So Much For Pride
by Ziller on Apr 14, 2007 10:08 AM PDT
in Recaps
19 comments
Friday night's painful loss to Golden State showed the season as it is: frustrating.
Actually, one play in particular seemed to sum up the Kings season as a whole. Francisco Garcia's missed dunk.
No fault to Cisco, surely. I'm almost positive that's his first NBA missed dunk. It came after a forced steal by Garcia which Quincy Douby picked up and took the length. With a 2-on-1 advantage, Douby whipped the behind-the-back pass to Garcia in perfect position for the high-flying flush. Garcia was a bit off, and the ball went out to the corner. The dunk would've put the Kings down by 5 late in the third after being down by as much as 21. After the miss, the Warriors took control for good.
All that effort, all that energy, all that excitement... no result.
Just like the five overtime losses in five overtime games. Just like the full month of close defeats. Just like the rallies that came up just short all year.
As Kusian notes in the game thread, Douby wasn't particularly hope-inspiring. His defense was OK - he gambled plenty, which got him some nice steals but also let his man get some easy looks. His offense was atrocious. He tried to go to the rim in three different half-court sets. His shot was blocked or he was stripped all three times. His jumper wasn't close. Kid needs A LOT of work before he's an NBA player.
Kevin Martin's ballhandling was the sloppiest its been all season, which no doubt shrunk his offensive role. (11 FGAs, 4 FTAs.) Shareef Abdur-Rahim was as good as he's been all year, muscling Andris Biedrins and Al Harrington for 23 and 14. Justin Williams was good in limited minutes, but didn't help on the defensive glass much and reverted back to his scary-bad free-throw shooting (1 for 5).
The game was Garcia's, which makes the missed dunk even more painful. 31 minutes, 16 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk, 0 turnovers. If THE FUTURE OF THE KINGS is Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia is 1b. He is GOOD. Doug Christie is the conventional comparison - if he can get his shot a bit more consistent, he'll be a rich man's Doug. That's exciting.
We all thought this explosion of minutes for the youngsters would mean nothing but smiles. Well, there's going to be a lot of headsmacking as well.
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Re: So Much For Pride
This spoiling other people's playoff hopes is retarded in every way shape or form even if it is the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the season. Not only are we spoil their hopes we spoil our own chances at a brighter tomorrow. I'll gladly take the fifth pick over the sixth or seventh pick if it comes down to that. With that said, yesterday was pretty bad in terms of effort and play but I'm not upset b/c the young guys are still getting experience. But I would not put much stock into J-Will's brilliance in the last couple of games, Douby's crap performance, Garcia's sudden emergence as a rich-man Christie or whatever. Of course they're gonna be hungry to establish themselves.
So don't get upset at the poor basketball the Kings may play in the final three games, its all about young guys getting burn and getting as many ping pong balls as possible.
by kingme18 on Apr 14, 2007 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
I was at the game last night, and there were clearly some fouls called in the third against the GSW's that were not called in the first half. If you seek shenanigans, look to the bizarre interpretations of NBA rules buy the stripes. There was a no call on Doooooby after the Kings had cut the game to about 5 that would have made this even more interesting, not to mention that GS had multiple players in foul concern. It appears that the season will wind down in the way that the league wants it too, coincidentally, again.
And as far as Garcia is concerned, I have been saying that he has more of a "point gaurd mentality" than anyone else on this roster since he was drafted. This is not new behavior on his part.
It seems, from your remarks, that mailing in your performance for the rest of the season is considered NORMAL, while competing to win whenever you hit the floor is "retarded in every way shape or form". This concept, while appealing on 1 level, is absolutely counter to everything that winners and competitors feel about anything worth caring about. You are not cutting of your nose to spite your face by beating (or at least trying to beat) another team trying to make the playoffs. That is competition, and completely normal.
Would you personally throw in the towel at your job if you weren't promised a bonus at the end of the year? I don't mean to come across as harsh, but I don't think you have completely thought out this concept.
by dccamp on Apr 14, 2007 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by kingme18 on Apr 14, 2007 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by kingme18 on Apr 14, 2007 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
I was pissed. And I believe that I had a right to be. Last night's performance is just one of many reasons why I (like hundreds of others) will give up my season tickets next year.
by Kusian on Apr 14, 2007 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by pookeyguru on Apr 14, 2007 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by Kusian on Apr 14, 2007 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by pookeyguru on Apr 15, 2007 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
But remember:The highest picks do not allways guarantee success...the history of the NBA is replete with examples of lower-picks performing better(Look at kobe Bryant, not even in the top 10 & what he is now), or look at guys not even drafted(Big Ben, anyone?)....of course, it's good to have a high pick, but....
If I was a player I couldn't play to tank. How can you, really?Aren't you gonna want to play your ass off?To allways do your best?Otherwise, why be on the court?get your loser ass off it & do something else....
& about Douby:I still don't see that this guy should've been picked over Jordan Farmar in last year's draft. Farmar had the highest assists in the Pac-10 & really is the true point-guard back-up the Kings could have had, dangit. Which just prooves the point it's not just your draft # but how your gm uses it....
by Rhondda Nunes on Apr 14, 2007 12:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by kingme18 on Apr 14, 2007 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
The point im making is that if Petrie felt the best long range potential of any of those guards is Douby well that's his prerogrative. Also Williams, Rodriguez and Farmar maybe all be backup PG's for the long run. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. What i am saying is you cant draft just for need this season.You have to think for seasons and beyond. Let's say Douby is more of a PG version (we have no idea if he can make the full time conversion..but i'd rather it be taken slowly given how much time it takes natural PG's like Deron Williams just to adjust to the league in the first place..and he's a freak) of Kevin Martin. I'm not saying he will make the leaps K Mart did in the following seasons. I'm saying that time is always best heeded in situations such as these.
P.S. For all you G-Dub salivators out there watch what kind of money he gets on the market. My best guess is he'll get 7-8 mil over the market. Maybe G-Dub is a better player than Peja Stojakovic today. But in 2005 was it worth trading him? And where would he get mins on a team with ron artest? Just a point i thought i'd make. Also Wallace doesnt stay healthy enough for my liking either. I like gerald im glad he's played well in charlotte. But playing well in charlotte doesnt necessarily translate to playing well here in sac.
by pookeyguru on Apr 14, 2007 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by cwebb on Apr 14, 2007 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by Rhondda Nunes on Apr 15, 2007 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
I've been reading this site for over a year now, but this is the first time I've decided to make a post. I went to the game last night with my dad, and the thing that stuck out most for me was the overall quietness of the arena. It was easily the quietest game I've ever been to aside from the 3rd quarter surge and the end of the game where chants of "Let's go, Warriors!" were ringing throughout. Not exactly the greatest night to be a kings fan. I'd love to get a good draft pick, but I'm still going to root for the kings to beat the teams next week, especially the lakers.
My highlight of the night was near the end of the game when Artest got a hard elbow in the face from Al Harrington. A guy behind me cracked a joke that "now he knows how his wife feels." Five people around me started cracking up including myself.
by thekangarooster on Apr 14, 2007 1:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by pookeyguru on Apr 14, 2007 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by CrownUs93 on Apr 14, 2007 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by louismg on Apr 14, 2007 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
by pookeyguru on Apr 14, 2007 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: So Much For Pride
Keep an eye on your wallet, though. :)
by otis29 on Apr 14, 2007 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
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