head, bringing the ball upcourt. Thornton is not someone you’d want running nba point for any extended period of time – but poor luther can barely dribble.
Im not hating on luther, he is what he is, but his confidence is shot rendering him even worse than before. He should not have played so many minutes.
by lchristmas on Mar 10, 2011 11:32 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I would have preferred this too.
I would always prefer Cisco/MT23/Omri on the court to anything with Head on it.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Luther looked like he'd never seen a screen before
Jameer Nelson was KILLING him. It also seemed that any guard penetration = layup or easy jumper, didn’t seem to me that the Kings frontline had a clue what to do once he got past his man. Of course, Dwight rolling to the hoop probably occupies your attention…
DMC - Offense ran through Rookie, Consistantly
It was the first time, I can remember, where we went to DMC consistantly the entire time he was in the game. He got alot of touches. Maybe I am wrong. Again I have no flashy stats, thus making this an opinion.
He made more good than bad decisions, and showed he can handle the double team. I felt hope for 2.5 hrs for the first time in a long time.
Now… back to The Real Drama of Sacramento County. (sigh)
Statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything.
To be clear
Y’all are right. Head had no choice but to shoot it.
But for the ball to be in Head’s hands in that situation is not good. The play was bad, or well-defended, or broken, or all of the above.
by Tom Ziller on Mar 10, 2011 7:45 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Luther Head should never, ever, eva, eva, eva, eva, eva
be in the game in crunch time. EVERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
I love beating dead horses.
by allbenji's on Mar 10, 2011 7:54 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
still better than lebron during clutch situations.
"And Solskjaer has won it!"
by 'tough as nails' spence on Mar 10, 2011 3:00 PM PST up reply actions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU2N0q6iSHk
ok… you’re turn, go ahead and post up Luther Head’s made clutch shots
by HeuristicLineup on Mar 11, 2011 7:31 AM PST up reply actions
How many teams do you see that get quality shots off in that situation?
Not a criticism of the Kings here; just curious how often you see late game plays in similar situations to the one the Kings did that was well executed.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Head
Westphal explained that he had his best 3 point shooters on the floor. Suspicious, I looked it up, and the top 3 point shooters for the Kings are Thornton, Casspi Garcia, and Head.
Never forget, I'm an idiot.
Follow me on Twitter
Author of Inside-Out Game
And Garcia wasn't playing due to minute restrictions.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
I thought he was on the floor for the final possession?
I could be mistaken.
Never forget, I'm an idiot.
Follow me on Twitter
Author of Inside-Out Game
I think you're right.
Although it’s hard to tell from the PBP.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
He was on the floor.
I remember that.
In these times, you have to be an optimist to open your eyes when you awake in the morning.
~Carl Sandburg
The main problem I have with Head is that he hesitates
There was a timeout by the Kings towards the end of the game. They in-bounded the ball, DMC got it, Head ran around him and to the basket. DeMarcus zinged a pass to Head about 1-2 steps away from the rim. Instead of going for layup (and using the rim to keep Howard from rotating, Head hesitates, then gets trapped. I believe the play ended up in a turnover (either a steal or they missed the eventual shot), but regardless—I was hoping Head would have the sense of mind to go for it.
To be somewhat fair, he probably hesitated because he got swatted in the first half on a layup…BUT, the difference was that in the first half, Howard was probably 2-5 feet closer, and Head still chose to shoot…
Also, I don’t know what happened, but Head backed off on defense and allowed Nelson A LOT more space compared to his defense in the first half. I don’t know whether that was by design (coach) or Head’s own decision, but I felt that’s when the game started to slip. Those Nelson-Howard pick and rolls (mostly just picks and no rolls) were tough to swallow. Head ABSOLUTELY had to fight through the screens because you can’t just leave Howard to roam the paint…
That said, I think Head played pretty well throughout the first 3 quarters considering he hadn’t played in six games.
Cousins had seven turnovers.
But Luther Head lost the game.
Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen. And for a limited time, every third person who follows me on Twitter (andy_sims) gets a free ice cream cone.
Which I will eat.
by andy sims on Mar 10, 2011 8:28 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
When games are close, it blame gets spread all around
For last night’s game, I chose to blame Head because of his defensive and offensive missteps in the fourth quarter, otherwise, he played pretty well.
But everyone could’ve helped too…Dalembert could not be so Dalembert-y on offense, DMC could’ve protected the ball better, Beno Udrih should have Yeti-levels of immunity to the cold and flu…
I’m just glad Orlando stopped doubling DMC when he got the ball. Everytime I saw Turkoglu come around to double, I though “Holy shicaca DMC, I hope you see the double coming and pass it out.” Nope. He’d bull on through the double on his way to the basket. It worked tonight (even though he had 7 turnovers), but somehow I think it’d frustrate him if all teams did it, most of the time.
If you blame Luther Head for the loss...
…and ignore Cousins 7 TO’s (when the Kings had 21 TO’s and the Magic 14), you’re ignoring the fact that the Kings might not have been down 3 in the first place and needing that Head 3.
You know that analogy about spiting your face to take care of your nose? I think that’s the point about blaming Head for the loss rather than noting that a similar theme for the Kings on the offensive side of the ball that comes up with DeMarcus Cousins in the game: They miss a lot of shots and turn the ball over way too much.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
lol
You know that analogy about spiting your face to take care of your nose?
Haven’t heard it put that way. If you are cutting off your nose to spite your face, then you are acting in a way outside of your own best interest and taking action contrary to your primary goal. I know Hedo played last night but not sure that analogy works, Pookey.
I don’t blame Head for taking and missing the shot. I fault him for his lackadasical defense against Nelson. He should have been more physical. And PW could have switched MT23 on to him.
DeMarcus made too many TOs per season trend (leads NBA in travels) but without his interior dominance the Kings are nowhere close at the end of the game. DeMarcus is a force in the making. I love the guy! The TOs will diminish over time. He is learning to react to the defenses, speed and anticipation of other players. He tries too often to make players that aren’t there. He is so skilled he feels he has carte blanche to do whatever he wants on the court.
With experience and improved judgement he will learn to rely most on high percentage plays and shelf the low percentage plays. This is a cerebral skill that takes time and maturity. But he is a terrific talent. In his last 4 games his averaging 23.8 points and 11.8 points on 48% FG. So much for the rookie wall, huh?
By the way, out of curiosity, I looked up the TO leaders. Cousins leads NBA in TOs per minute at 5.3, tied with Russell Westbrook. He is 14th overall in total TOs. But he is in good company. All the elite players tend to make a lot of TOs, although note the guys on this list make way more assists. But obviously Cousins need to cut this number dramatically. 2 to 3.5 TO per 48 minutes would be indicative of smart(er) play, and aligned league average for better front line players, along with an assist/TO around 1.25.
5.3 TO/48 minutes is a bit ridiculous.
Turnover Leaders
444 Russell Westbrook, PG
443 LeBron James, SF MIA
442 Derrick Rose, PG CHI
441 Steve Nash, PG PHO
440 Amare Stoudemire, PF NYK
439 Dwight Howard, C ORL
438 Monta Ellis, SG GSW
437 Deron Williams, PG NJN/UTH
436 Dwyane Wade, SG MIA
435 Rajon Rondo, PG BOS
(Tie) Kobe Bryant, SG LAL
433 John Wall, PG WAS
432 Raymond Felton, PG DEN/NYK
(Tie) DeMarcus Cousins, PF SAC
430 Stephen Jackson, SG CHA
429 Devin Harris, PG NJN/UTH
428 Blake Griffin, PF LAC
427 Kevin Durant, SF OKC
426 Stephen Curry, PG GSW
425 Carmelo Anthony, SF DEN/NYK
I knew I screwed up that analogy.
Gosh dang it, I knew it! Oh wait, don’t care.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Oh also
With regards to Westbrook and the Thunder. They are 6th in TOV% right now. Westbrook may turn over the ball a lot, but he and Durant have the ball in their hands a hell of a lot all the time. They are going to turn the ball over a lot.
The reality is that when the Kings as a team turn the ball over less, it will be in large part because Cousins is making significantly better use of the possessions than he does now. Even if he has lots of turnover’s, that isn’t necessarily the problem. The rest of the team isn’t helped by his presence enough consistently.
You talked about Cousins being a force. At times, he was. At times he wasn’t. That’s the difference between most of those players on that list and Cousins. That, and they aren’t rookies or 20 years old.
Again, Cousins has always had problems with turnovers and shot selection. Being a rookie on a bad team with not nearly the kind of veteran talent around him that he needs to make a successful transition into the NBA is not a way to resolve those types of issue’s.
You can say coulda shoulda woulda with Cuz, but until he does, he ain’t. Simple as 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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Hedo's Dagger
Looks like they didn’t discuss “switch everything” vs. ""play straight up" in the huddle or there was a mental lapse on either Omri or Jason’s part. As much as we want to worry about Head shooting a potential game winner, good defense would have produced wildly different options at the end there.
Luther Head for 3 in crunch time...???
All this talk of moving has me tense, sorry…
...Watching DeMarcus Cousins’ transformation from large human to immortal kill beast...
by Sacto_J on Mar 10, 2011 8:46 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Love the 'cazm though.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Orlando's options
With the clock winding down it was a somewhat open look that just missed
If you are Orlando I’d take those odds, ie Head shooting a 28fter, than with Thornton, that to me was the smart choice.
In comparrison its frustrating when you look at the 3 Hedo made, was wide open for that look, that was a well executed play
If Luther Head is your starting PG how many games should one expect to win?
One big difference though is that the Kings had to have a 3.
Its a lot easier to defend a team only outside the 3pt line, than to try to cover everyone. Orland didn’t need a 3, so we had to defend the whole court. The Magic didn’t, so its an unfair comparison.
"The Kings have nothing to lose but their games."
I'd let Luther Head shoot every crunch time three
if it meant the Kings stayed.
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
Ugh... for how many years is he allowed to do this?
by HeuristicLineup on Mar 10, 2011 9:04 AM PST up reply actions
More Luther hate:
Did anybody see the 2 minute section of the first half where Luther just looked like he’d never played organized basketball in his life?
The precipus was when there was some confusion about taking the ball in from the baseline after Orlando scored and Head was afraid to go out of bounds until he asked the ref because he thought the ball could have been in play after Cousins gave him the ball (from in-bounds).
I was like “…you’re embarassing yourself.”
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Mar 10, 2011 9:09 AM PST reply actions
I saw that but
I thought he was talking about the lack of a foul call on Heads all to common pump fake three on the play before.
defense
when Omri starts, they have it. when he doesn’t they don’t
Hedo was 4-8 and 2-6 from the FT line but when the game was on the line he was clutch
The Kings have no go to clutch player or any set plays to get our best shooters open. PW even said it in the Post game Presser, that the last play wasn’t designed for anyone in particular. He also said that ’ we don’t have ANY good ball handlers’.
So you’ve got no one who’s all that good at dribbling the ball in a play that’s not designed for anyone in particular and you only have 14 seconds left in the game. So, why be surprised that the worse shooter on the floor gets the shot. That’s exactly how the defense defended the play.
Having said that, I thought that the Kings lost the game on the 5 break aways were they ended up getting Zero points. Which again comes down the having no one that can handle the ball, and very few who know how to run a fast break.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
I wonder how many teams in the NBA
can run an effective fast break when they are down to their 3rd and 4th point guards? Not being snarky here – honest question.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Mar 10, 2011 10:15 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Off the top of my head
I can only think of the Thunder since they have a PG rotation of Westbrook/Maynor/Nate-Rob
Author of the Pick and Scroll. Follow me on Twitter here.
So, you agree with Section that backup 2's and 3's are incapable of running a fast break?
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
So, you agree with Section that backup 2’s and 3’s are incapable of running a fast break?
Link please, showing where I said that. What I asked, simply and honestly was -
I wonder how many teams in the NBA can run an effective fast break when they are down to their 3rd and 4th point guards? Not being snarky here – honest question.
As I always say – Don’t put words in my mouth, as it is already full with Geoff Petrie’s penis.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Mar 10, 2011 1:52 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
wow...
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Mar 11, 2011 1:40 PM PST up reply actions
I had to put words in your mouth since there was no room in mine because my foot was already there. ;)
You are correct sir, you did not mention 2’s or 3’s, But, in my defense you did ask how many NBA teams
can run an effective fast break when they are down to their 3rd and 4th point guards?
and since I don’t believe many NBA teams carry 4 Point Guards, I made the assumption that you meant to say guards in general. My Bad. In the future I will try not to assume but will ask for clarification instead.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
I think most backup guards (PG & SG) and wing are able to run at least 2-5 well.
But, not to be snarky myself, the Kings have 4 PG’s? I don’t think Taylor, Thornton or Head have the ball handling skills to be considered PG’s.
The fact that we either fumbled the ball & got called for a charge on every one was frustrating to say the least. Especially the 4 on one break early in the game.
Also, we dominated the defensive boards getting 35 rebounds off of Orlando’s 40 missed shots. And, we had 6 steals. And, we were out scored on fast break points 16-5. I think that’s an awfull lot of opportunities for fast break points to come away with only 5.
Without either of your starting PG’s, we weren’t going to be able to beat Orlando in a half court game. We needed those fast break points,
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
So you think running Pooh Jeter out there would have resulted in that better efficiency?
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
No I'm saying that the Kings are horrible at running the fast break
they all run right down the center of the court, and no one splits out. They’re like a herd stampleding toward the basket. No one seems to want to give up the ball and even when they do they wait too long.
I didn’t say that a PG is needed to run a good break. I said most backup 2’s and 3’s can do it.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
Dunno about 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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
About backup 2's and 3's.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Any backcourt player collecting an nba paycheck
Should possess the basic competence to run a simple fast break
by lchristmas on Mar 10, 2011 12:47 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
If every player could do it.....
…..why wouldn’t they? Oh, it’s not that simple.
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.....
If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
The four guys that have run the point for the Kings this year -
Evans, Udrih, Head and Jeter. This in effect goes directly to my question. How many teams have a 3rd or 4th option at PG that are significantly more effective at running the break than Jeter or Head. In other words, I agree with you that Head is not a very good point guard. In fact, that’s the point, isn’t it?
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by section214 on Mar 10, 2011 1:55 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
MT23 is showing the makings of a clutch performer
He has been so good since being acquired. You have to be excited by this guy! And his passing has been really good. There was a time he made a nice back court steal and wrap around to Sammy D. He has shown knack for interior pass, entry pass, and swing pass. Really solid, though a couple of times he did screw up on the fast break like you mentioned.
Running a fast break is not that complicated and all Kings guards (PG and SGs) should be competent at it, unless these guys are trying to make plays that aren’t there. And that’s the rub. Make the easy play and pass. We don’t see that enough. We see the low percentage lob, the bounce pass into traffic, the lead ahead into the second row. It is not an issue of skill. It is an issue of judgment.
I agree that it's mostly mental, but some of it is selfishness
Not willing to make the right pass on the right time. And, some of it is just bad BBIQ, when no one spreads out. And, you blow a one on four, because everyone runs right down the center of the court.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
There was a couple of plays
that if a player made the extra pass while running the fast break, it would have led to a shot and not a turnover
DMC IS SUCH A BOSS
too bad the kings won’t be in sac next year some bullllllllllllllllshit
"I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father"
wish he would take care of the ball better though
by lemmetakeutodamovies on Mar 10, 2011 1:23 PM PST up reply actions
If he dominates like that AND doesn't turn it over,
Heaven will bring him back too early and won’t let him dwell with us unworthy mortals.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Mar 11, 2011 1:42 PM PST up reply actions
It's not a matter of him not taking care of the ball as much as it is what he's trying to do
DeMarcus is a Center, playing the PF position, like he’s a PG or SG. And, the way the Kings run sets for him, teams know exactly what is going to happen long before it happens and know what they want to do to defend it.
Orlando was sending the double team as soon as the ball moved to DeMarcus’ side of the floor and even before the entry pass was even made. Other teams were sagging back off the man at the top of the key to help if Cousins drove into the center of the lane. Tyreke would have had trouble not giving up a few turnovers under those situations.
As for playing like a guard, well Cousins is 17th among PF in shot attempts at the rim. But, unlike most centers and PF’s who play 20+ mpg, Cousins creates his own shot and beats his man one on one like a guard. The average Center gets 63% of his baskets at the rim on assisted baskets, and PF run around 59%. DeMarcus on the other hand gets only 30% of his baskets on assisted basket. On the Kings only Tyreke gets fewer assisted baskets at the rim at 25% and Beno is 3rd at 34%, so DeMarcus is being asked to create like a guard while playing out of position. And, as a rookie, I’d say his turnover rate at 17% is only 3% above the league average while he has the highest USG Rate on the team of 28%.
I think if DeMarcus wasn’t being asked to do so much, as the best player on the team with Tyreke out, he wouldn’t be making half the turnovers that he’s making now.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
Ok am I the only who noticed Omri /Garcia just standing there the whole time from Thornton bringing it up , to passing to head..they stand there with their arms at their side. Where is the pick and rolls, where is the movement and passing, why is Demarcus running down low when a 2 pointer doesn’t help us. SO many thing frustrate me about the last shots we always seem to get ourselves in for, and it feels like it’s always that exact play. I guess you could say Demarcus used a bump and run technique right at the beginning but it really didn’t do squat You can see it here
Founder of team Omté Caspeen
Unfortunately, having two guys take themselves out of the play by standing in the corner is a way of like for the Kings this season.
But, I actually thought the way Omri and JT played the screen on Hedo’s 3 was a worse play.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
That's on PW
it is very similar to the game where Donte passed to Tyreke instead to DMC and DMC then slapped Donte.
There was a little bit more movement on that play than now against Orlando, but no picks. Basically, the coaching staff is telling the players to spread the floor and let the play develop. I think that is piss-poor coaching
Dunking Dutchman - betting that Omri will have at least 12 games with 85% TS% this season.
I have to agree that it doesn't show a lot of imagination on the coaching staffs part.
And, it put a lot of responsibility in the hands of Thornton who hasn’t had much experience running the offense.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
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