The Kings are a team with whom the Grizzlies have much familiarity and, statistically speaking, they have nearly mirror the less-than-desirable start to the season (*see advanced stats below). Can Memphis start a winning streak against the Kings in an ironically raucous Sleep Train Arena?
The Grizzlies have allowed opponents to shoot 38.3% from the three-point line through nine games this season. That's bad enough to be 27th in the league in that department. The Grizzlies have been doing a ton of ball-watching, their help defense is mistimed, and their rotations are unnecessarily overaggressive. Right now, the previously great defense of the Grizzlies have exacerbated their problem by not trusting each other. Take a look at the Lakers hitting wide-open three after wide-open three in the video below. Tony Allen is notorious for roaming and playing off of his man unwisely, which is partly what has made him a great defender. However, his gambles have come back to bite him, at least so far, this season.
The biggest problem with the Grizzlies defense right now is trust. There is none. Nobody is showing belief in their teammate to be able to keep their man from scoring. Everyone is acting like they have to be everywhere and guard all five players on the floor at any given time, and that's obviously not what great defense is predicated on. Memphis can have all the best individual defenders in the world, but that won't do them much good in terms of team defense. It would go a long way for the team's defense if they would just get back to the fundamentals and stay home. The Kings are in the lower third of the league in terms of three-point field goal percentage, so hopefully the Grizzlies can work on fixing some things on the defensive end of the floor before facing stiffer competition.
Rotation Consistency
Head Coach David Joerger has tinkered with the rotations every game this year, and there are always new wrinkles. It's no coincidence that the Grizzlies have played their best basketball on both ends when Joerger leaves the lineups alone and lets one group stay on the court for an extended period of time without a substitution just for substitutions sake. The Grizzlies depth is a great asset, but at times Joerger looks out of his depth managing it. When guys show up to the arena every night not having the slightest clue whether they will play, how long, or with which teammates, it can really affect their psyche. With a new coach, there needs to be a period where they are allowed to tinker with the rotation, but at some point, you need to have a set plan and say these are the guys I'm rolling out there every night. That way, your team knows what to expect.
Feed the Ox
When Zach Randolph plays well, the Grizzlies are given an incredible boost and just seem to play with so much more energy. Z-Bo still has more left in the tank than many give him credit for. He's averaging 14.3 PPG and 8.4 RPG this season, and he has five double-doubles in nine games. He might be overpaid, but if he happened to go down with an injury, the Grizzlies would have a hard time replacing that production, especially with anybody on the current roster. Also, Randolph's effort sets the tone many nights. During the Lakers game, others were feeding off of his example. He hustled all night long grabbing rebounds, chasing down lose balls, helping on defense, and muscling his way to the rim relentlessly with the ball in his hands. Joerger would be wise to get the big fella some post touches on set plays early in the game. Friday night against the Lakers was the first time anybody other than Mike Conley on this team showed that they were fed up with losing. Obviously, more than two are needed, but lighting a fire under Conley and Randolph, two of the team's leaders, is a good start.
Quick Tidbits
Hopefully going against one of the most talented young big men in the league in DeMarcus Cousins will fire Marc Gasol up and send him on a tear. That will be a fun matchup.
The Grizzlies best lineup that's been used at least ten minutes in terms of raw +/- is Mike Conley, Mike Miller, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol. Might that have something to do with spacing...?
DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 22.8 PPG and 10.0 RPG. No comment needed.
The Grizzlies won all four games against the Kings last season.
Final Prediction
The Grizzlies will continue to grow closer as a team on this tough West Coast road trip, and this victory will come a little easier than the one against the Lakers. Boogie Cousins puts up big numbers, but the Kings are unable to match the Grizzlies talent at each position. Don't be surprised to see another double-double from Zach Randolph, as he seems to have started playing inspired basketball.
Boogie has gotten down against a range of centers this season. But Gasol is one of the two or three best pivot defenders in the league, and a really cerebral player who can match up against a range of opponents. What Marc can't do is keep up with Cousins on the bounce. But Gasol can make getting to a good spot more difficult, and he has agile enough hands to create some turnovers if Boogie drives.
On the other end, Gasol is a versatile little animal. He's a pretty tough cover despite not being a huge scorer.
3 THINGS I WILL BE WATCHING
1. Greivis Vasquez's turnovers. Four turnovers is too many. Eight? Way way way way way too many. The first quarter on Friday went horribly wrong: the Kings shot and defended well enough to have a lead going into the second, but for those seven turnovers, several of them by Vasquez. He's gotta protect that ball.
2. Cousins' demeanor. Holy heck was he totally composed on Friday despite some awful officiating and an annoying couple of matchups in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. Memphis can be pretty annoying, too: Gasol is crafty, Zach Randolph has those old man moves and Tony Allen has some of the quickest and strongest hands in the NBA. So Boogie's patience will be tested.
3. McLemore and Thornton. McBen hasn't been great in the starting lineup -- he didn't get too many shots on Friday after taking some bad ones on Wednesday. M.T. was invisible on Friday. The Kings need one of them to be strong to have a chance. Both would be nice, too.
PREGAME HAIKU
Homestand continues. But the wins aren't pouring in. Season's gon' be long.
Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.
Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.
All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.
Questions:
1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)
2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)
3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)
4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)
5. How many offensive rebounds will both teams grab? (1 point for getting one right, 3 points for getting both right)
The Kings hosted the Grizzlies Sunday night, but it probably would be better if they hadn't. The Kings came out with a lackluster effort, shooting terribly, missing layups, and showing a complete lack of effort. Coach Michael Malone benched the starters, aside from Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, for most of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter. Clearly, the coach was trying to send a message.
And yes, you didn't read that wrong. The Fresh Prince replaced John Salmons in the starting line-up. But the real story with the small forwards was Travis Outlaw. Outlaw was the best King on the floor, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds in just 17 minutes. It was a great outing, and a reminder why some of us had high hopes when the Kings initially claimed Outlaw off amnesty waivers.
For the Grizzlies, Zach Randolph finished with 22 point and 10 rebounds. Marc Gasol has 19 points and 9 rebounds, and Mike Conley had 19 points and nine assists.
Led by twin towers Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies used their familiar ground and pound offensive style while sprinkling in just enough defense to get the job done.
While the Grizz showed their mettle late in systematically squashing any final Kings' run with stellar ball movement, good interior passing, and a whole lotta Z-Bo, this game was nonetheless marked bya bit too much inconsistency on both sides of the ball from the Grizz.
A tale of two teams, at times.
The second and third quarters of this one offered a glimpse at what has made the Grizzlies so frustrating this season.
After a scorching end of the first from Jerryd Bayless (more on him later), the Memphis bench struggled mightily in the early part of the second, scoring only eight points in the first seven minutes of the quarter. Memphis then proceeded to score 14 points in the final five minutes of the quarter, keying a 47-34 first half lead. Not surprisingly, this late quarter run coincided with Dave Joeger bringing his starters, and most notably Zach Randolph, back in the game.
It was more of the same in the third, though this time it wasn't the bench's fault. The Grizz started the second half strong in scoring the first six points, but followed that up by getting outscored 31-21 for the rest of the quarter as their defence couldn't contain the Sacramento bench (Mike Malone pulled all his starters after their listless start).
One minute, the Grizzlies looked like a well-oiled Hi-Lo offensive machine with a suffocating defence, and the next it looked like Sactown was going to run us out of the building. This type of inconsistency may be manageable against a team like the Kings, but the Grizz will need to play more complete games if they hope to keep pace with the West's elites.
But when that machine was running, ooooh boy did it look good. Running the offence almost entirely through Marc, who finished with nine assists and countless other offence-creating passes to go along with his 19 points, the Grizz were able to get Z-Bo good touches down low and open layups and good looks for cutters Mike Conley and Tony Allen.
Z-Bo finished with 22 for the game, bullying the depleted Kings backline (after Gasol cleaned Chuck Hayes's clock with an elbow in the first) and finishing with the touch we've come to expect from our favourite (get used to that "u", I'm Canadian) baby-faced bruiser.
Sacramento simply had no answer for the Grizzlies' starting bigs, and when Memphis needed it down the stretch, the Grizz were able to go to the well time and time again for easy buckets.
While the Grizzlies played a solid defensive game, aided in part by the Kings' poor first half shooting, the third quarter saw Memphis struggle in their own end, giving up way too much dribble penetration that led to layups and open threes for Sacramento.
They also ran into a scorching hot Travis Outlaw.
No, really, Travis Outlaw.
I swear.
Outlaw scored 18 points in the second half including 15 in a perfect (5-5 from the field) third quarter, beating the Grizz with drives to the basket, pull up jumpers, and some open three balls. The Grizz defended the three-point line fairly well in this one, holding the Kings to 30.7%, but a lot of those misses were open looks that Sacramento would like to have back. The third quarter also saw Memphis give up too many open shots again, from all parts of the floor.
For the most part, the Grizz played a solid defensive game, coming up strong around their own basket with good challenges at the rim and forcing the Kings into a lot of tricky midrange looks. The D isn't there yet, but we're seeing improvement.
Gasol vs Boogie, advantage: Gasol
While Demarcus Cousins did show some of his usual flashes of brilliance in this one, including a beautiful lefty layup on Marc, Gasol dominated this matchup with his steady, smart play.
Big Spain held Cousins to just nine points on 4-11 shooting, forcing him into a few of those midrange jumpers that Boogie loves (and his coaches and analysts abhor) while making things difficult for him at the rim and down low.
Gasol also finished with a near triple double (19 pts, 8 rebs, 9 assists) and controlled both ends of the floor for the Grizz. He got Cousins and other Kings' defenders in the air more than once with his clever footwork and patience in the post, something that Boogie could definitely learn from the lumbering but skilled big man.
Every time Tony Allen takes a wide open three, an angel gets its wings. Or loses them. Probably loses them. -Kevin Lipe
Mike Conley, rounding out the big three
Conley played one of his best games of the season in this one, playing well within himself on the offensive end (shooting 8-12 from the field) and playing his usual jitterbug defence on Isaiah Thomas and Greivis Vasquez.
You can see the faith Joerger has in him on the defensive end, as the coach subbed Conley in a little earlier than he probably would have liked to after seeing Thomas burn Jerryd Bayless a few too many times on defense in the second half. Once Conley got back in there, Thomas's dribble drives and forays into the paint came to an almost complete stop, and the little point guard could barely even sniff a good look at the hoop.
Maybe more importantly for worried Grizzlies fans, Conley looked great shooting from behind the arc. He finished 3/5 from the three point line in this one, and his form looked good. If the Grizz hope to succeed on offence this year, Conley's going to have to have his whole arsenal of righty and lefty floaters, quick drives, and three point marksmanship operating at a high level.
Parting Notes
Something interesting I've noticed, and I'd love to see some advanced stats on it, if possible: Jerryd Bayless loves to shoot when going to his right. I don't mean just shooting on the right side of the floor (which is easy to check out), I mean when he's dribbling right. In this game, Bayless was 3/4 going right, and 0/3 every other time, by my unofficial but obviously perfect count.
Speaking of jumpers, does anyone in the NBA miss short more than Tayshaun Prince? Just chuck one long once in awhile if you're going to miss, Tayshaun.
That one-touch behind-the-back pass from Marc to T.A for a layup. I might've watched it four times. *drool*
The Grizzlies bench needs to find a way to stay afloat when the starters leave, especially when they're without Marc and/or Conley.
A bad game from Mike Miller, who looked horribly slow on defense and couldn't seem to get open for any of those dagger three's that we so love. Smart move by Joerger to cut down his minutes a bit in the second half.
Michael Malone yanked all of his starters minutes into the second half. Only one of them would return. This is why.
Top three reasons Michael Malone yanked all five starters just minutes into the second half of the Kings' loss to the Grizzlies, and played only one of them again despite the game significantly tightening up in the fourth quarter:
1. The offense was a total mess. With DeMarcus Cousins struggling to post up against Memphis' frontline and the Grizzlies' guards trying to prevent perimeter passing, the Kings couldn't crack through to get a single decent offensive look early in the third. And this was after a horrendous first half on offense. This resulted in some standing around, turnovers and desperate plays at the end of the shot clock.
2. Malone seems prone to making statements at this point of his tenure. Yanking all five starters is the biggest in-game statement you can make.
3. There's a real arguments that players No. 6-10 on this team are on par with players No. 1-5, especially in a game in which Cousins is neutralized.
Here's the thing: the Kings, by my eyes, were playing pretty hard in the first half. The bench was an offensive nightmare in the second quarter, even Isaiah Thomas. The Grizzlies are just plain good and also weird. It's not a typical NBA team on offense: it likes to lean on Zach Randolph in the pivot, Marc Gasol in the high post and Mike Conley off the bounce. They don't take many threes. They thrive on defense. We'll see how new coach Dave Joerger changes their style over the course of the season, but this has been the book on Memphis for years: they are weird. That's why they cause so many matchup nightmares in the playoffs.
Memphis clamped up hard to open the third. They wanted to end the game with a big run. They succeeded (though the second-stringers got the game to within three points via magic). The problem with playing defense with such a discombobulated offense is that those awful shots and turnovers lead to advantages for the other offense. The Kings had no chance to get back and set on a couple of those possessions. So bad offense turns into disadvantaged defense. And that's a recipe for a run. And that's what happened.
Aggressive players (Isaiah, Travis Outlaw) on the second unit changed things up by making sure they got somewhat reasonable shots at the basket and retreated quickly. They cut into that lead over the course of almost all of two quarters. And Malone made another statement: he didn't put the starters back in. (He did let Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, for whom effort is never a problem, give Outlaw a breather.)
If winning games was the only concern Malone had, he might have put Cousins back in for Hamady N'Diaye (who, by the way, sets some pretty awesome screens). But Malone is taking control of the team and putting his imprint on it. We'll see if it works over the long term. It was his second big gambit of the season after switching up the starting lineup before the Nets' blowout.
But this is all really about patience. We knew the Kings weren't going to be great this season. We know it's probably in the Kings' best long-term interest to be somewhat mediocre. Only 25 percent of the Kings' minutes this season have been played by players brought in by Pete D'Alessandro. If you count the re-signed Cousins, it's 37 percent. This is still largely Geoff Petrie's team. We know the talent level is fairly low overall. It will take time for the front office to remake the roster so that it can play the way Malone wants to see it play. It will take time for Malone to install a credible defense.
Malone doesn't have to have patience: he knows exactly what each player should be doing on each possession, and if they fail, he should do whatever he feels necessary. For us, while the losses stink, all we can do is wait for time -- and with time the moves, drafts and player growth that will happen -- to pass. We've seen some glimpses of a better team. Let's hope those come more frequent while Pete D. and company remake the club.
Lopez seemed unlikely to play after he was seen limping out of Los Angeles on Saturday night when the short-handed Nets lost to the Clippers.
Williams had re-injured his ankle after he stepped on Andray Blatche's foot on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings. It doesn't sound serious, but, this will be his second-straight miss, after having missed the entire preseason.
Kirilenko continues to deal with back spasms, and will miss his 6th game of the season.
Still no word on whether or not Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who both sat out on Saturday, will play, but it seems likely, at this point. It is expected that Shaun Livingston and Blatche will start in place of Williams and Lopez.
Things changed this week, but Sacramento still hasn't found the right solution. The right solution might not exist with this roster.
The Good:
1. Kings Fans are Guinness World Record Holders
I didn't have a doubt that Kings fans were going to shatter the world record for crowd noise and I wasn't let down. Not only did we break the record once, we broke it each time we attempted it, finishing at 126.0 dBA. The game itself wasn't that great, so this event made an otherwise forgettable night very memorable. I unfortunately wasn't able to meet as many of you that came for the StR group (995 strong!) as I would have liked, but there will be plenty of future opportunities at other StR nights this season.
This was Sacramento's first real wire-to-wire victory and it was never really close past the first quarter. The Kings didn't even play a perfect game so much as they played a good game and the Nets played a terrible one. Our guards were all spectacular and Marcus Thornton was finally able to catch fire from beyond the arc. This was a good game to build a foundation on, but unfortunately the Kings weren't able to get the next two.
Patrick Patterson's injury against the Pistons gave Luc Mbah a Moute his first real chance to play meaningful minutes, and he made the most of it, giving a good enough impression that he replaced John Salmons in the starting lineup against the Grizzlies. He didn't play as well offensively against the Grizzlies, but I was very impressed with his defensive effort. The Kings even matched him up against Marc Gasol several times and he was the first real guy that bothered the big Spaniard. Defense is why we traded for Mbah a Moute and with the way John Salmons is currently shooting the ball, it's not like we're losing anything on offense either.
Sacramento's SFs not named John Salmons have actually stepped up a bit this week. Travis Outlaw was a big part of that with his big performance against the Grizzlies. Travis had 18 points in just 16.7 second-half minutes. He also snagged 6 boards and an assist. Outlaw is quietly having his best season in years. He's hitting over 45% overall and from three. Right now he's Sacramento's best Small Forward. I said this on Twitter yesterday, but Outlaw is slowly going from one of my least favorite Kings to one of my favorite Kings. He plays hard, and now his shot is falling too. This is what we've been waiting for for three years now. I hope he sees some increased playing time because if it were up to me, he'd be starting.
Thomas has been Sacramento's most consistent player all year. He's the only King to have scored in double-digits in every game. He's also been stepping up his passing game, with an assist-rate of 34.3% in the games leading up to the Memphis game. Thomas isn't without his faults though. At times he tries to do a little bit too much, such as against Memphis when he pulled up for a few threes early in the shot clock that weren't really needed. He also ignored the open man and hot hand (Travis Outlaw) on a few occassions in order to seek out his own shot. But the good has far outweighed the bad for Isaiah this year, and I'm not sure any other King can say that.
7. Hamady N'Diaye
N'Diaye got the call to come in and play hard against a loaded Grizzlies front line last night, with injuries to Patterson and Hayes. He came in and did a fine job for someone who has barely seen any playing time. He more than doubled his previous career-high in minutes and rebounds. I don't expect we'll see many more nights this season where Hamady plays this much barring other injuries, but it was nice to see the effort he displayed.
Ben McLemore has been thrust into the spotlight a lot sooner than Coach Malone likely wanted him to be because of Marcus Thornton and the team's struggles. So far, McLemore has not really been that much of an improvement as a starter. This was probably his worst week yet and the first time he actually looked bad. The game against Brooklyn, he was just 1-8, and he was 2-6 in both of the other games. I think he still is getting used to the pace of the game. Right now he's playing just a little too fast for his own good. I think once you see him start to take his time a little bit, his shooting percentages will go up, as will his confidence. I continue to have high hopes for Ben's future.
2. Return of Inconsistent Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins has improved a lot of ways this season. I think he's showing more patience offensively around the basket. I think he's giving more effort on defense. His on-court demeanor, particularly with regard to suspect calls and the such, is much better. But there are still stretches where he simply disappears or can't buy a bucket, which kills our offensive possessions. Cousins is our best player, but so far he simply hasn't been a guy that we can count on night in and night out. His averages are impressive, but they tend to be a mix of big highs and low-lows. I'd like to see more consistency, although I'm sure the fact that most of his teammates can't hit a shot right now isn't helping the offensive spacing. Cousins has a great matchup coming this week with the Suns where he can hopefully bounce back and have a couple monster games in a row.
3. Rebounding
Sacramento continues to get killed on the glass. Every team this week out rebounded the Kings. Cousins is one of the better rebounders in the league, but at other positions the Kings don't really have anyone that's above average for their position.
4. Streaky Thornton
Marcus Thornton seemed poised to have a great week after coming to life for 24 points against Brooklyn, but he wasn't able to keep the fire smoldering the rest of the week. After going 10-19 from the field against the Nets, he was just 6-19 for 17 points in the other two games. Thornton's struggles have thrown Sacramento's offense out of whack and put more pressure on McLemore as well, which isn't good for anyone. We've seen Thornton be streaky before, but it wasn't too long ago that games like the one against the Nets were more the norm than games like the one against Detroit. Where did that Marcus Thornton go?
5. John Salmons
I don't really know what I can even add to this that isn't already known. Salmons is not a bad guy. He's shooting abysmally though, and I was glad to see him replaced in the starting lineup by Luc Mbah a Moute. As far as I'm concerned, he should be 3rd in the SF rotation behind both Mbah a Moute and Outlaw. Salmons is one of the few Kings who puts a consistent effort on the defensive end though which is why I'm guessing he continues to be a rotation player. If he continues to get big minutes, I hope his shot starts falling soon.
The Ugly:
1. Effort
How is it that we're only 9 games into the season and we've already had four or five games where we've had to question whether the effort is there? Especially for a team as young as the Kings, this isn't acceptable. The effort was much better against the Nets, but the Kings have yet to go more than a game or so before becoming seemingly disinterested in playing hard again.
Fippin breaks down the absurdity on Twitter:
Is this whole effort conversation insane to anyone else? How is this even an issue?
We all knew we had a gaping hole at Small Forward, but right now the team's PFs, one of our deepest spots on paper, are not providing nearly enough on a night-to-night basis. Jason Thompson replaced Patrick Patterson in the starting lineup on Wednesday but it's not like Thompson has played so much better than Patterson or anything. Patterson's struggles have been a bit mind-boggling, especially his perimeter jumper. He's just 4 for 22 from beyond the arc, just a season removed from hitting 38.6% of his attempts. The Kings have even put him in the corner more, where he specialized last year, and it still hasn't been falling. Carl Landry's injury has hurt us a lot more than I would have expected. Both Thompson and Patterson need to step up their games while he's gone or Sacramento is going to continue to find themselves out of games more often than not.
Player of the Week:
Greivis Vasquez
12.7 PPG, .533 FG%, .417 3P%, 7.0 AST, 1.7 RPG
Thornton may have led the Kings in scoring against Brooklyn, but the Greivy Train (trademark pending) was the real star of the game. Vasquez had a breakout performance, both scoring well and setting up easy shots for his teammates. He had 12 assists to just 2 turnovers, and everything seemed to click. He didn't play nearly as well in the other two games of the week, but I think we got a good glimpse of why the team was happy to get him in a trade. Offensively, he's very talented. He's a much better scorer and shooter than I expected, and is particularly adept with his floater in the lane. It's the other end of the court that's a problem with him, and that is a team-wide issue.
Demarcus cousins gets his first look at Pierre the Pelican.
Last Week's Runner-Up: Dub_TC
Jerry Reynolds - "And Salmons with the shot..." DeMarcus - "NoooOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOO!!!!!!"
This Week's Picture:
A reminder of the rules for the Caption Contest. Leave your caption in the comments below, and the most rec'd (to recommend a comment, hit action, then rec) caption wins.
Nostradumbass Prediction for Next Week:
11/19 vs. Phoenix W (The Kings match up very well with the Suns and I hope that we see the team start to get back on the right track before heading out on the road for a bit.)
11/20 @ Phoenix L (I really want to say this will be Sacramento's first road victory but Jeff Hornacek has his team playing hard and I think they'll be hungry to avenge a loss from the night before)
11/23 @ Los Angeles Clippers L (I don't know why but we tend to compete with the Clippers. However I haven't seen this team excel against anybody yet so I'm not predicting an upset)
11/24 @ Los Angeles Lakers W (The Lakers are depleted and we should hopefully take advantage)
Nostradumbass Record for the Year: 3-6
Random Observations from around the league:
The Trailblazers are playing great basketball. They're 8-2 and while I doubt they keep that pace up, they look like a legitimate playoff team.
The Atlantic Division currently sits in inverse of what most experts thought it would be: Philly, Toronto, Boston, New York and Brooklyn in that order.
Ryan Anderson came back for the Pelicans and their offense finally began to hum, to the tune of 135 points against the struggling Cavaliers. Anderson had 26 points including six threes. Also, Tyreke Evans is turning it around after a slow start, with consecutive double-digit games on 60%+ from the field.
Isn't this the most beautiful group of Kings fans you ever did see?
Sactown Royalty Night was a smashing success. You guys bought 1000 tickets, and helped set a world record for loudest indoor crowd roar!
The Kings graciously allowed our massive group the opportunity to take a post-game group photo on the court. We were joined by Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Pete D'Alessandro, Chris Granger, Chris Mullin, Slamson, and the Sacramento Kings Dance team. Who knew StR was so photogenic?!
It was an epic night. It was great meeting so many of you. Special shout-out to everyone who wished me a happy birthday (and sang?!), that was awesome guys. Point yourself out in the comments so we can put faces to names!
(Click for full size versions of the photos)
Apologies to anyone who might have been cut out of the photo. Our group was so massive they had to break us up into two groups and I'm not sure there was a way to get the photographer far enough away to fit everyone in. We're working on setting up another fan experience on a non game day so be on the lookout for that.
StR night #2, everyone. Let's see if we can help put a great big lump of coal in the Pelicans' stockings.
On the heels of Sactown Royalty's huge November 15 success (over 1,000 tickets sold on a night that the record for loudest indoor arena was set), we introduce tickets for StR at STA II versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, December 23, 2013.
This game has a lot to offer. It will be Tyreke Evans' first game at Sleep Train as a non-King. The Pelicans feature rising star Anthony Davis and local product-made-good Ryan Anderson. It's our "holiday" game (yes, Jrue Holiday will be there, too!), so those folks that are coming home for the holidays will be able to attend.
We're still working out the dynamics of the additional "perk" for this game once we achieve at least 100 tickets sold, but we think that it will be a meet and greet with someone in the Kings organization on a non-game day (sorry that we're being so non-specific here, but we'll pass along details as we obtain them).
The tickets for this event begin in section 213, row k. That's upstairs, less than halfway up, side-court view. For the money, they are among the best seats in the house. And the special pricing for this game is $20. Wowsers. Get 'em while they're hot. At that price and based on StR I, they are likely to go fast.
Here is the special link. The password is "str." Once again, thanks to the Kings and super sales representative Michael Peyton for helping to coordinate this special purchase opportunity.
It's time for Seattle to take the national stage again and here is a simple plan that will allow us to do it.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."
- Muhammad Ali
Sonics Nation, are you ready to do the impossible? Would I ask this question if I didn't think we had the resolve and capacity to change how the NBA and the nation views us as a fan base?
Some may say we're crazy for attempting something like this, but pay them no mind. We are going to Steal the All-Star Game.
This is not to say that we are going to steal the All-Star Game from the city of New Orleans, but rather we steal spots on the rosters for Seattle based NBA players. Not only do we help those that are 206 born and bred, but also those former Seattle Supersonics who are still in the league.
Is there a better retirement gift we, as Seattle Supersonics fans, could give David Stern than an All-Star Game full of Seattle players?
I think not. You know this, I know this, and I also know you are smiling at the idea right now.
Last season Kobe Bryant led all All-Star vote getters with 1,591,437 votes. LeBron James had 1,583,646, Kevin Durant had 1,504,047 and Carmelo Anthony had 1,460,950 votes respectively.
If 3,000 Sonics fans could get themselves and five friends/family/co-workersto participatefor the next 64 days, we would amass 960,000 votes for each of our players. If we get 5,000 Sonics fans to do the same thing for the next 64 days we would get our chosen players 1,600,000 votes, which would more than likely guarantee our guys a starting spot in the All-Star game.
Where we need to win in voting is as follows:
We need to get Spencer Hawes into the top three in the Eastern Conference frontcourt. Last season both James and Anthony led the vote counts there, with Kevin Garnett being a distant third with 553,222 votes.
Jeff Green was an afterthought last season for the All-Star Game votes. This year we need to turn out in force to get Green into the top three. Why Jeff Green? Well he played his rookie season for the Sonics and he still owns a house in the Seattle area (Queen Ann I believe) where he spends the offseason. He's adopted Seattle as his home, so it's time we adopt him as a Seattleite and get him into the All-Star Game.
In the Eastern Conference backcourt is another person we need to get into the top two. Ray Allen finished just votes behind former Boston Celtic teammate, Rajon Rondo, last year.
Dwyane Wade led the guards in voting last year in the East with 1,052,310. This is where our one and only write-in vote comes in. Your write in vote should be for the Renton born, UW educated (for one year) Tony Wroten. Wroten isn't on the main part of the ballot because he is not a starter on the Philadelphia 76ers. The hash tag for both Twitter and Facebook we will rock is #WriteInWroten.
Out West, there is a man who doesn't need our help and that is one Kevin Durant. He repped that sweet-ass Sonics hat in the Playoffs last year and then again this summer to boot during his return to Seattle in the Pro-Am game.
The two guys that do need our help are Jamal Crawford (Clippers) and Isaiah Thomas (Kings). Neither are starters, but provide huge contributions to their teams. Voting for Crawford and Thomas is important because they directly contend with Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Jeremy Lin (and the Linsanity voters) and James Harden's beard.
For this to work, we need to stick to the plan. This is our chance to be in the national spotlight once more. We need you, your husband, wife, kids, grandparents, parents, friends and co-workers to get in on this. Hell, if your dog for some reason has an email address, have them vote too.
Together we can make a difference. You, me, us; let's steal an All-Star Game.
Let's get it done. #StealTheASG is our hash tag for the movement. Make this tag trend. Not just in Seattle, but nationally.
This is our time. Let's remind the NBA we still care, that we are still here and we refuse to go away.
From everything I can gather, he's available. It's just about finding the right deal. Head coach Rick Adelman would prefer another veteran big to fill out the rotation. I think GM Flip Saunders wants a little more value. I know the Kings have a lot interest in Williams and might have the right combination of veterans to make a deal (Jason Thompson? Chuck Hayes?).
Williams hasn't produced well in the NBA, but has a great physical profile and athleticism and showed a pretty high skill level at Arizona. He just got drafted to the wrong team. (He's also probably not No. 2 pick material. Clearly Isaiah Thomas should have been No. 2 in 2011.)
Adelman did once coach Hayes, and played him at center. That'd be an amazing deal for Sacramento, though I can't actually see it happening.
The Kings are back in action on Tuesday, trying to get a third win.
The Sacramento Kings will host the Phoenix Suns at Sleep Train Arena on Tuesday in the first of a home-and-home set. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. Pacific on Comcast SportsNet California and 1140 AM.
The Kings are now 2-7 overall and 2-5 at home after losses to the Pistons and Grizzlies. The Suns enter a surprising stunning totally incomprehensible 5-4. The Suns are, however, a more understandable 1-3 on the road. The win was over New Orleans, the losses have been to Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Portland.
The Kings and Suns will meet up in Phoenix on Wednesday. Tuesday's game is the last home game for the Kings until November 29.
We'll have a preview and predictions thread soon, plus a recap to follow the game. Game thread at 7.
The Kings are back in action on Tuesday, trying to get a third win.
The Sacramento Kings will host the Phoenix Suns at Sleep Train Arena on Tuesday in the first of a home-and-home set. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. Pacific on Comcast SportsNet California and 1140 AM.
The Kings are now 2-7 overall and 2-5 at home after losses to the Pistons and Grizzlies. The Suns enter a surprising stunning totally incomprehensible 5-4. The Suns are, however, a more understandable 1-3 on the road. The win was over New Orleans, the losses have been to Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Portland.
The Kings and Suns will meet up in Phoenix on Wednesday. Tuesday's game is the last home game for the Kings until November 29.
We'll have a preview and predictions thread soon, plus a recap to follow the game. Game thread at 7.
The Kings host the Suns tonight. The result will depend on which Kings team shows up.
The Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns tonight at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings enter the game at 2-7, while the Suns enter the game at an unfathomable 5-4. The Suns were expected to be among the league's worst teams this season. Despite their hot start, they could still end up there by season's end, but their start has been impressive.
The Kings should match up well with the Suns, particularly in the post. The Suns don't really have an answer for DeMarcus Cousins, although Miles Plumlee has been much better than expected this season. The Suns may have an advantage in the back court, as both Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic are capable of lighting up the Kings.
Watching the Suns, the biggest thing that jumps out at you is their effort. They are the anti-Kings in that regard. Where Sacramento has struggled to show consistent effort on the court, the Suns are fast and active on both ends of the floor. They remind me of a cinderella squad in March Madness. They're fighting above their weight class, but they're too foolhardy to know it. It's actually pretty fun to watch.
The Kings can win this game, but it'll depend on how the team responds to Coach Malone's message. Malone benched most of the Kings starters for most of the second half against the Grizzlies on Sunday. Will the Kings hang their heads? Or will they come out with a fire lit under them? That will decide this game.
Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.
Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.
All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.
Questions:
1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)
2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)
3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)
4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)
5. Which players will have more shots than points? (1 point for each correct answer, -1 point for each wrong answer)
The Kings could use a spark from the guy at the end of the bench, but is it too late for the Jimmer?
It's been a long time since Kings fans would cheer for Jimmer Fredette to shoot the ball the minute he crossed midcourt.
Jimmermania has subsided in Sacramento and how much of that is due to the guard's lack of abilities and how much of it is because of his circumstances over the last two-plus seasons is still unclear. Most likely, it's a little bit of both, but you get the feeling we've yet to get a legitimate look at the player Jimmer Fredette really is, which often leaves some Kings fans befuddled over the former BYU standout.
Fredette is a polarizing player, which is downright amusing considering he is one of the nicest guys you'll meet. Some cheer for him, some dislike him, fans get mad at other fans about him, and most importantly, all of the Kings coaches he has played for (three coaches in three seasons) have had trouble figuring out what to do with him.
But the Kings could use his shooting and energy right now.
The team is 2-7, shooting 41 percent from the field, 31 percent from three and scoring 93 points per game. But it's not just the stats, it's the way in which the stats are coming.
The Kings go through entire quarters where the effort just isn't there and the basket appears to be the size of a dime, leaving bricks echoing off the old walls of Sleep Train Arena.
Fredette is streaky himself and does have his deficiencies on defense, but he is the type of player that leaves it all out on the floor when he gets minutes, and he could provide a boost to a rotation that is currently lacking firepower.
The 10th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has only played in two games so far this season. In one of those games on Nov. 9 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Fredette played 19 minutes, scored four points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists and 2 steals. It was the energy of Fredette and Luc Mbah A Moute off the bench that helped ignite a comeback by the Kings late in that game.
Afterward, head coach Michael Malone had positive things to say about Fredette, mainly that he "has a good feel for the game" and that he was aggressive and "competed on the defensive end of the floor" - areas the coach has been struggling to find consistency in among his other players. In the next three games, Fredette didn't get off the bench, while Mbah A Moute has played in all of them.
Following Sunday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Malone had this to say about Fredette.
"To Jimmer's credit, he has maintained a very professional attitude and comes to work every day and is handling his not playing the best he possibly can. He doesn't enjoy it, I don't expect him to," Malone said.
No. 2 - the Kings have already decided they are not picking up his 2014-15 team option, which means he'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Kings could end up signing him at a reduced salary, but everything at the moment indicates we're seeing Fredette's last chapter in Sacramento.
So it's possible that Pete D'Alessandro and Vivek Ranadive have simply moved on and are currently shopping him. According to USA Today's Sam Amick, a couple of teams have shown interest in him. Earlier this month, D'Alessandro told James Ham over at Cowbell Kingdom that the decision to not pick up Fredette's option was about flexibility for the front office and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
It's also possible D'Alessandro would be playing Jimmer roulette by trotting him out for extended minutes and having his play either help or hurt his trade value.
If the Kings pull off a trade that helps turn things around both in the short- and long-term thanks to Fredette, then the delicate Jimmer dance the Kings are playing would make sense.
But the question still remains: has Fredette gotten a fair shake since he began his NBA career with the Kings?
He's never averaged more than 18.6 minutes a game and before the current logjam at the guard position, Fredette had to compete with Tyreke Evans for floor time. According to basketball-reference.com, his Per 36 career average would be 16.3 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals. His career averages are 7.3 points, 1.5 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game.
In an October preseason game against the Suns, he saw 32 minutes of action and responded with 23 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds on 5-7 from three.
He's dealt with the coaching carousel, his rookie season was marred by the lockout and his second season was entrenched in the relocation saga.
Let's be honest here, Fredette alone isn't going to right this ship the Kings are on and his defense and lack of a true guard position are troubling, but at a time when little seems to be working, it would be interesting to see what this guy can do given some respectable playing time. Kings fans get pretty jazzed any time Fredette enters a game and the home crowd's energy increases by quite a large margin after he makes a basket, which the rest of the team could feed off of.
During a season that is more about growing pains and changing a culture than it is about wins, Fredette is probably an afterthought at this point. But with the line between starter and bench player so blurred on the current Kings roster, a little time for the Jimmer doesn't seem too far-fetched. McLemore is still finding his way (and has plenty more time to do so) and Thornton's play has been spotty and he is already signed.
It sounds like Malone has been reminding Fredette to be prepared to play.
"I keep on telling him to stay ready because the reality is when you are 2-7, you know, everybody on that bench should be ready to play," Malone said after Sunday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Kings had a terrible second quarter, but a big game from DeMarcus Cousins and good defense in the fourth quarter carried Sacramento to an eventual victory.
On paper this should have been an easy win for Sacramento. Phoenix has a dearth of big men and their best player, Eric Bledsoe, was out with a bruised shin. As we should all know however, nothing comes easy for these Sacramento Kings.
Sacramento gave up a whopping 37 points in the 2nd quarter and quickly found themselves on the wrong end of a double-digit lead after being up by double-digits themselves. With Eric Bledsoe out, Gerald Green had a big game with 23 points to lead the Suns. Marcus Morris added 19 points off the bench.
For Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins carried the load with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and two blocks. Cousins played through a shoulder injury he sustained in the second quarter. He came back from the locker room wearing a brace, which had to be readjusted once or twice throughout the game.
Not only was Cousins carrying the Kings offensively at times, but he also had some huge defensive stops in the crucial fourth quarter. After that terrible second quarter, the Kings gave up just 42 more points, including just 16 in the final period.
Rookie Ben McLemore tied his career high with 19 points in 34 minutes, his best game as a starter by far. Isaiah Thomas added 19 points off the bench as well as some good defense on Goran Dragic down the stretch.
Marcus Thornton received a DNP-CD tonight in favor of Jimmer Fredette, who logged 13:30. There was no health problem related with Thornton's benching per the coaching staff. Patrick Patterson made his return from a one-game absence to chip in with 10 points and 5 boards off the bench.
Sacramento heads to Phoenix tonight for a rematch tomorrow night.
The Sacramento Kings will complete their home-and-home back-to-back with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, visiting U.S. Airways Arena for a 6 p.m. Pacific tip. (That's right: Arizona got something right and rejected daylight savings.)
The Kings beat the Suns 107-104 in Sacramento on Tuesday behind 27 points from DeMarcus Cousins. The Kings held the Suns scoreless for the final three-plus minutes of that game, finishing on a 10-0 run to win.
The Kings are now 3-7 and 0-2 on the road. The Suns are 5-5 overall, but 4-1 at home. The single loss was to the Nets.
Predictions and preview later this morning, and a game thread at 6.
The Kings won Tuesday's game because Cousins is reaching the heights we've long expected.
We're 10 games into the season, and sample size issues are slowly falling by the wayside. You start to get a real sense of what players and teams are at the 10-game mark, at least statistically. Things will change, and players will rise or fall as more minutes rack up. But few scrubs shine for this long. Few great teams loiter in the cellar. Few bad teams continue their charades.
DeMarcus Cousins is playing superbly this season. He's one of two players in the NBA in the league's top 20 in points, rebounds, blocks and steals per game. (Anthony Davis is the other.) He's been the third or fourth best big man in the league on offense so far, behind Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and maybe Blake Griffin. He has one official technical all season and no run-ins with teammates, coaches, broadcasters or refs. (He did scream at teammates about getting back in transition last night. It was well-deserved.) He's been a leader, as far as we can tell. He's been the Kings' best player. Even when he has an unfavorable matchup, he's finding a way on most nights. The Kings of 2012-13 would have lost Tuesday's game. Cousins rescued them in the fourth. With a separated shoulder.
This is the Cousins we've always wanted and expected. He plays with energy and focus. He owns the paint most times out. He gets mad not when the ball doesn't come his way, but when the team doesn't execute the gameplan. He's still not perfect, and never will be. He's unlikely to ever be a top-notch defender. But he's giving consistent effort, he makes the right play and he's leading on the court. He's the undisputed best player on the team, and not only because the team is derelict. (That said, the team is indeed derelict.)
This team isn't always fun to watch. But Cousins is making it a heckuva lot more palatable.
* Luc Richard Mbah a Moute does his job -- defense, don't be a drain on offense -- well. That basic contribution is a huge upgrade for the team.
* Jason Thompson is not good enough on offense to be lazy on defense. During Phoenix's 19-2 run, Thompson failed to rotate a few times and didn't get back consistently. He was notably on the bench the entire fourth quarter. When Cousins sat at the start of the fourth, Michael Malone put Hamady N'Diaye in instead of J.T. Marcus Morris got a lot of his points on Patrick Patterson, but J.T. did not help himself out there.
* Johnny Salmons might have played himself out of the rotation. Travis Outlaw was no great shakes (some atrocious turnovers) but Salmons had two of the worst passes of the young season and played just six minutes. The Kings were outscored by eight points in those six minutes.
* Jimmer Fredette got Marcus Thornton's minutes. He turned them into three points on 1-5 shooting with three assists and one turnover. It's also irresponsible not to note that the Kings' fourth quarter run began when Jimmer was replaced by Ben McLemore: the Suns didn't score again once the switch was made. I have a sense that Thornton will be back in there on Wednesday. In Jimmer's position, you have to make your case emphatically. It's not Jimmer's fault, necessarily, that he didn't have a great night. But he didn't.
* Isaiah Thomas had a few gnarly turnovers, and is still doing the whole playing harder in the second half than in the first half thing. But man, every night he hits his marks. Nineteen points in 24 minutes on 6-12 shooting this time. And he played the entire fourth over Greivis Vasquez.
