KingsFans.com Gameday 2013-2014 Edition
Game 6
Sacramento Kings v. Portland Trailblazers
Game 6
Sacramento Kings v. Portland Trailblazers
By Stephen Tetsu, Kingsfans.com Resident Pokemon Master
Note: I am really tired so this write-up is gonna be pretty darn short. Back-to-back games are the worst.
On the plus side, all that talk about Demarcus sucking was probably overblown. On the minus side, all that talk about the rest of our team sucking probably wasn’t.
Following two lackluster performances against the Warriors and Hawks, the franchise cornerstone pulled off a 35 point, 9 rebound, 4 steals, and an assist and block. Unfortunately, no matter how solid your cornerstone is, your house is going to collapse if the wood you build it with is infested with termites. No matter how well Demarcus could have played, the Kings probably still would have lost the game thanks to the fact that most of the team with the exception of two or three players will suck on any given night. I mean, if we could figure out a way to make it so only 2/5ths of our starting lineup sucks a night rather than the usual 3/5ths, we’re probably at least going to be in games more often than not.
Instead, it was more of the same, with John Salmons, Marcus Thornton and company generally failing to get anything down on the court, both offensively and defensively. Greivis looked better in this game than he has in any game since the home opener, his assist numbers for the game deflated by the fact that his teammates absolutely refused to make an open shot.
On the defensive end, our guards were once again no match for the other team’s short guys, Wes Matthews (who of course was once on our summer league team) and Damian Lillard pretty much scoring at will whenever the game started to get interesting.
Our bench effort was not as explosive as in other games this season. IT had a relatively quiet night, which of course seemed loud compared to Ben McLemore’s first real dud of a game at the NBA level. This being a game against Portland, Travis Outlaw was good for an efficient ten points on the night to help provide some sort of help off the bench.
Nevertheless, it was yet another notch on our loss belt. But there’s no time to dwell on such matters. There is a game to be played today between the same two teams. Let’s hope that the result of the game will be switched.
Back-to-back games are hell on a basketball team and hell on the people who has to write about him.
Stat Watch 2013
Despite contributing absolutely nothing to the game, Marcus Thornton still played the most minutes out of the entire Kings roster at 40 minutes in the game. I know Malone is set on maintaining his rotations but at a certain point, doesn’t he just have to make a move to change the stink accumulating around the Bayou Bomber?
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. (Note: I mistakenly thought Friday’s game was the one to be played at home)
- Jimmer Watch, Game 6: Pretty sure I saw Jimmer hand a towel to one of the guys actually playing the game when he was coming off the court. It wasn’t much but Jimmer was damn good at it as he is with everything else.
- Copy and pasted from the last four -FIVE 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, absolutely nothing.
- This was undoubtedly Ben McLemore’s most rook-tastic game of his rookie season. Running around like a chicken with its head cut off, B-Mac managed to contribute just about nothing while amassing four fouls in just seven minutes of play. We need to remember that the guy’s still not old enough to buy a drink. It’ll come with time.
- Our guards still cannot guard anyone. Still ironic.
The Always Fantastic Blazer's Edge
Other Coverage
Brick's Grade Thread: http://kingsfans.com/threads/grades-v-blazers-11-08-2013.54136/
Awards Time
Awards will come before the game, after I’ve had a chance to rewatch last night’s game (Sigh. The things I do for this website…)
Tonight’s Game
Everything is pretty much the same. If you want a write-up of some sort, just check last night’s. I might try to get something else up here but other things have sort of taken precedence in my life at this time (prepping for a move is hard enough. Prepping for a move across the world is even harder.)
Matchups (same as last time)
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
Ugh. At this point I’m not sure. I’ll just say 98-91 Blazers, to change things up.
Andrew Wiggins, please save us.
Go Kings.