Breaking down Tyreke Evens

[Telemachus]

It is rare to find a good article on the Kings written by a national writer, but here is an article by Zack Lowe that does a very good job of breaking down the strengths, weaknesses, and possible futures of Tyreke Evens.

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/09/05/tyreke-evans-sacramento-kings-keith-smart/

 

[DesertFox]

Great article, nothing necessarily new, but great insight and nice to have Smart's comments in there.

Something I overlook with Brooks is his ability to run the pick and roll. He did a nice job with Yao when he was younger, and in his MIP season did good things with Scola.

I've been sort of glued to the idea of Evans rim driving ability being tied to having him being the primary ballhandler like Wade or James. But maybe if he can translate it to off-the-ball cuts and double screens, I can sort of see a real plan in place. Tyreke may not be that all-nba stud, but a winning Dennis Johnson beats being a Larry Hughes or Ricky Davis.

If IT/Brooks can hit shots and keep Cuz happy, and James Johnson learns how to shoot, this could actually work. There is still a lot more D and shooting missing, but a nice trade piece in MT.

I'm still not completely sure if Smart is a fool or a mad genius. I'm still heavily leaning leaning toward the former, but hoping for the latter.

 

[rainmaker]

Interesting. Anyone else catch this?

Defenders sag well below the screen, daring him to shoot. Evans did so often last season, in what Smart calls a “stubborn” attempt to prove he has an accurate jumper, even though Evans “hadn’t put in the real work” to develop one.

I seem to remember Smart pulling Reke and benching him for not taking enough jumpers. Now it was Reke who was stubborn?

Overall I agree with some, disagree with some. Reke obviously does not have the vision of a Rondo or CP3. He does struggle at time to pass out of traffic. He does struggle hitting guys on the move when there's a brief window. At the same time, despite what this author says, he does hit open shooters in the corner, only to see them miss at one of the worst rates in the league. He does hit guys curling off screens, again to see them miss at one of the worst rates in the league. I find it a bit ridiculous to only pick out Reke's problems with passing and seeing open shooters, without acknowledging just how poor our shooters are and how little respect the rest of the league has for them, and how that effects the spacing and closed down passing lanes. The author does mention some of that, but not in relation to Reke.

The other thing is while I think Reke does have to improve off the ball, he has a higher ceiling with the ball. While he does need to improve as a spot up shooter,it should never be expected that that is the way Reke would most impact a game. I also don't mind Reke being moved off the ball, IF there's more plays run for him and he's involved. How come when teammates repeatedly miss an open Reke, their vision isn't questioned, and when he's standing in the corner one possession after another, Smart isn't called into question? There's also the small reality that with Reke with the ball in his hands and far less talent than last years team, we posted a similar winning % his rookie year as we did with him off the ball, in the corner, with far more talent last year. Results speak. If we start winning and march towards the playoff with Reke off the ball, I'll be happy. If we continue to flounder next year, there will be problems, most likely resulting in Reke going elsewhere and being developed by a real coach and a competent organization.

I could go on but I'll wait and see. I don't trust Smart to implement this theory of his correctly, nor do I think he'll manage our backcourt well. And off the ball means crap until i see how it's implemented. Wade, Granger, Korver and Dudley all play off the ball, but in completely different roles.

 

[bajaden]

Interesting. Anyone else catch this?


I seem to remember Smart pulling Reke and benching him for not taking enough jumpers. Now it was Reke who was stubborn?

Overall I agree with some, disagree with some. Reke obviously does not have the vision of a Rondo or CP3. He does struggle at time to pass out of traffic. He does struggle hitting guys on the move when there's a brief window. At the same time, despite what this author says, he does hit open shooters in the corner, only to see them miss at one of the worst rates in the league. He does hit guys curling off screens, again to see them miss at one of the worst rates in the league. I find it a bit ridiculous to only pick out Reke's problems with passing and seeing open shooters, without acknowledging just how poor our shooters are and how little respect the rest of the league has for them, and how that effects the spacing and closed down passing lanes. The author does mention some of that, but not in relation to Reke.

The other thing is while I think Reke does have to improve off the ball, he has a higher ceiling with the ball. While he does need to improve as a spot up shooter,it should never be expected that that is the way Reke would most impact a game. I also don't mind Reke being moved off the ball, IF there's more plays run for him and he's involved. How come when teammates repeatedly miss an open Reke, their vision isn't questioned, and when he's standing in the corner one possession after another, Smart isn't called into question? There's also the small reality that with Reke with the ball in his hands and far less talent than last years team, we posted a similar winning % his rookie year as we did with him off the ball, in the corner, with far more talent last year. Results speak. If we start winning and march towards the playoff with Reke off the ball, I'll be happy. If we continue to flounder next year, there will be problems, most likely resulting in Reke going elsewhere and being developed by a real coach and a competent organization.

I could go on but I'll wait and see. I don't trust Smart to implement this theory of his correctly, nor do I think he'll manage our backcourt well. And off the ball means crap until i see how it's implemented. Wade, Granger, Korver and Dudley all play off the ball, but in completely different roles.

Wow! You and I had an entirely different take on this article. I pretty much agreed with everything in it. I thought it was accurate and fair. Remember, the analysis was of Tyreke, not the people in the corners that missed the shots. If you look at the article from the presprective of being about Tyreke, then its a fairly accurate article. I guess I'm not as down on Smart as some of you are. I've actually been impressed with some of what he's done. And he does seem to have a plan. Now whether it works or not is another matter. But considering that the franchise has had nothing but disaray for the last 4 years, it might be nice to have a coach that actually has a plan in mind. I guess we'll see if it works...

 

[Agent23]

I liked the article and he was very fair about his assesment. As much as Reke has improved off the ball, I still am enticed by the idea of him still being on the ball and becoming better with the ball in his hands. He needs to spend more time watching videos and picking the right times to attack. I would hate to see him leave and then with the right coach and team, become an absolute monster. Plays need to be ran for him in conjunction with Big Cuz setting screens on and off the ball for Reke.