In depth Statistical Analysis of the Kings: Tyreke Evans

[The_Jamal]

I decided to take a closer look at the Kings 5 best players, (Reke, Cousins, Thornton, JT, and IT) and see where they excelled and what needs to be addressed in the offseason and improvement in their games. I’ll be using combined information from synergy sports and basketball reference for this info. Enjoy!

Tyreke Evans:

16.5 PPG, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds 1.3 steals 2.7 turnovers. 51% TS, 46% eFG%, 22% Ast, 14% TO rate, 23% USG, and posting a 103 Ortg, 2 OWS’s, and 0.59 WS/48 on the year.


He scored 0.86 PPP overall (264th in the NBA). His 3 strengths this season came from cutting to the rim (1.31 PPP converted baskets at a 69% clip), ISO situations, (0.74 PPP, converting 37% good for 129th in NBA) and as a PnR ball handler (0.71 PPP converting 35% good for 109th in NBA) His spot-up numbers were horrid posting a .70 PPP converting baskets at a 32% clip , 19% from 3, and was ranked 293rd in the NBA in these situations


He allowed 0.88 PPP (points per possession) overall on defense (good for 278th in the NBA) and when defending in ISO situations (0.70 PP, good for 87th in the NBA) allowed opponents to shoot 31% and PnR ball handlers (0.79 PPP, good for 107th in the NBA) allowing opponents to shoot 42%. . He allowed spot up shooters this season to get 1.01 PPP in those situations (good for 255th in the NBA)


Analysis:


Offense-

I’m actually far more impressed this season with his offensive numbers than I’ve been in his whole career. He was able to maintain is playmaking ability from the off-guard spot which is a great sign for us moving forward. He found a way to work off the ball and become a relatively efficient scorer working without the basketball. What’s frustrating is how good this guy could be if he could stretch a defense. He’s already posted strong numbers in most other areas of scoring (transition, cutting to the rim, ISO situations, working in the PnR) with defenses knowing what he’s going to do. It’s a credit to him and his talent level that he’s still able to get solid production other ways without being able to score outside of 5 feet.

However, it always comes back to the same elephant in the room of him: He needs a jumpshot. It’d be an interesting project to look at, but I’d be willing to bet he was among the worst jump-shooters this season amongst starting level guards this season. Of his 119 spot-up jump shots, (49 of them 3s) he was only able to convert at a 32% clip and even a more pitiful 19% from 3. This flat out has to improve if he wants to take his game to the next level and be an elite offensive player in this league. His inability to hit outside shots not only hurts him, but other guys Cousins as well. Defenders can help off Evans and double Cousins with worrying about Evans hurting them from the outside. The correct route for Reke would be for him to just abandon the 3pt shot Ala Wade. Wade was able to keep a defense honest shooting 42% in spot-up situations and only took 11 3s in 83 spot up attempts. His offensive game is so close to being on the next level. It’s up to him now to finally take the time and work out a respectable mid-range game.


Defense-

Reke managed to show signs of being at the very least an above average defender and potential to be elite down the line. His defensive numbers were overall solid, with the only blemish being his inability to defend spot-up shooters. They absolutely torched him this season scoring over a point per possession which is unacceptable for a guy who does well in other facets of defense. Being in the top 100 ISO defenders is fantastic to see as a guard, and just missed the cut for being top 100 in off-screen defense and PnR Ball Handlers. The potential for him to be the elite defender we want is certainly within his grasp, it’s just a matter of him putting it all together and taking his game to the next level.

I’d like to see Reke put in a higher level of effort on defense every night and not take nights off. Being that poor at defending shooters is inexcusable when he did so well in ISO and PnR situations. His defensive metrics indicate he can be one of the top guard defenders in the league by as early as next season. He just has to learn to close out on a more consistent basis and bring the same level of high intensity every night.

Conclusion-


Tyreke is really right on the cusp of being a fantastic basketball player and joining the leagues "elite" guard status. He began adjusting rather well to his off-ball role by the end of the year and his numbers began to reflect it. Really, he's already above average in virtually every category of basketball you can think of; except for the 1 thing that holds him back from being an elite player. Having a jumper that defenses have to respect will open his game up so much and take all his current "very good" skills and turn them into "elite" skills. I'm glad I did this little project as it reopened my eyes to how good of a player Tyreke can be with improving a few aspects of his game. This summer will be crucial for him to add the jumper and make it a weapon, rather than a hindrance. The same goes for his defensive ability. Being that poor at defending spot-up shooters indicates a lack of effort rather than a lack of skill. He will be amongst the leagues best guard defenders once he understands/realizes that he can lock down anyone with bringing a high level of effort and intensity. Here's to hoping that Reke adds the last few aspects to his game this summer!

Thanks for reading. Let me know who you'd like a review of next!

 

[Sac.1989]

moving him to the two hasnt looked like slowing his assist numbers up considerably. Its a move we need to build off going into next season.

Going off comments he is very very focused on getting that J right this offseason. Its priority

 

[ParniValjak]

moving him to the two hasnt looked like slowing his assist numbers up considerably. Its a move we need to build off going into next season.

Going off comments he is very very focused on getting that J right this offseason. Its priority

Call me crazy but I am really intrigued with Evans - Williams pairing. If we had a Batum type at SF and Williams and Reke at guard position, that could be a really good perimeter both offensively and defensively. Now granted both Evans and Williams would need to get a better jump shot but those guys have enough ability to run the offense and could be super damaging defensively. With those 3 we would have 3 players who can guard multiple positions well and that would give us enormous defensive advantage.

Yes there will be those that would say the offense would suck because neither is a PG and point to assist numbers but MEH, some of the best teams in the league have worst assist numbers. Give me the Spurs offense and defense over the last 15 years than the Suns/Warriors run and gun crap of the last 10-15 years.

 

[jalfa]

great thread! looking at Tyreke's jumper in the last few weeks, he definitely has regained some of his confidence in it and has been shooting a lot better. an offseason with the shot doc should help things even more. he's also been clicking with Cousins, which obviously is huge. if those two develop the right chemistry and the Kings figure out a way to successfully feature Tyreke and Thornton at the same time, the team would be in pretty good shape.

as for this:

However, it always comes back to the same elephant in the room of him: He needs a jumpshot. It’d be an interesting project to look at, but I’d be willing to bet he was among the worst jump-shooters this season amongst starting level guards this season.

you can find some stuff here: http://www.kirkgoldsberry.com/courtvision.htm

 

[bajaden]

I decided to take a closer look at the Kings 5 best players, (Reke, Cousins, Thornton, JT, and IT) and see where they excelled and what needs to be addressed in the offseason and improvement in their games. I’ll be using combined information from synergy sports and basketball reference for this info. Enjoy!

Tyreke Evans:

16.5 PPG, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds 1.3 steals 2.7 turnovers. 51% TS, 46% eFG%, 22% Ast, 14% TO rate, 23% USG, and posting a 103 Ortg, 2 OWS’s, and 0.59 WS/48 on the year.


He scored 0.86 PPP overall (264th in the NBA). His 3 strengths this season came from cutting to the rim (1.31 PPP converted baskets at a 69% clip), ISO situations, (0.74 PPP, converting 37% good for 129th in NBA) and as a PnR ball handler (0.71 PPP converting 35% good for 109th in NBA) His spot-up numbers were horrid posting a .70 PPP converting baskets at a 32% clip , 19% from 3, and was ranked 293rd in the NBA in these situations


He allowed 0.88 PPP (points per possession) overall on defense (good for 278th in the NBA) and when defending in ISO situations (0.70 PP, good for 87th in the NBA) allowed opponents to shoot 31% and PnR ball handlers (0.79 PPP, good for 107th in the NBA) allowing opponents to shoot 42%. . He allowed spot up shooters this season to get 1.01 PPP in those situations (good for 255th in the NBA)


Analysis:


Offense-

I’m actually far more impressed this season with his offensive numbers than I’ve been in his whole career. He was able to maintain is playmaking ability from the off-guard spot which is a great sign for us moving forward. He found a way to work off the ball and become a relatively efficient scorer working without the basketball. What’s frustrating is how good this guy could be if he could stretch a defense. He’s already posted strong numbers in most other areas of scoring (transition, cutting to the rim, ISO situations, working in the PnR) with defenses knowing what he’s going to do. It’s a credit to him and his talent level that he’s still able to get solid production other ways without being able to score outside of 5 feet.

However, it always comes back to the same elephant in the room of him: He needs a jumpshot. It’d be an interesting project to look at, but I’d be willing to bet he was among the worst jump-shooters this season amongst starting level guards this season. Of his 119 spot-up jump shots, (49 of them 3s) he was only able to convert at a 32% clip and even a more pitiful 19% from 3. This flat out has to improve if he wants to take his game to the next level and be an elite offensive player in this league. His inability to hit outside shots not only hurts him, but other guys Cousins as well. Defenders can help off Evans and double Cousins with worrying about Evans hurting them from the outside. The correct route for Reke would be for him to just abandon the 3pt shot Ala Wade. Wade was able to keep a defense honest shooting 42% in spot-up situations and only took 11 3s in 83 spot up attempts. His offensive game is so close to being on the next level. It’s up to him now to finally take the time and work out a respectable mid-range game.


Defense-

Reke managed to show signs of being at the very least an above average defender and potential to be elite down the line. His defensive numbers were overall solid, with the only blemish being his inability to defend spot-up shooters. They absolutely torched him this season scoring over a point per possession which is unacceptable for a guy who does well in other facets of defense. Being in the top 100 ISO defenders is fantastic to see as a guard, and just missed the cut for being top 100 in off-screen defense and PnR Ball Handlers. The potential for him to be the elite defender we want is certainly within his grasp, it’s just a matter of him putting it all together and taking his game to the next level.

I’d like to see Reke put in a higher level of effort on defense every night and not take nights off. Being that poor at defending shooters is inexcusable when he did so well in ISO and PnR situations. His defensive metrics indicate he can be one of the top guard defenders in the league by as early as next season. He just has to learn to close out on a more consistent basis and bring the same level of high intensity every night.

Conclusion-


Tyreke is really right on the cusp of being a fantastic basketball player and joining the leagues "elite" guard status. He began adjusting rather well to his off-ball role by the end of the year and his numbers began to reflect it. Really, he's already above average in virtually every category of basketball you can think of; except for the 1 thing that holds him back from being an elite player. Having a jumper that defenses have to respect will open his game up so much and take all his current "very good" skills and turn them into "elite" skills. I'm glad I did this little project as it reopened my eyes to how good of a player Tyreke can be with improving a few aspects of his game. This summer will be crucial for him to add the jumper and make it a weapon, rather than a hindrance. The same goes for his defensive ability. Being that poor at defending spot-up shooters indicates a lack of effort rather than a lack of skill. He will be amongst the leagues best guard defenders once he understands/realizes that he can lock down anyone with bringing a high level of effort and intensity. Here's to hoping that Reke adds the last few aspects to his game this summer!

Thanks for reading. Let me know who you'd like a review of next!

Excellent Analysis! You stole my thunder, since I was doing research for a similar project. But well done. I've said for some time that Tyreke should follow Wade's trail to midrange success. On the other side of the ball, Tyreke has been given a free pass as a defender because he came with defensive credentials. But there are times when he has mental lapses. Two games ago, Hayes got in Tyreke's face because he forgot to rotate and cover Hayes back. It was heated and Tyreke listened. But as you said, the point is that Tyreke has the ability to be a defensive stopper, and a cornerstone of our offense.

His moving without the ball has improved dramaticly, as has his ability to drive and dish. Offensively, his only need, is to keep defensives honest. And as pointed out by you, that would help not only Tyreke, but it will help anyone in the post area, namely Cousins.

 

[The_Jamal]

Excellent Analysis! You stole my thunder, since I was doing research for a similar project. But well done. I've said for some time that Tyreke should follow Wade's trail to midrange success. On the other side of the ball, Tyreke has been given a free pass as a defender because he came with defensive credentials. But there are times when he has mental lapses. Two games ago, Hayes got in Tyreke's face because he forgot to rotate and cover Hayes back. It was heated and Tyreke listened. But as you said, the point is that Tyreke has the ability to be a defensive stopper, and a cornerstone of our offense.

His moving without the ball has improved dramaticly, as has his ability to drive and dish. Offensively, his only need, is to keep defensives honest. And as pointed out by you, that would help not only Tyreke, but it will help anyone in the post area, namely Cousins.

I was really amazed how well he was actually doing in other facets of scoring. Defenses know "If I take penetration away, he can't score" and yet he was able to be above average in most categories outside of shooting. The great/scary thing is that once he's able to hit jumpers at a respectable clip, it's going to take his other skills as an iso player, PnR ball-handler, cutter, working off screens etc to a whole different level. It's a very similar situation to Rose's skill level before he learned how to shoot. Once he added a jumper defense's had to respect, he became one of the most explosive and best offensive players in the NBA. Tyreke isn't the same kind of passer/playmaker as Rose, but I feel he can be a better scorer from the 2 guard spot since there's very few guards who can handle his size/strength/speed.

 

[bajaden]

Call me crazy but I am really intrigued with Evans - Williams pairing. If we had a Batum type at SF and Williams and Reke at guard position, that could be a really good perimeter both offensively and defensively. Now granted both Evans and Williams would need to get a better jump shot but those guys have enough ability to run the offense and could be super damaging defensively. With those 3 we would have 3 players who can guard multiple positions well and that would give us enormous defensive advantage.

Yes there will be those that would say the offense would suck because neither is a PG and point to assist numbers but MEH, some of the best teams in the league have worst assist numbers. Give me the Spurs offense and defense over the last 15 years than the Suns/Warriors run and gun crap of the last 10-15 years.

Your dead wrong on this assist thing. I will grant you that some of the best teams in the league don't have the traditional PG that has 9 or 10 assists a night. But those teams still move the ball regularly and end up with good assist numbers team wise. I'm doing research right now on every win we had this past season and the assist numbers in those wins, compared to our losses, along with some of the totals of the top teams. When I post my results, I think you'll see what I'm talking about.

A team that averages high assist numbers and low turnover numbers, will win more games than they lose. But more importantly, it means that their playing as team. And in general, good team play wins basketball games. The opposite of that, is isolation play, where 1 to 3 players do all the scoring and create their own shot. If those three players are stars, it might get you into the playoffs. But seldom has a team won a championship without good team play in combination with having star players. There's a time and place for Iso, and you do need someone that can rise to the moment. But you have to first get to that moment.

 

[ESP47]

Excellent write up. Maybe I'm reading the stats wrong, but judging the stats and what I've seen with my eyes this year, Tyreke is not even close to an elite defender or even above average. He's good at 1 on 1 defense and pitiful at team defense. He constantly leaves his man wide open to go phantom double team some other player that ends up kicking it out to his guy for a 3. I just don't see why he gets accolades for his defense. Maybe it's because the rest of the team is so bad that hit makes him look better?

 

[Bricklayer]

Excellent write up. Maybe I'm reading the stats wrong, but judging the stats and what I've seen with my eyes this year, Tyreke is not even close to an elite defender or even above average. He's good at 1 on 1 defense and pitiful at team defense. He constantly leaves his man wide open to go phantom double team some other player that ends up kicking it out to his guy for a 3. I just don't see why he gets accolades for his defense. Maybe it's because the rest of the team is so bad that hit makes him look better?

Again, Tyreke's defensive numbers need to be taken with a huge grain of salt. A HUGE grain of salt. For three straight years he's been paired with awful defenders in the backcourt, meaning that we freuently switch the matchups to hide our weaker defenders, while Reke gets to take Westbrook, or Kobe, or whoever. Then this year we play him out of positon where he gives up huge size advantages every night. That's before we get to the help defense problem -- when your teammate gets beat every time down the floor what do you do?

But the stupid switch to SF is the thing that jumps out at you. Consider these nubmers from Reke's first 3 years in the league. Opponent PER per position:

09-10
PG-17.7
SG-16.1
SF-14.9

10-11
PG-13.9
SG-14.4
SF-10.9

11-12
PG-14.1
SG-18.5
SF- 37.0!!!

Average PER in the league is 15.0. Of course this is where the cross matching messes everything up too. According to Opp PER, Marcus Thornton is an average a defender. But of course Marcus Thornton isn't guarding his own man on many occasions. He's hiding off on somebody who won't light him up. That's the way its recorded too. Anybody who watched the last couple of games we played against OKC knows that we tried the amusing tactic of having Tyreke guard Westbrook, whiel IT guarded Sefalosha. But if you look at the PER stats, IT played 100% of his minutes this year at PG. That's because they at offensive position for per, and the Opponent per is jsut the counterpart lined up across from you, whether you guarded him or not. Not only that, but they don't always get the positons right. We switched Reke to SF this season for the second half. Everybody knows that right? Not 82 games. They have Reke playing 1% of his games at SF. Meanwhile Marcus is accused of playing 23% of his minutes at SF.

Here are what 82games.com thinks was our player floor time percentages this year:
IT
PG- 56%
SG- 0%
SF- 0%

Reke
PG- 25%
SG- 41%
SF- 1%

Thornton
PG- 0%
SG- 39%
SF- 23%

Now does that look remotely right to you? Did anybody else see Reke spending most of the year at SG, and almost none of it at SF? Or the tiems IT was guarding somebody other than a PG? What that tells you is that the defensive stats aren't going to be accurate, sometimes at all, because they aren't based on real matchups. Especially in the above case, its pretty clear they called Reke the SG and Thronton the SF, thus defensively Reke gets credited with all of Thornton's SG work, and vice versa. Its just a mess.

 

[bajaden]

Again, Tyreke's defensive numbers need to be taken with a huge grain of salt. A HUGE grain of salt. For three straight years he's been paired with awful defenders in the backcourt, meaning that we freuently switch the matchups to hide our weaker defenders, while Reke gets to take Westbrook, or Kobe, or whoever. Then this year we play him out of positon where he gives up huge size advantages every night. That's before we get to the help defense problem -- when your teammate gets beat every time down the floor what do you do?

But the stupid switch to SF is the thing that jumps out at you. Consider these nubmers from Reke's first 3 years in the league. Opponent PER per position:

09-10
PG-17.7
SG-16.1
SF-14.9

10-11
PG-13.9
SG-14.4
SF-10.9

11-12
PG-14.1
SG-18.5
SF- 37.0!!!

Average PER in the league is 15.0. Of course this is where the cross matching messes everything up too. According to Opp PER, Marcus Thornton is an average a defender. But of course Marcus Thornton isn't guarding his own man on many occasions. He's hiding off on somebody who won't light him up. That's the way its recorded too. Anybody who watched the last couple of games we played against OKC knows that we tried the amusing tactic of having Tyreke guard Westbrook, whiel IT guarded Sefalosha. But if you look at the PER stats, IT played 100% of his minutes this year at PG. That's because they at offensive position for per, and the Opponent per is jsut the counterpart lined up across from you, whether you guarded him or not. Not only that, but they don't always get the positons right. We switched Reke to SF this season for the second half. Everybody knows that right? Not 82 games. They have Reke playing 1% of his games at SF. Meanwhile Marcus is accused of playing 23% of his minutes at SF.

Here are what 82games.com thinks was our player floor time percentages this year:
IT
PG- 56%
SG- 0%
SF- 0%

Reke
PG- 25%
SG- 41%
SF- 1%

Thornton
PG- 0%
SG- 39%
SF- 23%

Now does that look remotely right to you? Did anybody else see Reke spending most of the year at SG, and almost none of it at SF? Or the tiems IT was guarding somebody other than a PG? What that tells you is that the defensive stats aren't going to be accurate, sometimes at all, because they aren't based on real matchups. Especially in the above case, its pretty clear they called Reke the SG and Thronton the SF, thus defensively Reke gets credited with all of Thornton's SG work, and vice versa. Its just a mess.

Your dead right! Having Tyreke at SF is just nonsense. I've always felt his best position is SG, where he'll still handle the ball, but he's not stuck with the responsibility of bringing the ball up everytime. Plus, we wouldn't have to listen to all the naysayers when Tyreke plays the point. I know people want to focus on his jumpshot at the expense of noting the things he has improved at. Its always easier to eat your own, because their closer, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, in many cases, you don't know how good someone is, until their slicing and dicing you up after you've traded them. I don't want that to happen with Tyreke. Doesn't mean I wouldn't trade him for the right player, but the likelyhood of that is slim.

On the defensive side, Tyreke has the ability to be a very good man defender. But good defense, is team defense, and one player can't make enough of a difference if your team defense is bad. And folks, ours is bad. Very bad. People tend to focus in on our perimeter players getting beat. Would we all agree that Westbrook is a pretty good defensive player? Well I watched him last night get beat into the lane by Kidd, over and over again. How is that possible? Well, Kidd knows how to use a pick properly, and I give a damm how good a defensive one on one player you are, the other player can be freed up by a well set pick.

So how do you defend against that. Good team defense. You big stops the ball, and someone else rotates over to cover the basket. Yes, you might still leave someone open somewhere, but if done properly, its a semi contested 3 pt shot at worse. What it isn't, is a layup drill. Layups are usually 80 to 100% sure. 3pt shots range from 30 to 40%. So I'll take the 3pt shot all day long over letting the other team just parade to the basket. It not that we don't have the players to play good team defense, its just that at times they're making the wrong decision, or they're making no decision at all and just staying home. The latter one is the one I detest. Its called playing it safe. Hey, I covered my man!

As you said, its a mess, and Tyreke is in the middle of that mess. And, anyone in the middle of that mess is going to look bad. By the way, since no one has mentioned it, Jimmers defense has gotten better. Its a long long way from decent or good, but at least its a start. Of course, they do mainly play a zone when he's on the floor.

One final thing. If I hear Grant or Jerry say one more time that no one can post up IT, I'm going to vomit. Thats the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. If we were in the playoffs against a top team, IT would get posted up over and over again. You can hide a lot of things on the court with your defense, but you can't hide a 5'9" player. And I'm not trying to be critical of IT. He works hard on defense. But his trying to guard a Kidd or a Westbrook in the post without help just wouldn't work.

 

[The_Jamal]

Again, Tyreke's defensive numbers need to be taken with a huge grain of salt. A HUGE grain of salt. For three straight years he's been paired with awful defenders in the backcourt, meaning that we freuently switch the matchups to hide our weaker defenders, while Reke gets to take Westbrook, or Kobe, or whoever. Then this year we play him out of positon where he gives up huge size advantages every night. That's before we get to the help defense problem -- when your teammate gets beat every time down the floor what do you do?

But the stupid switch to SF is the thing that jumps out at you. Consider these nubmers from Reke's first 3 years in the league. Opponent PER per position:

09-10
PG-17.7
SG-16.1
SF-14.9

10-11
PG-13.9
SG-14.4
SF-10.9

11-12
PG-14.1
SG-18.5
SF- 37.0!!!

Average PER in the league is 15.0. Of course this is where the cross matching messes everything up too. According to Opp PER, Marcus Thornton is an average a defender. But of course Marcus Thornton isn't guarding his own man on many occasions. He's hiding off on somebody who won't light him up. That's the way its recorded too. Anybody who watched the last couple of games we played against OKC knows that we tried the amusing tactic of having Tyreke guard Westbrook, whiel IT guarded Sefalosha. But if you look at the PER stats, IT played 100% of his minutes this year at PG. That's because they at offensive position for per, and the Opponent per is jsut the counterpart lined up across from you, whether you guarded him or not. Not only that, but they don't always get the positons right. We switched Reke to SF this season for the second half. Everybody knows that right? Not 82 games. They have Reke playing 1% of his games at SF. Meanwhile Marcus is accused of playing 23% of his minutes at SF.

Here are what 82games.com thinks was our player floor time percentages this year:
IT
PG- 56%
SG- 0%
SF- 0%

Reke
PG- 25%
SG- 41%
SF- 1%

Thornton
PG- 0%
SG- 39%
SF- 23%

Now does that look remotely right to you? Did anybody else see Reke spending most of the year at SG, and almost none of it at SF? Or the tiems IT was guarding somebody other than a PG? What that tells you is that the defensive stats aren't going to be accurate, sometimes at all, because they aren't based on real matchups. Especially in the above case, its pretty clear they called Reke the SG and Thronton the SF, thus defensively Reke gets credited with all of Thornton's SG work, and vice versa. Its just a mess.

Well first off, PER is a highly flawed stat in itself. It rewards inefficiency and inflates certain aspects of offense that shouldn't be inflated. Synergy is a far more accurate look at your defensive numbers and thus the reason I used it for this. It doesn't matter who or what position you're guarding; only if your opponent made, missed, or turned the ball over while you're guarding that player. So it's inaccurate to say that his defensive numbers are wrong. Now, it's a different story/argument if Reke should ever be guarding the 3 position. But the stats are not wrong

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Opponent PER per position:

11-12
PG-14.1
SG-18.5
SF- 37.0!!!

They have Reke playing 1% of his games at SF. Meanwhile Marcus is accused of playing 23% of his minutes at SF.

Reke
PG- 25%
SG- 41%
SF- 1%

Thornton
PG- 0%
SG- 39%
SF- 23%

Especially in the above case, its pretty clear they called Reke the SG and Thronton the SF, thus defensively Reke gets credited with all of Thornton's SG work, and vice versa. Its just a mess.

Yeah, that's a real muck. It's also pretty obvious that the pathetic 37.0 PER against is based on a VERY small sample size. I do wish we had access to some, let's say more reliable, defensive stats.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Well first off, PER is a highly flawed stat in itself. It rewards inefficiency and inflates certain aspects of offense that shouldn't be inflated. Synergy is a far more accurate look at your defensive numbers and thus the reason I used it for this.

Synergy is a pay site, right?

 

[The_Jamal]

Synergy is a pay site, right?

It is, but just there basic stat package is free.

 

[VF21]

...You can hide a lot of things on the court with your defense, but you can't hide a 5'9" player. And I'm not trying to be critical of IT. He works hard on defense. But his trying to guard a Kidd or a Westbrook in the post without help just wouldn't work.

Sure you can. Put him behind a 6'6" player. D)

Seriously, as much as I like IT and what he brings, I totally agree that the amount of sugary rhetoric coming from Grant and Jerry surpassed their previous record of instant diabetic coma induction. (And that, for those who might not remember, was when they suddenly discovered the previously un-noticed Kevin Martin as having the potential to be "better than Reggie Miller.")

Grant and Jerry need to put down the pipe,which unfortunately isn't going to happen. Jerry at least is somewhat honest about being a company man. Grant is ... well, that's a tale for another day.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

It is, but just there basic stat package is free.

Hmm. Well I sure as heck can't figure out how to get any stats (or frankly anything) off of their site. I can't get anything outside of the main pages that try to describe how great their stuff is. Is it online or is it some sort of download?

 

[Kingster]

Call me crazy but I am really intrigued with Evans - Williams pairing. If we had a Batum type at SF and Williams and Reke at guard position, that could be a really good perimeter both offensively and defensively. Now granted both Evans and Williams would need to get a better jump shot but those guys have enough ability to run the offense and could be super damaging defensively. With those 3 we would have 3 players who can guard multiple positions well and that would give us enormous defensive advantage.

Yes there will be those that would say the offense would suck because neither is a PG and point to assist numbers but MEH, some of the best teams in the league have worst assist numbers. Give me the Spurs offense and defense over the last 15 years than the Suns/Warriors run and gun crap of the last 10-15 years.

And Tony Parker >> T-Will at point guard, so the team you're idealizing isn't the team that's on the floor. .

 

[Kingster]

Excellent write up. Maybe I'm reading the stats wrong, but judging the stats and what I've seen with my eyes this year, Tyreke is not even close to an elite defender or even above average. He's good at 1 on 1 defense and pitiful at team defense. He constantly leaves his man wide open to go phantom double team some other player that ends up kicking it out to his guy for a 3. I just don't see why he gets accolades for his defense. Maybe it's because the rest of the team is so bad that hit makes him look better?

Totally agree. He should be a lot better than he is at this point in his career. IMO, he was a better defensive player his rookie year. He made more of an impact and made big defensive plays to win games. I saw Tyreke loafing a lot this year. You're point on when it comes to the phantom double teams. To me, those phantom double teams were more of an excuse to take a breather. Maybe this is why the nutritionist is such a big thing - to give him more energy to play D on a consistent basis.

 

[ParniValjak]

Your dead wrong on this assist thing. I will grant you that some of the best teams in the league don't have the traditional PG that has 9 or 10 assists a night. But those teams still move the ball regularly and end up with good assist numbers team wise. I'm doing research right now on every win we had this past season and the assist numbers in those wins, compared to our losses, along with some of the totals of the top teams. When I post my results, I think you'll see what I'm talking about.

A team that averages high assist numbers and low turnover numbers, will win more games than they lose. But more importantly, it means that their playing as team. And in general, good team play wins basketball games. The opposite of that, is isolation play, where 1 to 3 players do all the scoring and create their own shot. If those three players are stars, it might get you into the playoffs. But seldom has a team won a championship without good team play in combination with having star players. There's a time and place for Iso, and you do need someone that can rise to the moment. But you have to first get to that moment.

Assists per game (as a team this year)

OKC (30th in the league)
IND (29th)
MEM (25th)
MIA (21st)
Orlando (20th)
Dallas (15th)
LAC (13th)
UTAH (11th)
PHI (10th)
ATL (8th)
LAL (7th)
CHI (5th)
SAS (4th)
BOS (2nd)
DEN (1st)

I look at that list, and a lot of the great teams are down the bottom. OKC (IMHO will win the west) is dead last and Miami is 21st. Hardly a stat that says that you have to have high assist numbers as a team to be a contender.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Assists per game (as a team this year)

OKC (30th in the league)
IND (29th)
MEM (25th)
MIA (21st)
Orlando (20th)
Dallas (15th)
LAC (13th)
UTAH (11th)
PHI (10th)
ATL (8th)
LAL (7th)
CHI (5th)
SAS (4th)
BOS (2nd)
DEN (1st)

I look at that list, and a lot of the great teams are down the bottom. OKC (IMHO will win the west) is dead last and Miami is 21st. Hardly a stat that says that you have to have high assist numbers as a team to be a contender.

I really hate using OKC as example of why our terrible assist numerbers are ok. I'm not saying YOU are doing that, but I've seen that used a lot of times around here.

That OKC team is so unique, and that starts with the fact that they have NO post scoring. None. If you put JT on that team he'd be the best post scorer they have. A lot of assists come from guards to bigs, and if your bigs can't score .. your assist numbers will be down. Then add in the fact that they have two 20+ ppg scorers, that team is a big time anomaly.

 

[The_Jamal]

I really hate using OKC as example of why our terrible assist numerbers are ok. I'm not saying YOU are doing that, but I've seen that used a lot of times around here.

That OKC team is so unique, and that starts with the fact that they have NO post scoring. None. If you put JT on that team he'd be the best post scorer they have. A lot of assists come from guards to bigs, and if your bigs can't score .. your assist numbers will be down. Then add in the fact that they have two 20+ ppg scorers, that team is a big time anomaly.

The top 4 contenders in the bottom 10 are actually all unique cases. Indy and Memphis are two of the most balanced scoring rosters that we've seen in the last 5-10 years. OKC has 2 top 15 players and a top 30 player while Miami has 2 top 5 players and a top 20 player. They're totally unique cases that most teams don't have the opportunity to model after.

 

[Bricklayer]

I really hate using OKC as example of why our terrible assist numerbers are ok. I'm not saying YOU are doing that, but I've seen that used a lot of times around here.

That OKC team is so unique, and that starts with the fact that they have NO post scoring. None. If you put JT on that team he'd be the best post scorer they have. A lot of assists come from guards to bigs, and if your bigs can't score .. your assist numbers will be down. Then add in the fact that they have two 20+ ppg scorers, that team is a big time anomaly.

Actually if you've got a great post player that would normally LOWER your asssists. Great post players don't need or want your puny assists. They want you to throw them the ball and then run your pretty boy little guard butt over into the corner and out of the way while they go to work

What I think you are talkign about are guys liek Tyson Chandler or Ameare, but they aren't great post players. Just guys that score around the rim if you hit them with the right pass. Blake too.

 

[Gary]

Assists per game (as a team this year)

OKC (30th in the league)
IND (29th)
MEM (25th)
MIA (21st)
Orlando (20th)
Dallas (15th)
LAC (13th)
UTAH (11th)
PHI (10th)
ATL (8th)
LAL (7th)
CHI (5th)
SAS (4th)
BOS (2nd)
DEN (1st)

I look at that list, and a lot of the great teams are down the bottom. OKC (IMHO will win the west) is dead last and Miami is 21st. Hardly a stat that says that you have to have high assist numbers as a team to be a contender.

It does not matter because when your defense sucks then you aren't going anywhere. Our D sucked no matter what lineup we put out on the floor. Our offense got a LOT better the second half of the season, but if our defense was still last and allowing 48%oppFG then we won't win many games no matter what our offense does.

So all in all I am glad we were able to hit an offensive stride, it shows you they could score, because at the start of the year we couldn't break 40% shooting it seemed, or 100 points and our team was turning the ball over about as much as they were getting assisted baskets.

NOW we need to work on defense, and it's not going to come by putting TWILL and Evans in the back court. I feel we would take a step back if that were to happen. Why? Because with the personnel we had this year we SUCKED defensive wise. It's not going to get any better by putting a SG at PG, and a SF at SG. We have in fact had lineups similar to this during games and we still suck defensively. Why do you think it would change nest year? And we would now suck offensively again so we got the double whammie.

I would like to take what we had offensively and then work on the defense. It would require moving some players around or too the bench, but depending on who we draft I would like to see Evans at SG, IT at PG (unless we draft Marshall) TWILL at SF, JT and Cousins. We would still be the bottom of the pack defensively with that lineup but I feel we wouldn't be dead last like we were this year.

Also, I would like to see them get better bench players, because our bench was part of the problem defensively. We can't pin it all on the small lineup, because the bench helped contribute to those crappy numbers.

The Kings need a makeover. We need to throw away most of our bench and a couple of starters if we are going to see a better defensive team.

 

[rainmaker]

It does not matter because when your defense sucks then you aren't going anywhere. Our D sucked no matter what lineup we put out on the floor. Our offense got a LOT better the second half of the season, but if our defense was still last and allowing 48%oppFG then we won't win many games no matter what our offense does.

So all in all I am glad we were able to hit an offensive stride, it shows you they could score, because at the start of the year we couldn't break 40% shooting it seemed, or 100 points and our team was turning the ball over about as much as they were getting assisted baskets.

Disagree. Our offense didn't get a LOT better. We ran more, shot more, had more possessions, and therefor scored more. But we weren't that much more efficient. We finished the season shooting just over 43% as a team, 26th in the league, while 1st in the league in FGA's. that's not efficient at all. Given Westy was only here 7 games, the majority of that was under Smart.

Sure we got more assists, and yes the passing was better, but you're also going to get more assists when you get more possessions, due to our increased pace. But the increased pace and quick shooting lends itself to worse defense. I'd argue our offense hurt our defense, and given our OPPG only kept increasing as the year progressed, stats tend to show that.

A good offense doesn't make your defense worse. 43% shooting isn't something to be happy about. Given our increased transition baskets which bumps up the shooting %'s, I'd actually say our half court offense didn't improve, certainly wasn't more efficient, and hurt our defense more than playing more of a half court style.

And no our defense didn't suck with any lineup. As has been shown a number of times here, by myself and others, lineups without IT/MT paired together were better defensively.

 

[ParniValjak]

It does not matter because when your defense sucks then you aren't going anywhere. Our D sucked no matter what lineup we put out on the floor. Our offense got a LOT better the second half of the season, but if our defense was still last and allowing 48%oppFG then we won't win many games no matter what our offense does.

So all in all I am glad we were able to hit an offensive stride, it shows you they could score, because at the start of the year we couldn't break 40% shooting it seemed, or 100 points and our team was turning the ball over about as much as they were getting assisted baskets.

NOW we need to work on defense, and it's not going to come by putting TWILL and Evans in the back court. I feel we would take a step back if that were to happen. Why? Because with the personnel we had this year we SUCKED defensive wise. It's not going to get any better by putting a SG at PG, and a SF at SG. We have in fact had lineups similar to this during games and we still suck defensively. Why do you think it would change nest year? And we would now suck offensively again so we got the double whammie.

I would like to take what we had offensively and then work on the defense. It would require moving some players around or too the bench, but depending on who we draft I would like to see Evans at SG, IT at PG (unless we draft Marshall) TWILL at SF, JT and Cousins. We would still be the bottom of the pack defensively with that lineup but I feel we wouldn't be dead last like we were this year.

Also, I would like to see them get better bench players, because our bench was part of the problem defensively. We can't pin it all on the small lineup, because the bench helped contribute to those crappy numbers.

The Kings need a makeover. We need to throw away most of our bench and a couple of starters if we are going to see a better defensive team.

For one the Evans/Williams pairing at guard positions brought us back into many game WITH defence and then our coach went all dumb on us again and re-inserted the gunners with no defensive bone in their bodies.

I can never understand this philosophy that you take below average defensive players and if you play defence as a team, you will be a great defensive team. It does not and never has worked that way. Quite simply, in order to be a good to great defensive team, you need above average defenders getting big minutes. Cousins is an average defender, JT is solid, Evans is good and could be great, Thornton makes Bibbly look like all-defense first selection and Thomas gets exposed defensively especially by bigger guards or on switches.

Now you are obviously not going to push Cousins would of that line up, but you need to make sure that the rest of the line up is made up of players that are good to great defenders. Williams and Evans are good defenders and both have potential to be great. Add a major defensive player next to Cousins and another one on the wing and you have the tools to be a great defensive team provided of course that your coach cares about defence (which in or case I find extremely difficult to believe).

For argument sake, lets make big assumptions and say that we trade Thornton for Batum in S&T, pick up Camby in FA (or get kissed by a fairy on the proverbial...twice and end up with Davis), resign JT and Williams.

You role out a line up of Cousins - Camby/Davis - Batum - Williams - Evans and couple that with a coach that cares about defense and you have the makings of a pretty darn good defensive team. Now you can substitute Williams for a Kirk Hinrich type defensive PG and its still a darn good defensive line up and it can also score at a high level.

We cannot be a good defensive team without good defensive player and for as long as we are going to play Thornton and IT extended minutes together and Tyreke out of position at SF, we will ALWAYS suck defensively! ALWAYS!!!! Offence is the easiest thing to fix on a team. If you design an offensive scheme to the strengths of you player and have set plays, you will always score enough to win. Out gunning the opposition is not the way to win anything significant. It might be fun to watch but it leads no where.

We have enough players on the team that are able to create for others. Why can't we run our offense through Cousins especially with Tyreke's improving off the ball game?! Why can't Williams or Evans run set plays designed to get team mates open?!

A great coach would get those things in place. Do you honestly believe that someone like Gregg Popovich, or Phil Jackson, or Pat Riley or Jerry Sloan or Rick Adelman would not be able to look at our roster (as mis matched as it is) and create a better defensive team that would have no trouble scoring. Great coaches maximize the utilization of their talent, bad coaches don't know what to do with it and try to out gun the opponents.

Bottom line, you cannot become a good defensive team if you have Thornton, IT and Cousins playing significant minutes. Obviously Cousins is the player that you MUST have out there and everyone else from that list of average or below average defenders is expandable from the main rotation.

 

[Kingster]

Disagree. Our offense didn't get a LOT better. We ran more, shot more, had more possessions, and therefor scored more. But we weren't that much more efficient. We finished the season shooting just over 43% as a team, 26th in the league, while 1st in the league in FGA's. that's not efficient at all. Given Westy was only here 7 games, the majority of that was under Smart.

Sure we got more assists, and yes the passing was better, but you're also going to get more assists when you get more possessions, due to our increased pace. But the increased pace and quick shooting lends itself to worse defense. I'd argue our offense hurt our defense, and given our OPPG only kept increasing as the year progressed, stats tend to show that.

A good offense doesn't make your defense worse. 43% shooting isn't something to be happy about. Given our increased transition baskets which bumps up the shooting %'s, I'd actually say our half court offense didn't improve, certainly wasn't more efficient, and hurt our defense more than playing more of a half court style.

And no our defense didn't suck with any lineup. As has been shown a number of times here, by myself and others, lineups without IT/MT paired together were better defensively.

The increased pace didn't cause the bad D. The bad D was caused by poor switching, poor effort, less size at the 3, a terrible, repeat terrible bench. This first team was in a lot of games, but the bench play was so bad they couldn't sustain. Playing devil's advocate with myself, I'd say the fast pace led to Cousins and Tyreke not sustaining their effort, and yes, they both need to get in better shape. But overall, it wasn't the fast pace that led to the Kings demise imo. The solution is definitely NOT to slow the game down for this team.

 

[Kingster]

For one the Evans/Williams pairing at guard positions brought us back into many game WITH defence and then our coach went all dumb on us again and re-inserted the gunners with no defensive bone in their bodies.

I can never understand this philosophy that you take below average defensive players and if you play defence as a team, you will be a great defensive team. It does not and never has worked that way. Quite simply, in order to be a good to great defensive team, you need above average defenders getting big minutes. Cousins is an average defender, JT is solid, Evans is good and could be great, Thornton makes Bibbly look like all-defense first selection and Thomas gets exposed defensively especially by bigger guards or on switches.

Now you are obviously not going to push Cousins would of that line up, but you need to make sure that the rest of the line up is made up of players that are good to great defenders. Williams and Evans are good defenders and both have potential to be great. Add a major defensive player next to Cousins and another one on the wing and you have the tools to be a great defensive team provided of course that your coach cares about defence (which in or case I find extremely difficult to believe).

For argument sake, lets make big assumptions and say that we trade Thornton for Batum in S&T, pick up Camby in FA (or get kissed by a fairy on the proverbial...twice and end up with Davis), resign JT and Williams.

You role out a line up of Cousins - Camby/Davis - Batum - Williams - Evans and couple that with a coach that cares about defense and you have the makings of a pretty darn good defensive team. Now you can substitute Williams for a Kirk Hinrich type defensive PG and its still a darn good defensive line up and it can also score at a high level.

We cannot be a good defensive team without good defensive player and for as long as we are going to play Thornton and IT extended minutes together and Tyreke out of position at SF, we will ALWAYS suck defensively! ALWAYS!!!! Offence is the easiest thing to fix on a team. If you design an offensive scheme to the strengths of you player and have set plays, you will always score enough to win. Out gunning the opposition is not the way to win anything significant. It might be fun to watch but it leads no where.

We have enough players on the team that are able to create for others. Why can't we run our offense through Cousins especially with Tyreke's improving off the ball game?! Why can't Williams or Evans run set plays designed to get team mates open?!

A great coach would get those things in place. Do you honestly believe that someone like Gregg Popovich, or Phil Jackson, or Pat Riley or Jerry Sloan or Rick Adelman would not be able to look at our roster (as mis matched as it is) and create a better defensive team that would have no trouble scoring. Great coaches maximize the utilization of their talent, bad coaches don't know what to do with it and try to out gun the opponents.

Bottom line, you cannot become a good defensive team if you have Thornton, IT and Cousins playing significant minutes. Obviously Cousins is the player that you MUST have out there and everyone else from that list of average or below average defenders is expandable from the main rotation.

IT is a bad defender thing doesn't wash with the facts. He's better keeping point guards in front him than anybody on this team. Better look elsewhere for the defensive blame.

 

[mac]

The increased pace didn't cause the bad D. The bad D was caused by poor switching, poor effort, less size at the 3, a terrible, repeat terrible bench. This first team was in a lot of games, but the bench play was so bad they couldn't sustain. Playing devil's advocate with myself, I'd say the fast pace led to Cousins and Tyreke not sustaining their effort, and yes, they both need to get in better shape. But overall, it wasn't the fast pace that led to the Kings demise imo. The solution is definitely NOT to slow the game down for this team.

If only you could have coached Shaq. You'd have told him that he needed to get in better shape so he could run up and down, and to practice shooting free throws as a right hander with his left foot forward.

 

[Kingster]

I decided to take a closer look at the Kings 5 best players, (Reke, Cousins, Thornton, JT, and IT) and see where they excelled and what needs to be addressed in the offseason and improvement in their games. I’ll be using combined information from synergy sports and basketball reference for this info. Enjoy!

Tyreke Evans:

16.5 PPG, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds 1.3 steals 2.7 turnovers. 51% TS, 46% eFG%, 22% Ast, 14% TO rate, 23% USG, and posting a 103 Ortg, 2 OWS’s, and 0.59 WS/48 on the year.


He scored 0.86 PPP overall (264th in the NBA). His 3 strengths this season came from cutting to the rim (1.31 PPP converted baskets at a 69% clip), ISO situations, (0.74 PPP, converting 37% good for 129th in NBA) and as a PnR ball handler (0.71 PPP converting 35% good for 109th in NBA) His spot-up numbers were horrid posting a .70 PPP converting baskets at a 32% clip , 19% from 3, and was ranked 293rd in the NBA in these situations


He allowed 0.88 PPP (points per possession) overall on defense (good for 278th in the NBA) and when defending in ISO situations (0.70 PP, good for 87th in the NBA) allowed opponents to shoot 31% and PnR ball handlers (0.79 PPP, good for 107th in the NBA) allowing opponents to shoot 42%. . He allowed spot up shooters this season to get 1.01 PPP in those situations (good for 255th in the NBA)


Analysis:


Offense-

I’m actually far more impressed this season with his offensive numbers than I’ve been in his whole career. He was able to maintain is playmaking ability from the off-guard spot which is a great sign for us moving forward. He found a way to work off the ball and become a relatively efficient scorer working without the basketball. What’s frustrating is how good this guy could be if he could stretch a defense. He’s already posted strong numbers in most other areas of scoring (transition, cutting to the rim, ISO situations, working in the PnR) with defenses knowing what he’s going to do. It’s a credit to him and his talent level that he’s still able to get solid production other ways without being able to score outside of 5 feet.

However, it always comes back to the same elephant in the room of him: He needs a jumpshot. It’d be an interesting project to look at, but I’d be willing to bet he was among the worst jump-shooters this season amongst starting level guards this season. Of his 119 spot-up jump shots, (49 of them 3s) he was only able to convert at a 32% clip and even a more pitiful 19% from 3. This flat out has to improve if he wants to take his game to the next level and be an elite offensive player in this league. His inability to hit outside shots not only hurts him, but other guys Cousins as well. Defenders can help off Evans and double Cousins with worrying about Evans hurting them from the outside. The correct route for Reke would be for him to just abandon the 3pt shot Ala Wade. Wade was able to keep a defense honest shooting 42% in spot-up situations and only took 11 3s in 83 spot up attempts. His offensive game is so close to being on the next level. It’s up to him now to finally take the time and work out a respectable mid-range game.


Defense-

Reke managed to show signs of being at the very least an above average defender and potential to be elite down the line. His defensive numbers were overall solid, with the only blemish being his inability to defend spot-up shooters. They absolutely torched him this season scoring over a point per possession which is unacceptable for a guy who does well in other facets of defense. Being in the top 100 ISO defenders is fantastic to see as a guard, and just missed the cut for being top 100 in off-screen defense and PnR Ball Handlers. The potential for him to be the elite defender we want is certainly within his grasp, it’s just a matter of him putting it all together and taking his game to the next level.

I’d like to see Reke put in a higher level of effort on defense every night and not take nights off. Being that poor at defending shooters is inexcusable when he did so well in ISO and PnR situations. His defensive metrics indicate he can be one of the top guard defenders in the league by as early as next season. He just has to learn to close out on a more consistent basis and bring the same level of high intensity every night.

Conclusion-


Tyreke is really right on the cusp of being a fantastic basketball player and joining the leagues "elite" guard status. He began adjusting rather well to his off-ball role by the end of the year and his numbers began to reflect it. Really, he's already above average in virtually every category of basketball you can think of; except for the 1 thing that holds him back from being an elite player. Having a jumper that defenses have to respect will open his game up so much and take all his current "very good" skills and turn them into "elite" skills. I'm glad I did this little project as it reopened my eyes to how good of a player Tyreke can be with improving a few aspects of his game. This summer will be crucial for him to add the jumper and make it a weapon, rather than a hindrance. The same goes for his defensive ability. Being that poor at defending spot-up shooters indicates a lack of effort rather than a lack of skill. He will be amongst the leagues best guard defenders once he understands/realizes that he can lock down anyone with bringing a high level of effort and intensity. Here's to hoping that Reke adds the last few aspects to his game this summer!

Thanks for reading. Let me know who you'd like a review of next!

264th in the NBA, 129th in the NBA, 109th in the NBA. I need some perspective on these numbers. Are these supposed to be good numbers? Intuitively, they don't seem that great to me, but maybe by comparing these numbers to other players he starts to look better in these categories. The one thing I come away with from these numbers is that by far he was most effective when moving without the ball. He almost doubled his efficiency from isolation situations when he did that. So this stat turns the "he needs the ball in his hands" argument on its head. According to this stat, he needs to be the recipient of the pass to be effective, not the initiator. The more he receives the ball while he's on the move, the better. And he's just beginning to develop this part of his game. As he continues to improve it, he should get even better in this category.

 

[ESP47]

If we want to get better defensively with our current roster, then where does TWill play? He's not a SF in the same way Tyreke isn't one. He'd be mismatched against guys like Durant, James, Deng, Pierce, Artest, Anthony etc. Anyone with length or bulk will be able to beat up on him. He's just too similar to Tyreke. They are practically the same player except TWill can shoot a little better and Tyreke can drive a little better. They both play decent defense and they both distribute the ball to an extent. Do you bring TWill off the bench for Tyreke? Is it a bad move to bring in a player with the same attributes or do you want a change of pace?

Honestly this whole roster is garbage to me. If I could play GM, I'd keep Tyreke and Cousins starting. Thornton as the 6th man and JT as the backup PF. I'd get rid of everyone else and start over. Coaching alone isn't going to get this team to even sniff the playoffs. The roster needs a major overhaul and it starts with getting rid of these fringe players that chuck 3's at a sub 30% clip all game.