Sacramento Kings Thread

[Raze Lupin]

I understand your reservations about DeMarcus Cousins. I still think he's worth the chance of another season. Evans is far from a cancer. Any observer can tell he worked on his game during the off season. Despite the media scandal the KINGS are in great shape! This is a great year to be a Kings fan. Kings have 4 legitimate scoring threats that are young and developing. Most solid teams have 2 or 3. Kings have guys on the 6th or 7th roster spot who can put up 20 a night with decent %! Demarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thorton, Jimmer Fredette can all get you 20+. Thorton, Evans, Fredette can get you assists too. Anyone would be a fool to tear this young team apart! Even if they don't make the playoffs this year. This team reminds me a bit of OKC 2 years ago that had Jeff Green, James harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Obviously there is no K. Durant on the roster BUT trading away youth 5 games into the season is mad.

As a Knicks fan I'd love to have that young Kings talent. I'm sure many other teams around the league want your players too!! All the Kings need is team maturity and chemistry. These young kings are just going through growing pains. At least there is a future...

Teams like the Kings, Golden State Warriors, Clippers and the Wolves are the face of the new West. Kings fan shouldn't be grumbling over a few growing pains...

[CKR13]

Point taken. But with both as building blocks? Really? They are not even superstar material (let's not take into consideration their off the court attitude) inside the court they are not really very very good players and leaders. Sucks to be a Kings fan these days (well the past 5 years )

Point taken as well. But we are not as fortunate as the Oklahoma City Thunder wherein they got Durant and Westbrook to start with. Currently, though as petty as it sounds, Evans and Cousins alongside Thornton are the best players on the team. Losing both for let's say draft picks via trade would be a huge setback for the team as well. Sacramento has not been so lucky in drafting would be superstars, we only get them through a trade wherein we develop them.

As of the moment, Evans and Cousins are still a part of the team's future.

[CKR13]

SAC 96 MEM 113

A showcase on terrible defense on this one. Grizzlies utilized an uptempo offense and the Kings' transition defense and half-court defense faltered and allowed the Grizzlies easy points via the mild transition as well as second chance opportunities.

[CKR13]

From the defeat, rookies Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas Jr. can score, but their defense is not adequate at the moment.

Up next are the Denver Nuggets and their spread out offense. The defense better hold and cover several players. Or else we face another rout.

[Bosnian 23]

Until when will the Kings rebuild? They have to trade ALL cancers from that team (starting with Cousins then Evans) there's just lots of negative vibes with these group of players.

Evans, a cancer? C'mon have you watched the Kings. And Cousins maybe, but he can really produce on the court. I'd say the real cancer is Salmons, doesn't really contribute to the team much, but I'm not even sure you can call him a cancer.

[Bosnian 23]

I thought we had a pretty bad loss tonight (obviously points wise). I felt we got unlucky to catch the Grizzlies in a game where their shooting percentage was sy high. I also though Demarcus Cousins should've played more than he did, esecially how good Marc Gasol was playing. I think Paul Westfail is ruining our team, because you can tell the offense just doesn't look good and the defense has been terrible since season's start. Maybe I'm overreacting but I'd like to see Paul out. If we could replace him with a Larry Brown type coach... anyways, I'll be interested to see how much time DCuz gets versus the Denver Nuggets.

Question: Do you guys think Tyreke Evans can be our franchise Player? Or is he a Chris Bosh/Russel Westbrook type star? I, personally, think he's the franchise player for our future.

Also, CKR13, why aren't you the mod of this fourm? If it weren't for you the only active threads would be this one, and the two NBA 2011-12 ones. Just wondering.

[Bosnian 23]

Btw, guys, I heard Demarcus didn't literally demand a trade, but said something along the lines of, "If you don't like my attitude, trade me." Pretty interesting story, but I hope he doesn't get traded when it's all said and done.

[CKR13]

I thought we had a pretty bad loss tonight (obviously points wise). I felt we got unlucky to catch the Grizzlies in a game where their shooting percentage was sy high. I also though Demarcus Cousins should've played more than he did, esecially how good Marc Gasol was playing. I think Paul Westfail is ruining our team, because you can tell the offense just doesn't look good and the defense has been terrible since season's start. Maybe I'm overreacting but I'd like to see Paul out. If we could replace him with a Larry Brown type coach... anyways, I'll be interested to see how much time DCuz gets versus the Denver Nuggets.

Question: Do you guys think Tyreke Evans can be our franchise Player? Or is he a Chris Bosh/Russel Westbrook type star? I, personally, think he's the franchise player for our future.

The loss was pretty bad for me as well. Our defense allowed the Grizzlies 100+ points. Just two days before the game, the Grizzlies were limited to 60+ points by the Bulls. What made the loss worst was that Zach Randolph did not play.

It seems Lionel Hollins made the adjustments by forcing a more uptempo approach via forward rush on which players like Rudy Gay, Sam Young, OJ Mayo and Tony Allen pushed the tempo and attacked the basket. They took advantage of the Kings' weakness: Transition Defense.

Rudy Gay scored 23 points. Sam Young had 20 points. Mayo had 16 and Allen had 14. They were scoring at will against the almost non-existent defense.

The Grizzlies also had numerous second chance opportunities.

It seems that the players for the Kings do not communicate via defense. All I saw was man to man defense.

On Demarcus Cousins, he did not start as a disciplinary measure. Westphal insisted with Thompson and Hayes against Marc Gasol.

Not all the blame should fall on Westphal, but I think he can do a much more better job. Whereas, Salmons was guarding Rudy Gay. Hayes and Thompson against Gasol for the game.

On the offense, there was no fidelity to Westphal's flex movements as our players freelanced as they were bewildered by the Grizzlies' uptempo offense. Another thing for the Kings to learn is to communicate on both ends of the floor.

As for me, I would like Westphal to stay as he did said that a year ago, he will be integrating more dynamics on the team offense if players progress on grasping the said concept. Meaning, the Kings should execute the offense with fidelity and with time, more and more sets will be integrated. At this point, if the players can't play within the system or even grasp it, the offensive system will still be played until they get it somehow.

To add, I think Westphal's old school approach and generation gap may also be a factor on why several players just won't listen. A lot of NBA teams on the past season have made progress in hiring much younger coaches; a generation or two behind the current crop of players. Westphal to me is like four generations back. Westphal may not be able to relate with the player culture and in turn, the players would not relate fully to the culture of Westphal.

Tyreke Evans has been the franchise player ever since the Kings traded away Kevin Martin and decided to build around Evans. The reason why Evans can't muster his 20-5-5 rookie average, his statistical best for his career; is because of the fact that he is making way for equally talented players in addition like the arrival of Demarcus Cousins and Marcus Thornton. Evans does not insist to be the top dog of the team and instead is adjusting within the presence of the said addition.

Evans need not score that much with Cousins, Thornton and Fredette in tow. For me, that is a sign of growth, wherein he would like to co-exist with his teammates. That itself is leadership.

[Bosnian 23]

Great analysis and post! Fully agree on all points (except for keeping Paul; still doubting his abilities ).

[CKR13]

Great analysis and post! Fully agree on all points (except for keeping Paul; still doubting his abilities ).

I respect your opinion as well. If Westphal does indeed get fired, I hope we can elevate his assistant coach, Keith Smart as the head coach. I for one love what Smart have done for the Warriors last season. He turned them into a defensive team while winning more games on his first year.

[Bosnian 23]

Keith Smart could coach our team very well, I believe. I'm still not sure why the Warriors fired him with the mprovement of wins...

[CKR13]

Btw, guys, I heard Demarcus didn't literally demand a trade, but said something along the lines of, "If you don't like my attitude, trade me." Pretty interesting story, but I hope he doesn't get traded when it's all said and done.

It could be that Paul Westphal had misinterpreted Cousins on the verbal exchange.

[Bosnian 23]

SAC 17
DEN 27

END 1 QT

Yet again, we have displayed bad transition defense and it's been all Denver Nugget layups and dunks. Also, our offense has stuttered and we have had way to many turnovers. Hopefully, things will improve later oon in this game...

[Bosnian 23]

SAC 39
DEN 54

2ND QRT ~ about 0:30 left

Kings have improved their defense, although they're still giving up some easy baskets. Evans hasn't done well driving to the rim, he just can't finish tongiht. Demarcus Cousins has done well with limited minutes off the bench.

[Bosnian 23]

SAC 39
DEN 56

Well, with a few seconds left, we turn it over and the Nuggets capitalize and score two easy points (yet again). Marcus Thornton has pretty much been our only producyive player, scoring 14 points thus far. At the half-time interview, I think he put it best saying something like," It's frustrating to be in this hole, knowing what we're capable of." I feel exactly like he does right now. I don't know what Westphal is telling them to do for transition defense, but it's definitely (and obviously) not working so far. Not only this, but we can't finish off layups, or any easy shots for that matter. Maybe if Tyreke Evans can get it going in the second half, and we don't give up many turnovers and fastbreak points, we can get back in this game.