[Game] Kings v. Blazers 11/09/13

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#1
KingsFans.com Gameday 2013-2014 Edition
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 View From the Other Side
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.
 
K

KingMilz

Guest
#2
I wonder if they will pack the paint or keep sending Batum over to double Cousins since Salmons is not capable of anything positive, I would be surprised if they don't get DMC in foul trouble that they defend him the same way.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#3
Ray McCallum please. And just for shiz and giggles, Luc Mbah a Moute instead of Salmons. And while I'm at it, start Ben and play him 30+ minutes. Those changes would make the product fresh and interesting to watch. A bit tired of watching the reruns of MT and Salmons.
 
#4
Two goals for tonight's game: First, improve defensive game over last night, and Second, 35 points from the combination of Thornton, Salmons and Paterson.

Last night, if we had tightened our defense by 4 points and, if we got 5 points a piece more from Salmons and Thornton, we win. I'll be there tonight to make sure it happens.
 
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#6
Is luc still injured? Or, does Malone not want to tinker with lineups just yet?
Coach said after the last practice in an interview, that he was still not near 100%. However, they said this about Vasquez as well and he's started from the get go. Could be the different type of injury to the knee and it's just not worth the chance. Lets hope he's ready for minutes soon.

I'd like to see Moute start for defense and Outlaw get a lot of time. As for Salmons and the time being, lets bring him off the bench in spots to defend shooting gaurds...not forwards
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#8
Coach does not have to change the line up to fix the stupid. Just make sure that when Thorton is missing either bring in McLemore or heck play IT and GV... Once the fish starts to stink give us some outlaw. But playing 60 min of useless player time KILLED us. Also the 3 guard line up only looks good when you have 3 really good guards and can afford to abandon the boards and most of what we like to call defense.
 
#9
A hotly contested game in which Portland will edge us, sending mass panic on khtk for the talk radio week coming up and the realization that we are one of the worst 5 teams in the league cleanly.. I'd love to be wrong, but in the end it is already about lottery balls and solely being able to compete in front of the home crowd
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#11
Its sad that I'm almost to the point of rooting against Salmons and Thornton so we could see a change as soon as possible
It's just everyone knows these 2 and some others are not going to be part of our future and if we're going to lose, I'd like to see the young guys get more run. Salmons' run here is just played out after all this time. I'm pretty sure the same can be said about MT. The new coaching staff and management may want longer looks but for the fans......seen this.....it's played out. I can deal with the losing if there is hope with the young guys and Cuz and maybe Luc, IT, GV. But losing with Salmons and MT playing big roles......tough to keep watching....but watch I will.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#13
It's just everyone knows these 2 and some others are not going to be part of our future and if we're going to lose, I'd like to see the young guys get more run. Salmons' run here is just played out after all this time. I'm pretty sure the same can be said about MT. The new coaching staff and management may want longer looks but for the fans......seen this.....it's played out. I can deal with the losing if there is hope with the young guys and Cuz and maybe Luc, IT, GV. But losing with Salmons and MT playing big roles......tough to keep watching....but watch I will.
I think the average observant fan (oxymoron?) may know more about some of these players than anyone on the new staff. They were thrown together at the last moment and are supposed to make sense of this.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#14
Its sad that I'm almost to the point of rooting against Salmons and Thornton so we could see a change as soon as possible
Don't feel bad. I found myself rooting against hearing their names. They seemed to suck the joy out of last night's game on a continual basis.

We're in the very beginning of a total remodeling of our team (I made a conscious decision not to use the word "rebuild"...). Just like you have to tear out all the old carpeting before you can put in the new flooring, there are going to be times when things just look ugly. And hopeless. And even uglier.

We'll survive. Our owner made it clear they weren't going to focus on wins this season because they already knew, perhaps better than most of us, that our team right now is not good, as in really not good, as in BAD. I personally think they're holding off on starting Ben too soon, because they don't want to throw him to the wolves in a losing season and slow his development.

There are positives out there to be gleaned from almost every game. If nothing else, the way DMC is just beginning to show himself capable of becoming the dominant big lots of us hoped he could be is cause for rejoicing. I think GV is going to be much better than he is right now, too. And I am satisfied that IT can be the 6th man we need him to be.

The other stuff will come. It's just gonna be a whole lot of miles of rough road until it gets here.

:)
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#15
The trouble with this remodel is that we can't tear out all the old carpeting at once. I have faith in Ranadive but not PDA.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#17
I don't have a firm opinion yet on PDA. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and wait and see what he's able to do (with very little to work with) before I decide if he was a good hire or not. But I do agree about Vivek. I have total faith that he - and the rest of the ownership group - are going to do everything they can to put an exciting and successful team on the court as soon as humanly possible.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#20
Let's see Jimmer, McCallum, N'daiye, Mbah A Moute ........................ anything for a change of pace. I'd hate to be the coach although I would happily take his check. ;)
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#24
Tonight's game is going to be a good indicator of how well DMC can perform in a back-to-back. All I can hope for is that he gets a bit more help from the rest of the team.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#25
Dish Network. newer Dish with the Hoppe (Channel #s are different than regular dish)
It's not DishNetwork's fault. It's whomever they're getting the feed from. DishNet doesn't have cameras at the arena. And just to clarify - a lot of times the games show "JIP" and yet start exactly on time. I think it has to do with CSN programming on CSN-BA and CSN-CA right before the game... And tonight, both SD and HD started right at 7.