I don't know how any Kings fan could not be happy with the progress this team has shown after only 25 games. Joerger and staff must be doing something right. Going 2 and 2 on the road trip and not only being competitive in all 4 games, but having a chance to win each of the two losses into the final seconds. Compare that to the earlier road trip where they were just overwhelmed. The thing is you can still see a lot of mistakes that will improve over time, but you can also see flashes of why these young guys have so much potential. I know the "lin" crowd is disappointed with the win, but learning how to win is part of the development. Coaching and playing to lose would send the wrong message. I'm still going to preach patience, there will still be some bad games, some bad performances. I think you are going to see opponents start to take the Kings more serious and adjust their preparation and performance accordingly. They will start to scout the Kings more. The Kings will need to make adjustments as the season goes on.
The Kings have gone from playing some of the most non-competitive basketball I have ever seen in 25 years to be downright competitive and fun to watch.
When 20 point routes was the norm, their point differential was -14 per 100 possessions, which corresponds to a 65-70 loss team. Their win-loss record was actually 2-3 games better than this metric would indicate. They were an embarrassment.
Since the line-up switch with Willie going to the bench and Frank inserted into the rotation, their record is 5-6 and we have seen their point differential decrease to -10.7 (98.3 to 109.0 per 100 possession). Still not good but it is progress! (This stretch still included two blowouts, vs. MIL @ DEN)
When Buddy Buckets went 7-9 from 3s against LAC he ranked 21st in 3 point accuracy. At the time I said "don't worry Kings fans he will be Top 10 soon"..... Well now Buddy Buckets is up to 47% from behind the arc for 5th in the NBA !!! Take that haters.
Those who wanted to ordain Boggy as the better player need to take a step back. Boggy can't torch the nets like Buddy. He doesn't have the footwork, off-the-ball activity level, relentlessness or scoring mentality. Now I do not mean to criticize Boggy. Boggy can do things better than Buddy, like defend and pass. But Buddy is the superior and more instinctive scorer with
the cold-blooded dagger to send the game to OT against his former team!
I am anticipating Buddy will get his average to 15+ PPG soon. This is where he needs to be based on his efficiency and will easily happen when he gets the number of shots per game he should be getting. He was at 9 FGAs per game. He should be closer to 15 FGAs per game with his efficiency on the rise (57% TS% compare to 52% TS team).
Now onto Z-Bong:
Its time to reconsider this player who has found the fountain of youth. He absolutely torched Boogie last night including a play in OT in which he elbowed him to the chops under the rim then launched a corner 3 as the shot clock expired. That's called adding insult to injury, or injury then insult. I loved it!
My pre-season and early season assessment of Randolph is that you can NOT win or even compete with a player wallowing around 50% TS who gives you nothing on defense (besides post defense), and that in order for a player of his style to have any value he would have to do 55% to 60% TS to become even a net neutral to positive player.
His decline in efficiency did not bode well or justify the 2/24:
- 2014-15 (54% TS)
- 2015-16 (52% TS)
- Last year (49% TS)
Look at the trend line for a 36 year old player. This was not pretty. Then something happened. His former coach built an offense around him and he used the first two to three weeks of the season to get into his rotund frame into shape (per his standards) and also decided to make some 3s!
(37% on 3s after being a non 3 point shooter his whole career; 19 makes so far on pace to shatter last season total of 21 and career high of 25)
Z-Bo is now up to 56% TS with help of the long ball and crafty inside moves. That's quite the unexpected surprise. And I will admit to being wrong about this guy! I did not see this coming. I do not know if this will last and he will revert to his below average efficiency but for now Randolph deserves to play 25-30 MPG whereas previously I had only seen him as a 10-15 MPG player. Certainly going up against centers has helped.
At this point its fair to say Randolph is MORE valuable as a vet to our youth than Hill because with Randolph we are running offense through him and guys like Fox and Buddy and Boggy are running off him to get free on the weak side or cuts to the rim. We don't have anyone else who demands this attention. So despite the frustration with his immobility as a defender and rebounder, and black hole nature, Z-Bong represents the best we have to trot out there.