How the Kings Rotation and Sub Patterns Should be...

[twslam07]

Hey Guys,

I just wanted to post a rotation and sub pattern idea for all of you and see how i compared to Smart's rotation. So here it goes...

First Quarter:

This rotation plays for the first 8 minutes:
Brooks
Evans
Salmons
Thompson
Cousins

This rotation plays for the last 4 minutes:
Brooks
Thornton
Evans
Hayes
Cousins

Second Quarter:

This rotation plays for the first 2 minutes:
Thomas
Thornton
Johnson
Hayes
Cousins

This rotation plays for the next 4 minutes:
Thomas
Thornton
Johnson
Hayes
Thompson

This rotation plays for the next 2 minutes:
Brooks
Thornton
Evans
Robinson
Thompson

This rotation plays for the last 4 minutes:
Brooks
Thornton
Evans
Robinson
Cousins

Frist Half Minute Distribution:

Cousins - 18 min
Evans - 18 min
Brooks - 18 min
Thornton - 16 min
Thompson - 14 min
Hayes - 10 min
Salmons - 8 min
Thomas - 6 min
Johnson - 6 min
Robinson - 6 min

Third Quarter:

This rotation plays for the first 6 minutes:
Brooks
Evans
Salmons
Thompson
Cousins

This rotation plays for the next 2 minutes:
Brooks
Thornton
Evans
Hayes
Cousins

This rotation plays for the last 4 minutes:
Thomas
Thornton
Evans
Hayes
Cousins

Fourth Quarter:

This rotation plays for the first 2 minutes:
Brooks
Salmons
Johnson
Hayes
Thompson

This rotation plays for the next 3 minutes:
Brooks
Thornton
Salmons
Robinson
Thompson

This rotation plays for the last 7 minutes:
Evans
Thornton
Salmons
Thompson
Cousins

Second Half Minute Distribution:

Cousins - 19 min
Evans - 19 min
Salmons - 18 min
Thornton - 16 min
Thompson - 16 min
Brooks - 13 min
Hayes - 8 min
Thomas - 4 min
Robinson - 3 min
Johnson - 2 min

Complete Game Minute Distribution:
Cousins - 37 min
Evans - 37 min
Thornton - 32 min
Thompson - 32 min
Brooks - 31 min
Salmons - 26 min
Hayes - 18 min
Thomas - 10 min
Robinson - 9 min
Johnson - 8 min

We always have at least 2 good 3pt shooters on the floor at all times. We always have at least a decent ballhandler on the floor at all times (One of the reasons why I opted to go with Thomas versus Fredette in my rotation). We always have either Cousins or Thompson on the floor. And We always have at least 1 of Cousins, Evans, or Thornton on the floor besides the first 2 minutes of the 4th quarter. I think this team would be very successful with a rotation like this. All the starters would be getting above 30 minutes besides Salmons who would be at 26 min, but overall, I think we would be a serious competitor this year with this rotation.

[t-rex]

Jimmer deserves some PT and the Kings need his offensive contributions. I'm not a Jimmer Fan, I'm a kings fan stating the obvious.

[twslam07]

Jimmer deserves some PT and the Kings need his offensive contributions. I'm not a Jimmer Fan, I'm a kings fan stating the obvious.

I tend to favor Thomas because of his ballhandling, defense, playmaking, driving ability, and athletic abilities compared to Fredette. Thomas is also a very good 3pt shooter which makes the tradeoff between Fredette and Thomas very small.

In order for this team to be successful, we can't play all 3 of our PGs without cutting into Brooks, Evans, or Thornton's minutes. I think Thomas brings more to the table at this point. He offers a variety of skills rather than just Jimmer's niche which is shooting the ball.

Don't get me wrong, I would be very satisfied with Fredette getting 4th guard minutes if Thomas wasn't on the team, but at this point, I am still going with Thomas.

[t-rex]

I tend to favor Thomas because of his ballhandling, defense, playmaking, driving ability, and athletic abilities compared to Fredette. Thomas is also a very good 3pt shooter which makes the tradeoff between Fredette and Thomas very small.

IT's defense hasn't been anything special this year. I did notice his 3 Turnovers last night. Ballhandling? Also, Jimmer leads the team in 3pt % this year. If anything, this year I tend to favor Jimmer.

[t-rex]

Where's IT's assists gone? He is a PG right? Seems like he's more interested in driving to the basket or shooting the basketball. At least brooks is getting his teammates involved. I believe Jimmer still has the game-high assist total for the Kings this year with 6 in limited minutes of course.

[UK_King]

It's pretty obvious IT has been forcing things most of the season, has the odd good stretch but he's throwing some difficult passes and is clearly running before he walks, so to speak on some plays. I like IT a lot and was a bit miffed when he was benched tbh, but whatever it takes to get the ball in Tyrekes hands must, must, must be done. Simple as that.

If we want to win, Tyreke needs to be handling the ball every time down the court, and playing the two man game with Cuz.

If you see what the Wolves did down the stretch, it involved a lot of Luke + Love 2 man game, that just got Love a lot of open shots and 3's. Ok he wasn't filling it up but every shot was a good one, It's actually baffling to me why we don't do it more often.

[Gilles]

When IT played in the starting lineup, despite IT for ROY campaign, he was not a guy defenses particularly care about. Yes, when he got into the lane, he was rotated to, but there were at least 3 guys defenses cared much more about. Now he's one of 3 creators when Smart puts the whole bench in. Thornton is dealt with by his primary defender sticking to him and can't get open due to a major problem #2 - pathetic screens, which takes him out entirely. Part of the problem he's 6'4" and is guarded by SGs, sometimes SFs which means he's shorter than his opponent sometimes significantly which kills his chances of paint scoring which he needs badly to open up perimeter. People who live off moving off the ball and have success tend to be 6'7" or higher. Hayes becomes useless the moment he parts with the ball, and that might be the reason for all those Hayes' random offensive plays around the basket - trying to make opponent feel that they can't cheat off of him or there will be problems, strategy that fails miserably most times. So IT gets a lot of attention and has to make more risky plays, which leads to TOs-->less confidence--> even more TOs.

[Glenn]

I wish Keith Smart put in as much effort AND WROTE IT DOWN SO HE DIDN'T FORGET. I think a lot of us including the team would be happier. I could quibble about a few players but the point of having a regular pattern and rotating people in instead of the mass 5 man mass sub seems far more like what the rest of the coaches in the league do. Nice job.

[sidney]

I could be wrong but I just don't recall any NBA coach who pulls the entire starting line up at one time and puts 5 cold guys in at once. Whatever the rotation is, just don't do that. And shorten it to 8, maybe 9 guys like other winning teams do.

[buckwheat]

The only good 3 point shooter we have is Jimmer wasting away on YOUR bench.

[buckwheat]

Winning teams is your short answer.

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The only good 3 point shooter we have is Jimmer wasting away on YOUR bench.

Wait, back up: the only good shooter "we" have is wasting away on "our" bench? Make up your mind.

[VF21]

The only good 3 point shooter we have is Jimmer wasting away on YOUR bench.

Oh be still my heart!

I am so ecstatic that you've decided to grace us with your august presence. We have been sorely in need of a myopic Jimmer fanboy.

[VF21]

I could be wrong but I just don't recall any NBA coach who pulls the entire starting line up at one time and puts 5 cold guys in at once. Whatever the rotation is, just don't do that. And shorten it to 8, maybe 9 guys like other winning teams do.

At least not any NBA coach who was around long enough for us to even remember his name.

[bajaden]

When IT played in the starting lineup, despite IT for ROY campaign, he was not a guy defenses particularly care about. Yes, when he got into the lane, he was rotated to, but there were at least 3 guys defenses cared much more about. Now he's one of 3 creators when Smart puts the whole bench in. Thornton is dealt with by his primary defender sticking to him and can't get open due to a major problem #2 - pathetic screens, which takes him out entirely. Part of the problem he's 6'4" and is guarded by SGs, sometimes SFs which means he's shorter than his opponent sometimes significantly which kills his chances of paint scoring which he needs badly to open up perimeter. People who live off moving off the ball and have success tend to be 6'7" or higher. Hayes becomes useless the moment he parts with the ball, and that might be the reason for all those Hayes' random offensive plays around the basket - trying to make opponent feel that they can't cheat off of him or there will be problems, strategy that fails miserably most times. So IT gets a lot of attention and has to make more risky plays, which leads to TOs-->less confidence--> even more TOs.

I agree with quite a bit of what you say. Truth is, when the other team puts a good defender on Thronton, he struggles to score at times. He's not a player that excells at creating his own shot. Don't get me wrong, he can create, but he's a long way from unstoppable. He becomes far more effective when he's playing with the starting unit, when all the attention isn't on him. I'll give Thornton his due though, he certainly makes the most of what he has.

I was curious to see how IT would fare in the NBA. At Washington, whenever the other team was able to put a good defender on IT that was taller, but just as quick, he struggled big time. Plus, his outside shot was very inconsistent at Washington. He surprised me last year, looking like a player that had played in the NBA for a couple of years. This year, he's having a harder time of it. The NBA giveth, and the NBA taketh away. Team learn what you like to do, and where you don't like to shoot from, and they make you adjust. At least a couple of times he's struggled on offense when he was guarded by a taller, but just as quick player. IT is an offensively aggressive player, whether he's trying to create for himself, or another player. As a result he's always going at high speed. When your going at highspeed, and the other team starts taking away things you like to do, you start to make mistakes, and thats whats happening to IT on occasion.

The problem is, that when IT slows down, he loses some of his effectiveness, and becomes easier to guard. Obviously, smaller PG's start out with a disadvantage. IT is quick, there's no denying that. But John Wall is just as quick, and 7 inches taller. So thats a disadvantage from the get go. So sorry, IT fans, but when I see IT's future, its coming off the bench. No shame in that. If not for the Kings, I'm sure some NBA team.

[rainmaker]

The only good 3 point shooter we have is Jimmer wasting away on YOUR bench.

Last 5 games played.

3P%

Brooks- 52.9%

Reke- 44.4%

Jimmer- 40%

Thornton- 37.5%

He's far from our only good 3pt shooter of late. I do think he deserves to get IT's minutes and supplant IT in the rotation, and Jimmer does spread the floor, but he's not our lone outside threat. Another issue is he's hitting off the dribble and not off spot ups, and in watching him he's looking far more for his own shot than setting up others, which is what a PG needs to do. Are we better with Jimmer coming down and chucking 3's and rarely getting assists? Doubtful. He had a 6 ast game, but outside of that he's only gotten more than a single assist once, and that was two assists against LA. Can he be an asset off the ball? I think so, but Smart aint playing him that way, so right now our offense basically is put on hold so Jimmer can chuck.

[Glenn]

I think given a larger sample and IF Jimmer gets regular minutes, he will be our best three point shooter but certainly he is not OUR only three point shooter. I don't know what happened between this year and last year (I can speculate) but Jimmer this year looks like the Jimmer from college days. Unfortunately for the Jimmer fans, there is more to NBA basketball than shooting. I definitely would give him IT's minutes and let IT sit on the bench getting no minutes as Jimmer has an upside far higher than IT. There ARE reasons IT was drafted last.

Jimmer is very much a guy who shoots off the dribble or with a simple side step which we haven't seen yet.

[mac]

I could be wrong but I just don't recall any NBA coach who pulls the entire starting line up at one time and puts 5 cold guys in at once. Whatever the rotation is, just don't do that. And shorten it to 8, maybe 9 guys like other winning teams do.

Hey, I do it on NBA Live all the time and it seems to work fine!

[tyreeeke]

Last 5 games played.

3P%

Brooks- 52.9%

Reke- 44.4%

Jimmer- 40%

Thornton- 37.5%

He's far from our only good 3pt shooter of late. I do think he deserves to get IT's minutes and supplant IT in the rotation, and Jimmer does spread the floor, but he's not our lone outside threat. Another issue is he's hitting off the dribble and not off spot ups, and in watching him he's looking far more for his own shot than setting up others, which is what a PG needs to do. Are we better with Jimmer coming down and chucking 3's and rarely getting assists? Doubtful. He had a 6 ast game, but outside of that he's only gotten more than a single assist once, and that was two assists against LA. Can he be an asset off the ball? I think so, but Smart aint playing him that way, so right now our offense basically is put on hold so Jimmer can chuck.

What are the stats for the season? Secondly, Jimmer hasn't been given the minutes IT and those others get to prove himself. Jimmer is by far the best shooter on this team.

[sactownfan]

Oh be still my heart!

I am so ecstatic that you've decided to grace us with your august presence. We have been sorely in need of a myopic Jimmer fanboy.

wait are you talking about me?