KINGS AT THUNDER 8PM EST

[RIPskaterdude]

So I know Hawes is still very young (21) but...when can we say that he's a BUST at center? He makes players like Nenad Krstic look like All-Stars and shoots the three more than he posts up...

[perezident]

so judging the responses from the game, persons are not happy about the lineup. My question is what is the preferred lineup for this squad

Hawes
JT
Noc
Mart
Evans?

[HUBlackstar83]

'Reke and Omri are going to give us a big boost this season. Aside from JT, our bigs just ain't where it's at. We need to improve our front court because right now, I don't think there's a single team in the league that has an ounce of respect for our bigs.

As much as I love Spence, watching him frustrates me, he can't grab a rebound to save his life and he's needs to be more physical, use that 7'1 frame and that "10 lbs of muscle" you supposedly added.

It's going to be a long year, but I'm still excited about our draft class and what they bring to this team.

[SacKingZZZ]

Honestly, that game sucked pretty bad. Didn't really see all that much to draw any positivity from other than Omri. That was easily some of the worst team defense I've seen a team play.

D. Mason at SF just isn't going to work. Not enough shooting. This team really needs to play a little more team ball and get some easy shots.

[SacTown Kings]

eh I'm not too worried. This isn't a playoff team anyways. I have no expectations other than we will be beter than last year which I still think we will. Nobody except the Israeli snipper had a decent game, that will change. Our defense is terrible but it will remain bad until our offense gets better. Pauly has the same philosophy as Adelman in that when your offense is clicking and scoring it doesnt allow the other team to get easy buckets therefore the you give your defense a chance to make stops. And our offense will get better cause it couldnt get much worse hahaha.

Evans got to the rim at ease he just couldnt finish but that will change. Martin's shot was off that will change. We shot like 18% from 3pt range, that will change. I'm not too worried its the first game on the road against a team that was probably fired up from getting beat in pre season. We got 81 more games yall, it's still gunna be a fun season!!!

[HUBlackstar83]

I'd even start Casspi over Mason. We just need more offense.

[cdt3]

Hawes only got 6 rebounds in 35 minutes and put up 8 points on 10 shots. Thompson got 9 rebounds in 30 min and had 11pts and 2 blocks on 4 shots. Mason had 4 touches, Kristic 10 and Sefolosha 7, yet Thompson had 4 touches. Hawes and Thompson had 14 touches together while Jeff Green got 13.

Casspi may have to start he has looked fantastic. Evans looked like a rookie and got his hat handed to him by Westbrook. Evans really got taken out of being a PG which was what cost us tonight. Brockman played well and had a thunderous breakaway only got a couple minutes. Sean May was terrible also with zero rebounds. Nocioni was ok. Mason stunk also.

This was a selfish non passing stinker of a game. Coachie will be ripping these guys a new one. If you want big guy production get them the ball. The bigs have got to protect the paint. This one goes to rookie looking like a rookie. Evans will play better.

[ICMTM]

No defense and the sound is all f***** up on Comcast. It's pretty annoying.

Haha I been drinking some malt liquor and I wanst sure if the sound was the T.V. or me. I'm glad you said something. Anyways at least our defense has improived from last year we o ly gave up 39 pts, last year it would of been 40. Go Kings!!!!!!!! Omg dont look now but we just pulled within 17 points. Nice!

LMAO!

That is the post of the year! I didn't get to see the game. I was playing softball @ the complex.

[pillwenney]

Yeah, not much to write home about here. Despite a crappy second half, Kevin had a good game over all. Jason and Omri both played well, and Brock played well in limited minutes, but everybody else flat out stunk up the place.

We won the turnover battle, and the offensive rebounding (the only important rebounding stat team-wise) battle. We also got to the line more. This game boils down to simply making fewer shots--and part of the blame for that can be placed on assists.

The team in general just looked really disorganized--like they don't really have their system in place yet, and the stats really can't do justice to just how bad the defense was.

[deNIEd]

Can anyone really be suprised about anything besides Casspri?

Martin scored, played little defense...as expected.

Evans was decent, clearly not a point guard yet...as expected

Thompson solid near double double performance, but not a game changing player...as expected

Hawes is a 7 foot wall of nerf /end of story.

May, Nocioni, Rodriguez suck. as expected.

[pillwenney]

Let's also not forget that this is the first game of the season, so trying to make any real judgments about anything is absolutely insane.

[KF10]

Yeah, this team is one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Let everyone gel to Westphal's system and themselves. I don't expect excellence in the first couple of games. But I do expect encouraging results though.

[Smills91]

The good:

Kevin Martin - Is really the only player on our roster that resembled an NBA player minus one other.....

OMRI CASSPI - This kid is a lights out shooter. I really saw little weakness in his game last night. Color me impressed. He was FABULOUS, I'd like to see him starting at the 3.

Jon Brockman CHANGES the game positively. He has more than a nose for the ball, his whole 250+ frame goes and gets that ball.

The Bad:
Our frontcourt was DOMINATED by NENAD "FREAKING" Krstic. Unacceptable.

The ugly:

Desmond Mason's first jumper attempt.

Our defense was as bad as it's ever been. It was downright shameful and I was VERY disappointed in the effort tonight. Sean May and Desmond Mason should NOT be starting

[OGSactownballer]

I don't think that we should start getting down on our VERY YOUNG frontcourt at having a tough time with Kristic. The guy is obviously over his injury concerns of the past couple of years. You have to remember that this kid was pegged as a real up and comer during his first two years until he was hurt. He learned to play with JKidd running the show and showed then that he has good skills and interior ability. The numbers do not surprise me, and in addition what I heard last night (I was out so I had to listen to 1140 for the game) it sounded like he was one of the beneficiaries of the crazy early on shooting by the thunder and hit quite a few field jumpers.

[Smills91]

I don't think that we should start getting down on our VERY YOUNG frontcourt at having a tough time with Kristic. The guy is obviously over his injury concerns of the past couple of years. You have to remember that this kid was pegged as a real up and comer during his first two years until he was hurt. He learned to play with JKidd running the show and showed then that he has good skills and interior ability. The numbers do not surprise me, and in addition what I heard last night (I was out so I had to listen to 1140 for the game) it sounded like he was one of the beneficiaries of the crazy early on shooting by the thunder and hit quite a few field jumpers.

Those are excuses. It's just one game, chalk it up as a learning game, but we're going to have a hard time competing with just THompson and Hawes as our ONLY reliable bigs. May was very underwhelming, I loved Brockman and what he brought and in no way should Thomas EVER play. He's strictly a place holder at this point in his career.

[Nicky Nix Nook]

Our defense was as bad as it's ever been. It was downright shameful and I was VERY disappointed in the effort tonight. Sean May and Desmond Mason should NOT be starting

AMEN.

Get Hawes confidence back up. START HIM. He is our future and if he isn't then we need to find out. Stop this nonsense. Mason SHOULD NOT START. He can't spread the floor, his defense is UNBELIEVABLY overrated, and he is an offense liability. Start Casspi for the time being and trade Noc, Greene, or both. We need Garcia back.