Hey all,
Life got a little crazy, so I had to let a couple games go by, but I will address them game by game. These posts will be brief, but I will go more in depth at the 10 game mark.
IT WAS THE FIRST KING’S WIN OF THE SEASON!!!!!!!!
OK, now that I got that out of my system, let me break down some thoughts on the game.
1) Starters
If you look at my last post, you’ll see that I correctly predicted the start of Iman Shumpert, and was definitely surprised because I said to start him for his defense and he ended up being an offensive powerhouse instead! Bjelica was still in there, but honestly, he’s a hustle guy who has a lot of experience so I am ok with him being in there still.
2) Play style
If I had to compare this team’s style of play to another sports franchise, I’d choose the New England Patriots. This is due mostly in part to the fact that they just try to outscore their opponent and really don’t play defense. This has been a signature of the Pats for the past several years. And score they do! They’ve been on a tear in triple digits in every game so far.
3) Final Thoughts:
I don’t have a lot to say. The magic formula of scoring in bunches and doing it more frequently than the opponent paid off. It will result in some success, but I really hope that it doesn’t continue. Hopefully, the Kings front office will bring in some more defensive and rebounding weapons soon.
As far as individual efforts: Buddy has the offense, Shump has the 3’s, Yogi has spunk, Bagley has Bounce, and Willie is thrilly!
GAME 4
Nothing goes with the thrill of victory like the agony of defeat…
Everything started off great – same starters as the win. Fox came out strong, and Shump played 11 minutes of the quarter. The problem was: sloppy play. The turnover bug was running rampant.
1) Biggest Problems
The turnovers. It seemed like every time there was a chance to gain some momentum, the Kings would manage to come up with a dumb turnover. Second, the shots were just not falling. The Kings were playing too much hero ball out there. There were not enough passes to open guys, and way too many contested shots. Not to mention, the rebounding issues. Flat out, the Kings have got to find a way to rebound more! It makes me long for the days of Reggie Evans…
2) Bogie
The team is really missing Bogdanavic out there… I get that he wanted to represent his country and what not, but I really think the Kings should not have let him play in that tournament. He already played once, and won MVP. What purpose was there for him to be there? Now, the team is down one of their best and most important pieces, and that’s a huge problem. No one off of the bench can really fill that void, so the team will have to continue to tread water until he returns.
3) Bagley
Marvin Bagley WILL be a star in this league. He never quits, hustles hard, and scores in bunches. I’m excited to see what the year has in store for him! All you nay-sayers and Luka lovers be aware, this kid’s the real deal. And a real 4, which the Kings have been in desperate need of for over a decade. The core of Fox, Marvin, and Bogie will be the best big 3 the Kings have had in a looooooong time.
Now, it’s on to beating Memphis. This season will have a lot of ups and downs, but I think it gave us a real view of the potential of this team. Let’s hope that the Denver altitude is what really slowed them down, and that the return to the familiar confines of the Golden 1 Center will result in continued success! Bring on the Grizzlies!
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