Sacramento Train Wrecks @ Houston Engines That Sometimes Could 3-26-12 Gamethread

[bloatedmaniac]

The Kings take on the Rockets in Houston following a defeat of ignorant proportions against the Golden State Warriors. The last time these two teams met, the Rockets took home a 103-89 victory. Dalembert dominate the low post posting a 21 point, 16 board night while Lowry almost had a double double himself with 25 points and 9 assists. Kevin Martin is out tonight with a shoulder injury while Lowry is out with a bacterial infection. Jason Thompson is probable for tonight as he has been day to day with an ankle injury.

Keys to the game:

1. Reports of defense being optional have been greatly exaggerated. When the Kings lose, you can look at the lack of defense being one of the major factors. Lounging around on the court with nobody within 10 feet of the ball handler hasn't worked very well. They need to stay aggressive and challenge the shooters. Martin and Lowry might be out, but the Kings have struggled against teams missing their key players so far this season. Take nothing for granted.

2. Durr them balls be slippery. The Kings showed against Golden State how damaging unforced turnovers can be. Its been one of the biggest problems the team has had this year, among many issues. Control the ball, make smart passes (that aren't telegraphed), and stop forcing the action in ways that are doomed to fail. In short, VALUE THE PUMPKIN.

3. There is no Thornton in Team. In their recent win streak, the Kings have showed the value in team play. There is no one individual on this team that is good enough to take over games or even show consistancy on most nights. They have to keep everyone involved in the game and keep aware of open shooters. That means no dribbling away the clock, jacking up contested shots with a defender in their face with 20 seconds left on the shot clock, and ignoring teammates who are open on a fast break. Keep the ball moving to find the highest percentage shot attempt, and don't forget poor Cousins down in the low post.


Starting Lineups:

Houston:

PG- Dragic
SG- Lee
SF- Parson
PF- Scola
C- Dalembert

Train Wrecks:

PG- Brent Price
SG- Jim Jackson
SF- Walt Williams
PF- Otis Thorpe
C- Ralph Sampson

[nuraman00]

http://i41.tinypic.com/152dhxy.jpg

[PackfanMatt_12]

LOL

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins Prediction:
23 Points, 11 Boards, 4 Assists, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal, 5 Fouls

[PackfanMatt_12]

sidenote: Magic PF Ryan Anderson has made 6 3's in the 1st half against the Raptors.

[hitdog]

Game time !!!

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins draws the And 1 but doesn't convert

[PackfanMatt_12]

Kings forcing turnovers and on a nice 3 on 1 transition Thornton lays it up and under.
Kings lead 8-2

[PackfanMatt_12]

Game time !!!

hey hitdog

[PackfanMatt_12]

Isaiah takes it inside and gets the 2

[PackfanMatt_12]

Kings are playing very well on defense. Forcing tough shots (except that last 3 point attempt)
Kings shooting 71%

[PackfanMatt_12]

Thornton puts to much on the layup and it rims out. Rockets drive down court fast and Cousins gets his first foul of the game
Kings 10
Rockets 4

[PackfanMatt_12]

for the second time Thornton can't handle the layup.
Next possession Rockets turn it over Kings drive the court Greene does a behind the back to Cousins who draws the foul
Dalembert (2) fouls

[PackfanMatt_12]

Kings are drawing early fouls. Good to see
Rockets now with 4 team fouls

[PackfanMatt_12]

Rockets are just playing sloppy basketball

[PackfanMatt_12]

Evans with the big fast break block on Scola, then slams it in on the other end
Rockets have turned it over 5 times. Kings 0

[hitdog]

hey hitdog

what up Matt, Kings are kickin' butt right now

[PackfanMatt_12]

yeah they just struggled there a bit, but still dominating this game

[PackfanMatt_12]

End of the 1st Kings lead 29-17
Cousins who hasn't done well with FT's (3/5) has 7 Points, 5 Boards, 1 Assist, 1 Steal
Tyreke has been having a good game with 4 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 4 Steals, 1 Block

[PackfanMatt_12]

I will dominate this game like Ryan Anderson is dominating the 3 point line (7/11)

[PackfanMatt_12]

Travis Outlaw, Francisco Garcia, John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, Jimmer on the court together. This is my worst nightmare

[PackfanMatt_12]

The Kings are playing like the Rockets of the 1st quarter. Please get these scrubs off the court

[PackfanMatt_12]

That was seriously my worst nightmare

[PackfanMatt_12]

after we put all our bench guys in we just lost all momentum.

[PackfanMatt_12]

Lets start the 2nd half

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins already has 20

[PackfanMatt_12]

no defense on the 3. Lee misses, Scola rebounds passes it back to Lee who is still wide open at the same spot, and he finally makes it

[PackfanMatt_12]

That 16 point lead mow seems like it was weeks ago

[PackfanMatt_12]

wow this is pathetic

[PackfanMatt_12]

seriously stop shooting these damn 3's when you clearly can't come close to making them

[PackfanMatt_12]

DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN MARCUS CAMBY

[hitdog]

did that count? i missed it.

[PackfanMatt_12]

did that count? i missed it.

it won't count but still amazing

[PackfanMatt_12]

how pathetic this team is.

[hitdog]

Big Cuz w/ the and 1 !! That's what I'm talkin' about.

[hitdog]

the Rockets are playin' like crap again, gotta build a lead if we can.

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins with 29 Points 10 Rebounds

[PackfanMatt_12]

hotdog who are your favorite NFL, MLB teams

[PackfanMatt_12]

Williams with the THREEEEEEEEx2

[hitdog]

Raiders and Braves, you?

[PackfanMatt_12]

On NBA 2K11 My Player i was SG for the Trail Blazers and couldn't stand playing with Dragic at PG. So i got traded (6th time in my career of 3 years) to the Spurs. I am very happy now

[PackfanMatt_12]

Raiders and Braves, you?

Packers and SF Giants

did you check out my MLB Season Preview

[hitdog]

Packers and SF Giants

did you check out my MLB Season Preview

No. Is it on this site?

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins career high 33 Points

[PackfanMatt_12]

No. Is it on this site?

just to save time
MLB Season Preview (http://247sportszone.blogspot.com/2012/02/mlb-season-preview.html)

[hitdog]

just to save time
MLB Season Preview (http://247sportszone.blogspot.com/2012/02/mlb-season-preview.html)

I'll check it out, thanks.

Kings folding down the stretch again.

[PackfanMatt_12]

Kings with their usual choke job.

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins will fall just short of 40

[hitdog]

damn thorton straight worked for that one, good job

[hitdog]

ot...

[PackfanMatt_12]

Cousins can try and get 40 now. That is if the Kings actually know what it means to give the ball to your hottest player. Which most of the time these players can't grasp

[PackfanMatt_12]

why can't Hayes drive in to take the shot instead of going one armed heave

[PackfanMatt_12]

ok its over

[PackfanMatt_12]

it would be nice if one day or year this team could learn to get the ball to the guy who is hot. Obviously this teams lacks the basketball IQ for that

[PackfanMatt_12]

well it was watchable up until the final 7 minutes.

[PackfanMatt_12]

Isaiah with the basketball IQ of.......
I think pretty much everything has a higher basketball IQ

[PackfanMatt_12]

Isaiah past 2 games
vs. GSW: Isaiah costs the game by bouncing the ball of his foot with 8 seconds left
vs. HOU fouling Boykins with 22 seconds left down 3

[hitdog]

game over, oh well. Have a good one Matt.

[PackfanMatt_12]

you to
we need JT back

[kingraider412]

Once again...we have to one of the dumbest teams when it comes to basketball IQ. That OT period was horrendous.

[bloatedmaniac]

Keys to the game:

1. Reports of defense being optional have been greatly exaggerated. When the Kings lose, you can look at the lack of defense being one of the major factors. Lounging around on the court with nobody within 10 feet of the ball handler hasn't worked very well. They need to stay aggressive and challenge the shooters. Martin and Lowry might be out, but the Kings have struggled against teams missing their key players so far this season. Take nothing for granted.

2. Durr them balls be slippery. The Kings showed against Golden State how damaging unforced turnovers can be. Its been one of the biggest problems the team has had this year, among many issues. Control the ball, make smart passes (that aren't telegraphed), and stop forcing the action in ways that are doomed to fail. In short, VALUE THE PUMPKIN.

3. There is no Thornton in Team. In their recent win streak, the Kings have showed the value in team play. There is no one individual on this team that is good enough to take over games or even show consistancy on most nights. They have to keep everyone involved in the game and keep aware of open shooters. That means no dribbling away the clock, jacking up contested shots with a defender in their face with 20 seconds left on the shot clock, and ignoring teammates who are open on a fast break. Keep the ball moving to find the highest percentage shot attempt, and don't forget poor Cousins down in the low post.



I started listening to the game on the radio when the Kings were up 8 and began their closing minute meltdown, and got to view the OT disaster. Its unbelievable...yet so believable with this team.

Lets review the keys to the game:

1. The Kings defense choked, especially at the games end. They let Patterson look like an MVP...nobody could keep him out of the paint. Down the stretch there were way too many easy shots, and defense went on vacation during OT. Overall the Rockets shot 48.3% from the field. Survey says FAIL

2. The Kings had 17 turnovers, leading to 28 points for the Rockets. They had about 10 in the first half, and a lot of costly ones in the second. They also had a lot of really piss poor decisions with the ball. FAIL

3. Thornton proved that there isn't a team that he isn't afraid to go 1 on 5 against. Cousins blew a 3 on 1 break (but got lucky with a foul call). Overall the Kings had 17 assists to 17 turnovers...1:1 doesn't cut it in this league if you want to be good (or even decent). FAIL

[bloatedmaniac]

MVP of the day goes to Matt for keeping the gamethread active!

[ctbaz]

FML...goddamnit kings

[kingraider412]

Isiah ROY! Hands down! he's single handed cost us two games in a row.. I love the guys fire and energy. But, it's time to dig into free agency for a real PG.

[PackfanMatt_12]

it was painful to watch. Atleast Cousins played great

[Eze]

Terrence Williams makes Tyreke Evans look like Magic Johnson from an IQ standpoint.

He's blown both the last games with awful play in the clutch. First a blown layup, now two screens you learn in high school.

Smart shouldn't have ever put him in either situation though.

[kingraider412]

I didn't forget Terrence Williams hit some nice key shots off the bench. Some real pretty shots. I would not mind Smart putting him in there about 15-20 against the Spurs, subbing out Thomas, who will get eaten alive by Parker on Wednesday. I hope Smart notices Parker is playing all world again and put someone else on Parker, just not Thornton or Thomas.

[kingraider412]

Your right about the Lack of Iq with Williams. But, he plays some nice D. And we're going to need all the D of 48 minutes against POPS half court grind ball, which the Kings don't excel at.

[Eze]

Williams got a bit lucky from outside tonight - he's generally a pretty poor shooter. Good athlete and solid defender though.

[Eze]

Also, draft time yet? Sigh.

[bloatedmaniac]

Isiah ROY! Hands down! he's single handed cost us two games in a row.. I love the guys fire and energy. But, it's time to dig into free agency for a real PG.

Thomas sucked tonight while having a few unbelievably stupid plays the past couple games, but the games were not lost exclusively on him. Both games were played against horrible teams missing their best players and should of never even come down to the wire. The reason why it did was nothing on Thomas. It was the entire team who found it unimportant to play any sort of effective defense. They leave shooters wide open, they abandon players with the ball, and leave the paint open for all to come. They go into rambo mode on offense forgetting to involve anyone else. Even on 3 on 1 breaks...Cousins, Williams, Thornton choose to go in alone and mess up. Then until midway through the 4th...the bench only had 2 points. Thats so beyond bad.

Isaiah did messed up horribly of a few plays, but the team fucked up for 48 minutes even when they were leading. Cousins made Patterson look like Shaq. Cousins went rambo mode on the break. Cousins got hit with a Technical which costed the team a point in a game that went into overtime. Should we replace Cousins for another center? Nope, because young players do screw up. Isaiah isn't going to get overexcited and lose the ball on a dribble like he did against the Warriors. That was a fluke. He made a dumb foul trying to redeem a turnover. He'll learn not to. Rookies make all kinds of mistakes. If you watch Cleveland, Irving screws up and makes some head scratching choices in a lot of games. It happens, its just head banging when they do. Right now Isaiah is the highest IQ player on this, he is one of the top rookies (yes he really is), and has a solid work ethic. These give reasons to believe in improvement. Since there are no realistic upgrades in Free Agency at the point (Nash won't come), you got to ride him unless the fail bombs continue. Its different for a guy like Evans who in 3 years has gotten worse, and has the IQ and intensity of a dead pig. Now I do think Jerry blows Isaiah too hard with the Irving = Thomas comments...but he is worth giving the chance.

[bloatedmaniac]

I didn't forget Terrence Williams hit some nice key shots off the bench. Some real pretty shots. I would not mind Smart putting him in there about 15-20 against the Spurs, subbing out Thomas, who will get eaten alive by Parker on Wednesday. I hope Smart notices Parker is playing all world again and put someone else on Parker, just not Thornton or Thomas.

Nobody on the Kings can stop Parker, and great players are rarely ever stopped by one player. It has to be a team defense to slow things down. Keeping lively rotations to prevent penetration, while not giving too much space to open shooters. Isaiah has the quickness to keep in front of Parker, but if he is getting beat like Rihanna then Salmons might be the best bet. He has the defensive instincts and experience to slow Parker down a bit. (would love to see Williams prove himself by beasting him, but probably won't happen). Like I said though it has to be a team defensive strategy. The guards and wing need to do a great job of rotating when Parker makes his drive and cut off thepassing lanes. If they play as useless defensively as they have been....it won't be pretty.


Terrence Williams makes Tyreke Evans look like Magic Johnson from an IQ standpoint.

He's blown both the last games with awful play in the clutch. First a blown layup, now two screens you learn in high school.

Smart shouldn't have ever put him in either situation though.

I agree, I have no been a fan of Smart's rotations. At the end of the game, you have to have your 5 best players but we rarely see that. Its been a bit of a juggling act. I don't mind Williams getting some time during the course of the game to see how he performs, but he shouldn't be on the floor to close out the game. On offense he is looking like Thornton mentality wise. If he gets the ball he will shoot it. If he has the ball on the break he'll try to rambo it. It was nice to see him make his first couple shots in the 4th, but that isn't his game. He is a slasher type on offense, but he won't hesitate to put things up. Either he wants the numbers to say "hey look at me, give me a contract" or he is just an egonaut wanting stats. I'm hoping its just a comfort thing, and not his way. This team needs all the talent it can get, but good god we have enough one dimensional egonauts already. I'm sure he'll be given a contract through the rest of the year...so got to hope for the best.

[bloatedmaniac]

Also, draft time yet? Sigh.

I'm all set to see the Kings get the worst possible draft spot that they could get, and missing out on the studs who could help transform this team. Do you have any person favorites in the draft that you'd wish the Kings to get?

[nuraman00]

Things are looking good for me, I should be able to catch games this week. I just wish the game was @ SA on Wednesday, as I'd like to see a season with 2 wins at SA. :) Even if it's a crappy regular season, it would still be cool to have that as a highlight.

BTW, the game on Wednesday is in NBA TV.