[Grades] Grades v. Sixers 11/9/17

Rookie of the Year


  • Total voters
    57

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#1
Well that certainly was fun wasn't it?


Going up against the huge collection (literally and figuratively) of top level young prospects and JJ Reddick and Amir Johnson for some reason, the young Kings (and Z-Bo) put up quite the fight and somehow, someway scrapped and scraped their way to a stolen victory, culminating in the much maligned Willie (Receding Hairline) Cauley-Stein swatting the hell out of Joel Embiid and De'Aaron Fox leading the team to victory despite missing a poopton of free throws and looking like a rookie.

In the battle of the Process versus the Vlade-cess, tonight the one year hastily put-together avalanche of teenagers and old dudes won out. Today was a good day, indeed.

(PS, be sure to read through to the end of this grade post for the return of a much loved Kingsfans.com feature.)


Bogdan Bogdanovic (C) -- 22 min, 9 pt, 3 rb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 2 tov, 1 pf
Unlike almost every other game he's played this season, Bogdan looked like a rookie for most of the night, getting overwhelmed by the Sixers and their superior size and athleticism. Then, come the third quarter, solid basketball vet Bogy showed up and joined the fun, wasting no motion on offense, playing within himself on defense, and just generally being a net positive on the game's result. On the year, while his stats may not be that great, the Serb's probably been our third or fourth best player, which is more than you can ask for from a guy playing his first games in a new league in a new country.

Zach Randolph (A) -- 29 min, 20 pt, 7 rb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 2 tov, 1 pf
Matched up with a bunch of young athletic dudes who were born when he was already in high school, Z-Bo had his second consecutive solid performance. Thanks to the fact that he was never really that great an athlete in the first place, old man Randolph's game has aged well and he's additionally come to learn how to play within himself on defense without completely giving up the ghost and letting his man have a career night. Also, while the Sixers may all be young, athletic, and talented, none of them seemed to have an answer for Z-Bo's ripped-straight-from-the-80s old man inside game. Couple that with the consistent appearance of 3-Bo throughout the young season, and you have a legitimate argument that the two year contract was worth it.

Willie Cauley-Stein (A) -- 24 min, 15 pt, 4 rb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 2 blk, 0 tov, 3 pf
And the game changer that is a defensively engaged Willie Cauley-Stein was on full display tonight. When the Kings drafted him, they did so with the goal of drafting a defensively centerpiece capable of guarding all five positions on the floor and occasionally providing highlight plays on offense. Oddly, however, as he's developed as a pro, it has been Willie's offensive game that has become a constant and his defense that has become a question mark. This all brings us to Trill's absolutely magnificent performance against the monstrous hulk of a basketball player that is Joel Embiid, in which he was every bit the defensive presence that we all hoped he could be. Watch him in crunch time in the fourth quarter. See how he counters Embiid's length and power with his quickness and agility, how quickly he glides around the court to apply help pressure. Now, you can make the argument that Willie should be pulling down more than four rebounds in a game but tonight he was off the boards playing man-to-man defense most of the night so it's hard to fault him on that end. So far, buzzcut Willie = longterm starter Willie.

Garrett Temple (C) -- 25 min, 7 pt, 2 rb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 0 tov, 2 pf
Garrett's shot was off the entire night. Let's start off with that. His shot looked bad all night and, while he was making the man work, he wasn't exactly shutting down 6'10" point guard Ben Simmons. But then, in crunch time, with his team sputtering after a broken play, Garrett catches a deflected pass off a ref and drills a fade away three to suddenly bring the Kings back within one point. That shot alone wouldn't have been enough to elevate GT's grade but then you remember that Garrett Temple gets the half grade bump for being one of the better defenders in the league and that brings you to a solid C grade on the night.

George Hill (C-) -- 19 min, 2 pt, 3 rb, 7 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 1 tov, 1 pf
Another game, another night where George Hill struggled to make his mark as a scorer. Let's be clear, Hill needs to score more to be an effective member of this team. Not many teams can win many games when their starting point guard is dropping two point nights. With that said, George didn't exactly have a horrible game. His own offensive game gone fishing, he did a good job setting up Willie on the run in the first half and played solid defense. In the second half, with De'Aaron at least posing some sort of threat on offense, he wound up watching a lot of the game from the bench.

---
Kosta "Boogie" Kouf-sins (A) -- 20 min, 8 pt, 12 rb, 3 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 0 tov, 4 pf
Earlier this season, I said that the Kings didn't deserve to have a guy like Kosta on their team and it's nights like tonight that shows us why. The rebounding, the knockdown drag-out defense, the surprising craftiness on offense, it was all on display. Contrary to popular belief, Kosta is surprisingly nimble for a seven footer and is probably one of the few dudes in the league strong enough to not just get completely bulldozed by Embiid when he's going downhill. While he's never been a spectacular player, KK is as steady and reliable as Old Faithful. If there aren't a half dozen playoff contenders lining up to get Kosta on their team come the trade deadline, I can show you a half dozen GMs that should probably be fired come season's end.

Buddy Hield (C+) -- 20 min, 8 pt, 4 rb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 0 tov, 0 pf
The saga of Buddy Hield, bench master, continues. Following up on his spark plug performance last game, Buddy came out firing and trying to carry on the momentum. To a degree, he was successful. While his shot wasn't as hot as it was against OKC, Hield still was a factor both on the boards and as a facilitator. One positive that's come in Buddy's second season is the continued development of his defensive capabilities. Tonight, he spent his time on a variety of off the ball scorer types and unlike some of his teammates *cough cough* Skal *cough cough*, didn't grossly misplay his man.

De'Aaron Fox (B-) -- 29 min, 11 pt, 4 rb, 7 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 1 tov, 1 pf
So here's the thing: up until the last couple of minutes, it was not a good game for De'Aaron. Be it the missed shots, missed free throws, or the general feeling that he was a car careening down the hill with no one behind the wheel, the rook seemed out of sorts on the night. While he still managed to keep teammates involved and limit the amount of turnovers during his time on the court, Fox also found himself being asked to guard the gigantic Ben Simmons or crafty JJ Reddick for most of the night, both of whom are tough matchups for a 19-year-old who weighs 170 pounds drenched to the bone. But then in crunch time, things started to click, De'Aaron (and the team behind him) started to really ratchet up the defensive intensity, and those crazy drives to the hoop finally started to have an effect (first on the three point play off the Willie rejection, then with the game winner off the dribble thanks to Covington trying to prevent the drive). De'Aaron's defense on Reddick on the Sixers' final possession also was a thing of beauty, but at the end of the day, a great three minutes can only raise a bad grade so much.

Justin Jackson (B+) -- 29 min, 19 pt, 1 rb, 2 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 1 tov, 1 pf
J-Jax has arrived. Off the ball, catch-and-shoot, driving shots, stop-and-pops, all of the former Tar Heel's offensive arsenal was on display against the Sixers and, unlike any other game this season, his shot was falling. Playing a mix of time at the small forward and power forward slots, Jackson is playing a role not unlike the one I thought Omri would play were he still on the Kings. On defense, Jackson is long enough to defend most modern NBA power forwards and, while sporting a body not unlike Kevin Martin's, plays smart enough to not get devoured by bigger guys in the league. Maybe Vlade knew what he was doing when he moved down to draft the dude this summer.

Skal Labissiere (C-) -- 10 min, 2 pt, 4 rb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 1 tov, 4 pf
I guess someone had to suck tonight and it just so happened to be Skal. As I've been harping on all season, Skal can show an astounding lack of basketball IQ (in this case, I mean not fouling a three point shooter several times in a row) and a physical presence not quite ready for a full NBA game all while also showing intriguing flashes that make you think he could possibly become a star. With all three other big men (and hastily-inserted-at-stretch-4 Justin Jackson) playing fantastic basketball, Skal was largely relegated to bench warming duty and at this point I would not be entirely shocked to see him sent up to Reno for a bit to continue his work on the fundamentals of the game.

Malachi Richardson (B+) -- 7 min, 8 pts, 1 rb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 1 tov, 1 pf
With Vince Carter dealing with kidney stones, Malachi got slotted into the ancient one's token second quarter appearance and was sheer offensive nitroglycerin, absolutely nailing the three shots he took. As Justin Jackson appears to have shaken off the rookie gips and Buddy continues to be a bench beast, seven minutes was all the former Cuse star got but he certainly made the most of them. You kinda have to feel bad for the guy getting shelved due to no fault of his own, but if Malachi can continue to breakout in short bursts like he did tonight, Joerger will have no choice but to get the guy his minutes one way or another.

----

View From the Other Side found here: http://kingsfans.com/threads/kings-v-sixers-11-9-17.68310/#post-1345549
 
Last edited:
#6
I didn’t expect a 2-game winning streak until after the all star game. So this is great. Fun to watch games like this, even if they don’t result in a win. But this one did!
 
#7
Hill: C, he only put up 2pts in 19mins, but his impact came from his passing. he had 7asts. His passing with the starters allowed for a good start. Defense was good all-around.

Bogdan: C-, was really bad in the 1st half with forced shots going around 1-6 and a TO. Defense was solid except for 1 play where he fouled a 3pt shooter. In the 2nd half, a couple shots fell in and he continued with his solid defense.

Temple: C-, he played a Temple-like game. Made some shots, played good D, but didn't have a large impact overall. However, he let Covington and Simmons get the best of him a few times. Can't fault him too hard against Simmons.

Randolph: A+, nothing more you could've asked from him. He dominated the Sixers on offense and did a great job along with the rest of the team in defending Embiid. By far, his best and most complete game of the season.

WCS: A, played with great intensity on both ends. Played effortlessly off the ball and on defense, he, ZBO, and everyone else did a great job on Embiid. He had clutch defensive plays with 2 crucial blocks against Embiid.

Fox: B, admittedly his grade would've been around a C- if it weren't for the final 45s of the game. In the 1st half, his passing ability was on fully display. Made lots of good reads and got the ball in good positions. Wasn't much of a scoring threat and struggled. In the 2nd half, he was bad. Stopped trying to get teammates involved, and started forcing up ill-advised shots with tunnel vision. When he got to the line, he only converted 3-7, with the misses coming later in the game. However, he didn't let his inefficient shooting night get in his way of taking the game-winning shot. He stepped up BIG time and drained the mid-range jumper when Covington dared him to shoot it. On the other, he PUMPED the breaks on JJ Reddick and prevented him from getting any type of look. Not his best game, but he certainly didn't back away from the challenge.

Buddy: B-, started the gates impressive with good baskets and extremely good vision. Buddy is showing revitalized passing skills since being moved to the bench. I know he has 0asts yesterday, but I saw at least 4-5 passes that should've resulted in makes. He was out there playing unselfishly and created for teammates. His D was solid. In the 2nd half, his shots weren't going in, but he still provided a presence on the boards and a few passes.

Jackson: A+, holy cow, the rookie stepped up big time on both ends. Continues to be a fantastic player moving without the ball. In the 4th quarter, our offense became stagnant, and he decided to put it upon himself to bring the Kings back with his floaters. On defense, he did a good job and didn't back away from Simmons the few times they matched up.

Richardson C+, in 7minutes, he came in and immediately shot 3/3 for 8pts. He was a big part in the 2nd quarter of our 38pts. However on defense, he fouled Covington for 3 and looked just ok. He got a couple minutes in the 2nd half with 0 touches.

Skal F, took confident mid-range jumpers that missed. had 1 possession where he got beat, but quickly recovered for a nice block.... and...that raps up his entire highlights for the night. oh, and he also ran into another 3pt shooter on a close out. bad game for Skal who just didn't do anything. growing pains is on full display.

Koufos: A+, played amazing on both ends. Throughout the game, he was able to anchor down Embiid. Box score says he has 1blk, but I recall 3 in total, with 2 of them against Embiid. He grabbed 12boards in 21minutes. On offense, he had 8pts and 3asts. A very good game for Koufos even if his stats don't stand out as much as Randolph's.

On another note, it's insane how good Ben Simmons already is. Tonight, he got 18pts purely because of his elite physicals tools. Imagine how great he'll be once he starts developing his skills aside from his ball handling. I think we would've dominated the Kings had he not gotten into foul trouble. Kings simply don't have anyone who can guard him.
 
#8
Did any of you notice the Fox's form on that go ahead 17 footer he hit? It was flawless, like Ben McLemore flawless. Straight up, perfect rhythm, dead on target.

The thing to see here is that he did that after struggling a bit earlier, and there was simply no hesitation. You cannot teach that. People rightly miss DMC and the things he has that you can't teach... but we saw tonight a glimpse of absolute killer mode of a different style in Fox.

Flawless execution of a pull up game winner in traffic. Then goes back and defends to seal the win. And as you saw it unfold, you simply expected it to happen. That is the mark of greatness.
 
Last edited:
#10
I don't think we could have had a better draft than Fox, Jackson, and Mason. Giles becoming a player would be the cherry on top.
Being wildly optimistic, but if Giles injuries do not bother him too much and he reaches even say 80% of what people thought he could be, this could end up being the best draft of any team in NBA history, aside from drafting GOATS like Jordan, Magic, etc.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#12
The stupid forums aren't letting me edit my opening post so here it is for you to enjoy:

The View From the Other Side
The following has been taken from LibertyBallers.com
  • 11:22 Don’t be surprised if the Sixers screwed up this game
  • 11:31 That would be very frustrating. They’re probably the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA. Their offense is a disaster.
  • 11:59 Remind Philly Fans that Sacramento once upon time fleeced the 76ers sending a ground bound Chris Webber to us for our better players.
    Good news for our 76ers team is with all the talk about Lonzo Ball possibly being a bust…it’s taking all the national media attention off the Fultz injury. Yah
  • 12:01 OKC could not make a shot for anything. This should honestly be the easiest game of the year so far but im sure it will be tight til the end. Who is Zach Randoplh gonna guard LOL
  • 2:14 I’m very excited for this game. I am praying for some career highs from our studs. Who the hell is going to try to guard Simmons? Justin Jackson? Garrett Temple? Their best option might be Skal and he can’t stay in front of Ben. Hopefully, he goes out and goes crazy. 30/10/7 That would be so much fun.
    Question: Is Ty Lawson out of the league? That dude fell from grace so fast. He used to be thought of as an actual piece three years ago. Hard to imagine he lost it all cuz the bottle.
  • 4:52 I’ll never forget the Kings’ trade for as long as I live. I remember lying in bed with my wife that glorious evening about to doze off, when I see a bunch of tweets indicating that the Kings and Sixers made a trade. My thoughts went like this:
    - Salary cap dump? Okay….
    - Stauskas? We got Stauskas?!? Awesome!
    - We also got a future first? No frigging way. Hinkie is the GOAT.
    - And the right to swap 1sts with the Kings in both ’16 AND ’17?!?!?
    - crap, WE HAD TO HAVE GIVEN UP THE RIGHTS TO SARIC! ****!!!
    - We still have Saric?!?!?
    - All we gave up were the rights to Gudaitis and Mitrovic? GTFO.
    - Wow. Just wow.

    Next thing I know, I was in my living room pacing back and forth and literally crying tears of happiness. It’s the only trade that ever made me cry. It’s a shame that Stauskas didn’t hit his ceiling, but that’s one of the great trades of all time in my book anyway.
  • 5:02 LeBron’s idol is Julius Erving. Sure, the odds aren’t great that he goes to Philadelphia, but in my bones, I feel it happening. It just seems like the Sixers are loaded with young legs and superstar talent/potential that will allow James to coast in the regular season and save his energy for the playoffs.
    Ben Simmons/TJ McConnell
    Markelle Fultz/JJ Redick/Furkan Korkmaz
    Robert Covington/Timothe Luwawu-Cabarot/Justin Anderson
    LeBron James/Dario Saric
    Joel Embiid/Richaun Holmes
  • 9:20 A game we’re expected to win? I’ve never heard of such statement ever since Iguodala departed.
  • 9:42 wonder which Sixer will have his break out game?
  • 10:09 Serious question.....
    There’s only two Bogdanovic’s in the league, right? I feel like there’s more
  • 10:14 …does anybody know what the ad on the kings jersey is?
  • 10:15 hopefully we're up enough to give them a dose of stauskas
  • 10:16 Did my eyes deceive me or did Cauley-Stein’s mouthguard look like a grill?
  • 10:21 We should be killing them.
  • 10:23 Honestly, I’m looking forward to watching Fox at this point. This is pretty rough on the eyes.
  • 10:28 That WCS sideburn tattoo though
  • 10:31 Im not ready for this to be the WCS game.
  • 10:32 We win ugly. Think about that. Think about how far we’ve come. We’re at the absolute basement level, and we can win when we’re not playing well. Most of our players are pups, experience wise. Imagine us 3 months from now. Then next year with Paul George. Gonna be unfair. To our opponents, for once.
  • 10:36 Randolph sounds like he’s dropping a mean deuce whenever he goes up for a bucket in traffic.
  • 10:41 Talk about some rattle-out shots. Left a lot of points on the rim that quarter. Also, does Joel wanna try to defend the paint a little? He’s been out of position and not aggressively trying to recover. Is he ok?
  • 10:48 Covington is like, officially really good
    LORD ROBERT COVINGTON, HE’S OUR KLAY, HE’S IT KLAY
  • 10:52 if not for ROCO tonite these stinking KINGS would be giving us the business.
  • 10:53 We are in a shootout with the Sacramento Kings. Seriously?
  • 10:56 I think everyone not named Buddy Hield is shooting 100% from the floor for Sac
  • 10:56 Koufas gonna get 20-20
    Malachi gonna hit every jumpshot for 20
  • 10:59 Of all the nights
    Tonight’s the night, right? They’re hitting everything and we’re within a possession basically the whole time.

    Maaan, the Kings are bad.
  • 11:07 The 76ers are playing with no effort, no energy...
    and are playing pretty much zero defense.

    They are getting blown out by a BAD team
  • 11:09 The Sixers getting killed by Willie "WTF is Offense?" Cauley-Stein is giving me all sorts of anger headaches.
  • 11:13 The defensive roatations tonight have been awful
    Did they challenge a single outside shot in the first half?

    The Kings are probably the 2nd or 3rd worst team in the NBA. There isn’t a single guy on their team who would start for the Sixers (well maybe Fox, but he doesn’t even start for the Kings)

    That was a putrid performance by the Sixers on both ends of the floor. If not for Covington, Philly would be losing by close to 20 points instead of "just" 7
  • 11:17 Refs are helping the home team no doubt, but Sixers are not playing well
    Ben and JoJo need to focus on the game, not the headlines
  • 11:25 i’m seriously going to get in a fight with a ref on the court.
  • 11:26 Refs are really that dumb or are the dirty?
  • 11:28 Zbo killing us
  • 11:42 Refs SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
    omg
  • 11:44 This Koufus/Embiid matchup is really lopsided
  • 11:46 Embiid can’t dribble without turning it over or falling down. Just get on the block dude.
  • 11:50 We play one good quarter defensively and we win. Don’t know if we have that tonite
  • 11:50Well
    it’s been ugly, Embiid has had an off game, and Simmons has only played 15 minutes and we’re only down by 3. Game is more than winnable if they lock down here
  • 11:54 This is a weird take but...
    I know Embiid has been pretty damn productive this season, frankly because he’s so damn talented. But he’s been my least favorite player to watch this season. All the turnovers and ball stopping has been bad. I know he’s still finding his legs but it’s been frustrating to watch.

    That being said, we’re super lucky to have him because "bad" Embiid is still averaging 20 and 10.
  • 11:54 Buddy played great after trade to Kings last year. Been irrelevant this year.
  • 12:01 man justin jackson has looked good tonight
  • 12:02 UNC fan
    Gotta let Jackson shoot the nba three. He wants to throw up that floater.
  • 12:09 fox is quick
    dare i say quick as a fox?
  • 12:10 Wow 50 bench points for the Kings
  • 12:12 I respectfully hate Justin Jackson
  • 12:13 That buzzer shot by Fox is basically how I see every shot by Fox
  • 12:13 Joel waking up
  • 12:14 Team is not going to lose this game.
    Starting to see a pattern. At the end of games, BB calls different plays and the guys run pick and roll more and the Sixers look totally different
  • 12:16 feels like stealth tank, kings bringing in vets
  • 12:19 Were people asking for Fox to go #3?
  • 12:20 Embiid taking over
  • 12:22 How did Embiid touch it last when he’s behind him that makes no sense at least replay it
  • 12:23 Fox passed the ball to the ref
  • 12:24 WCS giving Embiid trouble at 7 feet.
  • 12:24 bro you got to be kidding me
  • 12:27 Can we just blow a team out one of these days
  • 12:29 Fox couldn’t make that shot in the NCAA
  • 12:29 Wow we lost
  • 12:30 I cannot think of a worst way to lose this game. I’m in emotional disarray.
  • 12:30 god what a depressing end. couldn’t even get a decent shot off. BB should’ve taken a time out. horrible loss
  • 12:33 Bad loss to a bad team. AGAIN, the 76ers simply couldn’t execute down the stretch. Outscored 7-0 in the final 1:38.

    Joel CANNOT get his shot blocked like that. He has to go up stronger and try and at least get Cauley-Stein to foul him.

    Simmons being in foul trouble all game didn’t help.

    And yet again, turnovers just killed them.

    Sacramento is a bad team. It’s a good win for them though.
  • 12:34 Fox makes crunch time jumpshot over Covington can’t make that stuff up
  • 12:36 Lost to the KINGS…had a melt down to Sacramento of all the teams in the NBA. LOL
  • 12:38 The Kings just beat Oklahoma City in their last game
    If Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George can lose to Sacramento,the 76ers certainly can.
    Itwassillyto expect Philadelphia to goundefeated on this roadtrip.Hopefully they bounce back next game
  • 12:42 Deaaron Fox, that is his shot. He lived there in college, and it’s partly how he ascended draft boards. I don’t what Zumoff and Fadool are talking about.
  • 12:42 Such a tough loss. If we don’t blow the games to Sac and Houston we’re 8-3 right now. Hurts to not have a vet star to go to down the stretch
  • 1:00 Feel like that one should have been a win. While the Sixers played poorly, the refs made several crucial bad calls that are haunting in such a close game. Can’t blame it all on the refs though, they got to get better with the TO’s, and Brett Brown should have called a timeout there. People getting on Embiid is silly, yes he turned it over way too much but we’re not even in the game without his performance.

    Final thoughts.
    + Ben Simmons can take games over.
    + All starters hit double digits, even with the TO’s I’d say the starters played well.
    — Brett Brown not calling a timeout. That last possession was rushed, feel we would have had a better shot.
    - Refs.
    - Turnovers.
    - The Bench was awful, all of them.
    ? Why not offer Okafor and Anderson for Richardson? Kings have 4 SG’s that don’t play the 3 much while JA does. Ship Koufas to a 3rd team for some useless prospect, include a 2nd as incentive as we got too many of those anyway. I do think Richardson has more upside than JA and a team like the Kings may be good for Okafor, he’d at least get solid minutes behind WCS. If you wait till mid-Dec could consider trying to get Zbo out of it and jettison Amir or Bayless if we look like a playoff team, though that’d eat some money we may need to extend RoCo. I am thinking way too much about trading Okafor…. sorry.
  • 1:30 Sacramento missed 11 FTs, the 76ers missed 8 FTs So the argument can be made that if the Kings could shoot FTs, they would’ve won easily. Here are the stats that show how the 76ers lost: Philly had 17 turnovers. Sacramento had 9. The Kings had 8 more points off turnovers than the Sixers. Until the 76ers learn how to stop turning the ball over 17+ times a game, they are going to lose games like they did tonight. They have too many empty possessions. They aren’t good enough to get away with this. TBH, I’m not sure that any team is good enough wiith turning the ball over that many times on a consistent basis.
  • 1:05 This game should have a congressional investigation. I think the refs were even worst than Boston. It’s become really alarming and obvious and it fits right along with how we are treated by the league and NBA media.
  • 1:35 Why are we cannibalizing our own over a timeout when the game was in the bag and the refs reached in and took it out?
  • 1:44 The Kings should not have a better bench than us
  • 2:14 A young team just came back from down 8 to win the game. A 19 year old hit the game winner in the face of an elite 3&D player. Cut the "young team" BS
  • 2:43 Sacramento is 3-8
    And Fox had been having a horrible night shooting the ball. He made a tough shot, credit to him for doing so. But the Kings have had more than their own share of trouble playing well late in games this season. Because, like the Sixers, they are a young team. And young teams are more inconsistent than veteran teams (usually, anyway).

    Eventually, the Sixers will no longer be a "young team". Hopefully it won’t take them that long to learn how to be more consistent in late game situations like tonight’s
 
Last edited:
#14
No one wants to hear this.. But, Randolph is the main reason the Kings won the last 2 games. He has looked like Memphis Zack the past 2 games.

Sure JJ has played well, Koufas had a strong night rebounding, Foz hit a game winner. But, without Randolph post bully act and his points in the paint this team would have not won either game.
 
#15
On another note, it's insane how good Ben Simmons already is. Tonight, he got 18pts purely because of his elite physicals tools. Imagine how great he'll be once he starts developing his skills aside from his ball handling. I think we would've dominated the Kings had he not gotten into foul trouble. Kings simply don't have anyone who can guard him.


Huh?
 
#16
Hill: C, he only put up 2pts in 19mins, but his impact came from his passing. he had 7asts. His passing with the starters allowed for a good start. Defense was good all-around.

Bogdan: C-, was really bad in the 1st half with forced shots going around 1-6 and a TO. Defense was solid except for 1 play where he fouled a 3pt shooter. In the 2nd half, a couple shots fell in and he continued with his solid defense.

Temple: C-, he played a Temple-like game. Made some shots, played good D, but didn't have a large impact overall. However, he let Covington and Simmons get the best of him a few times. Can't fault him too hard against Simmons.

Randolph: A+, nothing more you could've asked from him. He dominated the Sixers on offense and did a great job along with the rest of the team in defending Embiid. By far, his best and most complete game of the season.

WCS: A, played with great intensity on both ends. Played effortlessly off the ball and on defense, he, ZBO, and everyone else did a great job on Embiid. He had clutch defensive plays with 2 crucial blocks against Embiid.

Fox: B, admittedly his grade would've been around a C- if it weren't for the final 45s of the game. In the 1st half, his passing ability was on fully display. Made lots of good reads and got the ball in good positions. Wasn't much of a scoring threat and struggled. In the 2nd half, he was bad. Stopped trying to get teammates involved, and started forcing up ill-advised shots with tunnel vision. When he got to the line, he only converted 3-7, with the misses coming later in the game. However, he didn't let his inefficient shooting night get in his way of taking the game-winning shot. He stepped up BIG time and drained the mid-range jumper when Covington dared him to shoot it. On the other, he PUMPED the breaks on JJ Reddick and prevented him from getting any type of look. Not his best game, but he certainly didn't back away from the challenge.

Buddy: B-, started the gates impressive with good baskets and extremely good vision. Buddy is showing revitalized passing skills since being moved to the bench. I know he has 0asts yesterday, but I saw at least 4-5 passes that should've resulted in makes. He was out there playing unselfishly and created for teammates. His D was solid. In the 2nd half, his shots weren't going in, but he still provided a presence on the boards and a few passes.

Jackson: A+, holy cow, the rookie stepped up big time on both ends. Continues to be a fantastic player moving without the ball. In the 4th quarter, our offense became stagnant, and he decided to put it upon himself to bring the Kings back with his floaters. On defense, he did a good job and didn't back away from Simmons the few times they matched up.

Richardson C+, in 7minutes, he came in and immediately shot 3/3 for 8pts. He was a big part in the 2nd quarter of our 38pts. However on defense, he fouled Covington for 3 and looked just ok. He got a couple minutes in the 2nd half with 0 touches.

Skal F, took confident mid-range jumpers that missed. had 1 possession where he got beat, but quickly recovered for a nice block.... and...that raps up his entire highlights for the night. oh, and he also ran into another 3pt shooter on a close out. bad game for Skal who just didn't do anything. growing pains is on full display.

Koufos: A+, played amazing on both ends. Throughout the game, he was able to anchor down Embiid. Box score says he has 1blk, but I recall 3 in total, with 2 of them against Embiid. He grabbed 12boards in 21minutes. On offense, he had 8pts and 3asts. A very good game for Koufos even if his stats don't stand out as much as Randolph's.

On another note, it's insane how good Ben Simmons already is. Tonight, he got 18pts purely because of his elite physicals tools. Imagine how great he'll be once he starts developing his skills aside from his ball handling. I think we would've dominated the Kings had he not gotten into foul trouble. Kings simply don't have anyone who can guard him.
I appreciate your grades and your insights. Keep em coming!
However, you’ve gotta give Malachi better than a C+. In limited minutes, he hit all of his shots when the team needed someone to carry them for a few minutes. So he fouled Covington. At lease he was in his space when Covington was acting like a King’s killer.
 
#18
Not to diminish or minimize the Kings win.

Simmons has rare talent. Certainly in the mold of Lebron/Magic. Sixers defense has been poor all year. They give up more points than they score. It remains to be seen how they will look when Fultz returns.

But, Embiid, Simmons and Fultz sounds formidable. With 2 of those guys becoming perennial All Stars. Kings really need to nail the next draft with a franchise altering Star.

With no draft pick in 19. The team desperately needs to have one of the guys from this year break out and the Kings absolutely, without a doubt need a Top 4 pick next year.

You don't win in this league and get to the playoffs unless you have at least one All Star on your team. If you want to go deep in the playoffs, you need multiple All Stars.

Fox and JJ look like they have a chance to be very solid players. Franchise changing? It's too early to say.
 
#19
I meant Ben Simmons. He dominated the Kings whenever he looked to score. 6-8 FG and got to the line at will.
The stupid forums aren't letting me edit my opening post so here it is, for you to enjoy:
The View From the Other Side
The following has been taken from LibertyBallers.com
  • 11:22 Don’t be surprised if the Sixers screwed up this game
  • 11:31 That would be very frustrating. They’re probably the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA. Their offense is a disaster.
  • 11:59 Remind Philly Fans that Sacramento once upon time fleeced the 76ers sending a ground bound Chris Webber to us for our better players.
    Good news for our 76ers team is with all the talk about Lonzo Ball possibly being a bust…it’s taking all the national media attention off the Fultz injury. Yah
  • 12:01 OKC could not make a shot for anything. This should honestly be the easiest game of the year so far but im sure it will be tight til the end. Who is Zach Randoplh gonna guard LOL
  • 2:14 I’m very excited for this game. I am praying for some career highs from our studs. Who the hell is going to try to guard Simmons? Justin Jackson? Garrett Temple? Their best option might be Skal and he can’t stay in front of Ben. Hopefully, he goes out and goes crazy. 30/10/7 That would be so much fun.
    Question: Is Ty Lawson out of the league? That dude fell from grace so fast. He used to be thought of as an actual piece three years ago. Hard to imagine he lost it all cuz the bottle.
  • 4:52 I’ll never forget the Kings’ trade for as long as I live. I remember lying in bed with my wife that glorious evening about to doze off, when I see a bunch of tweets indicating that the Kings and Sixers made a trade. My thoughts went like this:
    - Salary cap dump? Okay….
    - Stauskas? We got Stauskas?!? Awesome!
    - We also got a future first? No frigging way. Hinkie is the GOAT.
    - And the right to swap 1sts with the Kings in both ’16 AND ’17?!?!?
    - poopoo, WE HAD TO HAVE GIVEN UP THE RIGHTS TO SARIC! ****!!!
    - We still have Saric?!?!?
    - All we gave up were the rights to Gudaitis and Mitrovic? GTFO.
    - Wow. Just wow.

    Next thing I know, I was in my living room pacing back and forth and literally crying tears of happiness. It’s the only trade that ever made me cry. It’s a shame that Stauskas didn’t hit his ceiling, but that’s one of the great trades of all time in my book anyway.
  • 5:02 LeBron’s idol is Julius Erving. Sure, the odds aren’t great that he goes to Philadelphia, but in my bones, I feel it happening. It just seems like the Sixers are loaded with young legs and superstar talent/potential that will allow James to coast in the regular season and save his energy for the playoffs.
    Ben Simmons/TJ McConnell
    Markelle Fultz/JJ Redick/Furkan Korkmaz
    Robert Covington/Timothe Luwawu-Cabarot/Justin Anderson
    LeBron James/Dario Saric
    Joel Embiid/Richaun Holmes
  • 9:20 A game we’re expected to win? I’ve never heard of such statement ever since Iguodala departed.
  • 9:42 wonder which Sixer will have his break out game?
  • 10:09 Serious question.....
    There’s only two Bogdanovic’s in the league, right? I feel like there’s more
  • 10:14 …does anybody know what the ad on the kings jersey is?
  • 10:15 hopefully we're up enough to give them a dose of stauskas
  • 10:16 Did my eyes deceive me or did Cauley-Stein’s mouthguard look like a grill?
  • 10:21 We should be killing them.
  • 10:23 Honestly, I’m looking forward to watching Fox at this point. This is pretty rough on the eyes.
  • 10:28 That WCS sideburn tattoo though
  • 10:31 Im not ready for this to be the WCS game.
  • 10:32 We win ugly. Think about that. Think about how far we’ve come. We’re at the absolute basement level, and we can win when we’re not playing well. Most of our players are pups, experience wise. Imagine us 3 months from now. Then next year with Paul George. Gonna be unfair. To our opponents, for once.
  • 10:36 Randolph sounds like he’s dropping a mean deuce whenever he goes up for a bucket in traffic.
  • 10:41 Talk about some rattle-out shots. Left a lot of points on the rim that quarter. Also, does Joel wanna try to defend the paint a little? He’s been out of position and not aggressively trying to recover. Is he ok?
  • 10:48 Covington is like, officially really good
    LORD ROBERT COVINGTON, HE’S OUR KLAY, HE’S IT KLAY
  • 10:52 if not for ROCO tonite these stinking KINGS would be giving us the business.
  • 10:53 We are in a shootout with the Sacramento Kings. Seriously?
  • 10:56 I think everyone not named Buddy Hield is shooting 100% from the floor for Sac
  • 10:56 Koufas gonna get 20-20
    Malachi gonna hit every jumpshot for 20
  • 10:59 Of all the nights
    Tonight’s the night, right? They’re hitting everything and we’re within a possession basically the whole time.

    Maaan, the Kings are bad.
  • 11:07 The 76ers are playing with no effort, no energy...
    and are playing pretty much zero defense.

    They are getting blown out by a BAD team
  • 11:09 The Sixers getting killed by Willie "WTF is Offense?" Cauley-Stein is giving me all sorts of anger headaches.
  • 11:13 The defensive roatations tonight have been awful
    Did they challenge a single outside shot in the first half?

    The Kings are probably the 2nd or 3rd worst team in the NBA. There isn’t a single guy on their team who would start for the Sixers (well maybe Fox, but he doesn’t even start for the Kings)

    That was a putrid performance by the Sixers on both ends of the floor. If not for Covington, Philly would be losing by close to 20 points instead of "just" 7
  • 11:17 Refs are helping the home team no doubt, but Sixers are not playing well
    Ben and JoJo need to focus on the game, not the headlines
  • 11:25 i’m seriously going to get in a fight with a ref on the court.
  • 11:26 Refs are really that dumb or are the dirty?
  • 11:28 Zbo killing us
  • 11:42 Refs SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
    omg
  • 11:44 This Koufus/Embiid matchup is really lopsided
  • 11:46 Embiid can’t dribble without turning it over or falling down. Just get on the block dude.
  • 11:50 We play one good quarter defensively and we win. Don’t know if we have that tonite
  • 11:50Well
    it’s been ugly, Embiid has had an off game, and Simmons has only played 15 minutes and we’re only down by 3. Game is more than winnable if they lock down here
  • 11:54 This is a weird take but...
    I know Embiid has been pretty damn productive this season, frankly because he’s so damn talented. But he’s been my least favorite player to watch this season. All the turnovers and ball stopping has been bad. I know he’s still finding his legs but it’s been frustrating to watch.

    That being said, we’re super lucky to have him because "bad" Embiid is still averaging 20 and 10.
  • 11:54 Buddy played great after trade to Kings last year. Been irrelevant this year.
  • 12:01 man justin jackson has looked good tonight
  • 12:02 UNC fan
    Gotta let Jackson shoot the nba three. He wants to throw up that floater.
  • 12:09 fox is quick
    dare i say quick as a fox?
  • 12:10 Wow 50 bench points for the Kings
  • 12:12 I respectfully hate Justin Jackson
  • 12:13 That buzzer shot by Fox is basically how I see every shot by Fox
  • 12:13 Joel waking up
  • 12:14 Team is not going to lose this game.
    Starting to see a pattern. At the end of games, BB calls different plays and the guys run pick and roll more and the Sixers look totally different
  • 12:16 feels like stealth tank, kings bringing in vets
  • 12:19 Were people asking for Fox to go #3?
  • 12:20 Embiid taking over
  • 12:22 How did Embiid touch it last when he’s behind him that makes no sense at least replay it
  • 12:23 Fox passed the ball to the ref
  • 12:24 WCS giving Embiid trouble at 7 feet.
  • 12:24 bro you got to be kidding me
  • 12:27 Can we just blow a team out one of these days
  • 12:29 Fox couldn’t make that shot in the NCAA
  • 12:29 Wow we lost
  • 12:30 I cannot think of a worst way to lose this game. I’m in emotional disarray.
  • 12:30 god what a depressing end. couldn’t even get a decent shot off. BB should’ve taken a time out. horrible loss
  • 12:33 Bad loss to a bad team. AGAIN, the 76ers simply couldn’t execute down the stretch. Outscored 7-0 in the final 1:38.

    Joel CANNOT get his shot blocked like that. He has to go up stronger and try and at least get Cauley-Stein to foul him.

    Simmons being in foul trouble all game didn’t help.

    And yet again, turnovers just killed them.

    Sacramento is a bad team. It’s a good win for them though.
  • 12:34 Fox makes crunch time jumpshot over Covington can’t make that stuff up
  • 12:36 Lost to the KINGS…had a melt down to Sacramento of all the teams in the NBA. LOL
  • 12:38 The Kings just beat Oklahoma City in their last game
    If Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George can lose to Sacramento,the 76ers certainly can.
    Itwassillyto expect Philadelphia to goundefeated on this roadtrip.Hopefully they bounce back next game
  • 12:42 Deaaron Fox, that is his shot. He lived there in college, and it’s partly how he ascended draft boards. I don’t what Zumoff and Fadool are talking about.
  • 12:42 Such a tough loss. If we don’t blow the games to Sac and Houston we’re 8-3 right now. Hurts to not have a vet star to go to down the stretch
  • 1:00 Feel like that one should have been a win. While the Sixers played poorly, the refs made several crucial bad calls that are haunting in such a close game. Can’t blame it all on the refs though, they got to get better with the TO’s, and Brett Brown should have called a timeout there. People getting on Embiid is silly, yes he turned it over way too much but we’re not even in the game without his performance.

    Final thoughts.
    + Ben Simmons can take games over.
    + All starters hit double digits, even with the TO’s I’d say the starters played well.
    — Brett Brown not calling a timeout. That last possession was rushed, feel we would have had a better shot.
    - Refs.
    - Turnovers.
    - The Bench was awful, all of them.
    ? Why not offer Okafor and Anderson for Richardson? Kings have 4 SG’s that don’t play the 3 much while JA does. Ship Koufas to a 3rd team for some useless prospect, include a 2nd as incentive as we got too many of those anyway. I do think Richardson has more upside than JA and a team like the Kings may be good for Okafor, he’d at least get solid minutes behind WCS. If you wait till mid-Dec could consider trying to get Zbo out of it and jettison Amir or Bayless if we look like a playoff team, though that’d eat some money we may need to extend RoCo. I am thinking way too much about trading Okafor…. sorry.
  • 1:30 Sacramento missed 11 FTs, the 76ers missed 8 FTs So the argument can be made that if the Kings could shoot FTs, they would’ve won easily. Here are the stats that show how the 76ers lost: Philly had 17 turnovers. Sacramento had 9. The Kings had 8 more points off turnovers than the Sixers. Until the 76ers learn how to stop turning the ball over 17+ times a game, they are going to lose games like they did tonight. They have too many empty possessions. They aren’t good enough to get away with this. TBH, I’m not sure that any team is good enough wiith turning the ball over that many times on a consistent basis.
  • 1:05 This game should have a congressional investigation. I think the refs were even worst than Boston. It’s become really alarming and obvious and it fits right along with how we are treated by the league and NBA media.
  • 1:35 Why are we cannibalizing our own over a timeout when the game was in the bag and the refs reached in and took it out?
  • 1:44 The Kings should not have a better bench than us
  • 2:14 A young team just came back from down 8 to win the game. A 19 year old hit the game winner in the face of an elite 3&D player. Cut the "young team" BS
  • 2:43 Sacramento is 3-8
    And Fox had been having a horrible night shooting the ball. He made a tough shot, credit to him for doing so. But the Kings have had more than their own share of trouble playing well late in games this season. Because, like the Sixers, they are a young team. And young teams are more inconsistent than veteran teams (usually, anyway).

    Eventually, the Sixers will no longer be a "young team". Hopefully it won’t take them that long to learn how to be more consistent in late game situations like tonight’s
lmao some of them need to pump the breaks a bit. They talk about the 6ers as if they were ECF contenders. Actually...I'm not even sure who's getting to the ECF this year... but anyways, good work Tetsujin!
 
#21
Not to diminish or minimize the Kings win.

Simmons has rare talent. Certainly in the mold of Lebron/Magic. Sixers defense has been poor all year. They give up more points than they score. It remains to be seen how they will look when Fultz returns.

But, Embiid, Simmons and Fultz sounds formidable. With 2 of those guys becoming perennial All Stars. Kings really need to nail the next draft with a franchise altering Star.

With no draft pick in 19. The team desperately needs to have one of the guys from this year break out and the Kings absolutely, without a doubt need a Top 4 pick next year.

You don't win in this league and get to the playoffs unless you have at least one All Star on your team. If you want to go deep in the playoffs, you need multiple All Stars.

Fox and JJ look like they have a chance to be very solid players. Franchise changing? It's too early to say.
So you saying Philly has all the Superstars and the Kings are just solid players?





































SCOREBOARD!!!!!
 
#23
I meant Ben Simmons. He dominated the Kings whenever he looked to score. 6-8 FG and got to the line at will.

lmao some of them need to pump the breaks a bit. They talk about the 6ers as if they were ECF contenders. Actually...I'm not even sure who's getting to the ECF this year... but anyways, good work Tetsujin!
You should read the game thread on the 6ers board over at RealGM. They were PISSED about the game, calling the Kings a trash team, worst team in all of sports etc.. It took all I could muster not to go full troll
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#24
WCS - Very nice. Please continue.
Koufas - You're my sentimental favorite on this team; tough as nails and underrated. We talk about role models on this team, but we forget about Koufas. He's the silent man.
Jackson - The Thunder game was the breakout game. This guy is smart and good. We haven't begun to see what he can do on the floor.
Fox - Clutch
Joerger - I absolutely loved that you gave Fox the ball at the end of the game, even though he had shot poorly the entire night. Great coaching. That move will pay big dividends down the line. This team played with joy, unselfishness, and effort.

Fantastic win!
 
#25
Hate to say it, Fox is not even in the conversation of the Best Rooks:

Homework and Hard Stats tell me these guys are way above the curve.

Kyle Kuzma Lakers
Donovan Mitchell: Jazz
Lauri Markkanen: Knicks
Jayson Tatum: Celtics
Ben Simmons: Sixers
Dennis Smith Jr: Mavs


Save for a couple games, Fox has shot poorly, is a mediocre distributor, and a decent defender.
 
#28
So you saying Philly has all the Superstars and the Kings are just solid players?







SCOREBOARD!!!!!



That's correct. I can guarantee come All Star voting, their won't be a single King in this years All Star game. I can guarantee it. The Sixers will have one and possibly 2.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
#29
Hate to say it, Fox is not even in the conversation of the Best Rooks:

Homework and Hard Stats tell me these guys are way above the curve.

Kyle Kuzma Lakers
Donovan Mitchell: Jazz
Lauri Markkanen: Knicks
Jayson Tatum: Celtics
Ben Simmons: Sixers
Dennis Smith Jr: Mavs


Save for a couple games, Fox has shot poorly, is a mediocre distributor, and a decent defender.
Decent:)?
 
#30
Hate to say it, Fox is not even in the conversation of the Best Rooks:

Homework and Hard Stats tell me these guys are way above the curve.

Kyle Kuzma Lakers
Donovan Mitchell: Jazz
Lauri Markkanen: Knicks
Jayson Tatum: Celtics
Ben Simmons: Sixers
Dennis Smith Jr: Mavs


Save for a couple games, Fox has shot poorly, is a mediocre distributor, and a decent defender.
Fox has been better than both Mitchell and DSJ so far. Give the guy some credit. He's going to be a very good distributor in the future. His passing is already better than I was expecting.