SB Nation - Jon Brockman

Sacramento's Sucking Defensive Void: What's the Problem?

Ziller — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Steve Yeater - AP

With eyes coated glassy from gimlets of joy here in points west, there remains one striking, sucking void in the burgeoning success of the Sacramento Kings: the defense remains absolutely awful. The world's worst a year ago, the Kings defense again ranks among the dregs of the league. The real problem for armchair analysts like me is that there is no easy answer.

The team's shooting defense sucks. The team doesn't create many turnovers. The team can't rebound regularly on the defensive end. The team fouls too much.

In every aspect of defense, the Kings are worse than par. Sacramento has stayed afloat (or exceeded expectations, more like it) based on a booming offense which has rung bells from McKinley to Kilimanjaro. (Well, it's currently 7th in the league. Without all but five games of Kevin Martin. I heard at least some decorative plates rattle.) The defense has attempted to again sink this team, like a malformed anchor of youthful blindness or community distraction. (Optimists, still here, will grasp for the former.)

Rebounding is easy to diagnose: our defensive rebounders suck. Jason Thompson has improved on that end, and in total is a fine, fine rebounder. He could do well to boost his defensive rebounding more, but he's not so much a problem as a concern. Spencer Hawes is a concern, absolutely. His defensive rebounding (21 percent last year, less than 18 percent now) is abysmal -- Mikki Moore level, in fact. This isn't blame so much as observation: Hawes has devolved as a rebounder, and he was subpar for his position and size already. Now he's atrocious. Moving on out of reach of the cyanide, Andres Nocioni has been a sink, of sorts -- his 9 percent overall rebounding rate is Salmonsesque (not good) and below the sinewy, frantic Omri Casspi (nearly 10 percent). Donte Greene has not been rebounding well, either. Kenny Thomas and Jon Brockman are champions, thank you.

Turnovers fit into the team defense conceit we'll discuss more later, and fouls split time between there (later) and this easy-to-grasp statement: Jason Thompson has really got to calm down on the fouls. Brockman and Thomas actually foul more frequently than J.T., and The Show actually isn't far behind, but as Thompson plays so many minutes (necessarily, because he is awesome) his matter most. It's not fair, but the cover of Good Housekeeping ain't free, Holmes.

Shooting defense. A riddle wrapped in prosciutto. Rancid prosciutto bartered from the Slovenian black market, in our example. (Apologies, underground meat salesmen of Celje. I mean no offense. I simply take the simplest path to WTF I can find, and today that route crossed your unfortunately, smelly bridge.) Shooting defense is really tricky to unfurl, even at the team level. On an individual basis, yes, guh, muy difficulto. But at the team level, it's still tricky.

Shooting defense, to me, can be broken off into two branches: shot distribution and actual shot defense. In other words, what locations do your opponents shoot from, and how well do they hit them?

Hoopdata.com has made serious strides in public availability of this sort of data this season. Truly fantastic, in my book, which is the one you're reading. I can give you the last page right now, if you're the type who reads that. But first,

SPOILER ALERT

The Kings' opponent shot distribution ranks 15th; that is, if opponents shot league average against the Kings in every shot zone, the Kings would have the 15th ranked shooting defense. But the Kings have the 22nd ranked shooting defense, because the Kings defense actually underperforms from average; that is, the Kings let opponents shot better than they ought to.

END SPOILER ALERT

First, shot distribution. Do opponents get lots of so-called easy shots -- near the rim, threes -- against the Kings?

Sacramento is middle-of-the-pack in the frequency of opponent attempts at the rim ... a bit surprising really. (We'll come back to interior defense in a moment.) No team gives up more non-layup/dunk shots inside the paint than the Kings, though. The Kings allow the sixth lowest rate of "midrange" 10-15 foot shots, and the 10th lowest rate of long twos. (Long twos are the worst shot in basketball, by category. More specifically, long twos by Chris Duhon are the worst shot in basketball.) The Kings give up the 7th lowest rate of threes, which is a positive.

So, essentially, Kings opponents end up taking a lot of short jumpers, compared to the league at large.

But when those opponent do get to the rim, well. Damn.

The Kings have the second-worst shot defense at the rim. There's that bad interior defense peeking out. (Out of where, well, this is a family blog, let's just move on.) This can potentially be attributed to having the league's fourth-worst block rate, and also, anecdotally, not being terribly good in transition.

Moving out, the Kings actually defend short jumpers (5-10 feet) really well, like, "third best in the league" well. From 10-15 feet, Kings opponents don't hit too much, with Sacramento having the league's eighth best shot defense from there. The Kings rank 27th in shot defense from 16-23 feet (ick), but know that 16-23 foot jump shot shooting percentages tend to vacillate wildly. (Proof: Tyreke Evans is shooting 48 percent from there this year. If that lasts, I'll eat Truck Robinson's sweatband.)

The Kings don't give up a ton of three-point attempts, but they do give up a ton of makes, with the 9th-worst shot defense from beyond the arc. Opponents shot 36.5 percent from three against Sacramento, which is the equivalent of shooting 54.7 percent from two. It's not nearly as bad as last year (where opponents actually shot better than 40 percent from downtown, if you can believe it). But it's still not good.

So there you have it. The Kings have an average opponent shot distribution, but let them make way too many attempts near the rim and from behind the arc.

Now, the big question ... whoooooooo? I can't pretend to know that answer, though I will put on the record that 82games.com reports that opponent guards and centers haven't shot too terribly well against the Kings this season, but forwards have. Small forward has been the most sour defensive spot, by this source. Andres Nocioni and Omri Casspi account for 67 percent of the team's minutes at the position. It's hard to figure this with any certainty (without more data, like game-by-game, possession-by-possession data), especially considering that Paul Westphal uses such varied line-ups and Jim Eyen has installed a couple of zone schemes the team turns to often enough. It's really impossible to lay any blame on the shooting defense on any one, two or three players given the info I have. I think we can recuse the center (Hawes, who has played 56 percent of the team's center minutes, and against whom centers are shooting far worse than they have against other Kings with minutes at the position, namely Thompson), but no one else at this point. (Guard penetration affects shooting percentages across the board -- we can't blame Nocioni if a guard gets past Evans or Udrih and forces rotations which leave Nocioni's man with airspace.)

I have thrice begun a paragraph in which I blame a player thoughtfully given the information I have, but ... nope. Wouldn't do it. I can't say for sure, and I'd rather be silent than wrong.

Sergio, Thompson Lead Kings Back to .500 With 112-96 Win Over Hornets

Ziller — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:32:41 -0000

by Steve Yeater - AP

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With Kevin Martin and Spencer Hawes sidelined, you'd figure that New Orleans' ploy to stop the Kings by focusing its defense on Tyreke Evans would be smart. But then, you did not count on Sergio Rodriguez.

Rodriguez had a phenomenal effort off the bench, scoring 24 points in 24 minutes, shooting 9-14 from the floor and adding five assists (several of them spectacular) with zero turnovers. Beno Udrih, coming off the bench behind Donte Greene again, had played well in his early minutes (13 points on 5-5 shooting with three steals), but took a 'Reke knee to the head in some sort of weird Shaolin Space Ninja defensive move Evans decided to try out. Sergio stepped right in and blew up the Hornets defense, getting to the rim at will and adjusting to looming shotblockers with some beautiful passes.

Jason Thompson, meanwhile, did what Jason Thompson do. That might seem like something Reggie Miller would say, but damn, I'm sorry, J.T. did exactly what you expect from him: rebounded like a hyperactive Tyrannosaurus Rex and scored on a variety of clever moves around the rim. When Spencer Hawes showed up in a suit, you knew how vital Thompson would be for the Kings to be successful in an evenly matched game. J.T. delivered exactly what the Kings needed.

Everyone did, really. Every single King who got on the floor made a positive contribution, which is rare even among the deepest teams. Evans, though limited offensively, hit some key shots, made fairly good decisions overall, and played solid defense. (He actually took David West for a few possessions, and did better than anyone else had.) Greene played short minutes again (due to excellent performances from Sergio and Beno), but still managed to eek off seven points, three rebounds, three assists (two of them memorable), a steal and a block. Jon Brockman was a maniac, diving for a loose ball with a double-digit lead in the closing minutes. Andres Nocioni hit three big threes, Kenny Thomas (who started for the first time since 1983, it's true, look it up) did his best to limit West and Emeka Okafor (with limited success, admittedly). Omri Casspi continues to more resemble a Bond villain than a basketball player, except whereas a Bond villain eventually succumbs to savvy power of Britain's top special agent, Casspi hits dagger turnaround jumpers in the lane. (Otherwise, very similar.)

NBA Stats

It's been written endlessly through the month, but really, this team has amazing spirit. We first saw it manifest in New Orleans, actually, when the team pulled together to rally a near-win on the opening road trip. We saw it again against Memphis in the team's first win, and against Atlanta, with Martin playing like an MVP. And in Utah, and against the Warriors ... and in almost every game since. (I'll list the second Memphis game as the exception -- the energy was good if ineffective against Chicago.) More smiles have been executed in ARCO Arena in nine games than in all 41 last year.

A season ago, the team earned its eighth win on December 30. Five teams have better home records than the Kings right now (Suns, Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets, Hawks). Tyreke "Not a Real Point Guard" Evans has this offense ranked No. 6 in the league. The turnaround has just been unbelievable. And yes, it's going to get old, but every win reaffirms it as truth.

Preview: Hornets at Kings

Ziller — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:00:22 -0000

by Bill Haber - AP

Not pictured: Chris Paul's jacked up ankle.

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A brief Sunday preview.

THE OPPONENT

The Hornets come in resurgent, having won six of 11 and four of five. The victims have been no creampuffs -- the Hawks, the Suns, the Mavericks, the Bucks. Of course, none of those have come on the road. On the road, the Hornets have beaten only one team this season: the Clippers. But in fairness to New Orleans, the Kings are only the second below-.500 team (other than the Clippers) they will have faced away from southern Louisiana (the other being the Knicks -- the Hornets lost there, and Byron Scott lost his head).

Since Chris Paul went down, Darren Collison has stepped in ably. As a starter, he's averaged 15 points and nearly seven assists on decent shooting. He is also reputed as a solid if undersized defender -- he did good work on Steve Nash in their most recent meeting.

Fellow rookie Marcus Thornton isn't starting for Jeff Bower, but he's making a good impact off the bench, now averaging 12 points in 19 minutes on solid shooting efficiency. He is a gunner, taking quite nearly half of his FGAs from behind the arc. He is undersized in comparison with the Kings swingmen, and as I haven't seen Thornton more than about six or seven quarters of play, I can't really tell you how he'll do. He did fine last year in the SEC, which seems like a fairly long, athletic conference. We'll see.

David West remains inconsistent. He shredded Milwaukee on Wednesday, but preceded that with games in which he scored 6, 12 and 13 points. The Hornets need a better David West.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Chris Paul	10	33.9	8.5	14.3	59.4	1.9	2.9	65.5	4.9	5.8	84.5	0.3	3.1	3.4	9.2	2.1	1.7	0.0	2.8	23.8
David West	16	35.1	6.1	14.0	43.8	0.1	0.2	33.3	2.9	3.5	83.9	2.9	4.5	7.4	2.5	1.8	0.9	0.7	2.5	15.3
Marcus Thornton	11	18.7	4.5	9.8	45.4	1.5	3.9	37.2	1.8	2.5	74.1	0.7	1.2	1.9	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.0	1.7	12.2
Peja Stojakovic	16	27.8	3.9	10.6	37.3	2.5	6.4	38.8	1.3	1.3	95.2	0.9	3.0	3.9	1.3	0.6	0.5	0.1	1.5	11.6
Darren Collison	12	21.2	3.7	8.8	41.5	0.3	0.8	40.0	2.9	3.2	92.1	0.7	1.8	2.4	4.1	1.8	0.8	0.0	1.2	10.6
Emeka Okafor	16	29.4	3.9	7.7	50.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	3.4	50.9	3.3	6.7	9.9	0.4	1.5	0.6	1.9	2.9	9.5
Devin Brown	12	21.0	3.1	8.1	38.1	1.3	3.3	38.5	1.8	2.2	80.8	0.9	2.1	3.0	1.8	1.9	0.7	0.0	1.8	9.2
Bobby Brown	15	16.7	3.0	7.7	38.8	0.9	3.5	26.4	0.4	0.4	100.0	0.0	0.9	0.9	2.6	1.5	0.4	0.1	1.4	7.3
Morris Peterson	7	16.4	2.1	6.7	31.9	1.0	4.0	25.0	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.3	1.3	1.6	0.3	0.1	0.1	0.0	1.4	5.6
James Posey	16	20.9	1.6	4.2	38.8	1.0	2.5	40.0	1.1	1.3	85.0	0.4	3.1	3.4	1.4	0.7	0.6	0.2	2.3	5.3
Darius Songaila	16	15.5	2.2	4.6	47.9	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.6	0.6	100.0	0.7	2.1	2.8	1.0	1.0	0.7	0.3	2.2	5.0
Hilton Armstrong	12	15.4	1.3	3.1	40.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.7	55.0	0.9	2.7	3.6	1.3	0.8	0.7	0.4	2.6	3.4
Julian Wright	13	14.3	1.4	3.3	41.9	0.1	0.2	50.0	0.5	0.5	85.7	0.8	2.0	2.8	0.6	1.1	0.2	0.2	0.8	3.3
Sean Marks	5	7.4	0.4	1.0	40.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.4	50.0	2.4	1.6	4.0	0.4	0.4	0.0	0.4	1.6	1.0

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

LET'S GO NETS! LET'S GO NETS! Nets at Lakers kicks off at 6:30 Pacific. I gather there will be some scoreboard watching at ARCO, and in the Game Thread. It may seem petty, but why would I care what it seems like?

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Kings by 2.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Jon Brockman earns a Flagrant 1.

DETAILS

The game, and Game Thread, will begin at 6 PM Pacific. Post-game thread at 8:45.

Kings Finish Winless Road Trip, Lose 116-105 in Memphis

Ziller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:20:03 -0000

by Mark Weber - AP

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No moral victory in losing at Memphis, by double digits, in a game the Kings were never in from about the fourth quarter on. The team played an unfocused, sloppy game, refusing to put together even two-minute stretches on vibrant basketball. If the Kings play one quarter of ball the way they did in Dallas and Houston, it's a win. But they didn't, and that's four straight losses, and a 5-8 record.

Not to make an excuse -- there are no excuses for 21 turnovers against a team as defensively lethargic as the Grizzlies -- but you wouldn't look like a loon if you suggested Scott Foster had the over. Though Jason Thompson was ineffective on offense, his foul trouble killed the team's energy in the first half. He played only 27 minutes due to the fouls, and still had a game-high 10 rebounds. He can destroy Memphis, even though he's had two disappointing games against them this season. He's built to beat teams like this, and being sent to the bench with all those fouls prevented that. (I should note for posterity that Paul Westphal didn't needlessly sit J.T. to protect him -- Thompson was legitimately in foul trouble before Westphal took him.)

Spencer Hawes (4 points on 5 FGAs, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers in 25 minutes) was rather emblematic of the problems the Kings had. Hawes was called for two brutal three-second violations on offense, in situations where three-second violations was basically indefensible mistakes. Just as with the team as a whole, Hawes would have one good play (a block, a nice backdoor pass to Beno Udrih) and would follow it up with three or four bad possessions.

Tyreke Evans had solid numbers (28/4/4 with five turnovers) but never really had control of the game. Udrih initiated the offense much of the first half, and Evans's gravity ebbed and waned. I think it's reasonable to say he was the most talented player on the floor, but the Kings needed him to take over the game. And he didn't, until the match had been decided. Having a Wade/Roy type player means having a player to live and die by. Evans played so well that the Kings could have lived if he'd taken his proper role. But it didn't happen. He is 20 years old, of course, 13 games into his ~~pro~~ NBA career. There's time for growth.

For the record, Omri Casspi got ejected from this one for ... objecting to Jamaal Tinsley holding onto his arm. Omri's two technical fouls were the first two for any Kings player this season. (And yes, Rasheed Wallace tallied five before any King received one.) It's also worth noting for posterity's sake that Donte Greene -- that Donte Greene, you're thinking of the right one -- fouled out in 19 energetic minutes. Two of those fouls were absolutely absurd by normal NBA standards, but par for this game, which a preseasonesque 54 personal fouls.

Jon Brockman deserved all the minutes he received (14) plus all of Hawes's. Sergio Rodriguez had 16/7 with only one turnover off the bench -- Udrih was ineffective for the first time in a few weeks, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez is in position to deliver Beno a shorter leash during the coming homestand.

Kevin Martin cannot get back soon enough.

Rudy Gay is the worst good player in the league.

Preview: Warriors at Kings, Game 7

Ziller — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:00:35 -0000

by Ben Margot - AP

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THE OPPONENT

Question: What is the only team to lose by 28 points at home to the Los Angeles Clippers this season?

Answer: Your Golden State Warriors!

Basketball-Reference's Simple Rating System regards Golden State as the worst team in the league. Worse than Memphis (the only team G.S. has beaten), worse than the Knicks, worse than ... the 0-7 Nets. That's likely due to point differential, which would be due to that Clippers loss, but still. WORSE. THAN. THE. NETS.

The Warriors have played once on the road, a 22-point beatdown in Phoenix. The team is 22nd in offense and 26th in defense, with the 30th ranked shooting defense. Here is what the players are doing.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Monta Ellis	4	37.3	8.0	18.5	43.2	0.5	0.5	100.0	4.3	5.8	73.9	1.0	3.3	4.3	6.5	3.8	2.3	0.0	2.3	20.8
Stephen Jackson	4	32.5	6.5	14.8	44.1	1.5	3.8	40.0	2.3	3.5	64.3	0.3	2.8	3.0	3.5	3.3	0.8	0.3	2.0	16.8
Anthony Morrow	4	29.5	5.0	9.5	52.6	2.0	3.8	53.3	2.0	2.3	88.9	1.0	1.0	2.0	0.5	1.3	0.3	0.5	2.5	14.0
Kelenna Azubuike	4	22.5	4.8	9.3	51.4	1.0	2.3	44.4	1.8	2.5	70.0	2.0	2.5	4.5	0.5	0.8	0.3	1.0	2.0	12.3
Corey Maggette	4	22.8	4.0	11.3	35.6	0.0	1.3	0.0	3.3	4.3	76.5	0.8	3.8	4.5	1.3	2.0	0.8	0.0	4.0	11.3
Stephen Curry	4	31.0	4.0	8.0	50.0	0.8	1.8	42.9	0.8	1.0	75.0	0.3	2.3	2.5	5.8	1.5	1.8	0.0	4.3	9.5
Anthony Randolph	4	17.8	2.5	7.3	34.5	0.3	0.5	50.0	4.0	4.5	88.9	2.3	4.8	7.0	0.5	1.8	0.5	0.8	2.8	9.3
Andris Biedrins	3	23.3	3.7	4.0	91.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	1.7	6.0	7.7	2.0	1.3	0.7	0.7	4.7	7.3
Ronny Turiaf	2	20.5	1.5	3.0	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	2.0	3.0	5.0	0.5	2.0	0.0	2.0	3.5	3.0
Acie Law	1	8.0	0.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	2.0	2.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0
Mikki Moore	3	16.0	0.7	2.0	33.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	2.0	3.3	1.0	1.3	0.3	0.3	2.0	1.3
C.J. Watson	2	7.0	0.5	2.5	20.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5	1.0	0.5	1.0	0.0	0.5	1.0

Monta Ellis is shooting 100% on threes! Oh no!

THE KEY BATTLE

Honestly, keeping up with Don Nelson's rotation is a full-time job. Friday against the Clippers, the starting five included Mikki Moore, Stephen Jackson, Kelenna Azuibuike, Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Which is more undersized, the backcourt or frontcourt? Trick question! The correct answer is "all of the above." Needless to say, there is no one to a) defend the paint, or b) close out defensive rebounds in that five. It will be imperative for Tyreke Evans to attack, no doubt, but I'll give Key Battle status to Jason Thompson vs. Jackson or Azubuike, whichever one matches up with him. Heck, if Moore matches up with J.T., that will be a key battle. Basically, the key for the Kings to exploit the Warriors' SHORTcomings. Heheh. Heh. H.

Anthony Randolph did play 30 minutes off the bench Friday, and I have no doubt he could change the equation when it comes to the Kings attack. But we'll see.

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

Usually, Kings management could count on Warriors fans traveling well (or already living in the area) to sell extra tickets. But the Warriors are one of the few franchises more depressing than the Kings right now. So I'm going to go with "no" as an answer as to whether ARCO will be filled with either side. It's too bad, because a full crowd split between Warriors and Kings fan is dynamic. It's like heat mixed with precipitation -- a thunderstorm. Small crowds on each side is more like morning fog.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Spencer Hawes, Thompson and one other King will all register at least eight rebounds. That other King could be:

* Tyreke Evans.

WAGER

Which has lower odds: Francisco Garcia will wear a knit sweater vest, or Kevin Martin will wear an oversized untucked oxford. (Note: it would be really fricking crazy if Martin sweater-vested it up with Cisco slipped into the button-down. Blow my mind!)

DETAILS

We have a 6PM tip at ARCO, with CSN and KHTK pulling local broadcast duty. The game will also be available on NBA TV! Game thread at 6, post-game thread at 9, recap by Passover.

Official Sactown Royalty Kings 2009-10 Preview

Ziller — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

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Team Name: Sacramento Kings

Last Year’s Record: No comment.

Key Losses: Rashad McCant's bubbly personality, Ike Diogu's bubbly personality, Calvin Booth's rubber band ball, Francisco Garcia's right forearm.

Key Additions: Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman, Kevin Martin's health, Paul Westphal, Sergio!.

Big Additions: Sean May.

1. What significant moves were made during the off-season? The Kings went cheap and young, building through the draft with Tyreke Evans (No. 4), Omri Casspi (No. 23) and Jon Brockman (No. 38). The Kings also added Sean May on a one-year deal, and Sergio Rodriguez (by trading down from No. 31 to No. 38). The Kings should see a big upgrade on the sidelines, having hired Paul Westphal to replace Reggy Nattheus.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths? This will be an offensive-minded team, with Kevin Martin and Evans leading the way. Drawing fouls should be a major part of the Sacramento offense, given that the team was 5th in free throw rate last season and that Evans is a much better slasher than Beno Udrih. The team also looks to be solid on the offensive glass, and there's a chance the team is a top-10 shooting squad. No defensive category but perhaps opponent turnover rate is expected to be very good.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses? The team's most reliable post scorer is probably the rookie point guard. Post defense, defensive rebounding, perimeter defense, turnovers, opponent free throw rate and team shooting are all moderate to major concerns. This team needs massive frontcourt improvement, or a new frontcourt starter. We're hoping for the former. Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes are each pretty good and promising, but betting on two dudes to become stud starters is a risky proposition.

4. What are the goals for this team? Goal No. 1: do not lose 65 games again. Goal No. 2: No one get seriously hurt, OK? Goal No. 3: Don't lose any home games by 48 points. Goal No. 4: Beat L.A. Goal No. 5: Get Evans the R.O.Y. Goal No. 6: Get Martin to the All-Star Game. Goal No. 7: Playoffs!

5. Omri Casspi vs. Donte Greene, who ya got? Omri blistered through preseason, and could very well have started the regular season opener. (I have no idea, as I'm writing this preview from 1867.) Greene, meanwhile, struggled to earn Westphal's trust. Greene is bigger and more athletic, whereas Casspi has an incredible motor and better basketball IQ. There's no telling where these two will end up in five years, but it's going to be exciting to watch the race.

Projected Finish: 25-57.

Preview: Blazers at Kings, Preseason Game 2

Ziller — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:15:11 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, left, faces league discipline after devouring Sacramento forward Sean May's head during the second half of their NBA pre-season basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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Same song, second verse. Much less louder, hopefully not worse. Full preview after the jump.

THE OPPONENT

The Blazers are undefeated in the preseason with a 1-0 record, tied for first place in the Western Conference and well on their way to home court advantage in the NBA Preseason Finals Championship Series, which will be the first NBA championship game not broadcast on live television since 1981.

Portland is led by LaMarcus Aldridge, who in this preseason is averaging a robust 20 points and five rebounds a game.

You will already know to visit Blazersedge for exquisite, piercing analysis of the Blazers and the league. And the shoes and cars that NBA players wear and drive.

THE KEY BATTLE

(Note: Sactown Royalty is currently looking for an area locksmith or piano tuner to serve as the lead sponsor for "The Key Battle" segment.)

Tonight's Key Battle will be Travis Outlaw vs. Omri Casspi. Outlaw scored 10 points in 20 minutes in Portland's preseason debut, drawing oohs and aahs from the extended Outlaw family. Casspi is leading the NBA with a field goal percentage of 100%. Casspi is also leading the NBA in effective field goal percentage (112.5%), True Shooting percentage (112.5%), two-point shooting percentage (100%) and three-point shooting percentage (100%). He is, however, tied for last in the NBA in free throw shooting (0%).

In this key battle, look for Outlaw to attempt to score points on Casspi while doing what he can to help his team win (as long as that doesn't conflict with the primary goal of scoring points). Also look for Casspi to attempt to score points and try to help his team win. That will be the focus of these young stars-in-the-making.

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

The Socialist Pinko Commies otherwise known as Comrade Nate "Black Lenin" McMillan and Gregor Odynskiviya may have won the first round, but Truth will prevail for haught-blooded REAL AMERICANS Paul Westphal and Spencer Hawes. Where is Greg Oden's REAL birth certificate, anyways? I have sources in Indiana who have acquired his real birth certificate -- he was NOT a naturalized New Yorker as claimed! He is only 16 years of age, and thus will not be eligible for the NBA until the 2013-14 season. TELL THE TRUTH, GREG ODEN!

WILD GUESS OF THE EVENING

(Note: Sactown Royalty is currently looking an area distributor of Wild Turkey or zoo enthusiast to serve as the lead sponsor for the "Wild Guess of Evening" segment.)

Maloof Sports and Entertainment will sell 217 Polish dogs. Fourteen of them will be sold to Jon Brockman. One of those will be swiped by Spencer Hawes with the (tenuous, in my opinion) explanation that rookies must pay their veterans a Polish dog tax equivalent to 7.1%. Economics wonk Truck Robinson will note aloud that as Polish dogs from live sporting events could be considered luxury items, Hawes's Polish dog tax is basically a progressive tax. Hawes will eventually quietly pay Brockman for the meal and apologize for introducing "bourgeois bullsh*t" into their friendship.

REAL TALK

There's no word as to whether Desmond Mason will be available for Westphal. Despite my general attitude toward Mason's presence on the roster, I actually hope he is available and does play, given that Westphal seems enthusiastic about his ability to help the starters on defense and on the boards. (Certainly, though, the great board work of the bigs, Evans and Garcia made Mason's slightly above average rebounding discardable.) Now is the time to figure out if Mason is the right fit for the small forward position.

On the topic of the small forward position, I do hope Andres Nocioni gets the night off so that Casspi can get big minutes early. Westphal said through camp that Casspi would be a project; Casspi promptly aced his first game experience. It's up to Casspi to prove he can't do it before Westphal can bury him going into the regular season. (Yes, it's just been one exhibition game, but it's bizarro Douby at this point. Douby lit up practice but sucked during gameplay; Casspi has reportedly been uneven in practice -- though that's been a bit debated, he has a beautiful stroke, and is smart and energetic -- but brilliant in nine NBA preseason minutes.)

DETAILS

No television anywhere, thus no illicit internet fjords anywhere. It will be on the radio: KHTK 1140 AM in the Sacramento area. Also, it will be live at ARCO Arena. Tickets are still available. Lots of tickets. Very available. The tip-off is slated for 7PM Pacific.

Preview: Kings at Blazers, Preseason Game 1

Ziller — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:15:20 -0000

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

"Why so serious, Kings fans?" wonders Paul Westphal, coach of the Sacramento Kings.

Browse more photos »

OMG u guys, the preseason has arrived. And it seems like just yesterday the 2008-09 Kings were losing by an average of eight points per game!

Full preview after the jump.

THE OPPONENT

The Kings play at Portland, the defending co-champion of the Northwest Division and a team expected to challenge for Western Conference supremacy. The Blazers have some handsome players, but mostly not-handsome players. The not-handsome players are pretty talented, though.

A pseudo-haiku about the Portland Trail Blazers:

Rip City, lit again.
That's not a Jailblazers joke.
It's a "WATCH OUT FOR THAT BURNING METEORITE YOU GOD-FORSAKEN WOODSY HIPPIES!" joke.

If you are interested in the Blazers, you should check out the always tremendous Blazersedge, written by the elegant Dave Deckard and the suave Ben Golliver.

KEY BATTLE

If wins and losses mattered now, Kevin Martin vs. Brandon Roy would be the Key Battle. Win and losses do not matter now. Therefore, I dub Tyreke Evans vs. Steve Blake to be the Key Battle. Blake is a proud, strong man who could choke out 76.7% of the league's starting centers in an MMA fight.* Evans is a Wildebeest in sneakers. If you know anything about Wildebeest, you know that they can "inflict considerable injury to even a lion." (Thanks, Wikipedia! You're like Encyclopedia Britannica, except inaccurate and not handsome.) War Machine vs. Wildebeest! I'm a-scared.

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

Holy crap you guys, I think I cracked The Westphal Code! He's bringing Spencer Hawes off the bench because ... Nate McMillan is bringing Greg Oden off the bench! Westie knows that McMillan and Oden were big Obama supporters last fall. Westphal and Hawes, of course, are members of the Club for Growth. This is the basketball version of a health care reform town hall! (In fact, this very preseason match-up might be the only reason Paul Westphal got back into coaching.) If at any point Hawes calls Oden a socialist, you'll know it's on.

WILD GUESS OF THE EVENING

Jon Brockman will be responsible for 14 whistles, one way or another. (Only one will come from a cat-calling Rose Garden lad who appreciates the male body in all its forms. Including Jon Brockman's.)

REAL TALK

Obviously, as this game will serve as the first opportunity to experience (whether through Gary Gerould, or choppy stream, or box score, or play-by-play) the Tyreke Evans-Kevin Martin pairing, it's pretty damn exciting. No preseason game can define anyone, anywhere. But given the beating this team and fan base took last season, a nice start -- even if it don't count -- could mean something. A shining night of limited work for Evans and Martin together would be a blessing I'll take with a smile.

DETAILS

If you lived on the planet Neptune, you would have just as good a shot as any Sacramento or Portland resident of watching this game. (Again: neither the Kings or Blazers are broadcasting this game, so there will be absolutely no illicit feeds or satellite options. None.) Regardless, it begins at 7 PM Pacific. KHTK 1140 AM will have the radio broadcast. The Sactown Royalty Official Open Game Thread will open up on the front page at precisely 7 PM.

* As to Steve Blake vs. Starting NBA Centers in MMA, I think that Blake would have trouble choking out Dwight Howard (for obvious reasons), Shaquille O'Neal (how can you choke out someone who has no neck?), Brendan Haywood (why don't you ask Etan Thomas what's up!), Joel Przybilla (obvious, he's a badass), Tim Duncan (who will casually slip out of any grapple move), Chris Kaman (who would be disqualified before Blake got a hold locked for trying to gnaw on Blake's arm ... Kaman resembles a flesh-eating zombie, you see???) and Brook Lopez (who would immediately counter with a Berserker Barrage followed with a Tornado Claw and finished off, of course, with a Weapon X. Snickety snick!).

Jon Brockman is Officially a King

Ziller — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:40:40 -0000

It's official: Jon Brockman is a Sacramento King. Press release after the jump.

SACRAMENTO, CA ---- The Sacramento Kings today signed rookie forward Jon Brockman to a contract, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Brockman was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round (38th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft and his draft rights were acquired by the Kings along with guard Sergio Rodriguez and cash considerations in exchange for the draft rights to Jeff Pendergraph, who the Kings selected with the 31st pick.

In four seasons (2005-06 – 2008-09) with the University of Washington, Brockman averaged 13.8 points (.534 FG%, .612 FT%), 9.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in 131 career games. The 6-7, 255-pound forward finished his collegiate career as the Huskies’ all-time rebounder with 1,283 boards and second-leading scorer with 1,805 points. Brockman became the first player in school history to record more than 1,800 points and 1,200 rebounds, a feat achieved by only four players in Pac-10 history. A two-time All-Pac-10 First Team selection, Brockman averaged a double-double in each of his last two seasons (14.9 ppg and 11.5 rpg in 2008-09 and a career-best 17.8 ppg and 11.6 rpg in 2007-08). Brockman was a teammate of current Kings center Spencer Hawes during the 2007-08 season at Washington.

30Q: Can Jon Brockman Be a Rotation Player?

Ziller — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:53:47 -0000

30Q asks the important questions about the Kings all through September.

Now that Jon Brockman is signed, I can fire off this 30Q entry -- the only 30Q entry -- on Hoss. He'll likely start the season hanging out with Kenny Thomas. The franchise is committed to Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes, and the coaching staff at least owes it to Sean May to see if he can hang. Brockman would be next on the theoretical big man depth chart, likely only finding minutes at power forward. (The three aforementioned bigs could get looks at center, too.)

Provided he gets a chance, what can Hoss do? Well, eat hella pancakes, for one.

Also, rebound. We discuss that after the jump.

Reggie Evans was an 22-year-old undrafted free agent signed by the Sonics in 2002. Evans came from Iowa, where he averaged 11.1 rebounds a game his senior season. Last year at Washington, Brockman averaged 11.5 rebounds a game.

Evans, however, has a bit of a disastrous offensive skillset. It's that there are no skills, except that he can rebound the ball on the offensive glass. Many garbage men end up with fantastic shooting percentages, but not Evans. His career two-point shooting percentage is .468 (league average was .485 last season) and his career True Shooting percentage is .504 (league average is .544). He shoots damned infrequently ... and damned inefficiently. (And he's a turnover machine.) Basically, excepting offensive rebounds, the fewer times Reggie Evans touches the ball on offense, the better.

Brockman's not quite the same. He shot .528 last season. You suspect he'll have a tougher time scoring around the rim in the bigger, longer, quicker NBA, but it's not as if his real asset is offense. It's just that the offense might actually be passable compared with the other role-playing rebounder we're talking about.

That's another issue which will define Brockman's potential here: whether the Kings can endorse a true role for a true roleplayer. Brockman is the first draft pick in recent years who we can expect to be a minus offensive player for the totality of his career. Other teams do this more frequently. Shane Battier is the poster child starting role player. Nic Batum. Ben Wallace. Kendrick Perkins. Courtney Lee. For whatever reason, the Kings rarely pick up or play dudes who do things other than score. Brockman can change that. He can, when he's in the game, handle the boards and leave the bucket-scoring to the other four players.

Only one player rebounded better per minute than Brockman in the Summer League (Joey Dorsey). And no, I don't think Brockman's defense will be as good as Evans's has traditionally been. But damn this team needs some rebounding, and I daresay because of that Brockman has a shot at the rotation. We know Paul Westphal likes him. We'll see what shakes out come preseason.

Poll

How many pancakes can you eat in one setting?

Can't finish 2

28 votes

2-4

178 votes

5-10

107 votes

11-24

22 votes

25, or "I am Jon Brockman"

20 votes

INSERT SEAN MAY JOKE HERE LOLZ

64 votes

419 votes | Poll has closed