Game #1 Lakers at Kings

[nuraman00]

This team is able to break down a defense and get a shot off from anywhere on the floor.

[nuraman00]

Marcus doing work on Kobe

Bad post. Don't like the pun. :)

[sf giants r the best]

Calm down boys, playing a little sloppy out there right now

[KingsOwn19]

This might be the Kings quickest and most athletic team in awhile. They are beating the older slower Lakers to looseballs.

[nuraman00]

This might be the Kings quickest and most athletic team in awhile. They are beating the older slower Lakers to looseballs.

It's the guards.

[CrunchE]

Niiiiice. The cheerleaders in black leather.... I just got a semi

[$KingsElite$]

The Kings really need to keep their composure right now. Slow down on offense and focus on ball movement.

[KingsOwn19]

needs more Evans

[sf giants r the best]

Jimmer needs to take that

[KingsOwn19]

Thornton missed Jimmer in the corner.

[nuraman00]

Thornton looked as fast as Devin Harris on that fast break.

[Blood Brother]

Lakers making a comeback. Thornton now at the line. Need to hit the FT's

[sf giants r the best]

Kobe is having his way in the lane

[nuraman00]

Kobe is having his way in the lane

I agree.

[EvansCousinsDUO]

Man Jimmer can't hesitate. He hasn't shot a single 3 yet. That is what he is best at he needs to do what he's best at and take those 3's. He's too hesitant because he's trying to be a pure pg. SMH.

[sf giants r the best]

What a bitch Barnes. And Fisher the flopper

[KingsOwn19]

Barnes is a punk

[Blood Brother]

Oh look, typical Barnes.

[KingsOwn19]

yeah, Jimmer has turned down 3-4 good looks.

[BosnianBaller_]

this is not good. they keep chipping away

[KingsOwn19]

defense has disappeared

[Blood Brother]

15 point lead down to 4. Sigh...

[sf giants r the best]

Come really? Ron fucking Artest?

[PackfanMatt_12]

we are blowing it

[Blood Brother]

wtf was that shot, Salmons. Ugh

[BosnianBaller_]

i hate ron artest

[nuraman00]

Man Jimmer can't hesitate. He hasn't shot a single 3 yet. That is what he is best at he needs to do what he's best at and take those 3's. He's too hesitant because he's trying to be a pure pg. SMH.

For the most part, I've liked his decision not to take 3's. Kings are doing a good job scoring in the paint, so I'd stick with that.

Otherwise there will be too many 3-point shot attempts from the Kings, IMO.

Fredette has taken 8 FGA, Evans 10, Thornton and Salmons 11. Nice balance.

[KingsOwn19]

Now we are in a 1-2 possession game with Kobe...our chances have dwindled considerably.

It's a shame as well, because we played very well and they have not.

[Blood Brother]

And here is the problem with the young team. Struggle to finish out games. Need better ball movement, too many guys are forcing up shots

[sf giants r the best]

Needed that!

[nuraman00]

Barnes humps Evans while fouling him.

[Blood Brother]

Hayes just destroyed Gasol haha

[BosnianBaller_]

i like this. they're letting them play with the game winding down

[sf giants r the best]

Chuck beat 2 player on D

[nuraman00]

And here is the problem with the young team. Struggle to finish out games. Need better ball movement, too many guys are forcing up shots

Well, we don't know if they'll continue to struggle. Maybe they get it together.

[nuraman00]

Hayes just destroyed Gasol haha

I agree.

[KingsOwn19]

Cousins is the Rodney Dangerfield of power forwards/centers

[Eze]

Pass ball. It works.

[Blood Brother]

haha its the 1st game to. Gotta expect growing pains with a young team like this. But damn, I want a win over the Lakers

Evans hits the 1st FT. Needs to get this. Game is coming down to that

[nuraman00]

The 4th quarter scoring is 13-8. That's not that big of a difference, it's not like the Lakers scored 27 in the quarter.

[KingsOwn19]

3 blocks by Hayes..and real blocks too. Not the send it into the stands so they other team can impound. Blocks that can be recovered.

[KingsOwn19]

excuse me, i meant inbound*

[Blood Brother]

Lets play some D now

[Blood Brother]

Now that's some D!

[nuraman00]

Nice block by Evans. Weird, don't remember the last time I've said that.

[KingsOwn19]

Salmons did a great job denying Kobe the ball on that possession..then great block by Evans

[EvansCousinsDUO]

Tyreke with the D!

[PackfanMatt_12]

That is a W
1-0

[CrunchE]

Excellent D right there. Took away Kobe and Reke with a great block/steal

[SactoIV]

Salmons is a black hole. Disgusting.

[nuraman00]

Tough drive by Salmons with the clock winding down. He missed.

[Blood Brother]

Yeah I don't want Salmons going 1 on 5 on that possession there...

[PackfanMatt_12]

or it was until we didn't make that shot

[BosnianBaller_]

its early in the season but i've designated my king to hate: john salmons

[Blood Brother]

FT time...gotta make em. Salmons played great D on Kobe there

[nuraman00]

Salmons is playing good defense. Can Cousins make two FTs?

[sf giants r the best]

Now... time to make the important free throws

[sf giants r the best]

its early in the season but i've designated my king to hate: john salmons

He was a popular pre-season pick

[Blood Brother]

Hayes shooting the FT's ugh

[KingsOwn19]

Let's go Chuck!

[nuraman00]

He was a popular pre-season pick

Based on this first game, no one on the Kings has played that bad IMO.

[KingsOwn19]

great job CUZ

[sf giants r the best]

BOOGIEEEE!

[Blood Brother]

Nice rebound, CUZ!

[CrunchE]

Big Couz with the hustle play! hell ya

[BosnianBaller_]

its the black unis. its brought the kings spirit back

[KingsOwn19]

Salmons has done some good things tonight. 3-5 from three and has played strong defense. There has been some ugly moments though offensively with him forcing the issue.

[Blood Brother]

That is clearly Kings ball

[CrunchE]

It seems like the review's are done off of the TV Broadcast. Shouldn't they have their own feed to review plays?

[sf giants r the best]

Suck it Barnes! I mean Gasol, but Barnes too!

[Blood Brother]

Cousins draws a loose ball foul!

[KingsOwn19]

Cousins is wreaking havoc off free throws lol

[CrunchE]

hahah! loving Big Couz

[BosnianBaller_]

what the hell was that. pau and barnes are lucky that big cuz took his meds and didn't got ape shit on them

[PackfanMatt_12]

Lakers are falling apart and letting emotions get the best of them like they did vs. Dallas

[PackfanMatt_12]

DEMARCUS COUSINS YOU ARE DA MAN

[Blood Brother]

lol what an ugly 3 by Metta

[sf giants r the best]

Theres the Ron Artest we know

[KingsOwn19]

Awesome!

[nuraman00]

The versatility this team has with its guards is helping.

Thornton with a drive and jumper.

[KingsOwn19]

There is the Gavin Maloof we used to like.

[Sir Harry]

That was a back court violation on Thornton....16 seconds he was not across....lol

[SactoIV]

Am I dreaming?

Amazing. Close it out.

[EvansCousinsDUO]

I love this team soooooooooooooooooooo much.

[$KingsElite$]

Thornton just sucked the clutch right out of the arena!

[KingsOwn19]

Thornton just might be better than Martin. Just plays with more energy and his ability to be a spot up shooter and a driver might put him above Martin. KMart was not very good spot up.

Martin definitly gets to the line more.

[Blood Brother]

look at chuck hayes coaching these guys up

[nuraman00]

"If you don't feel good about these fans in this community, then something's wrong with you. You must be a Lakers fan".

[PackfanMatt_12]

BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA! (parents telling me to turn it down) BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

[Blood Brother]

F OFF Kobe. HA!

[sf giants r the best]

Hey Salmons passed it

[Sir Harry]

How could Kobe even complain?

[sf giants r the best]

look at chuck hayes coaching these guys up

Floor general

[KingsOwn19]

Cousins has been a game changer in this quarter.

[sf giants r the best]

LETS GO KINGS!

[Blood Brother]

GREAT win to open the year.

[CrunchE]

What a great opening night game for YOUR SACRAMENTO KINGS!

[KingsOwn19]

ahhh the proverbial white flag of taking your best players out!

[sf giants r the best]

1-0 baby!

[Sir Harry]

I would like to thank all of you for showing up tonight....great game

[KingsOwn19]

wow...pure energy for 48 minutes..that was fun to watch.

[Sir Harry]

KIngs in first place....yeah

[Blood Brother]

kings on pace to go undefeated
lakers on pace to lose every game. That sounds about right

[Sir Harry]

Kings 97
Lakers 92

I was close

[sf giants r the best]

What a game! Hey, only 11 turnovers. For a young team like this, very very nice

[Blood Brother]

11 turnovers is great considering the shortened offseason + having the youngest team in the league

[KingsOwn19]

on paper..the team does have some team defense potential. Especially in the frontcourt with Hayes, Cousins, and Salmons and i think that showed tonight. Evans obviously has the potential to be a great defender.

[SactoIV]

The offensive execution was just flat-out backbreaking. The Lakers were clearly having trouble keeping up with our backcourt players.

I also really like having Jimmer/Thomas, Thornton, and Evans on the court at the same time.

[Eze]

Solid win - Kings looked like a team, a cohesive unit, which was so nice.

[Eze]

Also, Chuck Hayes = the man.

[PackfanMatt_12]

I'm so excited I'm telling friends who aren't Kings fans ill drive them to games if they help pay

[Sir Harry]

The offensive execution was just flat-out backbreaking. The Lakers were clearly having trouble keeping up with our backcourt players.

I also really like having Jimmer/Thomas, Thornton, and Evans on the court at the same time.

Jimmer needs some work to be in at the end of games....thought Westphal f'd up a little with Jimmer

[KingsOwn19]

The offensive execution was just flat-out backbreaking. The Lakers were clearly having trouble keeping up with our backcourt players.

I also really like having Jimmer/Thomas, Thornton, and Evans on the court at the same time.

Which is why it's bad that the Lakers have still not moved on from Fisher. Our backcourt is way too quick for theirs, but the fact is..most backcourts are. Kobe has lost a step defensivley and Fisher is just terrible.

The Lakers should have tried to get a new PG or somethingrimshotbam

[EvansCousinsDUO]

Lol man Fisher made me laugh my ass off tonight. He is SO slow, it's unreal.

[puffdaniel09]

Kings!!!! Nice game by the backcourt. Loving this team!!! Playoffs????

[sf giants r the best]

Salmons took the most shots (14) and only made 5, but he played solid D out there.

I really liked Thomas out there tonight too. He gets to the paint at will.

The Thomas-Jimmer-Thornton-Outlaw-Hayes lineup looked really good out there, Westphal rolled with it when they were clicking.

[nuraman00]

Kings!!!! Nice game by the backcourt. Loving this team!!! Playoffs????

Hey puffdaniel09 (http://kingsforum.net/live/member.php?21-puffdaniel09). :)

[sf giants r the best]

And to think, Garcia didn't even play and Thompson only got 7 minutes. This team is deep

[nuraman00]

And to think, Garcia didn't even play and Thompson only got 7 minutes. This team is deep

I agree.

Everyone is bringing something, or multiple things. Don't have to rely on only two or three players.

[nuraman00]

Garcia and Thompson will get their chance. It's a long season. Opportunities will arise because of matchups, injuries, or struggles.

[sf giants r the best]

Tyreke didn't turn the ball over once. Jimmer didn't shoot a 3

Favorite line: Hayes, 7 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks, 3 dimes, ZERO turnovers.

[KingsOwn19]

Garcia and Thompson will get their chance. It's a long season. Opportunities will arise because of matchups, injuries, or struggles.

yeah, Westphal may have used Outlaw and Hickson over JT and Garcia tonight because speed and athleticism hurts the slow Lakers...and he was right if he thought that. Both Hickson and Outlaw were beating the Lakers to the ball in their stints.

[Eze]

There was a lot of crap in Cleveland about Hickson's lack of hustle, didn't see that at all though.

[nuraman00]

Tyreke didn't turn the ball over once. Jimmer didn't shoot a 3

Favorite line: Hayes, 7 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks, 3 dimes, ZERO turnovers.

Agree, I like all the 0 turnovers lines today.

[$KingsElite$]

Tyreke didn't turn the ball over once. Jimmer didn't shoot a 3

Favorite line: Hayes, 7 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks, 3 dimes, ZERO turnovers.

Damn. This game must have been a dream then. I'm probably sleeping through the actual game as we speak.

[Sir Harry]

yeah, Westphal may have used Outlaw and Hickson over JT and Garcia tonight because speed and athleticism hurts the slow Lakers...and he was right if he thought that. Both Hickson and Outlaw were beating the Lakers to the ball in their stints.

I couldn't believe they brought in Murphy.....he is instantly the slowest guy on an old team

[nuraman00]

There was a lot of crap in Cleveland about Hickson's lack of hustle, didn't see that at all though.

IMO, it's not his hack of hustle. To me, it's more that he still looks lost on defense too many times.

Not today, but in general last season.

[nuraman00]

I couldn't believe they brought in Murphy.....he is instantly the slowest guy on an old team

They needed some offense. It's just the Kings speed was too much.

Murphy will probably have some good games though IMO.

[puffdaniel09]

Hey puffdaniel09 (http://kingsforum.net/live/member.php?21-puffdaniel09). :)

Hey what's up Nuraman!! Great win tonight. I love this team's depth.

[Eze]

I really don't get why the Lakers traded Odom, despite his request. Inmates don't run the asylum. They don't have any size out there outside of Gasol with Bynum out, who was manhandled by Hayes all night. Their point guard play is pretty awful outside of spot up shooting, the bench is hit or miss and Kobe is starting to feel the damage of two extra seasons of playoff basketball throughout his career.

That said, the Lakers are still really good - and despite their issues, that was a big win for the Kings - both fans and players.

[nuraman00]

Damn. This game must have been a dream then. I'm probably sleeping through the actual game as we speak.

It wasn't that dream-like compared to last season. The Kings had some good games against Philadelphia, Phoenix, Indiana, Houston, Orlando, and Minnesota, late in the year.

They did this recently, with respect to last regular season.

To me, a dream would be their next wire-to-wire win. That's something they only did once last year, against New Orleans.

[Eze]

Also, Murphy played a lot because McRoberts broke his toe I think.

[Sir Harry]

They needed some offense. It's just the Kings speed was too much.

Murphy will probably have some good games though IMO.


hhmm....if the Kings picked up troy we would have lost it
he can shoot a little but no defense, no rebounding....no thanks

[nuraman00]

I really don't get why the Lakers traded Odom, despite his request. Inmates don't run the asylum. They don't have any size out there outside of Gasol with Bynum out, who was manhandled by Hayes all night. Their point guard play is pretty awful outside of spot up shooting, the bench is hit or miss and Kobe is starting to feel the damage of two extra seasons of playoff basketball throughout his career.

That said, the Lakers are still really good - and despite their issues, that was a big win for the Kings - both fans and players.

I don't buy the the claim that they traded Odom because he asked for a trade. That's just a cover-up. Even if he asked for a trade, you don't have to trade him. Just keep him on the team, let him get over the trade rumors, and use his skills.

IMO, one of the only logical explanations is that they didn't want to pay heavy tax. Which I'm not too surprised either. I've seen the Lakers cut productive 3rd stringers a few times, right before contracts become guaranteed, to save on the tax money. And now with the new C.B.A., they'll have more reason to do so.

If they didn't trade Odom for tax reasons, then they just made a short-signed move. There's always drama with the Lakers, so they could have handled a pouty Odom. A pouty Odom wouldn't' even have gotten as much press coverage as the search for Bryant's girlfriends. So Odom could have mentally recovered quicker than anticipated.

Also, with Bynum, they'll have more size again. But today, their downfall was speed. At both ends of the floor. In the 4th, they had trouble scoring against the Kings speed, and they had trouble out-quicking the Kings to balls.

[nuraman00]

hhmm....if the Kings picked up troy we would have lost it
he can shoot a little but no defense, no rebounding....no thanks

I wouldn't have wanted the Kings to pick up Murphy. I've named the guys I wanted.

I just think for the Lakers, he's a decent enough bench option.

For the Kings, with their current frontcourt and potential to get someone like Kirilenko or Humphries or Dalembert (in addition to Hayes), there's no need to get Murphy.

[nuraman00]

Also, Murphy played a lot because McRoberts broke his toe I think.

Dang, that sucks. McRoberts gets traded to a team with the opportunity to play more, and he gets injured.

[nuraman00]

Also, Murphy may be slow, but so are guys like Bonner, Cardinal, Davis. With the right rotation, teams find a way to use them still.

[Eze]

X-rays say it's a sprain for McBob now.

[Sir Harry]

I don't buy the the claim that they traded Odom because he asked for a trade. That's just a cover-up. Even if he asked for a trade, you don't have to trade him. Just keep him on the team, let him get over the trade rumors, and use his skills.

IMO, one of the only logical explanations is that they didn't want to pay heavy tax. Which I'm not too surprised either. I've seen the Lakers cut productive 3rd stringers a few times, right before contracts become guaranteed, to save on the tax money. And now with the new C.B.A., they'll have more reason to do so.

If they didn't trade Odom for tax reasons, then they just made a short-signed move. There's always drama with the Lakers, so they could have handled a pouty Odom. A pouty Odom wouldn't' even have gotten as much press coverage as the search for Bryant's girlfriends. So Odom could have mentally recovered quicker than anticipated.

Also, with Bynum, they'll have more size again. But today, their downfall was speed. At both ends of the floor. In the 4th, they had trouble scoring against the Kings speed, and they had trouble out-quicking the Kings to balls.

kinda makes sense.....as it turned out to be just a salary dump
no matter how they spin it they could have picked up some help for Odom

[Sir Harry]

Dang, that sucks. McRoberts gets traded to a team with the opportunity to play more, and he gets injured.

McRoberts wasn't doing anything out there...big downgrade IMO

[Eze]

Or trade him to a team with cap room. I'm sure the Kings wouldn't have minded paying an extra five million for Odom over Outlaw's three million.

[nuraman00]

X-rays say it's a sprain for McBob now.

That's good for him, shouldn't keep him out too long. It's his fourth year in the league though. If he doesn't carve out a roll here, he's going to be a journeyman backup big.

[KingsOwn19]

McRoberts can't help the Lakers as a starter, but as a backup to Bynum..he should be a good asset

[nuraman00]

Or trade him to a team with cap room. I'm sure the Kings wouldn't have minded paying an extra five million for Odom over Outlaw's three million.

Hmm. Odom at PF, Cousins at C. Two guys that can handle the ball and run the floor. Could have been fun, lol.

[nuraman00]

McRoberts can't help the Lakers as a starter, but as a backup to Bynum..he should be a good asset

That's what I'm thinking. He'll be like the Lakers version of Big Baby or Bass. Not as good, but close enough. He also hasn't played much in his career, just under 2500 career minutes. He could still get better, or have more to offer than his previous teams thought.

[KingsOwn19]

a bit off topic

did anybody see the line for my boy The Great Hawebino tonight?

10 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists @ Portland

[nuraman00]

kinda makes sense.....as it turned out to be just a salary dump
no matter how they spin it they could have picked up some help for Odom

They could have, but perhaps they didn't want to take back any salary, and were content with McRoberts on a rookie contract.

Wait, McRoberts wasn't traded to Indiana. He was a $6.2M signing over two years. Strange. That's a lot of money for an unproven player. Or a player no one else thought much of.

Yeah, not entirely sure why their front office made the moves they did. They probably could have gotten someone as good for $4M over two years.

[nuraman00]

a bit off topic

did anybody see the line for my boy The Great Hawebino tonight?

10 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists @ Portland

It's not off topic. I posted other interesting tidbits from around the league, in the game thread, tonight.

[Sir Harry]

McBob is supposedly an Odom replacement.....that's what I meant by downgrade
Odom is 6th man of the year material

McBob maybe not so much

[nuraman00]

McBob is supposedly an Odom replacement.....that's what I meant by downgrade
Odom is 6th man of the year material

McBob maybe not so much

Yeah, roster spot to roster spot, that's true.

But I think the move was more financial. Like when the Nuggets salary dumped Camby, and just gave their existing bigs more playing time (Martin, Nene, Andersen). A downgrade, but if the Odom trade was similarly financial, then they're probably going to play Bynum and Gasol more minutes. Or something.

Just like in the Denver example, going from Camby to Nene/Andersen is a big downgrade, but Denver felt it had to be done.

I've also noticed the Lakers are using World Peace more this season. He's averaging exactly the same minutes, but getting more touches. And he's looked good around the basket. Perhaps they plan to replace Odom's production with more involvement from him.

[KingsOwn19]

Around the league

Piss poor nights for former Kings Kevin Martin and Omri Casspi...a combined 1-14

Great night for Hawes

Decent night for Dally and Bayyno...Brockman DNP

Also, Kris Humphries may have felt he was dumped by Kim Kardashian because she finally looked at the back of his basketball card and saw his stats because he was awesome tonight...21 points, 16 rebounds.

[nuraman00]

Ed Davis keeps having these games where he shoots 70%. Today, has 7-7FG.

Toronto should be starting him, and bringing Amir Johnson off the bench. Not that Johnson is that bad, he's ok. But you already know what he is. Davis was a high draft pick on a rookie contract. I think they should start him now and see what he has.

[Sir Harry]

seems like the Lakers are about one year from being really awful....
and I'm okay with it

Stern screwed them nicely

[nuraman00]

Around the league

Piss poor nights for former Kings Kevin Martin and Omri Casspi...a combined 1-14

Great night for Hawes

Decent night for Dally and Bayyno...Brockman DNP

Also, Kris Humphries may have felt he was dumped by Kim Kardashian because she finally looked at the back of his basketball card and saw his stats because he was awesome tonight...21 points, 16 rebounds.

Yeah, I posted about Martin and Casspi earlier.

Humphries averaged a double-double last year, and so far looks on track to do it again.

David Lee also looks good this year. Last year he had that weird tooth stuck in his arm, and then it took him a while to get going after coming back from that injury. This year, he's been good front the beginning of the season.

[nuraman00]

seems like the Lakers are about one year from being really awful....
and I'm okay with it

Stern screwed them nicely

Hornets got a better deal.

Houston got hurt more than the Lakers IMO. They were close to signing Nene. They could have had a frontline of Nene and Gasol.

They would still have an older frontline, regardless, but that's still better than Jordan Hill + Scola. And I like Scola.

I also think the Clippers had to include both Gordon and the Minnesota pick. Otherwise, their deal would have been about the same as if the Hornets got either Curry or Ellis from GS; or Martin + Scola;. Or, the Hornets should have then just dealt Paul to Boston for Rondo. Even if Paul didn't want to go there, that's not the Hornets problem.

All things considered, Hornets got a scorer to build around and a future high draft pick. I'm not sure what Houston's doing. Scola is being wasted on that team, since he's the only good big on there. Dalembert is only good in the right situation.

[Sir Harry]

thinkin about watching the game again...lol

[nuraman00]

thinkin about watching the game again...lol

I might when there's a wire-to-wire win (assuming it's a consistent game throughout, like game 1 between Memphis-Oklahoma City was last year, when Memphis got an early double-digit lead and maintained it throughout the rest of the game).

I'd give this game an A-. They lose some points for the missed FTs, but at the same time, I don't expect them to be a good FT shooting team. They don't have guys with great FT strokes. Also too many 3's in the first quarter, even though they were making them.

[nuraman00]

Hayes post defense was as advertised. And Gasol is a tough cover too. He has a lot of moves and counters.

[nuraman00]

"These fans are unbelievable," newly acquired forward Chuck Hayes (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2834/chuck-hayes) said. "I thought they were loud on TV. I thought they were loud as an away player and I think they're even louder as a home player. It was just a great moment."

[nuraman00]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=311226023

Sacramento even had success matching 5-foot-9 rookie Isaiah Thomas (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/6472/isaiah-thomas) on Bryant on a few possessions in the second quarter despite a 9-inch height disadvantage. After missing a turnaround jumper over the shorter Thomas, Bryant could only manage to chuckle on his way back down the court.


Game notes

The Kings have won six straight home openers. ... Mayor Kevin Johnson (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/391/kevin-johnson), who helped keep the Kings in Sacramento this season, was presented a jersey from the Maloofs. ... Bryant got called for a technical foul in the third quarter when he threw his hands in frustration after being fouled on a dunk attempt by J.J. Hickson (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3437/jj-hickson).

[$KingsElite$]

^Kevin Johnson wanted a Jimmer jersey. :p

[Sir Harry]

"It's not a rivalry," Kobe Bryant (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/110/kobe-bryant) said. "We beat them every year. Oh my God. I don't care if they beat us tonight. I like (Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof). I hope they enjoy this."

[nuraman00]

"It's not a rivalry," Kobe Bryant (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/110/kobe-bryant) said. "We beat them every year. Oh my God. I don't care if they beat us tonight. I like (Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof). I hope they enjoy this."

I'll say this. In terms of NBA history, the following rivalries that involve the Lakers matter more, especially on a national scale:

* Lakers-Spurs
* Lakers-Celtics
* Lakers-Pistons (dormant right now because of how bad Detroit is)

* Lakers-Jazz: have more history, but is dormant right now as the Jazz rebuild.
* Lakers-Suns: See above.

In the next tier would be:

* Lakers-Blazers
* Lakers-Kings


I'm not saying it doesn't matter to fans. But in terms of having a lot of history and more playoffs series, the first five stand out.

When the Kings are a playoffs team, then Lakers-Kings will be amplified. (Regardless of if they face each other.)

On a related note, Trail Blazers - Sonics wasn't much of a rivalry either. Each of those teams have bigger rivals IMO. They only met a few times in the playoffs too, over a 20+ year span. Too much time in between. And one of the greatest Super Sonics, Gary Payton, only faced Portland once, and he was just a rookie. It's not like Lakers-Spurs or Lakers-Celtics, where you have similar rosters meeting in the playoffs.

Right now, Lakers-Blazers and Lakers-Kings are a bigger deal to the fans, than the players themselves. The players on the Lakers have more feelings toward teams they keep seeing in the playoffs.

So there's a few different ways to look at rivalries. From how the players view it, and how the fans view it.

[nuraman00]

"It's not a rivalry," Kobe Bryant (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/110/kobe-bryant) said. "We beat them every year. Oh my God. I don't care if they beat us tonight. I like (Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof). I hope they enjoy this."

I did like seeing the Maloofs into the game. Reminded me of the Martin game winner in the playoffs.

Let's see if they're here for the Bulls and Hornets games within the next week. Were they here just because it was the opener, or are they going to be there at 2+ games?

I'm not saying this somehow erases what went on last season. But if they're going to be at games, it's more fun seeing them like this, than the motionless way they were last season.

Just from the perspective of watching the game, since the broadcasters are going to show them, I'd rather see the owners excited about what's going on, then seeing a bunch of sterile faces. Or seeing how Jerry Buss was. They'd always show Buss eating fried chicken or hot dogs.

[Sir Harry]

The way I see it Kobe is a still a child.....has to say things like that to help his ego out..
fact is the Lakers have been soundly embarrassed the last couple weeks and especially the last couple days
he's a punk to the core

just like the end of tonight's game as an example.
The refs were pretty meh most of the game, both ways.

but near the end he committed an obvious charge,,,not even the slightest doubt about it, yet he jumps up as if the Refs were the problem..
to try to mitigate the teams inadequacies in his own mind

[$KingsElite$]

I'll say this. In terms of NBA history, the following rivalries that involve the Lakers matter more, especially on a national scale:

* Lakers-Spurs
* Lakers-Celtics
* Lakers-Pistons (dormant right now because of how bad Detroit is)

* Lakers-Jazz: have more history, but is dormant right now as the Jazz rebuild.
* Lakers-Suns: See above.

In the next tier would be:

* Lakers-Blazers
* Lakers-Kings


I'm not saying it doesn't matter to fans. But in terms of having a lot of history and more playoffs series, the first five stand out.

When the Kings are a playoffs team, then Lakers-Kings will be amplified. (Regardless of if they face each other.)

On a related note, Trail Blazers - Sonics wasn't much of a rivalry either. Each of those teams have bigger rivals IMO. They only met a few times in the playoffs too, over a 20+ year span. Too much time in between. And one of the greatest Super Sonics, Gary Payton, only faced Portland once, and he was just a rookie. It's not like Lakers-Spurs or Lakers-Celtics, where you have similar rosters meeting in the playoffs.

Right now, Lakers-Blazers and Lakers-Kings are a bigger deal to the fans, than the players themselves. The players on the Lakers have more feelings toward teams they keep seeing in the playoffs.

So there's a few different ways to look at rivalries. From how the players view it, and how the fans view it.

It's a rivalry because the fans hate each other and hate the other team.

[Sir Harry]

I did like seeing the Maloofs into the game. Reminded me of the Martin game winner in the playoffs.

Let's see if they're here for the Bulls and Hornets games within the next week. Were they here just because it was the opener, or are they going to be there at 2+ games?

I'm not saying this somehow erases what went on last season. But if they're going to be at games, it's more fun seeing them like this, than the motionless way they were last season.

Just from the perspective of watching the game, since the broadcasters are going to show them, I'd rather see the owners excited about what's going on, then seeing a bunch of sterile faces. Or seeing how Jerry Buss was. They'd always show Buss eating fried chicken or hot dogs.

I don't blame them..
Probly would have done things differently around the edges, but not structurally

business is business
If we build an Arena and they make a few bucks, they'll be great Owners again

[nuraman00]

The way I see it Kobe is a still a child.....has to say things like that to help his ego out..


I usually don't see that stuff from Bryant though. When the Clippers won both preseason games, he was quiet while Matt Barnes and Gasol were louder in defiance.

I don't think he's the best teammate, and I think he wasted the Clippers time back in 2004 when he was a FA, in getting them thinking he was interested.

But I usually don't see comments like this from him, it's usually from Odom, Barnes, etc. Phil Jackson.

[nuraman00]

It's a rivalry because the fans hate each other and hate the other team.

Right, but a lot of opposing fans hate the Lakers. Jazz fans, Suns fans, Trail Blazers fans, are no different.

[$KingsElite$]

Right, but a lot of opposing fans hate the Lakers. Jazz fans, Suns fans, Trail Blazers fans, are no different.

Well yeah the Lakers are hated in general just for being good, but I think the Kings fans hate the Lakers a lot more than other random fans. That's just what I think.

[$KingsElite$]

And another important question for you all. Does anybody still want Rubio over Tyreke?

[nuraman00]

I don't blame them..
Probly would have done things differently around the edges, but not structurally

business is business
If we build an Arena and they make a few bucks, they'll be great Owners again

While I'll be happy if there's a new arena and they sign a 30 year lease, there's a few aspects of their ownership which I disagree with.

* Coaches: They give the worst contracts to coaches. I look at the Westphal contract as a slap to both entities. Westphal, for accepting a contract with only two years guaranteed. Even most rookie coaches get 3 years guaranteed. And Westphal was a veteran. He should have demanded 3 years. I know coaching is a scarce position, there's only 30 of them. But I just see it as if Westphal only accepted a two year deal (even though his option eventually did get picked up), he was desperate.

Kurt Rambis got a 4 year deal from Minnesota. I'm not saying Rambis was a better coach, but that's the kind of contract I would expect most new coaches to want.

And the Maloofs get dinged for always giving out the shortest coaching contracts. If they were to give someone a 3 year deal instead, it would at least appear that they have more conviction in their hire, and that the organization is more stable.

Also, Adelman was a lame duck coach in 2004-2005, and in 2005-2006. Judging by how many years their other coaching contracts were given out, I doubt Adelman would have gotten better than 1 year + 1 year option, which would have hypothetically made him a lame duck coach 3 years in a row if they resigned him in 2006-2007.

I realize they probably just didn't like Adelman's personality, and it affected their business relationship. But the point is that they were giving out the bare minimum in contract length.

If its an organizational philosophy not to give out long coaching contracts, than that's just one aspect of the ownership that I don't agree with.

I also think their poor coaching contract offers are why bigger names like Stan Van Gundy or Flip Saunders didn't consider the Kings. Some of these bigger names aren't even interested in interviewing.

I'm not saying coaching makes a huge difference, when you don't have much talent. But there still is some difference between the best coaches, and average ones. And IMO, the poor contract offers are what drive other coaches away from considering a job with the Kings. Coaching doesn't matter much when you're a super lottery team. But it can make a difference once you're a playoffs caliber team.

So even if/when they sign lease with a new arena in Sacramento, they're still going to be under scrutiny from me for some of their policies. But at least they would have done more right then they're doing now, with this situation.

I also hate the radio broadcasting package. They cut the pregame from 60 to 30 minutes in 2008-2009. I don't know if KHTK pushed for that, or Maloofs Sports and Entertainment. But I fucking hate that.

The Miami Heat signed a broadcast package in 2010 with the following features. The Kings broadcast package pales in comparison, and it used to be more comparable a few years ago.

So to summarize:

* The Maloofs are low budget on coaches.
* Maloofs Sports and Entertainment are low budget on radio broadcasts.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.nba.com/heat/news/heat_signs_radio_contract_with_790_the_tickets_201 0.html

MIAMI, November 9th – The Miami HEAT announced today that it has signed a multi-year radio contract with WAXY 790 The Ticket. The HEAT radio game coverage and commentary HEAT fans know and love will now be found on 790 The Ticket, the new radio home for the Miami HEAT.
As part of the agreement, in addition to the exciting play-by-play action of every pre-season, regular season and post-season HEAT game, 790 The Ticket will provide the following exclusive content:


Extended Pre-Game and Post-Game Shows: Tune in 60 minutes prior to the start of each HEAT game and stick around for the post-game talk about the game with Jonathan Zaslow and Tommy Tighe.
Daily HEAT Show: Get your daily HEAT fix Monday through Friday during the 9:00 a.m. hour with host Jorge Sedano.
HEAT Game Day Program: Start your game day preparations early with the Sports Brothers from 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. (weekend dates and times to be determined).
Daily “Dos Minutos with the Miami HEAT” Segment: Two minutes of the hottest HEAT news each day hosted by Jorge Sedano with contributions from Miami HEAT game broadcasters Mike Inglis, John Crotty, Eric Reid, Tony Fiorentino, Jason Jackson and Jose Pañeda.
HEAT Weekly Show: Take an in-depth, behind the scenes look into your Miami HEAT each week (date and time to be determined).

[Blood Brother]

"It's not a rivalry," Kobe Bryant (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/110/kobe-bryant) said. "We beat them every year. Oh my God. I don't care if they beat us tonight. I like (Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof). I hope they enjoy this."

haha Kobe is so pissed off right now with how the Lakers are playing.

[nuraman00]

Well yeah the Lakers are hated in general just for being good, but I think the Kings fans hate the Lakers a lot more than other random fans. That's just what I think.

I read a lot of team boards, and there's always threads about the Lakers whenever they struggle. Not just this year, but past years too.

Then there's threads on whether it's fair for them to have that payroll, etc.

There was a "Lakers draft Bustnum!" thread on another team board, back in the 2005 draft. And they weren't good that year, that's why they had a lottery pick.

There's a lot of Lakers hate threads on many teams boards.

Another example: The broadcasters in Portland still bring up Trevor Ariza's foul on Rudy Fernandez from 3 years ago. And Ariza hadn't been on the Lakers for almost 2 years. I believe Mike Rice made a reference to Ariza in his call, during a testy moment in a Lakers-Blazers game last year.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdZBcbSE0Pc


And that riles up the fans, of course.

So I'd say Portland, Utah, Phoenix fans get into it as much as Kings fans. And Phoenix has a ton of playoffs history with the Lakers, they've met twelve times.

And at least on ESPN, a few Lakers fans troll the Spurs board every day. Even during the offseason. They've been doing it for 5-6 years, when I first started noticing it.

The Jazz had a contest last year where the winners of the dance-off, during the 2 minute quarter break, would receive tickets to a Jazz-Lakers games at STAPLES. So a pair of fans won tickets for two for a weekend in L.A., with complete accommodations, from Utah.

So other organizations definitely promote hating the Lakers too. And it's not just because the Lakers are good, but it's just as ingrained based on the teams' histories.

[nuraman00]

So was anyone else pissed about the shortened radio pregame show from a few years ago?

[Sir Harry]

haha Kobe is so pissed off right now with how the Lakers are playing.

betcha he demands a trade before the years out

[Sir Harry]

So was anyone else pissed about the shortened radio pregame show from a few years ago?
I'm thinkin 30 minutes is enough
but then again, I don't really listen to the games on the radio that often

[$KingsElite$]

I read a lot of team boards, and there's always threads about the Lakers whenever they struggle. Not just this year, but past years too.

Then there's threads on whether it's fair for them to have that payroll, etc.

There was a "Lakers draft Bustnum!" thread on another team board, back in the 2005 draft. And they weren't good that year, that's why they had a lottery pick.

There's a lot of Lakers hate threads on many teams boards.

Another example: The broadcasters in Portland still bring up Trevor Ariza's foul on Rudy Fernandez from 3 years ago. And Ariza hadn't been on the Lakers for almost 2 years. I believe Mike Rice made a reference to Ariza in his call, during a testy moment in a Lakers-Blazers game last year.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdZBcbSE0Pc


And that riles up the fans, of course.

So I'd say Portland, Utah, Phoenix fans get into it as much as Kings fans. And Phoenix has a ton of playoffs history with the Lakers, they've met twelve times.

And at least on ESPN, a few Lakers fans troll the Spurs board every day. Even during the offseason. They've been doing it for 5-6 years, when I first started noticing it.

The Jazz had a contest last year where the winners of the dance-off, during the 2 minute quarter break, would receive tickets to a Jazz-Lakers games at STAPLES. So a pair of fans won tickets for two for a weekend in L.A., with complete accommodations, from Utah.

So other organizations definitely promote hating the Lakers too. And it's not just because the Lakers are good, but it's just as ingrained based on the teams' histories.

Fair enough then. I guess I just like to think there's something special between us. :) And that foul by Ariza looked like a legit play on the ball. He just caught Fernandez on the arm. It was close to being a great block.

[nuraman00]

betcha he demands a trade before the years out

Man, that would certainly be whiny if he did. I'm not saying the Lakers are world-beaters, but it's hard to imagine a situation in which he were to get traded, that would be much better. He's still on a good team, playing with an All-Star.

The talent around him is better than what Howard has in Orlando, or what James had in Cleveland.

[Sir Harry]

He demanded to be traded a few years back when the team was in decline...and he could have been traded to the Bulls easily
If it looks like the Lakers are done, I could see him bailing

[nuraman00]

I'm thinkin 30 minutes is enough
but then again, I don't really listen to the games on the radio that often

I listen to games on the radio, at least partially, because:

* During the drive home, it's usually when a game is about to begin, or has begun.

* I love Gary Gerould. I enjoy his broadcast a lot more than Grant and Jerry. I wish Gerould simulcast.

Grant and Jerry are ok, but they do enough things from time to time that annoy me.

I have to say though, that I do like Jerry's nickname "Chuck Wagon". That's one of the few nicknames from him that I like.

I do agree that sometimes 60 minutes would be a bit long. But overall, I'd just rather have more coverage than less. Also, what else are you going to talk about? Any sports stories during the day will have already been discussed. They'd just be talking about the same stuff as from earlier in the day. Why not divert some of that time to a full-length Kings pregame show?

After having it shortened to 30 minutes, it just feels to rushed.

Also, MLB games have 1 hour pregames shows, so I'm just used to hearing chatter before the game. I'm not saying I find one hour pregame shows jaw-droppingly insightful. But it just gets me in the mood, before the game.


Also, I listen to a ton of sports radio during the day. I station-surf most days between 3-4 sports stations, to try and find a topic I'm interested in. Or I'll use internet streaming audio.

So I just like sports radio in general.

I wish I could sync radio with TV or League Pass, but radio is usually 7-15 seconds ahead.

[nuraman00]

He demanded to be traded a few years back when the team was in decline...and he could have been traded to the Bulls easily
If it looks like the Lakers are done, I could see him bailing

Agree. I just think his situation now is more desirable than from a few years ago. And that he can't realistically do better.

There were also the disparaging comments he made about Bynum, around that time. And I thought it was awkward, how reporters prefaced interview questions to Bynum the next year with "Kobe wasn't always your biggest fan but talk about the improvement you've shown this year . . ."

In truth, it's not that the comments about Bynum have never been made before. I'm sure plenty of teammates feel that way about another, from time to time. Jordan wasn't a fan of Brad Sellers, for example. It just makes Bryant look bad because it was caught on a cell phone camera.

I just think if Bryant demands a trade request, his situation compared to Howard or Paul or Deron's is a lot better, and short of being traded to the Mavs, there's not another team that has another star that he could get traded to.

It would also be short-sighted. The Mavs went from the 7th seed, to the 6th seed, to the 2nd seed, to the 3rd seed. You're not always going to be a top two seed.

I also feel that the Lakers have done as much as possible to surround Bryant with good players, and he should show some patience and gratitude as they try to figure things out.

[nuraman00]

Front page of ESPN's NBA Page:

72

Evans and Cousins are the bookends. Who is in the middle? Outlaw?

[nuraman00]

Also, the clock shows 1:10 remaining in the quarter. So if that's Outlaw, that could have only been in the 1st quarter.

http://www.popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20111226&game=LALSAC

[nuraman00]

What do you guys think of the coaching contracts handed out by the Maloofs? Do you think they're as low-budget as I do (in terms of years)?

[nuraman00]

And another important question for you all. Does anybody still want Rubio over Tyreke?

I had wanted Evans in the draft because of his defense. And Rubio just looked like a Brevin Knight player to me. 8-9 assists a game, but no ability to shoot or make layups (like Rondo). I'll be watching this sesaon to see whether that impression holds true.

Over the last two years, Evans hasn't done as much to live up to my defensive dreams. After the game where the Kings beat Deron Williams in November of his rookie year, he started to look both lost and indifferent on defense.

Getting some steals and blocks in transition today was a start toward living up to his potential again.

On offense, Evans is a much better player than Rubio will be. It's just I always imagined he'd have the same impact on defense too. That's what tantalized me about him, in the draft. There's still time.

Let's see how he handles Felton. Felton isn't too dangerous in terms of explosiveness. Still, that shouldn't matter. Evans potential to play great defense starts with doing the right things, regardless of opponent.

Thornton also seems to have a better grasp on defense too IMO. I wonder if Thornton and Salmons can help make Evans better. If Salmons can contribute like that, then it will be the first sign of leadership that I've seen from him. I'm not saying he's been unwilling in the past. Just that the situation never called for it, like it does now.

[Eze]

Rubio's looked really good in preseason and did last night too. Totally different type of player, hard to compare. Guys just don't see the floor like he does - some of the passes last night versus the Thunder were insane. The fact that the Wolves actually took the Thunder down to the wire was pretty impressive too, given the discrepancy in rosters.

Also, that's Marcus in the picture. He wears those knee warmers.

[DCKingsFan]

Wow, that is a lot of posts! Nice job guys...

[nuraman00]

Rubio's looked really good in preseason and did last night too. Totally different type of player, hard to compare. Guys just don't see the floor like he does - some of the passes last night versus the Thunder were insane. The fact that the Wolves actually took the Thunder down to the wire was pretty impressive too, given the discrepancy in rosters.

Also, that's Marcus in the picture. He wears those knee warmers.

Thanks.

What do you think of the Brevin Knight comparison though, in terms if their prominent attributes and weaknesses?

[nuraman00]

Wow, that is a lot of posts! Nice job guys...

Are you going to read through them all?

[Eze]

Thanks.

What do you think of the Brevin Knight comparison though, in terms if their prominent attributes and weaknesses?

Rubio seems hard to define. Knight was a good passer - saw the court very well, much like Rubio, but Rubio's a lot flashier and I think he has a higher ceiling than Knight did as a complete player. He wont ever be worth much on the defensive side of the ball (mostly because of his size and the general "euro" style he'll play) but I think he'll be a better offensive player than Knight.

I think he's a double digit scorer (14/15 a night) with 9-10 assist a night averages when he hits his stride. A better, more under control, Jason Williams to me.