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BasslineSpin.com December
8, 2008 ...We updated our
2009 NBA Draft rankings page. December
7, 2008 ...Another week has passed and the Kings have now
lost eight in a row overall and an equally appalling eight consecutive at
ARCO Arena. ...It must be hard for all associated with the team to have any
patience during a stretch like this. Even as the Kings played with their
entire roster for the first time last night—they were not really healthy. Brad Miller was feeling ill and needed an IV
prior to the game. Kevin Martin, John Salmons, and Francisco Garcia are all nursing injuries. That said,
the Kings should still be better than 5-16, and a 33 point home loss to
Denver. Would a coaching change do anything other than make people talk about
the Kings for a few days? Who would be Theus’ replacement? John Whisenant? Chuck Person?
Neither guy seems any more qualified than Theus to me. Whisenant may have
more coaching experience but I don’t buy into NBA players or NBA Assistant
Coaches giving any credibility to a coach labeled as a WNBA guy. Fair? It
doesn’t have to be. It is reality. Reality is also that the Kings look
horrible right now. They can’t get into their offense. Their transition
defense is laughable. Beno Udrih looks
like he is on an island - like none of his teammates trust him. The 15 to 17 foot jumpers that rookie Jason Thompson looked so comfortable hitting are no
longer a part of whatever plan there may be. It’s ugly and your next loss is
coming Tuesday against the Lakers. I don’t have the answers but I’m pretty
sure I would try something crazy had I lost eight in a row. My advice would
be to send Udrih a message about his lack of ball pressure by starting Garcia
at the point. ...A
Spin Around the NBA ...Your NBA efficiency All-Stars to
date: EAST. Guards: Dwyane Wade, Devin Harris, Vince Carter, Rajon Rondo. Forwards: Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Antawn Jamison, Kevin Garnett, David Lee, Danny Granger.
Centers: Dwight Howard, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. WEST. Guards: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Brandon Roy. Forwards: Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol.
Centers: Andris Biedrins, Shaquille O’Neal, Andrew Bynum, Amar’e Stoudemire. November
30, 2008 ...The word for the day is “fair”. Life isn’t fair.
The firing of NBA coaches often isn’t fair. But in this case—I say let’s be
fair to Reggie Theus. Give
him a chance with Kevin Martin healthy
and let’s see what the Kings can do. It isn’t fair to heap the Kings chances
of ever winning again on Martin but the truth is—he IS their best player.
Martin gets the easy baskets that the Kings have been missing. Sac is 2-10 without him. He means so much
in the lineup because John Salmons then
starts at Small Forward instead of rookie Donte Greene. I’m
not disrespecting Greene. Long term I see potential. But for now—and for
winning games in December in this NBA - I don’t think Greene is worthy of
quality minutes on a team that includes Salmons, and Francisco Garcia.
...I also think it is time to start Spencer Hawes and Brad Miller together. Mikki Moore does play good position defense - he
takes more charges than anyone on the roster but overall he isn’t as dynamic
as Hawes or rookie Jason Thompson. Live
with the young guy mistakes and reap the benefits of better rebounding,
scoring, and shot blocking in exchange for Moore’s intangibles. ...The
coaching has to improve though as well. The clock management in a horrid home loss the day before
Thanksgiving was amateur. In recent home games I’ve seen guys be out of
position to start offensive sets. That should not happen as often as it has.
And I’ve questioned many defensive match ups in late game situations. Coming
out of a timeout vs. New Jersey Theus kept Beno Udrih on the floor rather than Quincy Douby for a crucial possession. ...We watched the Maui Invitational and
marveled at North Carolina’s squad. They have five future NBA players in Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Ed Davis and Tyler Hansbrough. ...Watched Wake Forest and Cal St.
Fullerton on Thanksgiving Day.
Check
out this dunk by Jeff Teague. ...A.J. Abrams from Texas is a shooting machine.
Ditto Notre Dame’s Kyle McAlarney.
...Syracuse played well in a Tuesday game we watched. They beat Kansas in
Kansas City in an overtime game that showcased the skills of Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris. November
24, 2008 …The college season is underway and we’ve already
seen talent aplenty. Yesterday we watched as Xavier beat Memphis in the title
game of the Puerto Rico Tip Off from San Juan. Xavier won despite pro
prospect Derrick Brown being
shut down by fellow pro hopeful Robert Dozier.
Musketeer point guard Terrell Holloway was
the difference maker as he broke down the good Memphis defense to get to the
foul line. Holloway converted all ten of his free throw attempts! Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans struggled on 4-16 FG shooting but he
has special speed and power that still has me believing in him. Fellow Tigers
frosh Wesley Witherspoon looks
like a sure-fire pro too. ...Earlier in the day Sunday I saw James Harden from Arizona State go off for 33
points in a home win over Pepperdine. Harden is a lefty Shooting Guard that I
think would be a top 20 guy at his position in the NBA right now. ...The
Kings lost to the Lakers in L.A. tonight despite a nice effort from backup
guard Bobby Brown. I
was a skeptic of Brown at this level when the Kings signed him during the
Summer. I stand corrected. (See Jerry,
sometimes a critic, if he’s cool like me, will admit his mistakes.)
...Saturday - I watched my nephew Curtis Gilbert play
hoops in a championship game for 8th grade boys between Sutter of Sacramento,
and Granite Oaks of Rocklin. Curtis and his Sutter teammates got the job done
and Curtis made the All-Tournament Team. I was amazed again at the level of
play by a bunch of kids. I coached ninth graders back in 1989-90 and I know
90% of my kids had no clue how to play team basketball. But as I’ve stated
previously—we are in the midst of a “basketball quickening”. From the Better Basketball videos, to kids
specializing in one sport, to the greater choices for organized play, today’s
13 year-old is light years better than a 13 year-old was in the past. All it
took was one look at my nephew’s defensive stance—complete with his strong-side
foot forward and vision on the ball and his man, to know that things done
changed. The capper was the very next offensive possession when Curtis
received a high post pass, with his back to the hoop, and INSTINCTIVELY
looked to the opposite corner to set up a wide open teammate who was also in
perfect position. I marveled. |