KingsFans.com Gameday 2013-2014 Edition
Game 5
Sacramento Kings v. Portland Trailblazers
Game 5
Sacramento Kings v. Portland Trailblazers
By Stephen Tetsu, Kingsfans.com Resident Yeti
Ugh. Losses. I hate losses. If there’s one thing years of on-and-off sports writing has taught me, it’s that writing about a loss is about a bazillion times harder than writing about a win. In that same vein, writing about an ugly loss is near intolerable.
One thing that does help me in this certain situation is that the loss against Atlanta was suspiciously similar to the loss against the Warriors, give or take an extra few points in the fourth quarter. After a fast start, the Kings offense tailed off fast right around the point where Patrick Patterson found a way to do even less on defense. While we received slightly better production from our starting wings, they also gave up more baskets to the other team than an Amish family at a moving sale.
Falling into a deep hole to begin the second half, Coach Malone turned to his second team squad to turn the tides, a strategy that managed to catapult the team back into striking distance. Led by another explosive outing by Isaiah Thomas, the Kings at least gave me an excuse to keep the game on the TV.
I will say that you guys (meaning those of you actively posting on Kingsfans.com or other Kings-related sites or calling into Sports 1140) should probably take a chill pill. I know overreacting to each and every game or action on the court is a hallmark of sports fandom in general but I’m starting to get concerned that a couple of you guys are gonna suffer a fatal infarction the next time someone doesn’t agree with your post. It’s okay guys. If the struggles of a basketball team are causing you to get red-faced and blustery, I’d hate to see you when real life rears its ugly head.
Things will be alright, whether this year in the next. Given enough time, our shoddy team construction will be resolved and things will be better. Until then. why not relax and simply enjoy the fact that NBA basketball is staying right where it belongs in Sacramento?
Stat Watch 2013
Nothing too interesting/not depressing.
Observations
- After two sell-out games to start the season, Sleep Train Arena was depressingly empty for our matchup against the Hawks. That said, the crowd was still larger than the majority of audiences for Atlanta’s home games, where Groupon offers of playoff games still struggle to produce lively crowds.
- Jimmer Watch, Game 5: Seeing absolutely no action during the game, it’s probably safe to say that Jimmer went straight home without taking a shower tonight.
- Copy and pasted from the last four games and, most likely for the foreseeable future: Patrick Patterson must really not want to start because he has done just about as much as the starting power forward of the team as I have, which is to say, nothing.
- Cuz had his second off game in a row and was visibly frustrated for much of the second half. As this has been covered in Brick’s grade thread, I don’t really feel the need to go much more in-depth on the topic here. I’ll just say that, in addition to other factors, Al Horford played one heck of a game.
- Our guards cannot guard anyone. Ironic.
As seen on Peach Tree Hoops
- “We're the Hawks. And the Kings minority owner is on TNT every Thursday night. So this will not be overlooked. Any time the league gets a chance to punish us, they’ll do it.”
- “I dont think Dennis planned in his head to grab Cousins like that..I think his hand may have gotten caught up in there getting thru the pick and his reflex caused him to grab whatever was there and twisted it…I will never know how that feels but from the look on Cousins face, IT WAS QUITE PAINFUL”
- “When the NBA reacts to this, Dennis will find himself balls deep in trouble. Sorry, had to.”
- “Wow. This is nuts.”
Other Coverage
Random Distraction
No special feature today thanks to my suddenly busy schedule. I’ll try to make up for it down the line. In the meantime…
They just don’t do jumping jacks like they did when I was a kid
Awards Time
Tony Delk Memorial Award: Paul Millsap
Simply faster and more involved than his counterpart on the Kings, the former Jazz stretch forward played like a young Elton Brand, contributing 25 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, and 4 steals to his team’s cause. While he’s a solid NBA player, against us, he looked like an all-star.
Spencer Hawes “Big” Man of the Game: Pero Antic
As he is the Hawks’ tallest player, one would expect the Macedonian rookie to spend most of his time working inside and policing the paint. This being the Spencer Hawes award, that certainly wasn’t the case as Antic instead decided to prove that he deserved to finally play small forward like he always wanted and parked himself out at the three-point line for much of his time on the court despite the fact Patrick Patterson, who was covering him for much of the stretch, seemed to have as much interest in playing defense as I have in waking up early to jog, that is to say, none.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim Award: Elton Brand
Once among the most dynamic power forwards in the game, Brand has now largely been reduced to the roll of tall Chuck Hayes and pretty much produced like it. His knees so worn down that they make C-Webb’s look like a high schoolers, this is probably the last we’ve seen of Brand in an NBA uniform.
Matt Barnes Classy Player of the Game: Dennis Schroeder
As anyone who tangentially follows the Kings knows, Schroeder had the highlight/lowlight of his career on a particularly physical sequence in the second half, during which he copped a feel of Big Cuz’s Little Cuz without eliciting a foul. The NBA would later suspend the rookie for one game without pay for the maneuver, matching the punishment Demarcus received for a similar maneuver against OJ Mayo last year. While I appreciate it when guards fight through screens, I do not appreciate it as a man when guards attempt to shatter someone’s family jewels.
WTF Moment of the Game: Making a play to get back in the game, Coach Malone decides to bench his two best big men and instead goes with P-Pat and the Chuckwagon down the stretch, instantly conjuring up the ghost of Kenny Natt.
Tonight’s Game
Tonight we face off against another “rebuilding team” in the Portland Trailblazers, featuring reigning Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard.and the sole survivor of the Roy/Oden/Aldridge trifecta, Lamarcus Aldridge.
If you want to talk rebuild efforts gone wrong, you quite simply must start with the post-Jailblazer regime instigated by Kevin Pritchard and backed by an ownership group that didn’t mind buying a draft pick or ten. Struggling for years to emerge from the shadows of the bonehead trio of Sheed, Bonzi, and a young Z-Bo, the Blazers practically lucked their way into what many pundits assumed would be the next great dynasty of the NBA, anchored by a core featuring a once-in-a-generational big man aided by one of the league’s most dynamic two-guards and one of the NBA’s best scoring big men.
Then it all came down in the blink of an eye. Oden practically was injured from the second he crossed the stage during the draft, his faulty knees no match for the NBA or even rehab. Without the crown jewel, the other two cogs were forced to pick up the slack, a move which ultimately resulted in Brandon Roy’s knees meeting the same fate as Greg’s and essentially ended Portland’s bid for renewed relevancy.
And so Portland was forced to start all over again.
(Part two/actual breakdown of the team will come tomorrow.)
Matchups
Demarcus versus Lamarcus: How many times will the announcers get their names mixed up?
Our starters not named Demarcus versus not sucking: My money’s on sucking..
Malone versus a nervous breakdown: If our effort is lackluster once again, things could get even uglier.
Empty seats versus Kings fans: Will Kings fans be able fill them in respectable numbers?
Predictions and Closure
After the last two games, it's become hard to actually pick the Kings to win a basketball game but I, nevertheless, picked them to win yet again, 96-92.
