[Grades] Grades v. Heat 1/4/2017

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#1
yeah, not doing this right now. Quite angry, and I have my high blood pressure to think about.

Tonight I'm going to blow off some steam playing computer games. I'll post my thoughts on this debacle in the morning.




Link to Boxscore

Barnes ( C ) -- started off the game AGAIN refusing to stick to the three point shooters. Either bad career long habits, or bad scheme, but either way, Matt is a slow learner. Again got yelled at and more focused on that end, and a decent production game, but always felt sloppy. His coming back in in the mid 4th for Tolliver actually hurt us. As did a late T.

Cousins ( D- ) -- We lost this game for many reasons, Cuz was only one of them. But this was an unacceptable distracted fail in a game in which he literally should have had a chance at 50. Of course the teammates weren't helping since I can throw a better entry pass. He wasn't happy with the refs. But generally he did not bring it, got grumpy and distracted, and his late return actually hurt us, not helped us.

Featured Grade
Koufos ( C- ) -- Trying to remember was he really in this game? Oh yeah he started and had a quick block. Then in the course of 3 stints on the court for a total of 15 min, did nothing in the 1st quarter, hit his famous hook shot in the 3rd and a put back in the 4th along with 4 reb and 2 ast. Only 1 TO was good again but generally upheld his "yawn" moniker. Unfortunately no real contributions to terrible first 3 quarters for Kings getting is poor grade. -- Cruz

McLemore ( F ) -- ridiculously bad in the first quarter and never invited back to repeat the ridiculousness.

Collison ( D ) -- handed his lunch by both Dragic and Tyler "Superstar" Johnson. Joined the Lawson idiocy by blowing an absolutely critical break in the final two minutes by being a selfish idiot rather than a PG, and forcing up his own layup, which was blocked, rather than dropping the ball behind him to a wide open Barnes runnign the lane. Killer play for no reason.

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Featured Grade
Tolliver ( B- ) -- Anthony was our the first player off the bench and was also part of the 5 man wrecking crew that dismantled our 19 point deficit. On defense Tolliver had trouble with J. Johnson, getting beat several times and leading to a foul on Cousins at one point when he tried to cover for him. He did have some decent sequences though including a good one on Luke Babbitt after we had taken the lead back. On offense he started out with a 3 midway into the first quarter, but only shot and missed one more from downtown in this one. Getting most of his points from half hooks and working hard in the paint, Anthony finished with 14 points and a +16 which lead the team. Only 3 rebounds but one of his 2 assists was a sweet behind the back bounce pass to a cutting Temple to start the 4th quarter and cut the lead to 4 points. -- Suicide King

Cauley-Stein ( C+ ) -- actually I thought he looked better and more engaged in his 2nd quarter stint. there were a couple of minor events but nothing serious. He got a good hustle board on the o-glass. Hit an unlikely midrange jumper. He didn;t hurt us this time.

Temple ( B ) -- of course as per usual was a big key in our shining moment of the game as we hustled and DEFENDED -- wow, unique concept -- our way back into the game in the late 3rd/early 4th. But maybe as his own part in the malaise, kept making dumb errors, especially by fouling people who did not need fouling.

Afflalo ( B ) -- played the bench hero again in a great first half stint that helped us survive the teamwide malaise. But with Ben an utter fail, we turned to him to start the 3rd...and again he and Cuz did not work. They just do not work together. Never able to regain his first half magic, with or without Cuz, and hurt as much as helped after the break

Lawson ( B ) -- some extra credit for coming back, with no mask even. And By far the more dynamic of our PGs. Part of the hustle crew again. But also got his butt kicked on defense by the Miami guards, and gave Collison unfortunate lessons on how not to run a break as he got selfish, got blocked instead of dumping the ball off, and triggered another Miami break.
 
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SLAB

Hall of Famer
#3
The only "P" word around these parts is pathetic.

With continued letdowns and outings like these, this team is not holding onto that 8 spot. This isn't just a one time thing. & There's zero sign that it's stopping.

One step forward. Four steps back.... It's cliche, but it applies perfectly.

Now pardon me as I go out to go throw rocks at my lake. :mad:
 
#5
The only "P" word around these parts is pathetic.

With continued letdowns and outings like these, this team is not holding onto that 8 spot. This isn't just a one time thing. & There's zero sign that it's stopping.

One step forward. Four steps back.... It's cliche, but it applies perfectly.

Now pardon me as I go out to go throw rocks at my lake. :mad:
Hey, it could be worse, you could NOT have your own lake. ;)
 
#7
Why didn't Joerger just let the bench finish it out? I guess I'll never understand the philosophy of taking out guys who are doing good for guys who just aren't...
Not only that but he yanked them early. Cousins and Barnes were back in with nearly 8 minutes to go. Yesterday Cousins was having a huge game and he didnt re-enter in the fourth until the 5 minute mark. As soon as Cousins and Barnes returned the momentum swung back to Miami instantly.
 
#10
Everyone knows this game was a complete BS effort on the Kings part for 3 qtr's so no point in really getting too detailed about that.

I just wish our PG's knew how to take advantage of a 2-on-1 break to ensure a score. Twice in the 4th quarter both Ty Lawson and Darren Collison allowed Tyler Johnson to make a defensive play on a break because they refused to make an easy extra pass. Both non-plays occurred after steals by Garrett Temple -- who is quickly becoming one of my favorite Kings. All either PG had to do was pass to his open teammate once Johnson committed to stopping the ball. Of course neither did. The 2nd occurrence with under 1 minute remaining probably cost them the game as it would have put them up 2 and in the drivers seat.

BTW, it absolutely sickens me when the Kings allow average players such as Tyler Johnson look like really, really good players.

The Heat fielded a team slightly better than a good D league team tonight and the Kings still couldn't defend the home court. Worst loss of the season thus far. Unlikely to be topped.

There just went any shot at a 4-3 home stand.
 
#11
So many mistakes lead to this loss.

1. The first half effort, especially by the starters.
2. Why McLemore plays is a mystery
3. Cousins was terrible.
4. No love from officials, but that's low on the issue list
5. Inability to throw a pass over the top. Like post-entry passes, how do you fail so hard?
6. Cousins hanging out at the 3pt line all the time
7. That bench unit needed another minute or two of run
8. That technical from Barnes at the worst moment

Just so many screw-ups and yet they fix one screw-up and they still probably win.
 
#12
I think we win if Joerger leaves Kofous and Tolliver out there. It wasn't Cousins game.
I don't think he could have left them out there as that entire group that fought back from 19 down was gassed. But he surely could have brought them back in once they got a 2nd wind.

It surely wasn't Cousins game at all. Couldn't finish at the rim. Couldn't get a call. Still, if Collison makes the right play after the steal and break, the game unfolds much differently the last 50 seconds.
 
#15
The Ben McLemore pick not working out is very frustrating. That was a high pick, and we've basically got nothing. Not even sure where he could play in the league at this point. He's shooting TWENTY NINE percent from 3. Here's the cold hard truth: He's a guard with no handles, very mediocre D, can't really shoot, mistake prone, low bb IQ, almost no passing ability. His one golden ticket to staying in the league was high level shooting. Year four and it's actually gotten worse. Would almost be tolerable if he had turned himself into a lockdown defender and to this day I can't figure out why he hasn't. He has all the physical tools.

Unfortunately for Ben there are about 30 college or D league 2 guards that could come in right now and be more effective than him. He's running on pure potential and sadly it may have run out. I feel for the guy, honestly. I tend to psychoanalyze players but with him I haven't a clue. Was really rooting for him this year as I heard he put in a hell of a lot of work in the offseason. If a change of scenery does him good, I'll be happy. That's what we should be hoping other teams are thinking.
 
#16
Ben just doesn't have the necessary competitive drive to be a good player. He's too mellow and nice. There's no fire or passion. That's why he appears to play so passively.

Unfortunately, WCS often plays like a 7 foot version of Ben.
Sometimes I get the feeling cell phones and video games have ruined these kids. When the hell has "motivation" been such a damn problem? I don't remember that at all from the 80s and 90s. When players sucked, it was because they actually sucked. When the hell did it start that when you drafted a player you had to *hope* they actually wanted to play and be great. Maybe it's that just by signing a rookie contract they are set for life financially. Who knows but it's freaking creepy.
 

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#17
I don't have many issues with Joerger putting Cuz back in. This isn't about this one game even if it may come back to haunt them. It's not the thing that will keep them out of the playoff picture, it's still the 3 point defense. They didn't deserve this one tonight and got beat the way teams know they can beat these guys.
 
#18
Sometimes I get the feeling cell phones and video games have ruined these kids. When the hell has "motivation" been such a damn problem? I don't remember that at all from the 80s and 90s. When players sucked, it was because they actually sucked. When the hell did it start that when you drafted a player you had to *hope* they actually wanted to play and be great. Maybe it's that just by signing a rookie contract they are set for life financially. Who knows but it's freaking creepy.
Too many of these young kids come out when they aren't ready.
 
#21
So many mistakes lead to this loss.

1. The first half effort, especially by the starters.
2. Why McLemore plays is a mystery
3. Cousins was terrible.
4. No love from officials, but that's low on the issue list
5. Inability to throw a pass over the top. Like post-entry passes, how do you fail so hard?
6. Cousins hanging out at the 3pt line all the time
7. That bench unit needed another minute or two of run
8. That technical from Barnes at the worst moment

Just so many screw-ups and yet they fix one screw-up and they still probably win.
This is such a solid, accurate post it deserves to be read twice.

While the refs manipulated this game as much as they realistically could with their ticky-tack Kings violations vs swallowing the whistle on almost all aggressive Heat defense (17 Kings FT's vs 29 for Miami on our home floor!), Cousins simply cannot keep laying an egg out there.

This is the 4th straight game (?) he has come out in the 3rd and just sucked the energy right out of the team.
He walks everywhere, stands still hovering around the 3-pt line, when he goes anywhere near the paint he lets the other team push him around even though he outweighs them by 30 pounds (and I thought he was strong...?), he can't figure out how to help get an entry pass to him and bobbled all the ones he had a clear path to the basket tonight, then when he drives he has zero lift and is being blocked, while flailing his arms constantly looking for the foul.

He's been very disappointing lately, and he never took advantage of Miami's lacking anyone that should have been able to compete against him.
I almost never single out Boogie, but this loss is primarily on him.

He is looking and acting the same way he did in previous years when he was beaten/injured.
He can't (or won't) jump anymore.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#24
Initially, I always thought that two things were certain in life. I now have come to the conclusion that there is a third, and that is a loss to Miami on a yearly basis. The two Johnson's and scrubs was all it took to get a W with their aggressive defense and chucking three point barrage.

I didn't mind Cousins coming back into the game, I felt it should of been around the 5 minute mark though and George Joerger should of allowed the bench to ride out the momentum some more. Barnes returning was head scratching, coach should of allowed Afflalo to stay in the game, he was hot all game long.

For the majority of the game, the Heat were playing four guards and a forward at center and got away with highway robbery. They pick and rolled Cousins to death when he was in there and put a fast player on him that can disrupt him. Teams should mimic this approach until the Kings prove they can beat it. Collison was back to being a no show, he had no business finishing the game either.
 
K

KingsFan80

Guest
#26
Not only that but he yanked them early. Cousins and Barnes were back in with nearly 8 minutes to go. Yesterday Cousins was having a huge game and he didnt re-enter in the fourth until the 5 minute mark. As soon as Cousins and Barnes returned the momentum swung back to Miami instantly.
Barnes sucks. Guy turns the ball over every other time he touches it and he cannot shoot
 
#27
I don't have many issues with Joerger putting Cuz back in. This isn't about this one game even if it may come back to haunt them. It's not the thing that will keep them out of the playoff picture, it's still the 3 point defense. They didn't deserve this one tonight and got beat the way teams know they can beat these guys.
This. You put your star player in regardless of how they've done and Cousins has shown he can get really hot in the 4th when he's had a bad 3 quarters. The problem was there was no adjustment made when he was put back in. It was still "feed Cuz no matter what" even though the Heat were doing an amazing job fronting him and preventing interior passes. People are also being relentlessly negative on putting Barnes back in but other than the braindead tech, he was definitely holding his own and getting clutch point down the stretch.

You can talk about the rotation all you want, but a lineup with Temple/Afflalo/Tolliver/Kosta is not going to get it done against decent teams down the stretch. They could have gotten it done tonight, but it's not really the point. You go a little too long with that type of lineup and it can get REALLY ugly even easier than it can continue. Joerger may have pulled then out too early but I think the thought is more for a realistic rotation down the stretch against decent teams than what made sense on paper here and that's that the backup lineup could compete with the Heat on a skill level as opposed to just riding the momentum. I definitely questioned Barnes coming back in but he wasn't what lost us the game down the line. Barnes should in no way being covering Johnson and he did all he could on that 3pt play. Can't fault him for that.


My biggest problem is Malachi getting 0 play time while Ben trots his inept leg up and down NBA hardwood. I'm simply trying to figure what could Malachi do on the court that could be worse than Ben and can't come up with it. Can he make the most basic passes in the sport of basketball? Is his ball handling above grade school level? If he yes to both, he is an improvement. If he can shoot >30% from three, he is a significant improvement. I'd also like to see some Papa because, again, I don't see what he could do that could be any more useless than what WCS does. Does he have an inkling of aggressiveness? If yes (and this man would have to be a literal 7' bag of cotton balls and bubbles to be no) he is an improvement.
 
#28
So many mistakes lead to this loss.

6. Cousins hanging out at the 3pt line all the time
7. That bench unit needed another minute or two of run
The bench had it going. Yeah it's a back-to-back and they'd already played long minutes but you let them finish it out and give them more rest the next game by playing the starters a bit longer and/or giving Richardson & Casspi (and Gay if he's healthy) some run.

Cousins going passive bothers me. I think it's mostly the big guy just being tired but I was really watching him during the Raptors game I went to where he did the same thing. It's almost like he gets frustrated when he can't get it going and drifts to the perimeter. I'd like to see him instead call for the ball in the post in games like that or ask out for a breather if you're too tired.
 
#29
I can think of no other player that has been given more chances to prove themselves that BMac. It became ridiculous along time ago. Swallow the hard truth: he is not an NBA player. I would rather be giving his minutes to Jimmer at this point. I was ready to trade or cut him 2 years ago. I just do not get it.
 
#30
Can we burn this thread before it starts. One of the most disheartening losses I can remember watching. I literally felt like we were playing a D league team.

I don't think we ever recovered from Ben bricking shot after shot in those first 3-4 minutes. We could have been up 12-0 no problem. I really hope he's only getting PT to showcase him, but even if that is the case, it's backfired tremendously. He's flat out bad.