Kings vs. Heat Preview: YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
by Aykis16 on Feb 21, 2012 1:09 PM PST
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Sacramento Kings at Miami Heat
4:30 p.m. Pacific on Comcast SportsNet California and NBA TV
The Kings coming into Miami after two heartbreaking losses in games they should have won, and losers of five straight. The Heat, meanwhile, could not be playing any better, winners of six straight (all by double digits, with five being on the road) and currently tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the NBA's best record.
LeBron James isn't just having a great season. He's having one of the best seasons in NBA history. He's averaging a hair under 28 points a game on almost 55% from the field, over 8 rebounds and almost 7 assists and 2 steals in just 36.7 minutes per game. His current PER of 32.8 is the highest ever recorded since Wilt Chamberlain in 1963. In short, James has been a monster, and the Kings have absolutely no answer for him.
The scariest part about the Heat is that James isn't alone. He's joined by All-NBA talents in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who are also having great seasons and shooting nearly 50%. The Heat's roleplayers are also very good at doing their job as well; Mario Chalmers and rookie Norris Cole do a fine job at the Point Guard spot, and on the wings the Heat can rely on Shane Battier, Mike Miller and James Jones. The bigs are a little weaker, with Joel Anthony only being particularly good at shotblocking, but Udonis Haselm is one of the better defensive big men in the league, if a bit undersized.
This is a very scary Miami team. They are one of the top defensive units in basketball and have the highest Offensive Rating in the NBA. The Heat are shooting almost 49% from the field, and have four guys who are shooting 40+% from three-point range with another in Battier at 37.2%.
It will be interesting to see if the Kings stick with their current starting lineup for this game, as Evans is too small to guard LeBron James and Thornton is too small and not nearly quick enough to guard Wade. Then again, changing the lineup assumes the Kings actually have anybody that can guard those two players.
The one position the Kings can really look to try to exploit is down low with DeMarcus Cousins against Anthony/Haslem/Bosh. If DeMarcus can get going, the Kings may have a chance to be in the game at the very least. Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton will also probably have to have huge nights themselves, a tough task when guarded by a combo of James, Wade and Battier. The bench will also need to be vastly more productive than it has been to date.
This Heat team is not unbeatable, but it will take a bunch of things going the Kings way for them to have a shot at winning.
The game's at 4:30. Game threads at 4:30 and 6:00. Let's go Kings!
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1st
This is a game they shouldn’t win so they will
I love a team that never quits
by Howard Nevens IV on Feb 21, 2012 1:20 PM PST reply actions
Probably. I'm hoping it will be close at least, the Heat are stupidly good.
I fully expect to lose this by 30 points.
by VenomySnicket on Feb 21, 2012 2:53 PM PST up reply actions
We're goin to Detroit, and Cleveland, and Miami...
and we going to Washington to take back 13th place in the Western Conference! Yeeeaaaahhhh!
I miss Big Mike and his Arco Thunder monologue.
by RJinFairOaks on Feb 21, 2012 1:29 PM PST reply actions 5 recs
Great Preview Aykis
Covered all my bases.
My big question is will Coach Smart start the same lineup as the Detroit and Cleveland games, and can Tyreke & Thornton guard James and Wade?
Personally I don’t like going small, mostly because the can cheat off of Tyreke when he’s outside and help out in the paint. And, James is too big and strong for Tyreke. I’d probably start Thomas, Evans & Greene, and might even play Outlaw some on James.
I like our reserves, especially if we have Thornton and Jimmer spreading the floor with the 3pt shot. They’re really the only two reserves that can hit a long shot at a good percentage.
Still, Miami is “Scary Good”, and they beat us by 20 in both games last season. We haven’t beaten them in Miami since 2001, so I’m not looking for a victory here. Just want us to be competitive on National TV. Which probably means we need to score, because I can’t see us doing a better job of defending them then we’ve done to anyone else on this road trip.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
I think this is one of those games
where you aren’t going to be able to stop LBJ and Wade no matter who you put on them. Greene can’t handle LeBron and Evans is not fast enough to cover Wade. So you might as well put your best offensive weapons on the floor, double Wade and LeBron and take what you get. Honestly this is a game where you just hope your young guys can learn a thing or two.
It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
by SavageBeast on Feb 21, 2012 2:31 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
or you could just start Jimmer
That way when we get our butts kicked everyone can say, “If Jimmer hadn’t played such lousy defense, we would have won that game.” I seriously think JImmered is going to burst a blood vessel if he can’t in a few more, “Jimmer sucks!”
And yes, I am mostly kidding.
It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
This game could get ugly quick....
Like I said last night, I’d like a starting lineup of
Isaiah
Tyreke
Greene
Thompson
Cousins
against this Heat team. I think starting IT/Thornton/Tyreke would just get destroyed with Wade/Lebron.
I’m tired of these games before 5:00pm…
by HeuristicLineup on Feb 21, 2012 1:44 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I like your lineup
I’d love to see Donte actually get 30+ minutes one of these games, just to get a feel for his overall ability to make good decisions and help the team. I think it is difficult to judge that in 5-7 minute spurts. Granted, having to take on LeBron is probably not the most flattering of opportunities, but it has to happen sometime.
Also, Donte has a knack for stepping up to challenges. I’d just like to see that level of determination and care every night from him.
Go Kings.
I miss Big Mike and his Arco Thunder monologue.
by RJinFairOaks on Feb 21, 2012 1:48 PM PST up reply actions
Remember that killer Donte defense on Kobe a few years back?
That was some challenge there, with the game on the line.
Looking forward to a Lakers collapse.
Get Smart.
revised:
I’m tired of these games over before 5:00pm…
Sound the trumpets, Raise the drawbridge, and drop the Oldsmobile
by Balky Needs on Feb 21, 2012 1:49 PM PST up reply actions 6 recs
Man, I can't wait to see how Maimi plans to handle
Outlaw, Jimmer, and Hickson. This could get ugly for Miami quick!
by StevenG on Feb 21, 2012 1:48 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
Sadly...
The Kings probably will need to put Outlaw on Lebron… sigh… can we ban him from shooting though?
by HeuristicLineup on Feb 21, 2012 1:50 PM PST up reply actions
Outlaw
The Lebron Stopper kinda has a ring to it LMAO
I love a team that never quits
by Howard Nevens IV on Feb 21, 2012 4:27 PM PST up reply actions
Not sure if I should record the game
Or just check after to see how bad we lost
Sanka....you dead? Ya Man
by prowseinthehouse on Feb 21, 2012 1:52 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
So should we just start Hassan and Honeycutt
Or let the starters get a few minutes to play before it gets out of hand?
by Crocoduck on Feb 21, 2012 1:54 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I'll settle for
Not breaking these NBA records:
Largest margin of defeat
Lowest point total for a quarter
Lowest point total for a game
If we can avoid those, I’ll be ok with whatever else happens.
It’s bad enough that LBJ is so freakishly good, then you have to add in the fact that you are literally not allowed to guard him. If you even look at him funny the referee will blow the whistle. I could easily see this one being over in the first two minutes of the game.
The devil is dryhumping the details - Tom Ziller
For the record (no pun intended)
That would be:
68
2
49
Scary thing is… I’m not sure that we can avoid all three…
The devil is dryhumping the details - Tom Ziller
I'm totally with you
Most games I’m thinking stay competitive. This game I’m thinking don’t embarrass yourselves.
It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Oh, it'll be embarassing
just have to hope it’s not an epic, historical embarrassment.
The devil is dryhumping the details - Tom Ziller
So more like this?
Than this?
It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Reading this preview *puts on sunglasses*
was killer.
"Smelling the cork from an open bottle of wine is like smelling a woman's ass before you make love to her"
Miles from the novel "Sideways"
by A Night At The Arco on Feb 21, 2012 2:10 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Well STR, it looks like the Miami Heat
Really “cooked” the Kings…
YEAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
by Crocoduck on Feb 21, 2012 2:16 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Stole this from the Heat's game thread
While Miami has held a lead of at least 20 points in six consecutive games, the Kings have only held a 20-point lead one time this entire season, and it lasted just 37 sec
Ouch…
by HeuristicLineup on Feb 21, 2012 2:15 PM PST reply actions
Like a couple of guys I have known...
and it lasted just 37 sec
"Should he just be renamed Player of the Week?" HeuristicLineup on Cousins.
Just score a shitload of points
make us look . . . . OK (?)
"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower
"Lebron, I hear Sacramento is coming to town...
You are about to lose your 5-star status."
"Should he just be renamed Player of the Week?" HeuristicLineup on Cousins.
by Slam_Dunk on Feb 21, 2012 3:05 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
What happened to my Horatio pic?
"Should he just be renamed Player of the Week?" HeuristicLineup on Cousins.
I said this before the Thunder game...
…this may be a game where you keep the ball in LeBron and Wade’s hands, let them score all the points, and try to take away their passing lanes. Make them both score 45+ and don’t let anyone else score. Try and limit their assist total.
"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."
I will get through this game by remembering that Lebron
has not won a championship since we beat him in the first game of his career. He has the Kings curse on him and nobody can overcome the Kings curse (especially the Kings).
by rmgordon4 on Feb 21, 2012 3:16 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Not even the Kings
Considering Sacramento has the same amount of championships as Lebron.
Read: Toblerone Jones
Lets try this again... Minus copying an entire chat conversation... LOL
Here is our glimmer of optimism!
The Miami Heat losses have come against…
Orlando
Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Denver
Clipers
Golden State
Atlanta
by HeuristicLineup on Feb 21, 2012 3:22 PM PST reply actions
Bold Prediction - We will not lose this game...
…on a last second foul by Tyreke.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Feb 21, 2012 3:32 PM PST reply actions 6 recs
Dammit Section
Who are we going to blame when it’s all over (at 4:45) then?
I demand a scapegoat!
The devil is dryhumping the details - Tom Ziller
Salmons or new flavor of the week, JJ
"Should he just be renamed Player of the Week?" HeuristicLineup on Cousins.
I agree with SB up there ^
No one on the team can guard Lebron or Wade & we aren’t going to be competitive if we can’t defend AND score.
So put your best offensive team out there & let the chips fall where they may. Our best defensive unit still gets beat by 30. 20 because of offense & 10 because of the defense.
If we put our vest scorers out there we could possibly stay within 15-20. 10-15 because of defense & 5-10 because of offense
by Allbenji on Feb 21, 2012 3:37 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I have a feeling we will win
Look I know my feeling about winning vs the suns, pistons, cavs and even knicks was all wrong but theres’ just no way it will be wrong once again. Thats just too many times in a row. Nostradumbass on the other hand has been getting too many correct so it’s time for him to get his prediction wrong. Is say heat will take this game with a grain of salt, playing very softly and not working hard, allowing the kings just enough room to take over in the 4th.
by CousinsEvansDUO on Feb 21, 2012 3:45 PM PST reply actions
I don't think Smart will or should jerk IT or MT out of the starting lineup to try to match up with LeBron and Wade
If those are your starters, roll with them no matter who you’re playing. They’ve started off each of the last two games great, might as well let them continue to build chemistry and confidence (even if they get their tails kicked on the defensive end). Who better to practice against than the world’s best? Also, the thought of putting in Donté or Salmons as our “LeBron Stopper” or “Wade Stopper” is adorable.
If the Kings are going to get destroyed by the Heat, it might as well be the Kings that will be playing the most in the other games. It always used to bug me when PW would get too cute with the lineups and rotations. Pick your dudes and play them, I say. Am I biased because I picked up IT on my fantasy team the minute I saw he was in the starting lineup? Perhaps. In any case, I’ll be bummed if IT doesn’t start this game.
"If you're going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the audience." -Geoff Petrie
by AnotherStupidSN on Feb 21, 2012 4:09 PM PST reply actions
For unknown reasons
Hmmm? Last time i heard that Geoff had a trade brewing. if its an injury or sicknesses, or even personal reasons doesnt that typically get disclosed? Sheesh i can only hope my prayers are answered and Geoff rights his wrong for bringing the fish back to sac
by Gold Miner 916 on Feb 21, 2012 4:35 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Kevin Sherrets
reporting Salmons is inactive
John Salmons is inactive tonight – not sure why yet
formerly what_the_crap
He's inactive nearly every night
But tonight he’s not suiting up.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Feb 21, 2012 8:52 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Who beat the League leading OKC Thunder on National TV?
Who started the season with a win over the hated LA Lakers?
The Heat are Hot but the Kings are Top!
so… game starting soon?
by betweentheeyes on Feb 21, 2012 4:23 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Its Donte Greens Birthday
We cant lose
I love a team that never quits
by Howard Nevens IV on Feb 21, 2012 4:29 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
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