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. Predict James Johnson's Rebounds, Steals and Blocks. (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right, 5 points for all right)
Vivek Ranadivé and co. said they were going to bring technology to the Kings and they're doing so in some very innovative ways.
One of the mantras of Sacramento's new ownership group has been something called "NBA 3.0" in which they aim to bring the Kings and the NBA into the 21st century through innovation and technology.
Yesterday it was announced that the Kings would be the first professional sports team to start accepting the virtual currency bitcoin for merchandise, tickets, and even concessions. For bitcoin, this is a big step forward for its own legitimacy, as most retailers and merchants don't accept the currency due to its extreme volatility; One bitcoin was worth $13.51 on Jan. 1st, 2013. That has gone all the way up to $1,165.90 and back down to $863.35 since then.
According the Wall Street Journal's report, the Kings are even being unorthodox in the way they're accepting bitcoin. Most retailers who accept bitcoin do so by having the bitcoin processors give them actual cash so as to not take on any of that volatility. Vivek, meanwhile, is willing to accept bitcoins for the Kings account.
"It's only a matter of time before the volatility goes away"
In my personal opinion, the Kings are protected from risk partly because the people who would likely pay for Kings merchandise in bitcoin probably weren't going to be paying in dollars in the first place, and with (currently) limited options on where to spend bitcoins, the Kings have cornered the market on professional sports merchandise. It's just one more way the Kings are trying to create a global, rather than simply local, fanbase.
On another technological note, the Kings also announced that for the Jan. 24th game against the Indiana Pacers, the Kings will be providing a unique experience by equipping members of the team and broadcast with Google Glass. The test video for the product looks really cool and you can check it out below:
Sacramento's new ownership is breathing fresh life into a franchise that had gone stale, and it's nice to see that they're determined to not only improve the product on the court but also off of it.
It was written long ago, that the Grizzlies were doomed to struggle at backup point guard. Let's end the cycle. Everyone loves firing up the trade machine! Let's get the Grizzlies a point guard!
There are ten year olds out there who wonder if they will ever live in a world where the Memphis Grizzlies have a good backup point guard. That is the cross that incumbent backup point guard, Nick Calathes, must bear. If given their druthers, many Grizzlies fans would handle Calathes like Poot and Bodie handled Wallace (sorry folks, that clip is a little too vulgar to link to).
But that's not the point of this article. The Grizzlies shouldn't give up on Calathes yet. Giving up on any player just six months into their NBA careers is foolishness - unless of course his name is Hasheem Thabeet.
Conventional wisdom is now that Marc Gasol has returned, the Grizzlies have a logjam in the frontcourt. Pair that strength with the glaring weakness at the backup point guard, and it stands to reason that Kosta Koufos or Ed Davis should be the most likely players to be traded for a backup point guard.
There may be backup point guards worth trading Ed Davis or Kosta Koufos straight up, but I can't seem to find one. If the goal is to extract as much value for an asset as possible, then swapping a productive big for a backup point guard just isn't doing it. Take, for instance, Kirk Hinrich. He would be an instant upgrade at backup point guard. but how many minutes will Hinrich play? Fifteen? And while Hinrich could conceivably play alongside Conley, should he play over Courtney Lee or Tony Allen? Child please.
One way to make up some of the value is to deal for a combo style guard that could conceivably steal minutes from Courtney Lee and Tony Allen at shooting guard this year, and potentially the next. At the very least, that type of player increases your roster flexibility going forward.
Recently on the Chris Vernon Show, Chris Herrington suggested that the Grizzlies may want to be 100% certain of what Gasol can do before trading one of their other bigs. While that logic is readily apparent, I take a slightly different view.
It would be in the Grizzlies best interest to deal sooner rather than later, as their chances of acquiring secondary assets diminishes with each team that finds itself out of the playoff hunt. We're looking at you Charlotte, New Orleans, Minnesota, and Cleveland. Heck, the Grizzlies are in this very same boat. Another injury could spell the end of the season. In another month there will be fewer teams in the playoff picture, and those teams will be looking towards next year. Not only will they be less likely to make a deal with the Grizzlies, but the market may become flooded with more bigs that other teams could prefer to Koufos or Ed Davis. Either way, the Grizzlies need sweetenerslike young players and draft picks to make a Koufos or Davis deal palatable.
So without further ado:
The Hidden Incumbent
Photo credit: Justin Ford - USA TODAY Sports
8). Courtney Lee - No seriously. Lee should be a legitimate option. I've picked nits at a ton of Coach Joerger's late game decisions, but I have to give him credit for playing Courtney Lee as the de facto point guard late in the win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In situations where you're only buying two to three possessions, putting Lee out there is an acceptable solution, provided the Grizzlies play slow, and in such a way that all Lee has to do is dribble up court and feed the ball to either the high or low post. Whatever you give up in offense, you gain back through Lee's defense (better than Calathes) and shooting (when playing through the post, having another shooter is a bonus, even if he can't truly handle the ball).
Memphis won't survive running the ball through Zach Randolph in the post (quietly posted a terribly inefficient 9-27 vs OKC, though several of his misses resulted in free throws) for very long. They need a backup point guard. But for small spots like Tuesday night, Lee is more than adequate. If the playoffs started tonight, Lee would be the emergency point guard, and the Grizzlies would be fine, provided Conley never got in foul trouble.
Casting Lee in this role would allow the Grizzlies to ignore need and focus on making the best asset play they can.
The Miscast Young Vet
Photo credit: Jeff Hanisch - USA TODAY Sports
7). Brandon Knight - Would I trade a starting level big for Ridnour? No. Brandon Knight on the other hand? Very possibly. Fact: Brandon Knight has never played on a good team that asked him to do one thing well. Instead, he's played on bad teams that ask him to be a starting point guard. Could he succeed playing 15 - 20 minutes a night, sometimes as the secondary ball handler next to Mike Conley? He would have the exact same year and a half audition that Ed Davis got before the Grizzlies had to decide on his future, after which they'd control his rights.
That is a crucial part of this deal. Dealing for a vet like Ridnour or Hinrich on a one year deal means they can walk after six months as an unrestricted free agent. Players still on their rookie deals become restricted free agents, and that means their former team has the option to match any deal, giving them much more leverage to negotiate a sign and trade.
The trick would be getting another piece from Milwaukee. They have plenty of extra 2nd round picks, and no picks owed. Getting a few of these would make a Knight deal palatable.
The Unknowns
6). Allen Crabbe - If you're an Unknown, you don't get a picture. You'll just have to trust me that the next two guys do, in fact, exist. Trading a legitimate starting big for a player that has registered less than 50 minutes of NBA game time seems insane. But the Grizzlies have history with Crabbe - nearly trading for him on draft night. Also working in Memphis' favor: Portland may think they are one defensive minded big from winning the NBA title. Adding Koufos to this team solves a lot of their problems. Portland has shown a willingness to give up picks for players, so maybe they wouldn't mind trading a 2016 1st rounder and the rights to swap in 2015 or 2017, and Crabbe for Koufos. I'd have a meeting on that deal.
5). Brian Roberts - It's rare to find a 28 year old who is only in their second year in the NBA, but that is Brian Roberts. Along with Mike Scott, Roberts is one of my favorite anonymous guys in the league. He is an above average 3 pt shooter, takes great care of the ball, and is legitimately a better player than any of the Luke Ridnour, Andre Miller, Kirk Hinrich veteran backup point guard pupu platter that people talk about routinely.
Another thing to like about Roberts: the Pelicans owner desperately wants to win now, and they have no center. They may not go for a 1st round pick, but what about the rights for Memphis to swap picks in 2015 or 2016, and a 2nd round pick?
Or.... could the Grizzlies take a gamble that the recently re-injured Ryan Anderson gets healthy for playoff time? He has a herniated disk, will be out for 2 months, and may need surgery after that. The Pelicans could view Anderson as a sunk cost, at which point adding Tayshaun Prince and Jamal Franklin to the deal may be enough to get Anderson. Food for thought. At least for me.
The Villian
Photo credit: Howard Smith - USA TODAY Sports
4). Evan Turner - I know, I know. Half of our readers are howling that Memphis could never get this guy, and the other half of our learned readers (whose eyebrows, I suspect, have by now traveled all the way to the back of his/her bald head) are wondering why we would ever want another Rudy Gay. So, could the truth be somewhere in the middle?
Turner's skill set is intriguing, and the trade as a pure asset play, is really interesting. Turner's height would allow him to play alongside Conley as a secondary ballhandler, and his assist rate is not terrible (roughly James Johnson-ish) for someone who also takes a ton of shots.
As an asset play, the Grizzlies would control Turner's rights entering his impending free agency, allowing them to match any deal, or give them sign-and-trade leverage to acquire something (picks, trade exception, what-have-you) in return. Another thing to consider: the NBA is at war with the exact type of player that Turner purports to be: inefficient volume shooters. Players like Rudy Gay, Jamal Crawford and Nick Young are increasingly becoming marginalized, and finding dollars harder to come by. Will that stop some team from offering Evan Turner a 4 yr $40mm deal? Probably not. It only takes one player to skew the market. Still, Turner is an intriguing fit for the remainder of this year, and maybe Turner finds the dollars in the summer a little harder to come by.
The real questions with Turner are:
1). Is it worth gambling on a guy that seems happiest not fitting into a role?
2). Is there a deal to be made with Philadelphia?
I'd argue no to the former, but yes to the latter. Turner wants to take shots, and have the ball in his hands. But he's never played with a player as good as Marc Gasol or Mike Conley (though there's a 50% chance he thinks he's better than both). Still there's a non-zero chance that playing on a legitimately good team scares Turner straight.
As for the deal with Philly, they will not match a big offer sheet from Turner this summer. They are probably not getting a 1st round pick for him either (although Charlotte could have something to say about that). Would they take Koufos straight up as the better asset to hopefully trade away next year? In terms of real value, Koufos is more valuable than a pick at the end of the first round, even in this draft.
The Hidden Gem
Photo credit: Steve Mitchell - USA TODAY Sports
3). Matthew Dellavedova - The deal is easy, perhaps easier than any other. Koufos to Cleveland for C.J. Miles expiring, Memphis' future pick back, and Dellavedova. Cleveland gets a true center to help their playoff push, and gives up little value this year. This deal would also be fun because it completes the cycle where Wayne Ellington, Marreese Speights, and Kosta Koufos would be traded for Jon Leuer, C.J Miles, and Delladova.
Dellavedova is a rookie who has played more minutes than both Andrew Bynum and the number one pick in last year's draft, Anthony Bennet. Why? Because he can shoot (43.6%, though on few attempts), something the Grizzlies could really use.
I've seen Dellavedova play in person. And even though Dion Waiters made him go sit in the corner while Waiters took all of the shots, Dellavedova looked like he belonged. He's 6'4" and looks comfortable with the ball in his hands. Though I can't find a stat to quantify this, I'm pretty sure dude has stones. It's just a hunch. I just like the way he acts as if he belongs on the court with two former number one picks, both of whom play zero defense. In the picture above, Dellavedova stares directly into Wade's eyes; Wade blinks first.
The Best Fits
Photo credit: Jennifer Stewart - USA TODAY Sports
2). Jimmer Fredette - I wrote that the Grizzlies should try to acquire Fredette in the pre-season, and what I wrote then is no less true now. The warts are clear. He is abysmal at defense. He turns the ball over too much. And he is struggling to find minutes on a terrible Kings team, mostly because he can't play next to Isaiah Thomas who, on some nights, is the Kings best player.
But he can shoot. Oh man, can he shoot. Here's an artist's rendering of The Jimmer:
Even throwing out this year's astronomical 48.7 3% (he's only taken 39 threes all year), there is no reason to believe The Jimmer is anything but one of the best shooters in the entire NBA. Every team lives with one player being a bad defender. The Heat won a championship with Ray Allen. The Mavs with JJ Barea. The Spurs came a few seconds short with Gary Neal. Asking Fredette to play a few minutes a night, flanked by some combination of Lee, Allen, Double J, Ed Davis and Mark Gasol gives Fredette a much better chance than playing next to Rudy Gay, Demarcus Cousins and Marcus Thornton.
What's more, both Ed Davis and Kosta Koufos fit in Sacramento. The Grizzlies could conceivably give them their choice of the two for Jimmer and the rights to swap 1st round picks in a future year.
Photo credit: Howard Smith - USA TODAY Sports
1). Ramon Sessions - Sessions has been a journeyman his whole career. He has his weaknesses - he is not a good 3 pt shooter, nor is he committed to defense. And since he is on just a one year deal, he would be something of a stopgap fix. But Sessions has done one thing really well his entire career: he gets to the foul line. A ton of Sessions shots end with him at the charity stripe - better than one out of every two. As a percentage of shots, Sessions boasts a better Free Throw Rate this year than Kevin Durant, and is within throwing distance of James Harden. The fact that so many of Sessions' shots result in free throws makes his roughly 40 FG% look much better.
Charlotte has potentially three 1st round picks in the upcoming draft. Memphis could offer Koufos (a great fit alongside Al Jefferson) for their worst pick in the 1st round, and a future 2nd round pick. That's a pretty great haul, and one I'd endorse. After all, it was my idea.
In a season that projected to be almost as cloudy as the eight prior, the development of the Kings' core has provided some much-needed clarity.
(Guys and Gals, meet Adam, our newest contributor. - Ed.)
Every good team has one. Every great team builds around one. In the midst of all the Sacramento Kings' recent trade activity they may have stumbled into a core of players that will dictate what moves they make in both team-building and on the court play.
In the summers of 2007 and 2010 respectively, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat took the concept of a core and stretched it out to what at the time was deemed star gathering, and now they have 3 championships and appearances in 5 of the last 6 Finals to show for it. But while they were practicing what was essentially a hyperactive version of team building, the core tenants remained the same.
A team's core doesn't necessarily have to be their most talented players (although it certainly helps when it comes to prioritizing roster moves). But they should at least be the guys a team is prepared build around in an effort to be competitive.
There is a discernible difference between being a team in transition and a team in motion. A team in transition is either trading the present for the future and gathering assets, clearing cap room or tanking (it almost seems like a bad word now).
They're trying to get to that point where they're in motion, where they're ready to compete.
The team that's in motion has their core players in place, they've added players in addition to their core that will complement their strengths and weaknesses.
We saw last year the Denver Nuggets as a team who might have failed to recognize this difference in action. Coming off of the Carmelo Anthony trade they were flush with assets, seemingly one big trade away from being able to re-acquire a star talent.
They hung on to those assets, made some minor changes (Afflalo for Igoudala and Nene for JaVale) and now have seemingly come away on the losing end of the process. They've lost Igoudala to the Warriors in free agency, McGee has not panned out at this point and they still have the same assets they had previously, albeit with a lot less luster.
They're currently 9th in the Western Conference at 20-18.
Not bad, but without any major changes they run the risk of being stuck in the dreaded mid-tier of the conference, unable to tank because they're too talented but not talented enough to really do damage in the playoffs.
While many factors may have contributed to their current predicament, having little but players that hold more value as intangible assets than they do as players doesn't do anything to swing the needle of the team. Without a core of keepers on their team, deciding on what moves to make to swing that needle becomes an unnecessarily difficult process.
The Kings, up until the trades that brought them Gay and Williams, were in almost this same predicament. They had a litany of attractive players and expiring contracts, but the team didn't make much sense as it was constructed. The players held more value as trade chips in possible deals, but finding the right trade that both maximized their value and made the team better either in the short or long run would obviously be a tricky undertaking.
"All the teams that have won the championship over the last twenty or so years have all had a Big Three." -Kings' co-owner Andy Miller
After these two trades, the Kings had eliminated most of the dead weight contracts on the books and positional overlap on the court while also acquiring two talented yet polarizing players. The way this trade has worked out for Gay and Williams has been harped on enough, if you want a refresher course you can go here and here.
But it also has elevated Isaiah Thomas into the starting lineup, where he's since played almost elite-level ball as a point guard, amid some hiccups that should be viewed as part of his growth process.
It clearly hasn't done anything to stop DeMarcus Cousins, who's since inserted himself into the All-Star discussion, playing well enough to garner NBA Player of the Week honors this past week.
From there the Kings have been playing much better ball than they were before the trade, going 8-9 with Gay in the lineup.
At this time, Gay, Thomas and Cousins represent the core of the team. Barring any setbacks, the Kings and GM Pete D'Alessandro should feel comfortable in planning their roster moves around the strengths and weaknesses of these three guys.
Now, for example, the development of players like Ben McLemore become all the more important going forward. McLemore's ability to stretch the floor will be a useful tool to complement the paint presence of Cousins, the slashing of Thomas and high to mid-post work of Gay. While his development likely would've been of the same importance for the team regardless of their functionality, it now comes with a more direct reward. When before we hoped Tyreke Evans would develop to become a star player or to at least hold some good trade value, we now hope that players can develop around a particular foundation that's already tangibly there.
Kings co-owner Andy Miller came on the Sactown Royalty Show yesterday and spoke with Greg Wissinger about the importance of having a "Big Three," that "all the teams that have won the championship over the last 20 or so years have all had a Big Three." While I'm not by any means predicting the Kings to upset essentially the entire NBA and win the NBA title, to eventually get into that discussion, whether it be 3 or 4 years down the line, your team building has to come purposefully and methodically.
When the new Kings' regime took over, we hoped that the innovative approach that the ownership group applied to their business would permeate to the basketball operations staff. Pete D'Alessandro has demonstrated at least that much in his approach to building this team.
And while there are a whole lot of moving parts to this team in their growth and development, the moving parts do indicate one thing: maybe this team is a whole lot closer to being in motion than we thought they were.
Dust off the cowbells, start practicing your "Here We StayED" chants, begin crafting your signs, and pack the Train. The new Commish is coming to visit and it's gonna be a SILVER OUT!
In just under a month's time (February 1st), David Stern will be tossing all his framed photographs of Chris Daniels into a box, packing up his office, and stepping down from his role as NBA commissioner. And, it's our understanding that new commissioner Adam Silver intends to hit the ground running.
As Blake reported last night, Sactown Royalty can confirm that one of the first items on Silver's agenda will be to check in on the state of the Sacramento Kings' kingdom. Both Commissioner Stern and Adam Silver are considered to have been extremely strong advocates for Sacramento throughout the relocation saga. Owners credit them for changing the conversation amongst ownership and stressing the importance of franchise stability. Stern and Silver might be greeted with boos in 29 other cities, but no fan base in the NBA better understands the importance of having the Commish in their corner. These men played an integral role in saving this team. And while the team is safe for now, the fight to save the Kings isn't over until the shovels hit the ground.
As you may know, we're almost one year removed from the first Here We Buy Night game. It was a top ten Kings memory for anyone in attendance, and an overall unforgettable night. One part impactful statement game, one part charity, and several parts celebration. The national media pundits told us it wouldn't matter, but the building was packed with more than 16,000 to see a 17 win team on the brink of "relocation." You donated over $9,000 to send 600 children from area schools and charities to the game. Fans from near and far took to StR comment threads and to send a ticket to a 6th Man in need. News of the game dominated local airwaves and print. You chanted, you waved, and we won... in so many ways.
StR had been hearing rumblings of Silver's impending visit for a few days now. Calls were made, the grassroots bat signal was activated, and the wheels were set in motion. The band is getting back together and we want to make a statement.
We want to have another night that's on par with Here We Buy Night/Sactown Royalty Nights of the past. We want to pack the house to the rafters and remind the new commissioner of all the reasons the Kings belong in Sacramento. Get ready to chant your ass off. You'll need your cowbells. You'll want to make a sign or two. And oh yeah... it'll be a SILVER OUT.
February 5th will be "Forever Silver Night" at Sleep Train!
Now for the logistics. Because new ownership understands the importance of this night as well, the Kings have been awesome enough to help us out with this part. This year you'll have the ability to buy a ticket for yourself to attend the game AND/OR donate a ticket to a local charity! And the best part is, I'll never touch ANY of your money.
Attend the Game:
Trust me, this is a game you're going to want to be at. Our contacts with the team hooked Str and Here We Stay up with an awesome group rate for the night with no fees. Because the group will likely be large we'll be seated throughout the arena in similar areas. You can snag sideline/corner upper level tickets for $10, or corner/baseline lower level tickets for $29. We'll be promoting the game on Twitter (@sactownroyalty) and Facebook so you're going to want to jump on these while they're still around. You can order tickets via phone by contacting Michael Payton at 916-928-3670 or you can order them electronically using this LINK and the codeword "Kings."
Pro Tip:Ticket availability may fluctuate, and depending on the popularity of the campaign, Kings Ticket Sales may see fit to release more tickets to us at a moments notice (similar to StR Night back in November). Watch for updates on Facebook, Twitter, and the comments section of this article.
Donate:
And now for my favorite part. Last year you bought over 1000 tickets for local area children and their families to attend two Here We Buy nights while donating nearly $20,000!! Kings fans from around the world were able to join in on the fun and the game took on another meaning for many of us. Can we top what we did last time?
If you'd like to buy a ticket for a local children's charity, you can use this LINK to donate $10 to purchase an upper level ticket with no fees. These tickets will be donated, and not for your personal use. You get to do something good AND fill up another seat for just $10! The Kings will take the ticket you purchase and give it to a recipient at one of the MANY local charities they are partnered with, and send an underprivileged child who'd likely not otherwise be able to attend, to the game in your stead. We will do our best to get more information about the charities that will be benefiting from the donated tickets but that decision will ultimately be made by the Sacramento Kings foundation. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation of more than 10 tickets, please contact Michael Payton at 916-928-3670.
So there you have it, guys. February 5th vs. Johnny Salmons and the Toronto Raptors. Spread the word on social media. Share this post with your friends. Call into KHTK and talk about it. Tell your annoying co-workers around the water cooler. Let's show Adam Silver what the 6th Man is all about on FOREVER SILVER NIGHT!
STOP has the 22,000 signatures they needed for their initiative to qualify for the ballot. But the verification process is not over.
The petition put together by Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork (STOP) to place the city's financing plan for a new downtown arena on the ballot has enough signatures to qualify, the county of Sacramento announced Friday.
STOP needed 22,000 valid signatures and they now have 22,498, or a 65.2 percent validity rate. The group needed at least a 62 percent validity rate for it to qualify.
Below is a breakdown of the current count from the county registrar's office.
Raw Count
35,247
Signatures checked
34,532
Signatures not checked
715
Signatures Valid
22,498
65.2%
Signatures Invalid
12,034
34.8%
Approved
22,498
65.2%
Not Registered
4924
14.3%
Out of District
556
1.6%
Duplicate
81
0.2%
Withdrawn
1426
4.1%
Registered Late
183
0.5%
Registered at a different Address
2666
7.7%
No Residence Address Given
117
0.3%
No Signature
24
0.1%
Signatures Don't Match
1397
4.0%
Withdrawn and out of district
22
0.1%
Name/Add not completed by signer
452
1.3%
Circulator's signature problem
32
0.1%
Circulator's date incorrect or not listed
154
0.4%
So what happens next? Well, this validation process isn't over just yet.
Sacramento City Clerk, Shirley Concolino will have the final say on whether the petition is ultimately valid. Assistant City Clerk, Wendy Klock-Johnson, told Sactown Royalty that Concolino will examine the county's findings "as well as ensure that the petition and the materials meet the requirements of the charter and the election code and then she will deem it sufficient or insufficient."
Here is Concolino, via Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee.
"I feel compelled to remind the community that simply reaching this (22,165) threshold does not conclude the petition validation process," she added in a statement released hours before the county provided its update. "Regardless of how many signatures are deemed valid, the final certification of the election lies with the city’s elections official, the city clerk."
Should Concolino accept the petitions, she would "forward the certificate of petition results to the council (council meeting item) for acceptance and the council would at that time have options for consideration per the election code."
The council members, based on the election code, would have these options:
9214. ......the legislative body shall do one of the following:
(a) Adopt the ordinance, without alteration, at the regular
meeting at which the certification of the petition is presented, or
within 10 days after it is presented.
(b) Immediately order a special election, to be held pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 1405, at which the ordinance, without
alteration, shall be submitted to a vote of the voters of the city.
(c) Order a report pursuant to Section 9212 at the regular meeting
at which the certification of the petition is presented. When the
report is presented to the legislative body, the legislative body
shall either adopt the ordinance within 10 days or order an election
pursuant to subdivision (b).
In layman's terms, this ultimately means the council can adopt it, they can send it to an election or they can ask for a further report. But regardless of these options, they still have to ultimately adopt it/send it to an election based on these conditions. So the ball is in Concolino's court. Her office has until Jan. 28 to finalize that verification process.
This thing could end up in the courts before it ends up on the ballot, however. It certainly seems like a strong possibility considering the reports that there may be at least eight different versions of STOP's petition, which would violate election code.
The4000 group released a statement on Friday, calling the initiative a "Trojan Horse" and stating that STOP misrepresented the public about the intent of the petition, which was largely funded with a $100,000 contribution from Seattle's Chris Hansen. In the letter, the group also requests the city reject some of the petitions that have issues and suggests legal action.
"Throughout this entire effort, those behind these petitions have misrepresented their real agenda, acted to deceive the public about who is really behind the campaign and dissembled about the very nature of the petitions. For these reasons, the ballot initiative is not what it purports to be but in fact is a Trojan Horse of ballot initiatives designed to do great harm to Sacramento," the statement said.
The county has confirmed there is more than one version of the petition, but has yet to say exactly how many. The registrar's office did begin separating them last week when the verification process was started over, however. The city expects to confirm how many versions of the petition there are once the county finishes checking the remaining 715 signatures.
With about a 1,000 signature buffer, there is a strong possibility of the petition being thrown out if any of the versions of the petition are found to be in violation of the election code.
If the petition gets through these hoops and does not face any scrutiny from a judge, it would be put on the June ballot. Voters would then vote on whether the city's $258 contribution to the new downtown arena needs to be placed on the November ballot. If that passes, the residents of the city of Sacramento would vote on the financing plan this November.
Sacramento Kings President Chris Granger released the following statement.
"As we have stated in the past, we love Sacramento and are committed to doing all we can to support the City's efforts to develop an entertainment and sports complex that will help revitalize our downtown. The Kings appreciate the support we have received from the community and know that the organization is fortunate to have the best and most loyal fans in all of the NBA. We share the many concerns expressed by the Mayor, The 4000 and others in Sacramento regarding the anti-arena campaign and are prepared to work to support their leadership."
On a side note, News 10's Nick Monacelli, on Thursday, shared the below design concept of the proposed downtown arena, which shows that the developers are looking at creating an outdoor plaza next to the arena, including an outdoor basketball court with its own stands.
The Kings struggles with closing out games recently has been well documented, but they've been fortunate to sneak away with the victory in most of those games. Tonight was different however, as they let a 7 point lead with 4 minutes to go slip away and turn into a 1 point loss.
Mike Conley was the hero for Memphis scoring a game-high 25 points to go with 6 assists.
The Kings got solid raw numbers for their big three tonight with Thomas, Cousins and Gay finishing with 14, 22 and 19 points respectively, but they were very inefficient from the field. Cousins struggled mightily against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol, shooting just 6-20. Gay and Cousins had a combined 11 of their shot attempts blocked.
The Kings had a chance to win the game with 15 seconds left and got the ball to Rudy Gay who was either fouled or had the ball stripped away from him (it wasn't clear on the initial telecast). The refs called a jump ball with 1.9 seconds left, a cop out. The Kings had a solid plan for the jump (Gay would try to tip it to Cousins under the basket) but the Grizzlies were able to stop the ball from reaching Cousins. Mike Malone was incredibly upset at the non-call on Gay at the end, and stormed off the court yelling at Mark Davis that he was a coward.
Sacramento now gets a day off before heading to Oklahoma City.
Kings fans, set your DVR's to stun!! Kings owner/part-time-super-hero Vivek Ranadivé, will be appearing on "HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" this week. Vivek sat down with Bernard Goldberg to discuss his oft-chronicled (and rather incredible) life story, and his heroic role in saving the Sacramento Kings. The episode will air this Tuesday, 1/21 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. Don't have HBO? Well, now that I've given you a head start you've about 4 days to order it and cancel it immediately after the show. Or you can just keep your HBO subscription so you can understand all of the Game of Thrones references everyone has been throwing around for the last 3 years. The choice is yours.
The Pacers will hit the road after finishing their current homestand on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse where they are 20-1 this season with nine consecutive wins.
The Indiana Pacers host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to complete a three-game homestand. The Pacers took full advantage of the home cooking to roll past the Kings and Knicks earlier in the week but will no doubt face a tough matchup against the Clips even with Chris Paul on the shelf.
After playing the Clippers, the Pacers will spend ten days on the road for their second West Coast swing playing five games starting on Monday night at Golden State. The game against the Clippers also starts a stretch of seven consecutive games against Western Conference teams which should deliver a strong challenge for the Pacers as they work their way past the midway point of the season.
Trey Burke takes over the Motor City; Moose and Squirrel get to play; will Gordon ever get better; and a secret visit from the boss.
Trey Burke? TREY BURKE!! Man, the Utah Jazz @ Detroit Pistons game seems like a horrible game to have missed in person (MyLo 's first texts to me this morning were about how we should have gone...). If you missed any of the details of the game you can catch it here: preview, game thread, recap (Shums). ALSO Dyl went to his first Jazz game of his life, which was the game last night. Check out his recap (and lots of videos) here. Dude also got Jeremy Evans ' autograph.
"...I called out, "Jeremy!", and #40 stopped and headed back my way. "I've come from Arkansas to see you guys play" I said. As he signed my program, he asked what point (what town)? I was a little starstruck, but managed to get out "Conway". Jeremy nodded and continued signing others' autographs (he was a little busy and wanted to get in). I ran back to my seat. I didn't really want John Lucas' autograph." - Dyl, 2014
Woo! Read the full FanPost. Lots of great details!
It was a team effort, and a team win on the road; but the big story has to be Trey Burke's return to Michigan. It's a national story because Burke is likely to get a lot of Rookie of the Year votes. But, I can't help but listen to the regional news for this event. Maaan. Pistons fans really took this one the wrong way. The pain is palpable.
Before the game Trey had this to say:
"Obviously it’s going to be in the back of your mind. You’re going to think about it, but at the same time, there’s a balance. You don’t want to go out there and just feel like you’re doing too much. You want to pick and choose your spots to where you can attack and when you need to set your team up. Me, I’m a point guard. I have to be a facilitator as well as a scorer. It’s going to be a balance for me tonight, and it should be fun."
"I wouldn’t say my feelings were hurt," Burke said before tonight’s game. "Obviously it was a team I could have seen myself playing for, just because I played in Michigan and a lot of people expected them to pick me up at the time. It’s a business. Things happen. They went in a different direction.’’
And then Trey finished with 20, 12, 3, 2, 1 and really made people curse the name Joe Dumars once again. The reactions on the radio have been heartbreaking. A fanbase with hearts tempered by the Detroit Lions futility still had tears to shed for Trey. The passions of the radio and print aside, the true fury of fans exhibits itself on the internet.
Check out the game threads (1st half, 2nd half), recaps, and blogs -- people mad. Of course, the last recourse is twitter.
Detroit is playing poorly right now. They are underachieving, and the Jazz are playing very well right now. It was the perfect storm. Take it away Dave:
Forget Burke. The Pistons had five days off, are playing at home vs a bad team that's missing their leading scorer, and are getting crushed.
As a Jazz fan, I'm sorry for Pistons fans. I'm sorry for Detroit. But as a Jazz fan, I'm really really happy we have Trey Burke.
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Last night we got to see some forgotten faces back in action.
Yes, Moose and Squirrel got to play! And it was a fantastic garbage time display! Ian Clark got in for the last 5:45 of the fourth quarter and finished with 7 points (3/4 fg, 1/1 3pt), 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 turn overs. How did he manage to do so much in 5 minutes? (Maybe Clark should have gotten the mandatory drug test last night instead of Trey Burke?) On the other side of the spectrum Rudy Gobert played the last 4:35 of the game and managed only 1 rebound and 1 turn over. How did he do so little? The Detroit game had Rudy playing in his third fewest minutes in a game, but in the two ones with fewer minutes he was hyper efficient. Against the Sacramento Kings (Dec 7) he played 2:05 and finished the game with 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, and 1 missed shot. Against the San Antonio Spurs (Nov 15) he played 3:35 and finished the game with 5 rebounds, 3 points, 3 turn overs, and 1 foul.
I think both of these guys could stand to play a little more; Gobert especially because he seems to do well when dialed into games. He comes off of 13/13/4 in the D-League to play in less than 5 minutes after sitting for several DNP-CDs, he's clearly not dialed into the game. He needs to play. There's no other option, because he clearly has too much time on his hands (I'm joking).
It was nice to see these two guys actually get to play in an NBA game. I'd like to see more of it in the future.
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When was the last time you got a 10 : 1 Jazz highlights vs opponents highlights official game recap from the NBA? This is what having a budding star gets you in today's media driven, star driven NBA. (Which is, btw, why you want to tank and succeed if possible)
Awesome stuff!
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Gordon Hayward, our erstwhile best player (I'd say Derrick Favors is our most important player, and Trey Burke our leader), has now missed four straight games with a 'hip flexor'. But hey, I keep hearing from the local media about how our franchise is too noble to tank. Sure, the beneficial effect is to have Alec Burks actually play minutes with Trey Burke. It's a good testing period. And you don't want to risk worse injury because a guy is playing hurt. But it's still keeping a player out of action. He is banged up, but he sustained the injury 10 nights ago. I'm sorry for going all medical insider here, but this not going for it. If you live in a zero-sum world of only 'going for it' or 'tanking', this is clearly not going for it.
Would I be sitting Gordon Hayward out right now? Yes. I'd also sit Derrick Favors out too. Plantar fasciitis. You know, can't ever be too careful.
Tonight the Jazz play against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gordo has 'beef' with them, so maybe he'll want to play tonight. I don't know if the Jazz docs will have him cleared or not. (N.B. There's a scene or deleted scene from the Oliver Stone movie "Any Given Sunday" where Cameron Diaz (front office / owner) talks to Ed Woods (team doc) about who is and is not healthy for a specific game. It's a lot more real than fans could ever get.) But hey, good teams never tank.
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Do you know about the show "Undercover Boss"? I did not until my Google Alerts told me something crazy happened.
The owner/CEO of the Utah Jazz has been under cover lately. Not as a spy, as a boss.
Yes, Greg Miller will star in the Feb. 21 episode of the CBS reality series "Undercover Boss."
"He was great," said Mitch Graham, CBS’s vice president of alternative programming, adding that Miller jumped in enthusiastically when the show filmed in Salt Lake City in December.
The concept of the show is that the boss (in this case, Miller) somehow disguises himself/herself and works with his/her employees. It’s a way for the boss to find out what’s really happening inside the business (in this case, the Utah Jazz) and get to know employees in a way they otherwise could not.
Word is that CBS and the producers were somewhat surprised at just how enthusiastically Miller joined in; that they were thrilled that he agreed to do some things they didn’t expect him to do.
At the end of each episode, the boss reveals himself/herself to the employees and generally dispenses largesse in the form of promotions, money, etc. Occasionally, the boss also has to sort of snap back a wayward employee, although we have no way of knowing if that will happen in Miller’s episode.
I think this is awesome that Greg is doing this. And I guess I'm a bad person for immediately thinking that this concept would have been hilarious and awesome in equal parts if it existed back in the days of Larry H. Miller.
It's hard to describe just how stingy the Grizzlies' defense was late in the fourth quarter of the Kings' loss on Friday. Sacramento scored 17 points in the first eight minutes of the fourth -- a good number. They scored two in the final four.
Sacramento led 88-81 with 4:01 left after DeMarcus Cousins split a pair of free throws and Rudy Gay converted the foul shot after Memphis coach Dave Joerger picked up an ill-timed tech. The rest of the way, the Kings scored two points in eight possessions, shooting 1-8 with two turnovers. On most of the possessions, Memphis just played stiff, active defense. The Kings got one easy shot in that span, the single make ... which was a Gay putback at the rim. The only other shot that wouldn't be considered tough was a face-up Cousins jumper.
Memphis also played pretty physical, and the refs let them. They were three spots where fouls probably should have been called on the Grizzlies: Isaiah Thomas got crushed coming around a screen and lost the ball, Jason Thompson seemed to get hacked on a putback attempt and then there was that disaster at the very end. With the Kings down one, Gay went up for a mid-range jumper in the lane. Replay shows that Mike Conley caught him on the arm. No call. Gay got the ball back before it touched anyone, which could have been called a travel. There was contact with Tayshaun Prince, and referee Marc Davis called ... a jump ball?
The refs could have called any number of things: the missed personal foul on Conley, a travel on Gay, probably a foul on Prince, or nothing. And they called a jump ball with 1.9 seconds left.
Gay won the tip, but the Kings couldn't get the ball or a shot.
The bad calls mattered. But the Kings lost because they couldn't get the ball in the bucket late. Credit Memphis' defense and some pretty stagnant Sacramento offense for that.
Other notes:
* Jason Thompson did a helluva job against Zach Randolph. Z-Bo was held to 12 points. J.T. has been a totally different player the last couple of weeks, and I think that's played a role in the Kings' improved play.
* The Kings' point guard defense is still a problem. This is the only major flaw in Isaiah Thomas' game. Conley picked him apart, finishing with 25 points on 8-13 shooting. A shotblocker will help, but will it help enough?
* A really encouraging game for DeMarcus Cousins, despite shooting 6-20. Why? When he'd shoot that poorly in previous seasons, he'd end up with a 12-7 game or something. But because he's drawing fouls so regularly and keeping his composure, he finished with 22 and 17 in 40 minutes. Those free throws add up.
* Four shots in 25 minutes for Marcus Thornton? With Isaiah-Gay-Cousins in there, the two-guard and power forward aren't going to get a ton of looks. But that's a stunning number for a guy like Thornton. The Kings could use a defensive two-guard right now since offense from that spot isn't a priority. (Ben McLemore was solid off the bench in limited minutes, by the way.)
* Memphis is going to make the playoffs and scare and/or beat their first-round opponent. I want to see Memphis-Clippers again, to be honest.
The Kings are back at it Sunday night in Oklahoma City. The road, ladies and gentlemen.
Memphis picked up its fifth straight win, and third in a row with Marc Gasol back in the lineup, in a hard fought contest with the Sacramento Kings in Rudy Gay's second return to the forum.
The majority of fans might believe Mike Conley is the most valuable player to the Grizzlies, but clearly, Marc Gasol is the cornerstone to Grit and Grind. In a game that looked like the Grizzlies were going to suffer from a bit of Gay-Ja Vu and allow Rudy Gay to pick up his second win against them, Memphis would instead stand tall on the defensive end late in the game to pick up a hard fought 91-90 win.
What I liked most about this game: Dave Joerger picking up a Tech. I love when the coach shows a little fire and a little venom towards the officials. I grew up watching Bobby Cox constantly getting run out of games, so it always excites me when a coach get's T'd up in the right way. More on this later.
What I liked least about this game: The Grizzlies offense. We all knew it would take some time to find their exact groove once Gasol returned, but the last two games have been brutal at times.
Both teams got this one started with a delay of game warning (which probably should have been a sign of things to come) followed by both teams scoring their first two points from they're All-Star power forwards at the free throw line. Memphis jumped out to an early four-point lead, but would go long stretches without buckets. Courtney Lee would pace the Grizzlies with 7 points in the quarter, but they failed to get much of anything from anyone else, and couldn't defend DeMarcus Cousins who scored 9 of his team high 22 points, and Sacramento took a 21-20 advantage into the second quarter.
For the first few minutes of the second quarter, Grizzlies fans were treated to something they had never seen before: The Nick Calathes Show. This is not a typo. The Grizzlies beleaguered back up point guard had 7 points, 2 rebounds, and a steal in the quarter, and played his best basketball of the season, by far. If only every team had a Jimmer for him to square off against. The Grizzlies also got 6 points from Mike Conley in the quarter to help them build their lead. But again, the Grizzlies allowed one King to do a majority of the damage, this time the culprit was Derrick Williams, who scored 8 points in the quarter, including 3 in the final minute to pull the Kings to within two points at 44-42 at the break.
Both teams came out of the half trading buckets, with Sacramento getting balanced scoring from a couple of players, and Memphis riding the hot hand of Marc Gasol. The big fella scored the Grizzlies first 8 points of the quarter, and he looked very comfortable in his third game back. In parts of the previous two games, he's spent time favoring his knee, and looking terribly out of shape from the time off, but tonight, he looked like the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Despite the good third quarter offense, the Grizzlies were not getting any stops to create space between themselves and the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points in the quarter, and Isaiah Thomas had 6 of his 14 and the Kings outscored the Grizzlies 29-28 in the quarter, and trailed by only one point heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter was ugly. No way around it. Missed free throws, turnovers, poor officiating, poor shooting: just ugly, ugly basketball. Luckily for the Grizzlies, they do ugly basketball better than anyone else in the league. Memphis blew its lead, and found itself trailing by as much as 7 late in the quarter. With 4:01 to play, DeMarcus Cousins went to the line to shoot a pair of free throws after being fouled by Marc Gasol.
While Boogie was at the line, Dave Joerger was still jawing with one of the officials. I watched him intently, because I knew what was about to happen, and even called out, "Get that tech, Dave!" and shortly after those words left my mouth, the whistle sounded, the refs hands went up, and Mr. Golly Shucks found himself hit with his third tech of the season. As I mentioned earlier, I loved it. One of the season ticket holders behind me went off on him, thinking it was a terrible time in the game for him to be losing his cool. (He may have been right, but sometimes, Dave Joerger just can't win with certain people.) I turned and said, that I disagreed, that I thought it would fire the guys up. And from the 4:01 point on, after the free throws, the Kings made just one more bucket the rest of the game. I consider that fire lit.
Memphis scored on each of it's next four possessions to take a one point lead at 89-88, before doing everything they could to allow the Kings back in the game. With under a minute and a half to play, Courtney Lee did his best TA impression by blowing a fastbreak layup, and then on the next possession, Conley was fouled while missing a layup attempt, and missed both free throws. Rudy got the ball with 15 seconds left on the clock to attempt the game winner, but Tayshaun tied him up, and on the jump ball, Marc Gasol was able to deflect possession over to Mike Conley who simply through the ball up in the air as time expired.
Game Notes from the Legend-wait for it-Diary
Block party, baby! The Grizzlies totaled 13 (!) blocks on the night, including four apiece from Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. By my count, 5 of those blocks were on Rudy Gay.
Speaking of blocks, in the second quarter, Marc Gasol blocked a DeMarcus Cousins layup, and on the ensuing possession, Cousins fouled Gasol, then fouled him again while statement blocking his layup attempt after the whistle. Marc Gasol simply threw his hands up in the air and walked away. He's been friends with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen long enough to know when someone is certifiable crazy and shouldn't be messed with.
Another All-Star level performance tonight from Mike Conley. 25 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, a steal and a block. He was efficient too, doing it on 8-13 from the field, 3-5 from deep, and 6-8 from the line. It's a crying shame he wont get any recognition or be involved in All-Star weekend, because he definitely deserves some love.
James Johnson's stat sheet was stuffed to the rafters yet again, with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal in 21 minutes, but this was definitely one of his more frustrating performances. Even still, if that's his worst night (and it generally has been) we can definitely live with it.
Late in the fourth quarter, a fan sitting courtside took off his glasses, leaned over to the ref, and did a pretty funny "here, you need these more than I do" routine.
Tonight was the first time my mom got to see the Grizzlies win live. She had previously been 0-3.
Those Kings uniforms are so great. I harp on wanting a home alternate or something new for the Grizzlies often, and when I see great uniforms like those, it makes me want them even more.
Speaking of appearances, let's take a minute to talk about the pumpkin spiced shirt and tie combo Joerger was wearing tonight. I've noted his suit game had been elevated over the last few games, but tonight was as bad as it's ever been. Somebody get him a subscription to GQ or something, anything!
Memphis now climbs back to a game above .500, and several playoff seeds are within sight. They'll need to continue to work on a game-by-game basis, and it would be a really good idea for them to try to pick up some divisional wins in their next two games, but they continue to improve, and have now won five in a row, good for their longest winning streak of the season.
I'd like to thank all of the readers and commenters for being so active and producing some fantastic conversations over the past couple of weeks. You guys are doing an amazing job of enhancing the site and everyone's experience!
Hope everybody has a great weekend! Be sure to check back on the site for some fun stuff tomorrow, and get ready for full force GBB on Monday as the Grizzlies host the Pelicans in the Martin Luther King, Jr Game!
Today we Jam with Eric in Madison about the Minnesota Timberwolves, and, well, just read it.
Time to stat up another Jazz Jam Session. Today we're jamming with Canis Hoopus' main man, Eric in Madison. We talk about tonight's Utah Jazz game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Jazz vs Timberwolves coverage ) It's a fun time, and I think it's important to check up on our division rivals like this. After all, we face the Wolves again on Tuesday.
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1. Shabazz Muhammad set the NBA DL on fire, and clearly proved that he can be a scorer, and an efficient scorer at that. Is this a product of the level he was playing against, or a right sign of something he could be able to do at the NBA Level? (I am obligated to ask about Shabazz because he was my first serious interview back at the combine)
Eric: Certainly the D-League stint was promising for Muhammad; he really dominated. He was a force on the offensive glass, did work around the basket, and had a few impressive finishes in transition. However, the problems apparent in his game as a collegian still remain: He lacks the ball handling/driving skills for the wing, he has questionable quickness which affects him on both ends, and his perimeter shot is still a work in progress. In truth, we were not fans of that draft pick, (especially when we could have had Burke or C.J. McCollum with the pick we traded to you guys). He's sort of has the game and numbers of a project power forward in the body of a wing player. It's tough to succeed in the NBA that way. Hopefully, the D-League stint helped him and his confidence, given that he had hardly played at all in Minnesota. If his 3 point shot becomes consistent at some point, he may have a useful career as a sort of hybrid forward/small ball four.
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2. On paper Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic are almost without flaw, and without peer. How well do they mix strengths on the court, and how good could they be together as a front court tandem?
Eric: They are fantastic, really. Love is a spectacular player, one of the best in the league, and we love Nikola Pekovic. He just punishes people in the post and on the offensive glass, and is playing fantastic basketball. The Wolves are a very good team when they are both on the court. The problem, however, is that neither of them defends the rim very well. As a result, when opponents are able to get the ball close to the basket, they make shots at one of the highest percentages in the league. The Love-Pek tandem is incredibly fun and effective, and certainly far, far down the list of the Wolves problems, but it isn't perfect. There has been occasional rumblings that they would be better off swapping out Pekovic for a player like Omer Asik who would provide better rim protection, but overall it's a great combination.
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3. With a Rick Adelman coached squad I'm not surprised that the Wolves are #2 in PPG and #6 on Off RTG. What I am impressed by is that Minny is #9 in Def RTG this season as well. Over the last few seasons the defense has been getting better and better. What has been the key?
Eric: The Wolves give up high shooting percentages to their opponents; they simply don't have the personnel to effectively take away every good look like, say, the Pacers can with their crazy long armed, athletic perimeter guys backed by Roy Hibbert. Instead, the Wolves manage to hang in there defensively by doing everything else: defensive rebounding (8th in the league), generating turnovers (2nd in opponent TO%, much thanks to Ricky Rubio, a tremendous defensive player who generates steals and deflections at a phenomenal rate), and not fouling (First in the league in opponent FT/FGA ratio). That last might be the biggest key: they just don't foul, and so opponents don't generate easy points at the free throw line. It's not a classic good defense, but it's the way they have to succeed with their personnel.
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4. Today (Friday afternoon) you stand 11th in the Western Conference. A few seasons ago Utah was #12 in February and still made the playoffs. Are the playoffs still an attainable goal for this season? If so, what needs to happen to make it so? If not, what are the obstacles?
Eric: We hope so; that was the goal for us heading into the season. Wednesday's loss to Sacramento has generated a lot of hair pulling as you might imagine, given the Wolves were at home and the Kings were on the 2nd night of a back to back. The biggest issue, by far, is that the Wolves are 0-11 in games decided by four points or less. They are 18-20 with the point differential of a team 24-14. It's incredible, and obviously incredibly frustrating for everyone. We finally have a team that can play terrific basketball, as evidenced by that point differential, and the fact that the Wolves lead the league in 20+ point wins (shocking for a team under .500), but we can't get out of our own way in close games.
I still think they are good enough if they don't get too discouraged, but of course the Western Conference is so, so tough, and they have ground to make up. They have to figure out this close game problem. I have spent most of the season figuring that it's just variance, but even I am starting to waver as the close losses mount. It's impossible to put your finger on any one thing in these close games: they've missed shots, executed poorly, had inopportune turnovers, missed free throws, had shots made against them, you name it, it's happened late in a Wolves game at some point, and it's all gone the wrong way.
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5. I think Ricky Rubio is getting a little overlooked. He's more than just his numbers. He is regarded appropriately, or somewhat under the radar because he's not a shoot first point guard?
Eric: Well, there are a few questions here. First, the terrible shooting is a problem. Second, he seems to have lost some of his joie de vivre this season. Third, he doesn't get enough credit for how good he is on defense, largely because there are still people out there who see a European guard and assume he can't defend. In fact he's an incredibly active, smart, long-armed defender who disrupts opponents' offenses as well as just about anyone from the point guard position.
He's also a magnificent passer and, for someone who is so reluctant to take it himself, a terrific pick and roll orchestrator. The Wolves are running somewhat less pick and roll this year, though, as they are working more high-post actions instead. Still, he's a net positive and we love having him on the team. He's a joy to watch. If he could just make shots around the basket more often...
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Thanks again Eric in Madison for doing this. I hope we have a good game, and Jazz fans, remember you can catch my replies over at Canis Hoopus. Eric is the man and please follow what they are doing at their site and on twitter @CanisHoopus.
Sacramento gets another chance to knock off a better team on the road.
The Kings face the Oklahoma City Thunder (4 p.m. Pacific) on Sunday afternoon. Locally, the game is likely to be overshadowed by the NFC Championship Game, which begins at 3:30 p.m. Pacific. But basketball is the world's most beautiful game, and basketball we shall discuss. (In case you didn't know, Niners Nation is the best spot to chat Niners.)
Durant dropped 54 points on Friday. He easily could have gotten 60. And that was against a darned good Warriors defense. So, yeah.
Rudy Gay has his work cut out for him. But no one man can guard Durant: it's a team effort, and if the dude is cookin', even a full team effort can't stop him. Meanwhile, the Kings could use a productive night from Gay to reverse some of the damage.
3 THINGS
1. Serge Ibaka is a legitimately great mid-range shooter. Jason Thompson will have to work hard to close out on him and recover to help rebound. (Man, Ibaka would be perfect for the Kings.) Serge is the type of guy who could go 10-15 from the floor without breaking a sweat.
2. Reggie Jackson is really quick, but isn't totally reliable quite yet. I imagine the Kings' gameplan will be to try to force Jackson into mistakes early so he's not too confident attacking Isaiah Thomas late.
3. Would anyone blink if Durant dropped 60? 70?
PRE-GAME HAIKU
I am not ready for some football. I am read- y for basketball.
PREDICTION
Niners 20, Seahawks 17. Durant scores 45. Close game until the fourth.
The last time these two teams played, it was a rather unusual affair. The Kings began the game with great tact, going on a 14-0 run in the first while the Thunder played some lackadaisical offense. The Thunder then proceeded to lay down the hammer in the second and third quarter, going on a huge run that apexed at a 17 point advantage. The Kings weren't done though, and Isaiah Thomas led a heroic fourth quarter comeback. It was another instance of the Thunder having no answer for a quick guard, as has happened with J.J. Barea and Nate Robinson in the past. Had Thomas' final shot not been just short, the game would have gone to overtime.
Looking back on that game, it was pretty ho-hum. Aside from an inability to guard Thomas, the Thunder don't have any real weakness against the Kings. Sacramento's competitiveness stemmed from their hustling for a few extra boards and getting hot from long range. It's a cliche, but the Thunder just didn't have the amount of hustle that they needed. As long as they attack the rim and limit Cousins' effectiveness, the Thunder would have no trouble against those Kings.
However, if you've kept up with the NBA, you'll know that since the Thunder last saw the Kings, Sacramento traded a bunch of expiring contracts to the Raptors in exchange for Rudy Gay. It was a bid to be competitive for the first time in forever, and the bid has been somewhat successful. Gay has shot excellent percentages and been a key part of the offense. Meanwhile, the team has gone 8-10 since his arrival. That record might not set the world on fire, but it's the best the Kings have been in a long time. Furthermore, the Kings have posted strong wins over contenders like Houston, Portland, and Miami.
How have the Kings changed specifically? Well, Gay's offensive firepower has bumped up the team's effectiveness on that end. John Salmons would have his moments, but Gay is miles ahead in terms of creating his own shot consistently. The defensive situation remains bleak, with the Kings allowing the third highest totals in points per game as well as allowing opponents to shoot the third highest field goal percentage in the league. So basically, the Kings objective is to outscore you. This doesn't necessarily mean that they run and gun or play small, but it does mean that they'll play you with an above average offense and a bad defense while desperately trying to win the battle of possession.
The Thunder are liable to suffer against this type of team, because they have a consistently high turnover rate and an offense that's prone to stalling out when they take too many threes. Of course, the Thunder are capable of producing an offense that can overrun the Kings (as they did on Friday night against the Warriors), but the Thunder can also attempt to beat the Kings by forcing them outside, like they did in December.
What would it take to win if the Thunder pursued either strategy? Well, if the Thunder go the offensive route, they've got to get consistent production from at least two of the trio of Lamb, Jackson, and Ibaka. They'd also have to either see some significant success getting to the line or somehow get hot from beyond the arc. If the Thunder pursue the defensive strategy, they'll have to take either Gay or Cousins out of the game while not allowing any easy baskets near the rim. Sometimes that can result in a big shooting-inspired run by the other team (like the Rockets had against us), but most of the time it turns out to be effective.
I'm gonna go ahead and predict that the Thunder win tonight, but only because DeMarcus Cousins hasn't proven to me that he can effectively score against our interior defense, and struggled against the similarly tough Grizzlies on Friday night. But if he can find a way to be effective, this game could be competitive for a good while.
Paul George punctuated an impresive homestand by the Pacers with his late-game, 360 dunk leaving the Clippers to join the ranks of demoralized opponents leaving the court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Pacers ran over the Clippers on Saturday night for their 10th straight win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to close out a four-game homestand in impressive fashion. Add the Clippers to the list of teams, including the Wizards, Kings and Knicks, that arrived at BLF feeling real good about their offense, only to leave shaking their head with a loss and far fewer points than expected.
The win pushed the Pacers home record to 21-1 to lock up a winning home record for the season (yes, it is mid January!) for the 25th consecutive year. Not bad.
Before hitting the links, here are a few notes from the Fieldhouse last night:
- Frank Vogel was happy about slowing down the Clippers at what they do best by holding them to just six fast break points and only 20 three-point attempts. Those key points also helped the Pacers hold the Clips' FG percentage below 40 percent. The Pacers are now 18-0 when they hold opponents below that mark.
- Prior to the game, Doc Rivers admitted the obvious, that his team needed to push the pace and score in transition. He remarked that the Pacers are so big defensively, that they don't want to get stuck in the half court where the Pacers D "can get their hands on you." Suffice it to say, the Pacers got their hands on the Clips all night.
- David West made a rare blunder, getting hung up with Blake Griffin after the second quarter buzzer sounded and drawing an ejection on a flagrant two foul. With a 16-point lead and a visiting opponent ready to crumble, it was poor timing for West, but his teammates had his back and delivered the knock out in the second half without him.
- West dismissed the flagrant foul as part of some baggage between he and Griffin. Simply said, if any player locks his arm up like that, he's throwing the arm to free it. He also thinks he won't be further suspended. West liked what he saw while watching the second half from the weight room where he let off a little steam while getting in an early workout.
- Danny Granger's 12 points marked the ninth time DG has scored in double-figures since his return. The Pacers are 12-2 since Granger rejoined the playing rotation and the offensive boost he's given off the bench has turned the reserve rotations lethal. David West called Granger a "Blowout Machine" because after the starters establish a lead, Granger makes plays that have led to the recent blowouts with the reserves knocking out opponents for good.
- According to Michael Grady, Doc Rivers had a couple of words of encouragement for Frank Vogel during their post-game handshake. "Beat Miami."
- Lance Stephenson enjoyed talking to the media about his game and chippy play with various Clippers, but turned serious and stone-faced when asked if he or any teammates joked around with David West after rolling past the Clippers without him. "No," Stephenson said, shaking his head as he actually looked toward West's locker as if to make sure the locker room regulator wasn't hearing him speak. "I don't mess with West," Stephenson concluded.
- Paul George started the homestand in a bit of a shooting slump, but finished last night on fire. In the last three games, PG made 13 of 21 three-point attempts including five of six against the Clippers to fuel a 36-point effort. Oh, and he did this.
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. Niners or Seahawks? Patriots or Broncos? (1 point for right answer, 3 points for both right)
Carl Landry, who has been sidelined since training camp with a torn hip flexor, will dress for the Kings on Sunday against the Thunder, reports Cowbell Kingdom's James Ham. Ham reports that it's not certain that Landry will play, but he will apparently dress.
Landry was due to return to action in January or February, so this follows that timeline. However, Landry only recently began participating in Kings' practices, and there was no indication he'd be available at all on this road trip.
Landry signed a four-year deal in the offseason, returning to the Kings two seasons after being traded for Marcus Thornton. He didn't play at all in the preseason. Jason Thompson, Derrick Williams and Quincy Acy make up the team's current battery at power forward; one assumes that Acy is the odd man out once Landry begins to play, though Q has gotten a some smallball center minutes as well.
Isaiah Thomas had a big night, but it wasn't enough for the Kings.
Isaiah Thomas scored a career-high 38 points on 11-18 shooting, but the Kings fell to the Thunder 108-93 on Sunday. The Kings hung tight in the first half and trailed by just five at the break. But the Thunder broke it open in the third and never really looked back.
Carl Landry made his season debut for the Kings. He played most of the fourth quarter, finishing with 6 points and 4 rebounds in nine minutes. He has missed the entire season to date with a torn hip flexor after signing a four-year deal with the Kings in July.
DeMarcus Cousins broke the Sacramento-era record for consecutive double-doubles with his 14th. That's also the longest streak in the NBA this season. Boogie finished with 16 points on 6-17 shooting and 14 rebounds. Rudy Gay was thoroughly outplayed by Kevin Durant, who scored 30 on 10-15 shooting. Gay scored six on 3-7 shooting before being ejected with two techs in the second half. We'll call it a mercy ejection.
Kings play again on Tuesday in New Orleans. Good, Bad and Ugly will be here Monday.
Trey Burke? TREY BURKE!! Man, the 
Last night we got to see some forgotten faces back in action.
When was the last time you got a 10 : 1 Jazz highlights vs opponents highlights official game recap from the NBA? This is what having a budding star gets you in today's media driven, star driven NBA. (Which is, btw, why you want to tank and succeed if possible)
Do you know about the show "Undercover Boss"? I did not until my Google Alerts told me something crazy happened.
