I would dare to say that was the most entertaining 86-82 win in Kings history!
Allow me to go meta and drill down and shed some light on what happened last night since I think it was rather significant.
Although the Kings may lose by 30 tonight, I think they may have found something.
Entering the game the Kings could not have been more woeful over 14 games with the exception of the 2-game streak and the Fox game winner.
We are talking historically bad over small sample size my friends.
Heading into last nights game the Kings were:
- Worst in Point Differential (-15 per 100 possessions)
- Worst in TS%
- Worst in Rebound Rate
- Second Worst in Offensive Efficiency
- Second Worst in Defensive Efficiency
- Third Slowest in Pace
It is highly unusual for even a very bad team to be bottom of the barrel on both ends of the floor, but our 2017-18 Kings and Joerger found a way.
A team that sucks the air of the ball and pounds it inside can usually experience some modest success in defensive efficiency by slowing down the opponent through their own deliberateness, and a team that pushes the pace and increase possession can usually experience some modest success with the offensive weapons they possess as reflected in offensive efficiency. Our Kings did neither.
The Suns Earl Watson was fired for less than Joerger has been on the hook for until last night.
Anecdotally, the Kings were non-competitive before last night at about a 70% being out of the game 10 out of 14 times. After last night it is 10 out of 15.
Follow me on this one, this is a "stat" I just came up with. With the exception of the Suns loss, in which if I recall correctly the final score (115-117) was not indicative of the separation, every loss the Kings have experienced has been of the blowout variety. The Kings have lost big. They have lost boring. (3rd slowest pace). They can't score. They can't rebound. They can't defend. No pride. No heart. No hope. The only thing the Kings have done well is not turnover the ball at 9th fewest TOs in the league, partly a function of playing so slow pace. Then last night happened.
The lineup changes were predicated on being humiliated by 46 points against a team of 1st and 2nd year guys on the Hawks and most of them picked lowered in the draft than our contingent. If the Kings lose the Hawks game by 16 points or even 26 points then stubborn as a mule with cement shoes Joerger trots out the same mix of under keystone cops. There is actually a lesson to be learned from the epic no-show in Atlanta not just for those involved but those bearing cringe-inducing witness. Adversity points the way. It is the impetus for constructive change.
Earlier this year we had the discussion about the shortened training camp, the number of new players and number of young players, and as the result of these variables there should be experimentation and multiple line-ups until something sparks and clicks. But we didn't see that with Joerger. We saw reluctance, stubbornness and ride-and-die mentality with Z-Bong.
In defense of Z-Bong his TS% of 50.4% is up 1% than last year and on par with the bricklaying propensity of his teammates (team TS% 50.1; last in the NBA). But the guy is a statue on defense. Or a mannequin. Take your pick a statue or a mannequin, which ever you think exhibits more hustle. You cannot win. You cannot compete with a 50% TS who shooter who cannot guard his shadow.
If Joeger was oblivious to this facts, and further stated Z-Bong would play center "only due to emergency", instead slotted as PF for 25-30 MPG, then you may as well call off the season!
I said before the season Z-Bong was and is a back-up center. That's where he belongs. If he is going to play 10-15 MPG like he did last night, then I don't have a problem with him. Maybe he catches fire and makes a few plays. Ultimately the hope is he is just a placeholder until Harry Giles is ready and Skal stops playing like a lost puppy.
It is NOT a coincident Z-Bong played ONLY 14 minutes (at center) and we allowed only 82 points to the opponent. This should be a revelation for a coach who apparently needs to be clubbed over the head with a 2 x 4 to get a fundamental grasp on the epic shortcomings of a washed up player.
Now there are three more revelations I want to talk about as preceded by the thrashing in Atlanta, i.e. lessons extracted from adversity to light the path forward:
- Mason needs to be on the floor
- Fox - Hill backcourt
- Maximizing Willie
It is something that the Kings won a game against an average team with three of their rotational players going 1-6 (Mason), 1-7 (Skal) and 1-8 (Bogdan).
The reason the Kings were able to absorb this bricklaying and 42% shooting overall is because their defense at the point of attack with Mason was excellent. Mason does a terrific job of staying in contact with the PG when he goes over the pick. He also hedges and recovers and closes out on shooters. He is feisty and unrelenting to give up space. If our offense is going to be so pedantic we need a guy like this on the floor to compete. Then we can win games in the 90s.
Mason also gets into the lane. He uses his speed and he bulls his way. This is significant because it creates draw and kick opportunities and it creates opportunities for Koufos and Willie to clean up the miss. This is also true with backcourt of Fox and Hill where there is more players, FIVE TOTAL, when you add Temple and Bogdan, who can get penetration into the lane and create chances for lobs and put backs.
Hill has more freedom to play off-guard and use his scoring instincts with Fox along side to share ball handling duties. Actually it is interesting that both Hill and Fox are comparable in having some SG traits. The Kings don't have a star so they need synergy. They need for the sum to be greater than the parts. They need t maximize a guy like Willie who is NOT going to create his own shot but has the length and agility to be opportunistic.
The opportunities do NOT come if you have a plodding isolation player clogging the lane like Z-Bong and being a ZERO on the defensive end. It is so obvious and it may have taken this coach 15 games to figure it out. Willie and Koufos was the beneficiary last night of our guards - Fox, Mason, Hill - getting penetration into the lane and forcing rotation. The offense was hardly magical or humming but this is general blueprint to stay in games on nights you are not making your three ball.
These are the revelations in summary and I hope Joerger reads this because he needs a little help:
- Z-Bong is a center and 10-15 MPG at most before giving way to Giles and Lost Puppy Skal
- Mason obviously deserves to be on the floor as a pit bull defender and to help the modest scoring talent
- Hill has more freedom to maximize his scoring ability with De'Aaron to assume some PG duties
- De'Aaron has more freedom to maximize his scoring ability with Hill to assume some PG duties
- Willie needs space and room to play mop up and lob ball with maximum penetrators on the perimeter and Z-Bong out of the way
The odd men out for now are Malachi and Justin Jackson. But that's fine they can play one-on-one and improve themselves.
There's not time for everyone and injuries like Buddy ankle happen to afford them their chance.
Now lets see how this plays out and see if our coach has a clue and learned anything from last night. Right now the Kings point differential is a woeful -13.4 per 100 possessions (95.1 to 108.5). If the above potential revelations prove substantive then we should see this differential gap close to under 10 points per 100 possessions over the next 5 games. This is what I will be looking for, not just wins and losses but competitiveness from a team non-competitive far more than reasonably acceptable.
Go Kings!