Sactown Royalty

You are my favorite new poster

Awesome photoshop skills.

Aykis16 - January 5, 2012 reply

Thanks

I’ll continue posting them then.

BurningFeathers - January 5, 2012 reply

I logged in just to rec this

darooster - January 6, 2012 reply

No IT? Also, no Brockness for old time's sake?

Skeptical Dawg - January 5, 2012 reply

IT played

Played defense on the bucks final posession

nakaisgod - January 5, 2012 via mobile reply

For 2.8 seconds

Widowwolf - January 6, 2012 reply

Keith Smart has an amazing opportunity here. I think he will seize it.

There are obviously still issues with this team that need to be addressed.

Of course, but given the last few games, tonight was sacred bliss on hardwood. A thrilling win led by our three young stars, Reke Cuz and MT23.

Don’t rain on the parade, man. Keith Smart used the word “family” 5 to 6 times in the post game press conference. Thats a far cry from Paul “Your job is to make me happy, my job is not to make you happy” Westphal.

Good bye and good riddance to the grim reaper of coaching. No hard feelings, but he sucked hard and had to go. In one fell swoop, Geoff Petrie may have saved the season. I am so happy the Kings got rid of the albatross around the neck of the franchise known as PW. Adios muchacho.

Let the Smart Era, and the season, begin.

Wasn't trying to rain on the parade, just stating a fact

I loved what I heard from Smart both pre and post-game. He said something in his introduction press conference (I can’t remember exactly what) but it was in stark contrast to Westphal’s “There job is to make me happy” philosophy.

All in all this was a great win, loved the effort from the team. We’ve got a long way to go, but hopefully the ride is smoother now.

Aykis16 - January 5, 2012 reply

Cool, agree.

KingsFanInPortland - January 5, 2012 reply

Also Jason Thompson is playing great isn't he?

Yes

2 points and 2 rebounds in 22 minutes. Lets start write in campaign to get him on All Star team, shall we?

You seem to reply when his numbers are bad

and ignore comments when he plays well.

Actually I don't care. People won't let it go, though.

Maybe that’s cause you wouldn’t give it up, but fair enough.

Well, I stand by my opinions, thats all.

I don’t think they have been refuted by his play. But he certainly should not be a topic of discussion following tonights game.

As you should.

this really wasn't one of those times now was it?

No

Just noticed a couple games back that there was a similar response from someone else when JT actually was about the only bright spot on the court, and BB didn’t reply. Who the F cares though. Kings Win. Moving on.

So he needs to respond either every single time or when JT has a good game?

Why are people so fixated with this? It’s getting incredibly petty. How long has it been now?

It goes both ways..

of course it does go both ways

and I can’t recall the last time Bench institigated it out of the blue. It’s been some time now.

Fair enough.

All I was saying was..

Bench Blob posts comment..
Some poster posts snarky comments about JT playing well

JT Played shit? Bench replies,
JT Played well? ….

I really don’t care Wally, I see that you’re sick of people commenting about BB hating JT. So should we just forget it and move on?

yeah not a big deal in the slightest

and I’ll leave it at that

To be fair his JT bashing was when it was debated when it was possible JT would be a starter

He’s toned it way down since then and was really only against JT as a starter

Fuck English

you get what I mean

And for the record I think he can be a competent 4th big.

And I hope he succeeds in this role.

Great!

He's one of the best 4th bigs in the NBA right now

faint praise I know, but its true. He’s experience and work away from taking steps towards competant 3rd big.

Personally, I think there has been a lot of improvement and he seems to be working hard at getting better. If he keeps it up he’s going to have a long, productive NBA career.

GRASUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iashwash - January 6, 2012 reply

Its nice someone remember's me

:-)

Now to try to decide whether to pay the money for NBA League Pass this season or not.

I've been trying out the LP Broadband free trial.

That’s a shit product. I don’t pay for cable, so the NBA could legitimately get some money from me on this. I have an Apple TV which, allegedly, supports NBA LP. Unfortunately, the feed starts and stops every 10 seconds to the point where it’s mostly unwatchable. Even on the computer, it’s prone to weird freezes and hiccups. I’ve got a very fast, very stable internet service, so there’s really no excuse for that kind of performance.

Jaycee - January 6, 2012 reply

Funny that we just posted about that at the same time

Have you tested your download speeds? We have no problems or delays at all. In fact I recently used my cell as a wireless hotspot on the road and still had no delays.

It sounds like an Apple TV issue honestly

I’ve never had trouble with feed quality and I’ve owned online NBA LP several times.

I agree about cable, we don’t have it either and haven’t missed it. I’m a little annoyed David Stern is charging me the full season rate for this lockout shortened year, but I’ll probably cough up the money for it. Still undecided though.

Speaking of League Pass

We had to get LP broadband because our small local cable provider doesn’t offer it. Heard lots of horror stories. But it’s been awesome so far. We hook my laptop to the projector and the picture is great, no delays. You don’t have to see the score if you come in late.

The only real complaints I have so far are I haven’t figured out how to start a game in progress at the beginning, and they cut off the feed before the post game interviews.

Also was surprised to discover that LPA and I can both be logged in from different computers when I am on the road. Don’t know if that will last.

KingsFanInPortland - January 5, 2012 reply

Hey was just joshin BB

Great game, I’m all goofy.

come on

Yeah bench rode JT hard but utterly irrelevant here

Its OK, 5.5 points and 3.5 boards on season

Lets give respect where respect is due, Wally.

KingsFanInPortland - January 5, 2012 reply

Yo sorry blob I was just joking around

No worries.

Respect is due tonight

2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 22 minutes does not look real impressive, except for the symmetry of the twos, but without JT’s play in the fourth there is no impressive King’s win. JT stepped up when it mattered, and tonight is not the night for disrespect; save that for a game he loses with one of his stupid fouls.

jctar - January 6, 2012 reply

I just love this line for some reason.

No hard feelings, but he sucked hard and had to go.

jveezy - January 5, 2012 reply

Reminds me of my last truckstop restroom experience.

sigh

PhutureKings - January 6, 2012 reply

Keith Smart was amped up in the post-game press conference

Nice vibe he’s giving off.

Milwaukee’s got to be feeling like they gave this one to us, with all the missed free throws and mistakes in the fourth quarter. But I’m really proud of our guys for playing with that kind of effort in the fifth game in six nights.

Great win.

Noticed that, too.

He was amped up and in contrast to the controlled post-game remarks we have become all too familiar from Westphal.

Smart’s emotion and enthusiasm seemed to be reflected in the performances from the players. The hug between Cousins and Smart at the end of the game was golden, warm and exuded genuine affection.

I liked when Cousins got the charge call on him

Cousins gets up, doesn’t argue and exchanges low fives with Smart as he goes back down the court

They seem to have a good relationship already

I liked the low 5

It’s like they are sharing a secret that only they know.

I’m hoping that secret they share is that BIG CUZ can dominate any center in this league, as long as he can dominate his own emotions first!

Don’t tell the league this though wink wink It’s their little secret!

Cousins had to do Smarts bidding

To get Westphal fired so the two of them can rise to the promise lands. It’s been their ploy all along.

The second Westphal got fired I saw a tweet, from I think Jason Jones, saying that Cousins and Tyreke have a really good relationship with Keith Smart.

Cousins after the game says it feels like the pressure has been lifted off his shoulders. Evans looked to have a bounce back in his step as if the pressure was also lifted off his shoulders. He also got well over his 20-5-5.

It seems like Westphal put so much pressure on the two of them that they had to be great that they were thinking too much, or in Westphal’s words “trying too hard”.

We’ll see if this trend continues and we’ll see after a few losses if Smart is still best friends with Cousins/Evans.

If Smart excepts some of the blame instead of blaming everything on the Kids, he'll be ok

yeah the only tangible difference between PW and Smart I see as of right now is personal

I think that’s important but just saying

On a team with young emotional players

I think that’s huge.

I also felt Westphal expected the players to just know what to do. His new offensive schema was all about a player recognizing the defense and moving on instinct, which frankly, these guys haven’t played enough NBA games to have ANY idea what they should be doing. They are far better off in a set offense for the time being

This exactly.

Very well said, HL.

sj60615 - January 6, 2012 reply

That and getting the ball to his best players

In spots on the court where they excel instead of running the offense through JJ Hickson 18 feet from the hoop. As Aykis astutely pointed out.

Is it just me or does JJ comes off like the secret silent coach killer?

He got a promotion, raise and win all in about 10 hours. I’d say he was in a good mood.

bignerd - January 6, 2012 reply

Couldn't put it any better than this.

Don’t rain on the parade, man. Keith Smart used the word "family" 5 to 6 times in the post game press conference. Thats a far cry from Paul "Your job is to make me happy, my job is not to make you happy" Westphal.

ResetSmith - January 5, 2012 reply

Oops supposed to be a reply to BB.

ResetSmith - January 5, 2012 reply

Was this comeback thanks to Brockman?????

Makdeeznut - January 5, 2012 reply

More likely the Yeti returning and missing 3's

Fredman - January 7, 2012 reply

i like Smart's emphasis on family

that’s what the glory day kings players had. right now i feel that we definitely lack cohesion but that it is a work in progress and we should see some real progress in the near future. also, tyreke showed tonight why he’s so valuable. when no one had anything going, it was nice that we could still rely on his acrobatic lay-ups to at least get us some points and ultimately keep us in the game.

jozy - January 5, 2012 reply

Wonder how Keith's pressers are going to be after tonight?

He looked like he was ready to dive off the stage and do some crowd surfing on the reporters!! He was hyped and kind of had me wanting to jump off the couch! haha. So glad he/we got this first win.

Sirstan51 - January 5, 2012 reply

Probably like the Westphal bashers were after the first game of the season

One game, great win, but still many games left.

Wrong thread Otis ;)

Only unabashed enthusiasm is allowed in this thread. Save your reality checks for after our first loss, when the sky is falling again.

no that's the incorrect time too

that’s when we bring the pitchforks and make a player or coach our sacrificial lamb to the basketball gods

John Salmons will pay!

Its a given, he’s designated sacrifice for the rest of the year regardless of performance.

keith smart walked out like principal joe in lean on me

Great win! Best game all season even the L-ker game. They played with a lot of grit tonight.

kuhreem - January 5, 2012 via mobile reply

Kings move into tie for 9th place in the West.

BurningFeathers - January 5, 2012 reply

PLAYOFFS HERE WE COME

Josh L - January 5, 2012 reply

After a 2-5 start?

That’s good to hear. My preseason prediction of sneaking into the 8th seed is alive!

darooster - January 6, 2012 reply

Kenny Smith predicted 7th seed for us.

just sayin’

Wonderchild - January 6, 2012 reply

9th sounds about right to me talent-wise.

We’ll see

First game where I thought the Kings could come back

Even when they got down early the effort was still there. Such a stark change in player demeanor makes it pretty obvious that the team had lost its confidence in PW. Glad to see management make the coaching change before there was a locker room mutiny.

On a side note, Jimmer needs to foul Jennings on the break instead of letting him get an uncontested layup. As a role player he shouldn’t care about his foul trouble or lack thereof. He poked it out latter in the 4th but prior to that I was seriously doubting his presence on the floor, especially being as cold as he was.

sac_faithful - January 5, 2012 reply

Jimmer has absolutely zero idea

What he’s suppose to do on defense on a fast break. He appears to just runs down there with them to get a front row seat. It’s pretty entertaining and I’m guessing this gets fixed sooner rather than later(took a good foul late in the game where Jennings only went 1-1)

he tries to take a charge every time but they just slip past him lol

ya he needs to foul them and make them earn it from the line

J-Son - January 6, 2012 reply

What this game shows

This game shows that raw talent plus intense effort can win some games. There are obvious problems that need to be overcome, but there is another truth to be found sifting through the Westphal rubble. To overcome this team has a lot to learn, but it is hard to learn in a hostile, tense environment. It was great to hear Keith Smart talking about developing relationships with his players during his presser. If he is successful, we can win with more than just talent and effort. The Kings may rise from the rubble like a Phoenix from the ashes to form a real TEAM.

Talent + effort = some wins, but talent + effort + trust = a winning record. 59 games left!

stalbaum - January 5, 2012 reply

Agree. Trust is a big part.

Smart appears to have taken a huge step toward win back player trust. I can’t believe how one game can change the feelings of players and fans so dramatically.

It is as though this dark cloud hanging over the team has been lifted and the sun is shining down.

Long way to go

but it’s a start in the right direction hopefully. Hope they take it just one day at a time and have short memories.

Some things I noticed at the game section 102

- Cousins could NOT guard Gooden, but JT could. Weird
- Jimmer looked really bad and was confused more than half the time, and was surprisingly getting a lot of groans from the crowd
- The crowd was especially ornery today until the last few minutes. Every single time something bad happened it was like the end of the world
- Carlos Delfino is the whiniest bitch to ever play basketball… and I’ve seen Ginobli play basketball

Oh and Beno dwarfed Jimmer - I didn't know Beno could dwarf anyone

And Beno torched Jimmer on both ends of the floor – I didn’t know Beno could torch anyone

And I like Beno

Oh and (again) I saw Smart actually coaching

which I haven’t seen from PW for a long time (he used to but stopped)
He was constantly up and yelling out orders. He was even guiding Jimmer on rushing the key on freethrows. PLUS TYREKE CALLED A PLAY!! (I still can’t believe it)

Besides the obvious players intensity and effort being back

This was the second best site of the game for sore eyes. He was up yelling what the players needed to be doing. He would give praise where it was due, he would call over players and tell them what they did wrong. When he noticed something was wrong, he’d call a time out and make the coaching changes that needed to be done. When a line up was working he kept it on the court and didn’t stick to his rotation(At one point Salmons was our small forward).

Hopefully this is the new trend and not just the Kings excited about change.

What scares me

is a lot of those things were what I liked from PW when he started. He must have either gotten lazy or tired but somewhere in his tenure he just stopped

I saw that, also

that not only did Tyreke call a play or two, he dished a couple of nice dimes on the fastbreak, which I haven’t seen all season. And he also was talking to teammates after free throws, getting them set for the next sequence. Where did that stuff come from!? What was PW DOING to these kids to stifle them so badly…?

Sacto_J - January 6, 2012 reply

Beno's a solid and unspectacular player in the league

And he can get hot and carry you from time to time.

What’s with the undershirt though? I though those things were against NBA policy?

Didn't someone say undershirt/pad had something to do with an injury?

Yeah he has a shoulder injury he was playing with

So that was for support. Cousins wore one last year down the stretch. z

Didn't Cousins wear that partial taped-on support?

This looked like full-on t-shirt action.

McGrady used to wear a full shirt but only had one sleeve

It’s allowed if it is for medical purposes. Remember the tights? The league banned those quickly!

Yeah, well the tights were pretty fucking stupid.

VenomySnicket - January 6, 2012 reply

Some things I noticed on my Sofa

Jimmer looked like a rookie, but one with a lot of confidence and who’s learning the (NBA) game on the court, which I prefer to the bench or D-League. I liked that he was ALWAYS hustling and had at least 4 points from follow up shots (to typically poorly missed close looks).

I think that Jimmer will be a great point guard for us for some time IF he’s able to keep his confidence in his game and grow it on the court. He’s too smart, and seems to have too high of a motor to not improve consistently if giving the chance.

Sirstan51 - January 5, 2012 reply

He has promise but I wonder if he's too small for the type of game he's trying to play

Maybe he should get some tips from IT on how to cope

his fundamentals look off or something

maybe it’s just nerves but sure seems like something is not quite clicking (sure seems like his mid range jump shot whenever there is a break down on d is basically automatic though)

I think he's getting used to the speed of the league. Curry had similar early struggles.

Avlot of crafty, but under athletic players struggle avbit early on.

You know who would be a great mentor for Jimmer,

and provide the unselfishness that this team needs? Not to mention, bring leadership to the ball club, and set examples on how to be a pro for these young guys?

Steve Nash

Tyreke for Steve Nash

I know we could insanely regret it a few years down the track if Reke became a superstar, but what if Jimmer became a younger Steve Nash, and you had a much more mature experienced Cuz and Thornton getting open looks all day?

Thoughts?

Steve Nash is one of my favorite players of all time

but I don’t think it’s worth it just to try to make a nash clone in Jimmer

I wonder how many years he has left in him.

suppose he could be on his last legs. Interesting thought nonetheless .

Some people have already pointed out that Nash and Jimmer were completely different college players

Nash was already a phenomenal passer on the J Will side of the coin and found his shot later. Jimmer is a straight gun slinger with a feel for the game. The only reason people are inclined to compare is because they are both white and hope Jimmer can have the same type of career success. Its apples and oranges.

sac_faithful - January 6, 2012 reply

I dunno if Nash showed he was a better passer like Jwill

but his ball handling was something scouts raved about him. At Santa Clara though technically he was more of a scorer than a passer. It’s just that if you try and make a statistical comparison, Nash isn’t the greatest player to use because his college stats don’t really stand out, his success in the NBA is very unique for what he showed in college statiscally although the scouts loved him.

Absolutely not. Nash is still talented, but past his prime.

You don’t win in as a small market NBA team, by trading a potential superstar for the last gasps of a former star.

There is no way in Hell I'm trading Tyreke for Steve Nash

Steve Nash is a dinosaur and is not better than Tyreke

For one season

Steve Nash is better than Tyreke Evans. But obviously the hope is that he can develop and be a star for many years after Nash is retired.

Sorry, I don't think Nash is currently better than Tyreke

neither have played great yet this year

I agree with that

If you are basing it off a 6-game season, maybe not. If you are basing it off of last year, when Nash averaged 14.7 points and and 11.4 assists a game, it’s no contest.

When you're 97 playing in the NBA

You have to start over every season. A year older is a big deal when you’re a dinosaur.

if he gets over the rib thing he could very easily surprise you

although yes

there is an “if” in there

He turns 38 next month

I’m just amazed he has any basksetball left in him.

He takes great care of his body

with his crazy diet and stuff. The way he plays basketball (good shooting, good passing, no defense) he could probably play till he’s 50.

Nash is on the last year of his contract

If we want him so bad we can throw all our cap space at him next year. But I doubt that will happen. No to this trade. A thousand times no.

???

Do you know Jimmer? What makes him so smart. Jimmer can shoot, but Thomas looks like the better pg of the two so far. Jimmer is slow and has NO defense. Sorry to reply, but kind of an odd comment. Bottom line is GO KINGS!!

HighSockWizard - January 6, 2012 via mobile reply

No way IT close to Fredette in terms of PG

Jimmer 10x the shooter and passer. IT good change of pace sub but I cringe at him trying to split every double team on high pick and bouncing it off a foot for a turnover

Charles L. Pierro - January 6, 2012 reply

Jimmer is not 10x the passer, by any means.

Like the SockWizard, I have been far more impressed by IT than Jimmer.

Jimmer is suffering from a cold shot, and lack of experience being a real PG. He does have an eye for the floor, don’t get me wrong, and he does seem to be a %50/%50 shooter/ passer. With improved handles and fewer toss-passes, I’d be pleased to see him become a starting PG.

Currently though, IT is way more of a PG than Jimmer is, because he comes already equipped with handles that make Jimmer’s look like a 5th grader, and speed to match the fastest in the league. His passes are crisper and more generally on target. And IT is more along the lines of a 70/30 pass/shoot guard. And all this isn’t including the insane amount of energy IT has.

In the end, I’m pleased with them both, but as a PG, I have to give IT the nod for now.

70/30 pass/shoot???? Are you joking?!

I think you have those numbers backwards. IT tries to finish at the rim just about every time he touches the ball. He could be racking up the dimes if he ever looks to kick it out once he penetrates into the heart of the D and not try to finish over guys 2 feet taller than him. He has handles and quickness, but he thinks he is AI 2.0. I think he could be a great point guard off the bench if he becomes more selective wit his layup attempts and actually looks to pass it 70% of the time.

shaydbrayd - January 6, 2012 reply

Isaiah is a much better passer

Out of all the people in the draft, only one player (Darius Morris) had a higher assist rate than Isaiah in college.

This year

JF’s assist % is actually higher than IT’s and their per 36 are about the same. My guess is that IT’s pushing it and trying to prove himself in limited playing time. Small sample size so we will need to see how things pan out. But you really can’t look at JF’s college numbers and determine anything since he was expected to be the offense at BYU. If he had passed more, BYU would not have won as many games.

True

and I’ve been impressed with some of Jimmer’s playmaking skills so far. He still has a lot of work to do in that area, but I think he can become a very solid, probably not great, distributor.

I've been impressed

Maybe I’m missing something, but Jimmer seems to be the only one to know how to get DeMarcus the ball for easy baskets. Last night Jimmer had a few nice passes to DeMarcus near the basket.

jctar - January 6, 2012 reply

I think Thomas is wired to handle the speed of the league a little better than Jimmer

But Jimmer’s potentially a 20 point scorer in the league. You’ve got to bank on him figuring it out, and I’m cool with Smart giving him minutes down the stretch.

Still, seems weird that Thomas couldn’t get any run at all.

Also...Fredette helps spacing

IT no threat from 3 compared to Fredette….not wanting to leave him helped MT/TE last night get to hoop down the stretch

Wild guess

Brigham Young fan?

Never saw BYU play except in tourney and thought JF was a bad pick

But I have been impressed with playmaking ability, unselfishness and BB IQ, 3 things that this team needs more than anything….I think Smart realizes this as well

okay sorry

you wrote something the game thread that I couldn’t tell whether it was sarcasm or not and paired with the above comment I assumed way too much. My bad.

that was sarcasm

When we drafted JF the Kings had a video out welcoming him and it had clips of him torching SDSU last yr

yeah he did

IT will get his burn

But in a shorter rotation, he’s going to lose minutes to Jimmer and probably spell him for defensive purposes sometimes.

Jimmer looked pretty lost to me out there. Like the JV kid playing with Varsity

He didn't look lost in crunch time

He’s a big reason they won that game. Heady kid.

Good call

There is a reason Smart left him in at the end. Even with the game on the line and us needing our best defense for 2 seconds, Smart left him in. You know PW would have grabbed Donte, Salmons, and everyone else he considered defensive stoppers.

his mid range jump shot is locked in

(Don't look at hoopdata, don't look at hoopdata!)

disregard, disregard

Actually his percentages are kind of funny. Get the sense that runner is dragging down pretty hard in the mid range game.

JF looks nervous or confident depending on the trip down the court

I think in a few weeks he will loosen up and it should be fun to watch….Maybe he needs to hit the town with Cuz…loosen up a little….still not married and he could have DSB (Deadly Sperm Build-up)

Yeah but then he'd lose his chi energy

Maybe it will come with time, but

I just see him missing a bunch of shots that the Jimmer should not be missing

Glaring thing I noticed about the defense

was most of the Kings players were biting on pump fakes which got them out of position to be driven on. I would much rather have Drew Gooden taking a 18 foot jumper and then blocking him out then letting him get into the lane to get fouled or being able to get an offensive rebound.

Fredman - January 7, 2012 reply

Keith Smart

Basketball genius.

Blue Dog - January 5, 2012 reply

Keith Smart

not Paul Westphal

Ellimist - January 6, 2012 reply

Smart = NaPW?

wildepi - January 6, 2012 reply

Let's not get too excited!

Hopefully Keith Smart finds a way to keep the opposing offense in check the whole game and our offense not stagnant for a whole quarter…Kings always play three great quarters and the other usually kills us.

Can’t always be playing 15-20 points down…but let’s all give this guy time!

shoopuhman - January 5, 2012 reply

Whaa whaa whhhhaaaaa

Debbie Downer. Enjoy the hype!!!

HighSockWizard - January 6, 2012 via mobile reply

Encouraging game

Obviously this was too much to expect and much needed at the same time. I liked how Smart played essentially a four-guard lineup at the end of the game with Tyreke, Thornton, Jimmer and Salmons with Cousins and then JT. That was an effective unit.

It also looked like he pared down the rotations and put his best players on the floor for longer. When you lack talent, you’ve got to ride the horses you have for 38-40 minutes a game to compete in this league. That’s one of the reasons OKC has prospered – look at the minutes their young guns typically play.

I haven’t seen the first half yet, but looked like I didn’t miss much.

I hope Chuck Hayes is OK, but frankly our front line is more athletic without him.

NewEraKings - January 5, 2012 reply

I think we will see the 4 guard lineup instead of Outlaw or Greene getting time as a 4th big

I also think Hayes playing time might diminish with Smart because the high post offense seems to be on its way out if tonight’s game is any indication. I think we might see Whiteside get brought back up do to this reason as well. Now all that will be required of him is defense, rebounds, and putbacks.

sac_faithful - January 6, 2012 reply

Hayes only getting 27 minutes as it is.

sac_faithful - January 6, 2012 reply

Do we have

The Smart interview uploaded anywhere?

HarveySpecter - January 6, 2012 reply

Not sure which interview you are talking about

But Kingsflix has all kinds of coverage on the Kings(pressers,highlights,interviews)

Def recommend subscribing.

Was looking for

Postgame with Smart, didn’t get to see it on air.

HarveySpecter - January 6, 2012 reply

Yup, It's usually on there

maybe its just not up yet.

Anyone else notice the 6th Man jersey was missing from the rafters tonight?

Yea

HeuristicLineup
Hmm. Two division champ banners. Monarchs champ banner and 6th man banner no longer hangs in the arco rafters…. #KingsAllDay.

KingsVideo Kings In-House Video
@HeuristicLineup Oversight on the 6th Man Banner; it was on display in the offseason … it will be back up soon.

KingsVideo Kings In-House Video
@HeuristicLineup Checking on the status of the other banners as well.

I'll check with them today and see if they respond

I’ll post it up. Was a little odd, but makes zero sense. I can’t even use it as a conspiracy theory since all the other banners were still up, so it’s not like they were packing up shop.

Thanks for checking on that

Maloofs forgot to unpack the jerseys after Stern told them to stay in Sac

SharkKings49 - January 6, 2012 reply

The Kansas City era jerseys were missing too

Very odd.

CLopez63 - January 6, 2012 reply

The Jersey's I know were still up

Webber, Divac, Richmond, Archibald, Robertson. I know there was at least 6 still up there

Yeah I've noticed this all year

Very odd.

Tweet sent!

Yeah, been that way since the beginning of the season

I was going to mention it but kept forgetting because I think I was trying to forget I the games…

towndunce - January 6, 2012 reply

Interesting stats

Take away all three point shots and this team shot 47%. There’s two explanations for some of the missed threes: 1) tired legs from a back to back to back and fifth game in six nights; 2) Salmons took some of those shots. Hopefully we’ll see better with some rest.

55-31 on the boards. 23-7 offensive rebounds. They were missing Bogut, but at least we took advantage. Now if only we could quit rushing the putbacks. Still the hustle drew a lot of fouls.

Also

Check the standings.

After all that noise and an overall rough schedule to start the season, we’re the 9th seed in the West right now. One game behind the Lakers.

This is way early, but that’s kind of the point. It may turn out to be a good thing that we got rid of Westphal early if we continue to play with this kind of energy.

Playoffs baby!!

I’ll enjoy every min of the Kings looking good. We don’t play til Sunday so we should see a sunny sky; until a team finds a way to beat us.

Kieth Smart Undefeated with the Kings.

SharkKings49 - January 6, 2012 reply

The road has always been tough for the Kings, who play 18 of the next 25 on the road

I’m encouraged by some of the things I’ve seen from Smart already, but with limited practice time until the All-star break I’m not sure the win total will improve all that much. We’ll look better and contend more but winning more than 40% by the half way point look near impossible.

But, with half the season under there belt and Smart coaching we could play .500 ball in the 2nd half baring injuries.

Yeah the practice time is what scares me a little.

It’d be nice to get one in the day after installing a new coach, but they just can’t tomorrow. They need the rest (and deserve it after tonight). I’m just glad we can get one in before Sunday.

Kings are still very much in the playoff hunt for our optimistic types

If they keep playing this hard and passing the ball, they could still very well sneak in to the playoffs IMO.

Postgame comments from DMC

“Sacramento is the place I want to be. I don’t want to be anywhere else but Sacramento.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkIZc2JCCP0

Reke_Havoc13 - January 6, 2012 reply

Nice to know DMC wants to stay...

…but he still has to keep his ugly temper in check. After all, PW isn’t around to take the blame anymore

icemanjl - January 6, 2012 reply

Or maybe he won't have a reason for having an ugly temper without PW around

He blamed him for the team lose in front of the team, and then didn’t have time to talk to him privately (based on what I’ve read). If that’s the case and it were me, he’d of had trouble with me also, and I’m not a kid.

One game

We’ll see.

Otis

It’s the dead of winter, and we’re all sitting around this campfire, struggling for our lives. This itty-bitty-little fire was nearly dying out, and suddenly it flairs, and we’re all happy because now we’re just that much warmer. And as we’re busy thinking content thoughts to ourselves, a voice breaks out from amongst us:
“You know guys, that just means that shit is going to burn out much more quickly.”

Thanks Otis, for alerting us to the cold. We appreciate it. No, really, we do.

iashwash - January 6, 2012 reply

Which one is Otis?

side bewb

It's probably an implant

I love you too, iashwash

What a crazy night

I got shit faced to prepare for this game, although a few beers were because we were doing do bad at the half. I cheered like crazy and got to the point that I thought I was the reason that we started to come back. Honestly, I don’’t know how we came back but I’m just glad we did. I just remember cheering like crazy and all of a suden we were in the lead. I’\ll probably try to watch highlights and everything tomorrow and see what I can remember.

It’s almost 12:30 and I’m sure I’ll have a hangover at work, but I’m glad I was at that game.

My only issue with the game was no Brockness Monster. I was ready to go crazy for Brockman. Dude was my hero during one of our worst years.

Plus, the Sharks winning is the gravy on the night.

SharkKings49 - January 6, 2012 reply

Rec'd

for: “I thought I was the reason that we started to come back”

Spoken like a true Kings fan.

convoy - January 6, 2012 reply

I hate to say it but...

I’m glad the Kings won, it can cure all woes. However, the Kings again dug themselves into a huge hole and overall shot poorly while allowing the opposition to shoot well. All this while the Bucks’ best player was not on the court.

A win is a win, but it was not necessarily encouraging. An average team should have had no problem winning at home against that team. The Kings struggled to do so and barely scraped out a win.

We shall see if there is any true improvement, but I am unfortunately bracing for a long difficult season. All of my preseason optimism has been tempered. Its a shame too as the west seems to be more open in the strike shortened year than normal.

Mityt - January 6, 2012 reply

New York and Memphis had their best players out too and we were destroyed in those games.

Considering we didn’t get destroyed in a similar situation (though we nearly did) on the fifth game in six nights and on the last night of a back to back to back, I’d say this is progress.

There was some motivation, playing at home and for a new coach

It’s going to be a lot tougher with 18 road games on the schedule by the 22nd of Feb.

Agreed. Our schedule is brutal. Did every team get the shaft like us??

HighSockWizard - January 6, 2012 reply

The second half is pretty easy and we only got one b2b2b so I wouldn't say we got shafted

And ya everyone has a pretty bad schedule

I really wish we played someone else other than Orlando next

as I don’t think our luck is going to continue and have Dwight Howard be out. With Hayes out having Whiteside in to get a couple of fouls on Dwight might not be a bad idea

The coach would be wise (see how I avoided the pun) to bring back Hassan

even if he plans to play some small ball, in Hayes absence. Or if he plans on using Outlaw or Donte as the stretch 4. There are still a lot of games without much rest between now and when Hayes is expected back. And, we might need Hassan’s rebounding and shot blocking by the end of these road trips. Plus, Hassan can always go back to Reno for his experience when Chuck returns.

Did you use Hassan and rebounding in the same sentence :)

Hassan is putting up big stats in Reno

22.9 Rebounds per 48 minutes
13.5 Blocks per 48 minutes

swooshrc - January 6, 2012 reply

Really?

That is good to hear- and what I expected last year out of his D-League play! How cool would it be if he started realizing his potential sooner rather than later?

Very cool.

Come on

guy has played 18 minutes. A little silly to say the least

excuse me

36 minutes

and technically it's 22.67 Rebounds per 48 and 6.67 blocks

you probably got those numbers from one game given he’s played a fearsome two.

In other small sample size news Tyler Honeycutt has a Per 48 of 24 points and 12 rebounds in the NBA yet a Per 48 of 9.23 points and 9.23 rebounds in the NBDL

Otherwise DG is going to come back and exclusively play the 4.

Which would be ironic.

iashwash - January 6, 2012 reply

Didn't see this before my above post

I agree. I’d like to see Whiteside back on the bench until Hayes comes back. With Cousins inability to not pick up fouls, we are really going to be lacking bigs some games

Release the Whiteside

no don't cut him

I mean let him play!

They'll only call him up if they think he's at all ready

No call up = no confidence.

Even Honeycutt got Playing Time

If we get blown out in the first day of a back to back or during a 4 games in 6 days, I can see him resting the regulars and playing Hassan in garbage minutes. Isn’t that how most rookies get their first minutes. And, after playing in only one game, He is still a rookie.

If they could only do this every fast break...

diehardkingsfan5 - January 6, 2012 reply

I can't see it :'(

Shizzo - January 6, 2012 reply

I hope Chuckwagon is feeling alright.

That look like it really “smarted”

DiegoKing - January 6, 2012 reply

WOW.. The Kings WON! I turned off my television in disappointment to that 21 point halftilme lead LOL!

mjalmighty - January 6, 2012 reply

Bad fan

booooo

caseycheesecake - January 6, 2012 reply

Last night it paid off to have masochistic tendencies

BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! ^^^^^ Getting the hook from the stage

HighSockWizard - January 6, 2012 reply

ye of little faith

Shizzo - January 6, 2012 reply

If only Travis and Donte had enough skills to be stretch 4's

I say we leave Hassan in Reno and pick up a vet defensive-minded center for one-year. Here’s hoping for Joel Pryzbilla. I’ve been campaigning for him for some time now and I sure hope that Geoff will give him a look. With JT as our only big off the bench and with Donte and Travis being (in my opinion) unfit to play the 4 i’d say signing another backup big will help us quite alot. Even if Chuck didn’t get hurt I would feel the same way because frankly JT is freakin weakkkkkkkkkkkkkk.

SoCal Diplomat - January 6, 2012 reply

What part of JTs game do you think makes him weak?

9K1NGS6 - January 6, 2012 reply

It's his handles, sadly

He seems to miss passes under the basket a lot- and just not very sure-handed around the rim above or below!

That said, he has really grown – literally and metaphorically! He is a big active body that plays hard and rarely gets the dumb fouls that cursed his efforts up until about the middle of last year. His game, offensively is pretty weak, sure. But The Kid is a man now and plays like one inside. I see him working and improving every year. THAT at least is not weak.

There were two passes thrown to JT's feet last night

they are size 20 but he can’t catch with them, his hands looked pretty good last night on a few steals and defensive plays in crunch time. I know I am pro JT but I really think Hickson should be playing behind JT imo

Beagle12 - January 6, 2012 reply

Hickson started out pretty meh last night but got it going later. felt like he redeemed himself a little

he guns it a bit though

personally

I love JT’s role right now

Yeah it seems a perfect fit

I like him behind JJ in principle, but he might as well start if Hickson is going to keep shooting that 15ish foot jump shot!

Right now I feel JT comes in and makes an impact when he is called on- our bench mob needs him!

Exactly

plenty of court time, not huge pressure to produce = great opp for JT to develope his game in a positive clear headed manner. Im thinking JT will be a monster inside by next season.

9K1NGS6 - January 7, 2012 reply

Oh you mean the guy who has the best FG% on the team right now at 50%, with guys who are averaging over 15MPG, has the least amount of turnovers with 0.6 a game..

Widowwolf - January 6, 2012 reply

playin pretty good right now

got zero problem bringing whiteside in and seeing what he has but let’s not pretend Whiteside jumps him on the depth charts or anything

Sactown_Loyalty19 - January 6, 2012 reply

You can play Donte at the 4 for 5-10 minutes

Give JT and JJ all the minutes they can handle and Kings will also “go small” occassionally, so I don’t think team will sign another big to sit on the bench …

JT was only playing 8-10 min when Chuck was healthy, so you just need somebody for another 20-22 min to fill in … let’s see if JT and Donte can handle those minutes.

Watty4ever - January 6, 2012 reply

Waking up on the East Coast…watched through half time and went to bed…I cannot believe we won this game. What a great win!

VirginiaKingsFan - January 6, 2012 via mobile reply

I live 20 min away from Sac

and STILL went to bed at half. Thornton had 2 points … went to bed actually thinking, “lets see if Smart can get them to show some adversity.”

Woke up to a Kings win. Great start for him.

Dub_TC - January 6, 2012 reply

This comeback was LEGENDARY.

DTG13 - January 6, 2012 via Android app reply

LEGEN...

wait for it…

CaliforniaJag - January 6, 2012 reply

It was nice to see some of the adjustments Smart made. The high-post was set up at the free throw line causing the defender to play tight defense...

good example was JT flashing high then dropping off a pass to a cutting DMC for a lay-in.

Really great to see the team play well and with effort.

Carl - January 6, 2012 reply

Props to Keith Smart

The players voted “yes!” last night with their emotional play. Props also to JT, who did what a role player is supposed to do in the 4th. And to Salmons, whose defense on Jackson at the very end helped more than is being mentioned.

kinglet - January 6, 2012 reply

I could see the future from my seat in 212

and the future sounded like the playoffs! We were really into it in the second half, sparse as the crowd was. It seemed more like the old ARCO days when the team and the crowd fed off of each other. I am still a little hoarse!

I don’t know exactly why, but this team believes in Smart. A team that believes can accomplish amazing things! We will get close to the playoffs at least this year – if this team keeps playing like they played last night: like it mattered. Like a playoff game!

Great game Kings. This year just got waaaay more fun!

Strongly disagree

sorry but just saying

Yep

It’s one game. I can be as enthusiastic as the next guy but show me 20 games.

nohops - January 6, 2012 reply

I'm with you Wally

Would love to be surprised and make the playoffs. But the chances of that happening are extremely small. And to take one game and extrapolate the rest of the season on that is just setting yourself up for anger and disappointment.

If you did this same thing after the redacted game, you would have us winning the Western Conference and PW getting coach of the year. Let’s just enjoy each win without trying to make this team more than it is. We have a long road trip coming and wins will probably be few and far between.

Yep

Just one game, won mostly on the positive emotion of having a new coach. You can’t win too many games just with that, though it helps. Let’s see how the defensive effort develops, ball movement and a plan on offense, and consistency from the young head cases. That may take most of this season.

kinglet - January 6, 2012 reply

He did only say they'd get "close" to the playoffs

That seems reasonable. He has tons of enthusiasm for the season, which is a lot more than most of us could say just yesterday at this time. I’m on board the ideazero “2012 just got waaaay more fun!” train because even a season that doesn’t end in playoffs can still be fun. Hope is worth keeping alive even if the likely outcome doesn’t reflect the one being hoped for.

CaliforniaJag - January 6, 2012 reply

Thanks CAJag - A vote for HOPE!

All cheerleading aside, it is not totally out there to suggest that all this young talent could blossom almost magically in the right hands. Most are college aged, testosterone filled and several are talent laden as well!

I think we will play hard for Smart- he seems like a straight up guy to me and the team both. I just have this feeling that this coach will at last bring out the patience Cuz needs to master his talents, and give the team a sense of unity it hasn’t had in years. Talent needs guidance and strategy, but it also requires belief and ultimately respect.

And can’t you feel that VIBE? Maybe it’s just my Kool-Aid talking, but I just am feeling like

OH YEAH!

I know it's hard to hope, Wally

Maybe after Big Cuz gives fits to an uninspired Howard you will risk it? :-P

Seriously though, I know I am a glass half full kind of guy. But look how big the glass is! That’s a lot of water either way!

Assuming he can stay out of foul trouble trying to defend Howard.

Kings give up the highest % at the rim, and ORL takes most of their shots inside 9 ft. Sounds like this will be DeMarcus’ biggest challenge of the season, and he won’t have Sammy or Chuck on his six.

Buncha manic depressives on this site. Kings bball will do that to you

folsomfella - January 6, 2012 reply

Salmons

He made a few nice plays in the 4th, but wow, overall he looks awful out there. We traded for a vet who plays hard defense and makes shots. Instead we have a player who is silent during games, got owned by Rudy Gay and others, and is shooting 35% from the floor and 70% from the line.

Seems to me he is getting way too much playing time.

Will be interesting to see how much Salmons and Outlaw are used

by a coach who didn’t push for them to be signed. I’m guessing their playing time will go down.

Gay is not a good matchup for Salmons

Salmons is a 2-3 and he’s going to struggle to cover bigger SFs that are 3-4s.

I thought he got it going at the end of the game and played a lot better. I think Smart believes he’s one of the five best guys on the team and he’s going to get a lot of PT. I think Outlaw and Donte will get some burn against bigger lineups.

Evans credited John with playing great D tonight.

Seems like he really likes him.

caseycheesecake - January 6, 2012 reply

Salmons did play great D

His defense on Jackson at the end of the game was crucial to the win. The players and coaches know who is playing D. Fans don’t seem to know. It will be interesting to see how much playing time Smart gives to Salmons, one of the few Kings right now who CAN play good D at times.

kinglet - January 6, 2012 reply

True

but Stephen Jackson is a tweener like Salmons. Which is good but just saying that is the type of player Salmons can guard fairly well. The concern kicks in when it’s the Lou Deng’s of the world.

Yep, Deng is another guy that is not a good matchup for Salmons

Of course, Deng probably can’t cover Salmons that well, either. It can work both ways. Definitely think you will see a lot of small ball.

I'd think Deng can smother Salmons, and completely shut him down.

Deng is an awesome defender.

Shizzo - January 6, 2012 reply

small ball is likely

if you only have 3 bigs and 2 of ‘em can’t help but get 6 fouls in 25-30min of PT …

Should see more of Donte and Cisco too, but not too much, I hope.

Watty4ever - January 6, 2012 reply

Agreed, his D is strong. But there are few things worse (ie. cancer, war, etc.) than a good defender who decides he wants to be a scorer (see Sammy D)

also 5th game in 6 days.

You could really tell with all the jumpers hitting the front of the rim all night. Salmons, Jimmer, and Thornton especially.

Wonderchild - January 6, 2012 reply

Defense

When we play defense like we did in the second half, we can be a very good team. Keeping that intensity is vital to our hopes of progressing this season.

bringbackbuddytrees - January 6, 2012 reply

Players were 180 degrees different

The sad brand of half-assing for the first seven games I think was their silent protest of the “coaching” that was PW. The guy couldn’t even win in the West Coast Conference with Pepperdine; he’s not a teacher or structure guy. I think Demarcus can be thought of as providing leadership in the vacuum that is the Kings front office. We could have gone through the break or season with a lame duck coach but is that really fair to the young players who are being labelled busts and headcases or being shopped by fans on the trade market for underperforming when there is no coherent sense of what they are trying to do. Demarcus has fire which is more rare than common in NBA players, especially at his skill level and size.

Demarcus lost like 15-20 lbs in the off-season by working out, controlling his diet and trying to find competition on the pickup circuit. Then to come back to a incoherent “system” of four-flat and no idea of what to do on a pick and roll is disheartening. I mean paying for three coaches at once is ridiculous but a coaches salary isn’t really going to break the bank when you have to spend $43.5 M a year. If the Kings are going to contend as a small market team, then they have to invest through the draft and coach up their players, it does not compute to skimp on the coaching part.

Paul Westphal

Did a lot of the dirty work with Cousins becoming a pro. Cousins now has a clean slate and seems to genuinely like Smart. I hope he takes advantage of the opportunity to become what we as Kings fans have been pressuring/expecting him and Tyreke to be. This is his opportunity to suck it up and prove to the NBA establishment that he can handle himself as a true professional albeit an emotional one.

John Takanikos - January 6, 2012 reply

Some problems still evident

though I didn’t expect them to be solved in 4 hours.

Must pass the ball up the court rather than dribble it every time. Too many times there are only 10-12 seconds left for halfcourt offense.
Players off the ball Must rotate to create passing lanes for the ball handler who -
Must move the ball before the double team arrives.

Has there been a better example of us playing a team who clearly doesn’t have as much talent but runs thier offense as a team so much better?
With hard work the superior talent finally won out but . . .

Get to work Smart.

Did Beno look overweight - or what?

wow

maybe red isn't flattering on him?

riiight? okay maybe he’s overweight

He was still in good enough shape to blow past Jimmer any time he wanted to

He is enjoying married life now

Just letting it all go

Wonderchild - January 6, 2012 reply

I have to eat a bit of crow

JT and Salmons played great D last night, esp. in the 4th quarter.

Glimmers of optimism, hopefully the sign of good things to come.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk

sj60615 - January 6, 2012 reply

The title is wrong because I expected the come back. Throughout the whole first half, the Kings played well enough and hard enough offensively and defensively to be right in the game. It was not like the other games where they went to the locker room down twenty due to terrible shots and poor defense and went to the locker room having already checked out. They came out in the second half and stuck with the same game plan they had in the first half and the percentages started to even out.

cuad - January 6, 2012 reply

note on the crowd:

I was there at the game and it was scary empty. Like barely more than half full. I must say I’m disappointed that so many Kings fans seem to be riding the bandwagon like Faker/Heat/etc fans. Winning surely helps draw bigger crowds but last night was no excuse. We were still getting sellouts when we sucked in the early Sac years. We need to turn this around both in wins and fan attendance to help with keeping the Kings in town (momentum for new arena). On the plus side, at the end of the game, I must say the real fans made it sound like a full 17,317 were there. It got LOUD.

brian_1055 - January 6, 2012 reply

Total attendance:

Attendance: 11,813

That’s low even for last year

In comparison to the same game last year, Dec. 23rd
Attendance: 12,360

Skeptic con Urquell - January 6, 2012 reply

In comparison to the same game last year, Dec. 23rd

I was at the buck’s game last year and wish I’d been there to see the contrast this year. Last year Demarcus was benched and Tyreke appeared hurt and this year sounds like they were soaring?
Told you guys you could do a lot worse than coach smart.

I have not had a chance to research it,

but I would love to know Brandon Jennings’ historical numbers vs. the Kings in Sac and overall against Sac. compared to his total career numbers. I mean, here you have a guy shooting 18% from 3 coming into last night, and he nails 6-10. And it seems that he shoots well in excess of his season numbers whenever he plays us. I’ll have to look into that some time.

And 1 – Jennings sure doesn’t come off as a “true” point guard to me. He shoots a lot, and plays a lot with his head down. I think that he is a lot more like Allen Iverson if I had to compare him to anyone.

section214 - January 6, 2012 reply

I was curious too:

2009/10: 25.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 8.8 APG, FG% 41.0 (two games)
2010/11: 6.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, FG% 28.6 (just one game)
Last night: 31 P, 3 RB, 7ASS, FG% 52.2
Career: 15.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, FG% 38.0 (151 games)

rubenho - January 6, 2012 reply

Damn format. sorry.

rubenho - January 6, 2012 reply

Last night he had seven ass huh?

cuad - January 6, 2012 reply

And 23 shots, which was 10 more than the next Buck

And I don’t mean this as a bad thing, just as it pertains to his Iverson-esqe approach to the game.

section214 - January 6, 2012 reply

I wasn´t aware his overall shooting % was that low at 38%.

rubenho - January 6, 2012 reply

only thing I would say (and we'll definitely have an answer)

is I would be curious how he plays with some other teammates around. This is random as all hell but I remember Kevin Love a year ago in Bill Simmon’s podcast talking about his favorite teammate ever was Jennings