Cruel_Ruin wrote:Well, this was an interesting game.
The starters definitely came out of the gate dead. They depend on Tyreke's penetration and dishing ability, and Reke wasn't able to do the things he usually does because of the injury. He had no lift when attacking the rim and on his jumpshot. Mason and May looked like crap.
Thankfully, it appears that Spencer Hawes has arrived.
Kevin's 49 points aside (and make no mistake he played his heart out today), Spencer has to be given the game ball for this game. Today was a flash of what the future could look like with Spence. The stats were gaudy for sure (21/11/7, near triple double) but just the way he looked in this game was truly magnificent. He was simultaneously the anchor of the defense and the hub of the offense; challenging shots at the rim, hedging the pick and roll nicely, and overall being a nuisance (to Gasol especially) with his length while at the same time managing the game from the high post, finding cutters, hitting midrange jumpers (quick note to Spence: your range is 17 ft. Stop shooting threes), and (wait for it...) ATTACKING IN THE POST. I don't think I've seen Spencer so aggressive in the post before, and I would actually have liked to see the Kings go to him more when it was apparent that Gasol could not stop him down there. All in all, second straight 20/10 game from the most talented big man on the roster. We want more, Spence!
Beno again showed flashes of that talent which he does every now and then. There are times when he completely dominates games, and this was one of them. Enjoy this look from Beno, we might not see it for another few weeks or so. It was especially timely considering that Tyreke was down with injury this game.
I'm still super impressed with Omri, the guy plays with his heart on his sleeve the whole time. But I don't see star potential in him right now, just a super active, smart, nuisance like roleplayer; kind of like a rich man's Noc. Speaking of Noc, he played a very Nocioni-like game today. May and Mason were crap, and HOLY CRAP K9 sighting. Would have liked to see Brockman more instead of KT.
And lastly, Kmart... just an incredible scorer. Mayo could not guard him at all. Scored everywhere, passed well, and also attacked the glass nicely. Defense is still lacking, but he was the one consistent weapon out there tonight, and 49 points is 49 points.
Westphal has officially won my trust as coach. For the first time literally since Adelman, a diagrammed play in crunch time was run perfectly. And good decision not to force Tyreke out on a bad ankle, stuck to his horse in Beno and it paid off. Nice first win, coach, hopefully the first of many.
Very strong post. I especially agree about Westphal. Like I said in earlier threads, the team just seems so much more well-organized than it has in the past. It feels so much more coherent--like it's a real team, or something. It's still very early and any real judgments should be taken with a grain of salt, but it certainly feels like Westphal is far and away the best coach we've had since Adelman.
(7/4/15)