Grades v. Spurs 11/9/2012

[mac]

That's atrocious. Chuck is the only one out of the other four who's in a good position. MT should be shading the top of the key at the 3pt line, and IT spotting up in the far corner. JT should be up near elbow, and considering a backscreen on MT's man so MT can fade a little towards the wing and offer a passing lane for a kickout.

This looks like a lot of the Reke/Cuz iso's Smarts run. He's not putting them in a position to succeed.

On this particular play IT had just handed the ball to Tyreke and then was cutting through to the corner so I don't really blame him. MT moved out to where you and I think he should be only once Tyreke started making his move - should have moved earlier. Agree entirely with you on JT.

This is decent spacing if Tyreke's the sort of guy who's going to pull a few crossovers and then pullup over his defender for a jumpshot. JT and Chuck would have better position for an offensive board. I really question their knowledge of each other's games if they thought that was what Tyreke was going to do though.

[Gary]

I'm at a loss.. If this was my team I would put players on the block for draft picks and basically start over with MT and DC. This team is terrible right now, and the defense isn't winning games for us now. It's much less fun to watch than a nice offensive game. But I am at a loss. IT is either too scared to take control of the PG spot and stop deferring to Evans or he's just not as good as we thought he was last year.

It hasn't been Evans fault, because we know he's not a very good PG, but someone has him playing that position for some reason more than half the time. Our offense just can't be smooth with Evans at PG, and IT isn't doing anything either.. So We need to bench those two, and bring in MT and maybe Brooks. I can't see that working either, but it's worth a try I guess? Anyhow, our #1 priority this offseason needs to be PG. We need to get more than 1 draft pick as well in the lottery.

[HereWeVivek]

ill agree with you on one thing, im not having fun watching this team. in fact its harder to watch than in recent years. the coach has killed it for me

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

The point guards on this team have been horrible all year. I though IT was dreadful again tonight.

[Gilles]

Nobody wants to be a roleplayer offensively on this team. Kings need structure badly. Get them practice 4-5 basic plays, tell everybody, where they need to be, and go from there. Guys need to know what they are executing every moment on the floor. Team cooperation barely includes two players during any possession.

[kingjatt]

Nobody wants to be a roleplayer offensively on this team. Kings need structure badly. Get them practice 4-5 basic plays, tell everybody, where they need to be, and go from there. Guys need to know what they are executing every moment on the floor. Team cooperation barely includes two players during any possession.

how are they suppose to know where to be if they dont even know if they will get PT that night.

[HereWeVivek]

Nobody wants to be a roleplayer offensively on this team. Kings need structure badly. Get them practice 4-5 basic plays, tell everybody, where they need to be, and go from there. Guys need to know what they are executing every moment on the floor. Team cooperation barely includes two players during any possession.

never gonna happen, Smart would rather just throw out his erratic lineups and hope it magically works. its like hes playing a video game and just constantly making subs

[mac]

I'm at a loss.. If this was my team I would put players on the block for draft picks and basically start over with MT and DC. This team is terrible right now, and the defense isn't winning games for us now. It's much less fun to watch than a nice offensive game. But I am at a loss. IT is either too scared to take control of the PG spot and stop deferring to Evans or he's just not as good as we thought he was last year.

It hasn't been Evans fault, because we know he's not a very good PG, but someone has him playing that position for some reason more than half the time. Our offense just can't be smooth with Evans at PG, and IT isn't doing anything either.. So We need to bench those two, and bring in MT and maybe Brooks. I can't see that working either, but it's worth a try I guess? Anyhow, our #1 priority this offseason needs to be PG. We need to get more than 1 draft pick as well in the lottery.

I couldn't disagree more with you. All through last season I never thought we had ANY semblance of a halfcourt offense whatsoever. All we did was run and push the ball, stuck Evans in a corner and have Cuz hit little jumpers all day long. You know when I saw offense being run this year? When Jimmer was at point, and on pick and rolls with Evans (see the first quarter of the Spurs game - Evans delivered the ball to guys for good looks on several occasions). It's not a matter of IT or Evans' play at PG. It's the lack of a structured offensive system that is causing us to be this bad offensively. You can go on and on about "fun" as much as you want, but you're never going to win a championship just playing "fun" basketball. I'd rather watch our team play 1 on 1 basketball all day and win a championship than watch them run and gun and be stuck in the lottery for the next 10 years.

Just as some of us were wrong to think that Evans would immediately reach all-star level, many were wrong to think that our offense was good last season, and that IT was doing some magical HOF PG job of running the offense. Truth be told I think the offense was much better in Cuz's first year under Westphal.

[Tetsujin]

[UK_King]

Well it's good to see Cuz has been studying film of Shaq. He's learnt a few a things!



I'll say it again, Reke + Cuz two man game works pretty much every time we go to it, and we go to it about twice a game..... hello?!

These two could be an explosive pick and roll duo.

[treach1976]

if he played an 8-9 man rotation (and the right 8-9 players for that matter) we are 5-1 or 4-2 right now. every game was winnable. and every game has had huge deficits caused directly by his rotations

no way

[Npliam]

The point guards on this team have been horrible all year. I though IT was dreadful again tonight.

Jimmer needs to play with Tyreke. Jimmer runs the offense and will make the hockey assist to keep the offense flowing. None of the other point guards will do that consistently. He has played well in limited minutes with bad lineups.

[HereWeVivek]

so we can all agree that the 1st and 3rd quarters are not really influenced by Smarts subs/rotations (besides the argument of starters coming in after too long of a rest in the 3rd). while the 4th quarter, and the 2nd are Heavily influenced by whatever crazy subs he randomly uses on a given night. now lets look at last night by each quarter.

1 Sac 27 SA 24
2 Sac 12 SA 23
3 Sac 29 SA 22
4 Sac 18 SA 28


now another example. 2nd quarter in Indiana, Sac18 IND38. a game that went to OT, was lost by Smarts 2nd quarter



its not a coincidence last night that the kings won the 1st and 3rd and lost the 2nd and 4th

[bajaden]

The point guards on this team have been horrible all year. I though IT was dreadful again tonight.

When ever he was on the floor last night, Patty Mills was the best PG. He did it all. Played smothering defense on IT, and hit open shot after open shot. I'd like to point out, that we could have had him at one point. I loved him at St. Mary's, and his only weakness at that time was an inconsistent outside shot, which he seems to have fixed.

[bajaden]

Nobody wants to be a roleplayer offensively on this team. Kings need structure badly. Get them practice 4-5 basic plays, tell everybody, where they need to be, and go from there. Guys need to know what they are executing every moment on the floor. Team cooperation barely includes two players during any possession.

You'd think that if your were playing a team like the Spurs, that at some point, how they were killing you with ball movement would sink in. That just maybe you'd try to emmulate them. Apparently not!

[UK_King]

I feel like IT looking over his shoulder has knocked his confidence, last year he was fearless.

but lets face it, he's a known quantity now, teams will adjust and he'll have to do the same.

[Bricklayer]

When ever he was on the floor last night, Patty Mills was the best PG. He did it all. Played smothering defense on IT, and hit open shot after open shot. I'd like to point out, that we could have had him at one point. I loved him at St. Mary's, and his only weakness at that time was an inconsistent outside shot, which he seems to have fixed.

Patty Mills looks like that against exactly one team: us.

He really has been a scrub in the NBA. Be kind of typical of us to pick a guy like him up though because he whips us. Always thought that was a strange strategy. pickign up Mikki Moores or Travis Outlaws because you remember them doing well against you. Except...if you are the only team they do well against, once they are on your team who are they going to beat?

[bajaden]

I couldn't disagree more with you. All through last season I never thought we had ANY semblance of a halfcourt offense whatsoever. All we did was run and push the ball, stuck Evans in a corner and have Cuz hit little jumpers all day long. You know when I saw offense being run this year? When Jimmer was at point, and on pick and rolls with Evans (see the first quarter of the Spurs game - Evans delivered the ball to guys for good looks on several occasions). It's not a matter of IT or Evans' play at PG. It's the lack of a structured offensive system that is causing us to be this bad offensively. You can go on and on about "fun" as much as you want, but you're never going to win a championship just playing "fun" basketball. I'd rather watch our team play 1 on 1 basketball all day and win a championship than watch them run and gun and be stuck in the lottery for the next 10 years.

Just as some of us were wrong to think that Evans would immediately reach all-star level, many were wrong to think that our offense was good last season, and that IT was doing some magical HOF PG job of running the offense. Truth be told I think the offense was much better in Cuz's first year under Westphal.

We scored more points last season, but not because we were more effecient, but because we took more shots. We had four players that shot under 30% from the 3pt line. Only two that were above 35%. Thats hardly something to write home about. We had a center whose overall shooting percentage was terrible for a big man, some of which had to do with our inability to hit outside shots. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we have a team of ill fitting parts to a large extent.

In defense of IT, when he's on the floor with our starting lineup, he's the only player out there capable of hitting an open shot from beyond the 3pt line. When the other team is jamming the paint, by not guarding Tyreke and JJ, it makes it hard to penetrate and dish. Sure, he has open people to dish to on the perimeter (Tyreke and JJ), but neither of them can hit an open shot. I mean for heaven sakes, the kid isn't Moses where he can make the sea part. I mean what are his options? Pass it to Cuz, whose quickly doubled or tripled, pass it to Tyreke or JJ, who are now just driving into a crowd instead of shooting the ball, or shoot it himself!

One of the reasons Jimmer was effective running the pick and roll with Cuz, was because Thornton was also on the floor. They had to guard Jimmer and they had to guard Thornton, which helped spread the floor, and freed up Cuz to operate. At one point I believe IT was on the floor along with Jimmer and Thornton. Its a terrible defensive lineup, but its a good offensive lineup for Cousins. Its sort of pick you poison. Is what your giving up worth what your gaining.

[Section 101]

Seriously, you know that Tyreke isn't going to pullup for a shot. Yet JT and Chuck stand around in the lane, MT did run out to the 3 point line once Tyreke started moving. If you want to let Tyreke go 1 on 1 against his defender then your bigs have to get out of the way and stand way out near the 3 point line. You know the whole 1-4 flat thing? There was a play against Golden State where we spaced the floor and Tyreke got the drive and handed it off to JJ or something.

Then they wont be getting the rebound off the brick !

[UK_King]

This is the kind of spacing we give Reke after he faces up in the post.