SB Nation User Blog: betweentheeyes

The morning after: post game discussion of Spurs v Kings 31 October 2009

betweentheeyes — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:51:38 -0000

Here a San Antonio Spur delivers a message to Jon Brockman - "special delivery from Chris Paul"

Stating the obvious -Teams like San Antonio excel at exposing mistakes. The classic counterpuncher. The real oldies on this site may have seen Surgar Ray Robinson (Sugar Ray Leonard was similiar but way too much flash), that is the Spurs style. WIth a team lacking the fundamentals and mechanics of an offense and a defense, the contest got ugly quickly.

Where to start? Tony Parker filleted the Kings as he does most all teams. I look at Tyreke Evans and see a lot ot similarities on the offensive end. The best plays of Tyreke last night were when Duncan went out and Tyreke went inside to drive and dish. Not as elegantly as Parker, but effective nonetheless.
I agree with the general sentiment that Spencer got his numbers in garbage time - which started at the second half.
I wil be shocked if Theo Ratliff sees any playing time or stays on that team after February (I don't know his contract). He is just plain awful and the anti-thesis of the typical Spurs player. He gambles on defense trying to block every shot, he is slow to rebound and is no threat on the offensive end. A kind of Theo-beet if you will...

Otherwise it was the usual suspects: KMart was the reason the score was close,JT showed a ton of effort, as did Noce, most everyone else looked young and inexperienced.

Oh, and the play of the game: not Manu and the bat, it was Tyreke's ankle roll. Your starting PG for the sold out home opener and the next XX games: Beno Udrih. This will be an interesting test of Paul Westphal's patience.

TZ we miss you.

NBA.com chimes in

betweentheeyes — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:49:53 -0000

NBA.com chimes in

in the RoY section: 6 picks for Blake Griffn, 4 for Tyreke Evans, 1 each for Steph Curry and Johnny Flynn

Your second favorite team

betweentheeyes — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:45:17 -0000

Your second favorite team

Interesting notes from various bloggers and media folk on who they watch when "their team" is not available and they need to pacify their Jones for a League game.

Former King Williams becomes a Boston Sheltic

betweentheeyes — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:35:10 -0000

Former King Williams becomes a Boston Sheltic

Candace, Baby Girl Williams and Dad move to BeanTown.

Good luck to them all, maybe this will be a better stop for the big guy, behind KG, Kendrick Perkins, 'Sheed Wallace and possibly Big Baby Davis.

As you like it

betweentheeyes — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:06:03 -0000

It was either Shakespeare of Smashing Pumpkins' the end is the beginning is the end

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages (Jaques from William Shakespeare’s As you Like it)

The current Kings roster is as follows and 12 deep:

#0           Sergio Rodriguez

#5           Andres Nocioni

#9           Kenny Thomas

#13         Tyreke Evans

#18         Omri Casspi

#19         Beno Udrih

#20         Donté Green

#23         Kevin Martin

#31         Spencer Hawes

#32         Francisco Garcia

#34         Jason Thompson

#??         Sean May

That leaves at least one roster spot. Jon “Hoss” Brockman is available, and let’s not forget Bobby Jackson. The team has one”true” center currently, without any backup.

Of these 3 which do you believe most likely to fill a roster spot:

Jon Brockman

Coach Westphal has unhesitatingly heaped praise on Hoss. To us fans, he has quickly risen to the discussion level of “favorite” status. He has performed admirably and as advertised. He is tough, aggressive to the ball, hyperactive around the basket and grabs rebounds with gusto. Coach Westphal mentioned Paul Silas when speaking of Brockman. He was a classic Petrie pick – a head shaker at the time and on no one’s draft board at #38.

Bobby Jackson

BJax has already qualified as a fan favorite. Looking painfully back at last season, Bobby Jackson was a player who would always enter the game with energy, heart and the fight to win. Do you remember the mask? He was a mostly positive presence in the locker room. He did not always make the best game decisions, but it was not for lack of trying. He was the cattle prod for those cowpoke Kings (you know who they are). He lives in and loves Sacramento and is the one piece that links this team to the former years of glory. He knows the Princeton and he is appreciated by management. He will even talk to Grant Napear.

A Backup Center

Many of you have written convincingly of the importance of having a back up 5. Spencer is young, foul prone, still learning and susceptible to injury. The new, bigger, bulkier 6’11” Jason Thompson can play some 5 but is even more foul prone and can’t learn to be a power forward if he is playing center. It might help his post up game but Hawes plays outside enough that post up opportunities should not be a problem. That leaves Sean May, Kenny Thomas, Dontè Green and Omri Casspi as your next biggest, bulkiest guys to man the middle. That is a motley crew for a NBA inside presence both on the offense and defense; of the two – it is defensively, that the Kings need more than Shock and Hawes around the rim.

Are the Kings done with the current cast of characters? Whom do you see being added?

Is this As you Like it? Or at least, as you expect it to be?

How Ron Artest Chose His Laker Number

betweentheeyes — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:13:44 -0000

How Ron Artest Chose His Laker Number

Elliott Teaford of the L.A. Daily News:

Artest will wear uniform No. 37 in honor of the number of weeks that Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" was No. 1 on the charts.

No, really.

Sacramento Kings Bandwagon Auditions 2009 post-draft version

betweentheeyes — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:25:33 -0000

Sacramento Kings Bandwagon Auditions 2009 post-draft version

The symphony has been composed, the conductor has approved the re-writes, and the band members are practicing and tuning their instruments as we speak. There are four new additions to the band. The audience was unsure if this was the right crew but they know that as soon as rehearsals begin their cheers and smiles will follow. Who of the new members of the Sacramento Kings are you MOST anxious to see on the court and be the lead on the bandwagon? - #13 Tyreke Evans - # 18 Omri Casspi - # 40 John Brockman - ? #11 Sergio Rodriguez I don't know how to work a poll on this site, so if the powers that be wish it to be so and will change it, that would be much appreciated.

Jonathan Givorny on Point Guards for this 2009 Draft

betweentheeyes — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:29:39 -0000

Jonathan Givorny on Point Guards for this 2009 Draft

This is posted on NBA.com and has some interesting comments on this year's point guard prospects.

Tiers of a Clown

betweentheeyes — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:16:52 -0000

well, it was either that title or Tiers for Fears (everybody wants to rule the world version) This pertains to my having recently read two very similar posts; this one from LoudCity’s dishingoutdimes and the next day's Chad Ford version over on ESPN.com They are recommended reading.

Here is a chance to share some webspace with you all about this subject. Here on SactownRoyalty.com there are many posts about this upcoming prayer we hope is answered – the 2009 NBA Draft. In particular, I want to applaud nbrans for his Why I fear the draft posts I and II. Wonderful stuff, if a bit Teague-happy.

Here on the site, we have argued Thabeet, Evans, Jennings, Flynn, Holiday and it all started with Griffin v. Rubio. This year has the usual unpredictable twists and turns. As draft day nears, individual stock goes up and down – NCAA appearance, championships, the Combine, individual work outs. Refusal to join the combine, refusing to do team work outs It is all there, the knowing nods, the unsure shrugs, the frown of distaste. For just one post, I would like for us all to don TZ’s wizard cap – if he will loan it to each of us for this purpose and try the Tier method = the most logical and apparently the most widely used strategy for the NBA Draft.

Of course, I don’t have the Daryl Morey type grasp on numbers and statistics to present a formulaic discourse as to how each of these players are tiered but based on the two above posts and my own bias, here goes:

Tier One: Blake Griffin

Tier Two: Ricky Rubio, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden

Tier Three: Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, DeMar DeRozan, Jonny Flynn, Jordan Hill, Jrue Holiday, Brandon Jennings

Tier Four: DeJuan Blair, Earl Clark, , Jeff Teague, Sam Young, Austin Daye, Gerald Henderson,, James Johnson, Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, BJ Mullens, DaJuan Summers, Terence Williams, Tyler Hansbrough

Tier Four: Derrick Brown, Chase Budinger, Omri Casspi, Patrick Mills, DeMarre Carroll, Toney Douglas, Darren Collison, Viktor Claver, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson, Jeff Pendergraph, Rodrique Beaubois,

Tier Five: Jon Brockman, Danny Green, Marcus Thornton, Jodie Meeks, Nando De Colo, Jonas Jerebko, Jermaine Taylor

Now place the Kings needs in order of preference: this should be two-fold: if one of your criteria is met than you may wish to change your list preferences for the later picks. This system also allows you to better evaluate trades as it retains the value of the pick (the tier) and the relevance (in order of team need).

I urge you all to type or write down your tiers so that when you watch the NBA draft you can evaluate who is picking and why they are picking (or should be picking).

Saw this on ESPN re: Kyrylo Fesenko and the Kings

betweentheeyes — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:40:53 -0000

Saw this on ESPN re: Kyrylo Fesenko and the Kings

Will Jazz keep Fesenko?
Kyrylo Fesenko | Jazz
Next Monday the Jazz will arrive at the June 15 deadline to exercise an $870,000 option to bring back Kyrylo Fesenko for next season. As of Friday, they had made no decision, and Fesenko's agent, Stu Lash, said he's in no hurry to hear one way or another.
Should they not bring back Fesenko, the Jazz run the risk of watching him blossom elsewhere. He is highly likely to sign with Sacramento, where his former agent, Jason Levien, is now the Kings assistant general manager, if he is cut loose in Utah.

Oklahoma City, where former Jazz director of player personnel Troy Weaver now is assistant general manager, also is a possibility. As bad as the economy is, there is expected to be a market for Fesenko making $1 million or so a season. -- The Salt Lake Tribune