Starting 5

[VeeJay24]

If we play in transition a lot, we need to have somebody that's actually good at directing that. We don't right now. But we also shouldn't play in transition that much, and if we do, that's a problem with Smart.

But regardless, we desperately need someone out there directing the show. I don't know how others didn't see that last year, but I guess we're arguing in circles right now.

So I'll just say this. I think in hindsight, we really underrate the impact of Jason Williams. We were never going to contend with him running the show because he was far too erratic, but he set up a culture of passing that was infectious on the team and it lasted for years after he was traded. We don't have that right now, and because of that, we won't have a strong passing culture. That stuff doesn't just come out of thin air.

And regarding Reke at SF, I have yet to see someone show a breakdown of minutes that gives Brooks, Isaiah, Tyreke, and Marcus the minutes they warrant that doesn't have Reke playing plenty of SF. And it's because that's an impossible thing to do.

You sure give a lot of credit to Jason Williams when Divac & Webber were already great passers even as big men when they arrived in Sacramento. I would like to think that they too had a hand in changing the culture probably more than an oft-troubled rookie. I also think the Princeton offense had a lot to do with that but this is not that team; these guards have a totally different skillset but IT & Reke are very capable of directing a break and we should absolutely play in transistion because as all of you have so well reminded everyone; this team lacks shooting. Transition gets easy shots for the team especially Cousins if he runs the floor. I don't think the passing on this team will be half as bad as you make it out to be; in fact, Smart has already begun to turn that around and I don't see how you didn't see that last year. Let's face it; it is a rotten culture around the Kings right now and this was before the Maloofs money issues became magnified or the incompetent coach named Westphal. Purging the team of this culture while teaching a very young team how to win consistently in the NBA doesn't happen out of thin air. Now the Kings may not win to your liking this year but I do know this.....


From what I saw, Smart got through to and made a connection to the players on this team last year as evidence by their turnout this week in Sacramento; now that may mean nothing to you but to me it means a lot. It means they could be finally getting it. For me I look forward to seeing these guys on the court again and I believe both IT & Reke have the ability in them to direct this team with the proper coach behind them. So we shall see.............

[pillwenney]

If we play in transition a lot, we need to have somebody that's actually good at directing that. We don't right now. But we also shouldn't play in transition that much, and if we do, that's a problem with Smart.

But regardless, we desperately need someone out there directing the show. I don't know how others didn't see that last year, but I guess we're arguing in circles right now.

So I'll just say this. I think in hindsight, we really underrate the impact of Jason Williams. We were never going to contend with him running the show because he was far too erratic, but he set up a culture of passing that was infectious on the team and it lasted for years after he was traded. We don't have that right now, and because of that, we won't have a strong passing culture. That stuff doesn't just come out of thin air.

And regarding Reke at SF, I have yet to see someone show a breakdown of minutes that gives Brooks, Isaiah, Tyreke, and Marcus the minutes they warrant that doesn't have Reke playing plenty of SF. And it's because that's an impossible thing to do.

You sure give a lot of credit to Jason Williams when Divac & Webber were already great passers even as big men when they arrived in Sacramento. I would like to think that they too had a hand in changing the culture probably more than an oft-troubled rookie. I also think the Princeton offense had a lot to do with that but this is not that team; these guards have a totally different skillset but IT & Reke are very capable of directing a break and we should absolutely play in transistion because as all of you have so well reminded everyone; this team lacks shooting. Transition gets easy shots for the team especially Cousins if he runs the floor. I don't think the passing on this team will be half as bad as you make it out to be; in fact, Smart has already begun to turn that around and I don't see how you didn't see that last year. Let's face it; it is a rotten culture around the Kings right now and this was before the Maloofs money issues became magnified or the incompetent coach named Westphal. Purging the team of this culture while teaching a very young team how to win consistently in the NBA doesn't happen out of thin air. Now the Kings may not win to your liking this year but I do know this.....


From what I saw, Smart got through to and made a connection to the players on this team last year as evidence by their turnout this week in Sacramento; now that may mean nothing to you but to me it means a lot. It means they could be finally getting it. For me I look forward to seeing these guys on the court again and I believe both IT & Reke have the ability in them to direct this team with the proper coach behind them. So we shall see.............

Being a skilled passer =/= the guy that changed the culture. I mean really, try to think back and remember those teams. Think of the impact J-Will had coming into the league. He was the one that really defined how that team played at the time. And that meant some bad things at first, but it also set up the idea that everybody plays unselfishly. And I don't think you can set up that culture until your primary ballhandlers are playing that way.

Tyreke can run a break? Really? If by "run a break" you mean "pass about 4% of the time he's on a fast break," then sure.

The solution to our shooting woes isn't to run a lot. That's dodging the problem. The solution is to fix our problem by fixing our personnel--either by improving them or changing them.

And Cousins doesn't run the floor very much. That's not his game. That's the problem with being a running team, really.

Yes, the passing improved last year, but that's really not saying much, given that the team started the year completely in the dumps passing-wise. The important part of this though is quality of shots. That improved throughout the year, but only so much, and it started off so bad that it's still very much a huge problem. That's one of the main problems with our shooting, really.

The main area where Smart improved thing is that he has the players ears. But I don't think we've improved much with x's and o's and rotations. Basically we went from a team that's a complete disaster under Westphal to merely being a bad team. The problem is, we're still a bad team.

[SacKingZZZ]

Have to agree. Bottom line, the undeniable change in passing along with this teams ability to compete that occurred when this team went to more motion and less run and gun was clear. If this team continues on with the idea that this is a "run and gun" transition team, then they will just be wasting time. They could maybe be competitive at times in that style but their real star talent dictates another style all together. Reke can run a fast break but that's usually when he's going from end to end and laying the ball in the hoop. You can't rely on that as your foundation. The only teams that have succeeded in that style could also run the pick and roll and were stacked with shooting because if you don't get that layup you still are trying to get a quick shot which will usually come from the perimeter. They can run pick and roll and need to get better there, the BIGS in particular with their screening, but I wouldn't suggest that as your crunch time offense anytime soon. Having a huge, skilled C that weighs close to 300 pounds certainly doesn't say "run and gun" to me, it just doesn't.

Smart ditched the transition offensive focus when it was clear that it was failing, and he went to a style where you saw value in players such as Chuck Hayes and even John Salmons. You also saw a team start to run some cohesive plays. If Tyreke can't fit that style he needs to go, but to even attempt to formulate an offense around Tyreke Evans' transition abilities is a waste of time. Not a whole lot of time left to waste here, he's off the books next summer, DeMarcus is off the next one after. Time to get the show on the road here. Don't have to get to your destination point just yet, but for craps sake no more 1 step forward, 3 back.

X's and O's got a little better, but yeah, still bad, and a lot of those X's and O's just don't fit the talent on this team, that's the part I'm most concerned with. I'm starting to see why Petrie has only had real success in this league when paired with a coach that can utilize the players and style he wants to play. Never fully bought into the idea that without Rick Adelmen Petrie is nothing but as the years go by, it's harder and harder to argue against it.